Dry heat you can steam, or wet heat all the time.
A sauna heats stones and air to 160–195°F and stays dry until you throw water. A steam room boils water in a generator and pipes the steam in, holding the room near 100% humidity at a much cooler 110–120°F. The cooler room often feels heavier, and the reason is condensation.
The short answer
185°F dry vs. 113°F wet
In a sauna, your sweat evaporates and cools you, except for the minute after each ladle. In a steam room, the air's dew point sits above your skin the whole time, so steam condenses on you and sweat can't evaporate. Most of the water on your skin in a steam room isn't sweat.
Updated October 7, 2026
Same goal, different physics.
Typical values. Every sauna and steam room runs a little differently.
| Sauna | Steam room | |
|---|---|---|
| Air temperature | 160–195°F at the top bench | 110–120°F |
| Relative humidity | 5–15% between throws, briefly higher after one | Close to 100%, all session |
| Dew point | About 96°F dry at 185°F, about 121°F after one ladle | Equal to the air, about 113°F |
| Your skin (~104°F) | Sweat evaporates and cools you. Steam condenses on you for a minute after each ladle. | Steam condenses on you constantly. Sweat can't evaporate. |
| Heat source | Electric heater or wood stove with stones | Steam generator, plumbed in, piping steam into the room |
| Room | Wood, vented, dry between sessions | Sealed, tiled and waterproofed, with a sloped ceiling and a floor drain |
| Who controls the steam | You, one ladle at a time | The generator's thermostat |
| At home | Indoors or out. A barrel sauna sits in the yard. | Indoors, usually in a bathroom, with plumbing and drainage |
| Health research | Most of the long-term research, including the Finnish cohort studies | Little long-term research |
A 113°F room that feels hotter than it is.
Your body sheds heat in a hot room by sweating. Each gram of sweat that evaporates carries about 2,260 joules away. That only works while the air is drier than your skin, meaning its dew point is below your skin temperature of about 104°F.
In a steam room at 113°F and 100% humidity, the dew point is 113°F, nine degrees above your skin. Evaporation stops, and it runs in reverse: steam condenses on you and releases those 2,260 joules per gram. That's why a room 70°F cooler than a sauna can feel just as intense, and why you come out dripping.
A sauna does the same thing in short bursts. Throw a 150 ml ladle in a 6-foot barrel at 185°F and the dew point jumps from about 96°F to about 121°F for a minute or two, then the vent clears it and you're back to dry heat. You choose when the wave comes and how big it is. Run the numbers for your own sauna.
Which one suits you.
Plenty of people like both. In Madison, Saunaday and KOSA have one of each. See every option.
Steam room: dry air bothers you
Some people find very hot, dry air harsh to breathe. Warm, saturated air at 113°F is easier on the nose and throat for many of them.
Steam room: it's going in a bathroom
If you're already tiling a shower, a steam generator, a sealed door and a sloped ceiling can turn it into a steam room. It needs plumbing and a drain, so it stays indoors.
Sauna: you want to control the heat
Dry heat most of the time, a wave of steam when you want one. The room only gets as humid as you make it.
Sauna: it goes outside
A sauna needs no plumbing and dries out between sessions, so it can sit in a Wisconsin backyard year-round. It can be wood-fired.
Sauna: wood that lasts
Sauna wood dries out between sessions. A steam room stays wet, which is why steam rooms are built of tile and stone instead.
Sauna: the research
The long-running Finnish studies on heart health were done in saunas. What the heart research shows.
Sauna or steam room?
What is the difference between a sauna and a steam room?
A sauna heats the air to about 160–195°F with low humidity, and you can add steam by throwing water on hot stones. A steam room runs cooler, about 110–120°F, but holds the air near 100% humidity the whole time with a steam generator.
Why does a steam room feel hotter than its temperature?
Because its dew point is above your skin temperature. At 113°F and 100% humidity, steam condenses on your skin, which is about 104°F, and releases its heat into you, while your sweat can't evaporate to cool you.
Is a sauna or steam room better?
Neither is better for everyone. A steam room can be easier to breathe in if dry air bothers you. A sauna is hotter, lets you control the steam, can go outdoors, and is what most long-term health research has studied.
Is a wet sauna the same as a steam room?
No. A "wet" sauna is a regular sauna where you throw water on the stones. The humidity rises for a minute or two and then the vent clears it. A steam room stays near 100% humidity the whole time.
Can you have a steam room outside?
Rarely. Steam rooms need plumbing, a drain and a sealed, waterproof room, and the water lines would have to be protected from freezing. Outdoor heat rooms in cold climates are almost always saunas.