Saunas are beneficial if the heat and humidity relax you without causing any harm. If the sauna temperature and humidity are too high, the results could include collapsing and in extreme cases, death.
Using the optimum sauna humidity and temperature can help you enjoy all the health benefits offered by saunas without having to deal with negative effects. In this article, we will help you understand the best sauna temperature and humidity.
The Most Ideal Sauna Temperature
The recommended safe temperature for traditional saunas is 150 to 175 degrees Fahrenheit (66 to 80 degrees centigrade) and 120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit (49 to 54 degrees centigrade) for the infrared saunas. For pregnant women and people with health complaints, including skin disease, asthma, heart disease, and high blood pressure, the ideal temperature should be below 158 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees centigrade).
It is worth noting that the best temperature for saunas varies for different people. The temperature you decide to use in the sauna will be largely dependent on your preference. For example, while some people cannot tolerate temperatures exceeding 80 degrees centigrade, some people may be comfortable in temperatures as high as 110 degrees centigrade.
The Relationship Between Sauna Humidity and Heat
When in an environment featuring high temperatures, the body’s main defense mechanism is sweating. Sweating helps the body lose the excess latent heat via evaporation. High Sauna humidity can affect the efficiency of sweating because the difference in temperature between the outside environment and the body is reduced – this makes it pretty hard for the sweat to evaporate.
In this case, the body will send hot blood to the surface of the skin in an attempt to cool down. The blood vessels close to the skin surface will dilate – this is one of the main reasons most people appear red after staying in the sauna.
This is an indication that the heart is pumping more quickly to keep supplying blood to both the muscles and the skin. If this continues for too long, the brain can be starved of oxygen and blood – this can lead to collapsing.
If you use a steam sauna, it essential that you control the temperature effectively to ensure that you do not deal with too much heat. Steam saunas are heated up by steam generators that boil water, turning it into steam, and then continually releasing the steam into the room. Most steam saunas will feature a high humidity level, approximately 85% to 90%, and in some instances, the level of humidity may reach 100%.
The recommended temperature for saunas featuring high humidity is 90 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit (32 to 50 degrees centigrade). While this temperature is lower compared to the temperature recommended for a traditional sauna, most steam saunas often feel much warmer because of the humidity.
Dry saunas (we will discuss them below) feature a lower humidity level. On average, their humidity level is usually 5 to 10%. When using traditional saunas, some people prefer to pour water over the stones to raise the humidity. Pouring water over the hot rocks raises the sauna humidity to between 20 and 50% – this often feels more comfortable for the skin and can make breathing easier. Because of the low humidity, dry saunas feel more comfortable even at high temperatures.
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Dry Sauna Temperature Range
There are 2 main types of dry saunas – traditional and infrared saunas. Below, we will discuss both saunas:
Traditional Saunas
Traditional saunas increase the temperature by heating sauna rocks – this heats the air in the room. The temperatures for the traditional saunas range between 150 and 190 degrees Fahrenheit (66 to 88 degrees centigrade).
Originally, traditional saunas used wood-burning stoves to heat the rocks. Nowadays, however, electric sauna heaters have replaced the wood stoves. The electric heaters simply radiate heat through the air inside the sauna. The electric heating elements automatically turn on and off to maintain the temperature that you have set until you turn them off completely.
Infrared Saunas
Unlike the traditional and steam saunas, infrared saunas work in a different way to make you sweat. They generate infrared waves – these penetrate your body safely and raise the core temperature. The waves emit infrared energy that has the same wavelength as the energy emitted by the body naturally – the wavelength is approximately 7 to 14 microns.
Your 2-person infrared sauna can create the same experience as a dry traditional sauna but at a much lower temperature range. For most infrared saunas, the temperature ranges between 80 and 130 degrees Fahrenheit (26 to 55 degrees centigrade).
FAQs
Q: What is the Ideal Temperature for A Sauna?
The ideal temperature for the sauna varies depending on who is using the sauna. Most people, however, prefer a temperature ranging between 66 to 80 degrees centigrade for the traditional sauna and 49 to 54 degrees centigrade for the infrared saunas.
Q: How Long Does It Take to Heat Up A Sauna?
A sauna room will take an average of 30 to 40 minutes to heat up to 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees centigrade). The sauna will take 60 minutes to heat to 190 degrees Fahrenheit (88 degrees centigrade). This tells you that the temperature you need in the sauna can determine how long you will have to wait.
Another thing that can affect the time needed to heat the sauna is the ambient temperature. For example, a sauna located in an area featuring an air temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees centigrade) will heat up much more quickly compared to one in an area featuring an ambient temperature of 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-7 degrees).
Globo Surf Overview
The safe sauna temperature and humidity vary from one person to the other. What one person may consider ideal may not be perfect for you.
Experimenting can help you figure out the best sauna humidity and temperature for your sauna. However, when experimenting, be sure to start with the safe sauna conditions recommended in this article.
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