1-MINUTE GUIDE ON HOW to SAUNA LIKE a FINN

There are so many ways to enjoy sauna. Not just the dry extremely hot sweatbox that only hard-core sauna enthusiasts enjoy. Sauna can also be luxuriously sensual experience with abundance of steam and enjoyable well-rounded heat that derives from the hot stones in the heater. Enjoyable sauna experience is all about the perfect löyly.

LÖYLY IS THE COMBINATION OF STEAM AND HEAT THAT RISES FROM THE HOT STONES IN THE HEATER WHEN WATER IS SLOWLY POURED ON TO THEM.

Some outdated heaters heat the sauna with their solid steel structure, instead of the stones in the heater, which makes the air in the sauna dry and hot, resulting in an unpleasant sauna experience.

There is a stubborn myth, that I hear a lot in the US, that real sauna needs to be close to 200 °F. This might have been true over 100 years ago when many households in rural Finland did not have running water and sauna was a way of disinfecting and getting clean after a hard day in the woods. This is also when the first Finnish settlers came to America and passed on their knowledge of sauna to their descendants. This in itself is wonderful but like most thigs in life, sauna going habits have changed a lot in recent centuries with technological advantages such as running water and electricity. This has made sauna a place of relaxations and enjoyment, a please to connect with friends and yourself. Washing can be done in the shower.

The perfect temperature for an enjoyable sauna session today is about 150-175 °F, with an abundance of steam and enjoyable well-rounded heat that derives from the hot stones in the heater, rather than the heater itself, heating up the sauna.

THE PERFECT TEMPERATURE FOR AN ENJOYABLE SAUNA SESSION IS BETWEEN 150-175 °F

The sauna room itself can be a beautiful, well-designed space that pampers the mind as well as the body. Just keep in mind that the sauna space needs to be sufficiently ventilated for you to be able to enjoy the löyly. Read more about designing the perfect sauna from our Sauna Builder Guide.

Welcome to Sauna Revival! We hope to assist and guide you in your journey of making your sauna dreams come true. Our wish is to inspire and inform you about all things sauna in a straight to the point, easy to digest manner, as is the Finnish way. We know your time is precious, after all wouldn’t you rather be in a sauna than reading about it.

So, let us start with the basics. A 1-minute guide on how to sauna like a (modern) Finn.