I'm a novice, so am I right to make a distinction between saunas and steamrooms? I associate the latter with fine clouds of steam settling over damp tiled benches. High risk of slipping and falling. I associate the former with scorching hot, dry air that hurts to inhale. Cedar that's pleasant to walk and lay on. If you're in a movie, be careful not to get locked inside by your antagonist.
Saunas are typically cedar- or similarly-lined rooms with tiered benches and a sauna heater that heats rocks that can withstand cold water without shattering (important fact). Throwing water on the rocks to generate steam is an essential part of the experience. The blast of heat is invigorating, and then it dissipates. And you have to do it again. Wave your arms to REALLY feel the heat.
Contrast that with a steam room, that is typically in a ceramic-tiled room with a single level of benches and no heater, just an outlet from a steam generator that hisses steam into the room. It's still a great and healthy experience, but doesn't compare to a sauna.
Some saunas have a steam generator in them to give you the double whammy of the heat from the rocks and from piped-in steam.
That said, if you ever go into a sauna and a sign says, "Please do not throw water on the rocks. This is a dry sauna," you may laugh derisively at the moron who put that sign up. It's either because they don't have the correct amperage for the breaker the sauna heater is on or old folks who don't belong in the sauna are complaining about the heat from the blasts of steam from water-throwers. Boo to both of those.
To wit: a dry sauna is like a dry town that manufactures bourbon. It's an oxy...moron.
Thank you for your expertise! All I’ll add is that my friend Kelly Nestruck, the TV critic at the Globe, keeps a list of shows in which the sauna is used as a murder weapon. That said, it has yet to happen to me.
My pleasure. I'll add that for those (like me) who don't have room for a sauna in their house or condo, there are steam generators you can buy that can turn a standard shower into a steam room (you have to seal the shower area with closed in glass doors, though -- or your bathroom and house will also become a steam room). The trick to a proper steam room experience at home is to NOT buy a steam generator that is overly powerful as you won't have time to enjoy it before it's too "steamy" to tolerate. For most showers, a low- to mid-range size is all you need. Ask the salesperson to size you for whatever the dimensions (W x H x D) are for your shower area.
I think we don't need to. In Winter, we leave our sweltering over-heated office blocks, houses and apartments and step out into the frozen Northern air. In Summer, we escape the humidity by rushing into icy A/C.
Yes, they are absolutely having a moment here! Othership, the Toronto-based sauna-and-ice-bath spa, has two packed locations plus a NYC outpost. A little too aufgussy for me, but glad it exists — it’s like a sauna in there!
Perfect timing. I love saunas, having grown up in Thunder Bay, which may have just a tad fewer per capita than Finland. Though there are a LOT of Finns in TB.
No, furthest north in Ontario I've been is Cochrane ( and by snowmobile north of there ). Saunas aren't prevalent in the lodgings we frequent. 'Tho the hotel in Timmins was well equipped with Sauna https://cedarmeadows.com/ . And Sudbury.
Roughly 2 put of 10 northern Ontario snowmobile lodgings that we frequent have them.
Our typical trips are Ste Saint Marie, Chapleau, Halfway Haven ( when open ), Wawa, Kapuskasing, Cochrane, Timmins. In northwest Ontario.
Thunder Bay itself is tough to snowmobile through ( I'm told ). Look at the trail system. Trails seem to have gaps. I'll get there tho.
I'm a novice, so am I right to make a distinction between saunas and steamrooms? I associate the latter with fine clouds of steam settling over damp tiled benches. High risk of slipping and falling. I associate the former with scorching hot, dry air that hurts to inhale. Cedar that's pleasant to walk and lay on. If you're in a movie, be careful not to get locked inside by your antagonist.
Saunas are typically cedar- or similarly-lined rooms with tiered benches and a sauna heater that heats rocks that can withstand cold water without shattering (important fact). Throwing water on the rocks to generate steam is an essential part of the experience. The blast of heat is invigorating, and then it dissipates. And you have to do it again. Wave your arms to REALLY feel the heat.
Contrast that with a steam room, that is typically in a ceramic-tiled room with a single level of benches and no heater, just an outlet from a steam generator that hisses steam into the room. It's still a great and healthy experience, but doesn't compare to a sauna.
Some saunas have a steam generator in them to give you the double whammy of the heat from the rocks and from piped-in steam.
That said, if you ever go into a sauna and a sign says, "Please do not throw water on the rocks. This is a dry sauna," you may laugh derisively at the moron who put that sign up. It's either because they don't have the correct amperage for the breaker the sauna heater is on or old folks who don't belong in the sauna are complaining about the heat from the blasts of steam from water-throwers. Boo to both of those.
To wit: a dry sauna is like a dry town that manufactures bourbon. It's an oxy...moron.
Thank you for your expertise! All I’ll add is that my friend Kelly Nestruck, the TV critic at the Globe, keeps a list of shows in which the sauna is used as a murder weapon. That said, it has yet to happen to me.
My pleasure. I'll add that for those (like me) who don't have room for a sauna in their house or condo, there are steam generators you can buy that can turn a standard shower into a steam room (you have to seal the shower area with closed in glass doors, though -- or your bathroom and house will also become a steam room). The trick to a proper steam room experience at home is to NOT buy a steam generator that is overly powerful as you won't have time to enjoy it before it's too "steamy" to tolerate. For most showers, a low- to mid-range size is all you need. Ask the salesperson to size you for whatever the dimensions (W x H x D) are for your shower area.
As a northern country, I wonder why "we" Canadians haven't embraced " sauna ".
A great read, as always. Thank you.
I take it you've never been to Thunder Bay or most parts of Northern Ontario?
I think we don't need to. In Winter, we leave our sweltering over-heated office blocks, houses and apartments and step out into the frozen Northern air. In Summer, we escape the humidity by rushing into icy A/C.
Now that’s funny.
Reminds me of a university stats professor -
“Careful with the term ‘ average ‘ “.
“You can put your head in the fridge and your butt in the oven - and be comfortable, ‘ on average ‘ “.
So I sense Canadians are comfortable, on average :)
{ Groan .. coming soon. The Wit’s guide to averages }
Why did I build a sauna when I could have put my butt in the oven!?
Very good!
However, I got it wrong about Canada and saunas.
To wit.....
https://www.blogto.com/radar/2025/12/toronto-floating-sauna-plunge-pool/
Yes, they are absolutely having a moment here! Othership, the Toronto-based sauna-and-ice-bath spa, has two packed locations plus a NYC outpost. A little too aufgussy for me, but glad it exists — it’s like a sauna in there!
I don't want to prolong this but, having just looked up "Aufgussy" and the role of the "Aufgussmeister" , I'll stick with oven-warm buns.
Perfect timing. I love saunas, having grown up in Thunder Bay, which may have just a tad fewer per capita than Finland. Though there are a LOT of Finns in TB.
No, furthest north in Ontario I've been is Cochrane ( and by snowmobile north of there ). Saunas aren't prevalent in the lodgings we frequent. 'Tho the hotel in Timmins was well equipped with Sauna https://cedarmeadows.com/ . And Sudbury.
Roughly 2 put of 10 northern Ontario snowmobile lodgings that we frequent have them.
Our typical trips are Ste Saint Marie, Chapleau, Halfway Haven ( when open ), Wawa, Kapuskasing, Cochrane, Timmins. In northwest Ontario.
Thunder Bay itself is tough to snowmobile through ( I'm told ). Look at the trail system. Trails seem to have gaps. I'll get there tho.
Come for the quotations, stay for the snowmobile travel tips!