Commercial Saunas

Commercial saunas differ from home based kit and prefabricated saunas in a number of ways. The most obvious of which is the size of the sauna and the number of bathers that it can accommodate.

Medium to large saunas will always use hot coals rather than infrared heating methods. This may require an electric stove, or a fossil fuelled stove or burner.

Many commercial saunas have the capacity to seat over 20 sauna goers and the larger rooms can hold up to 50 people. Sauna rooms beyond this size tend to be uncommon, at least outside of Finland.

The majority of commercial saunas tend to be built to order and they are often a part of a sports or leisure complex. They also require powerful stoves and it is typical, in the case of very large sauna rooms, to have the stove centrally located with the bench seating encircling it. This provides the best and most balanced release of heat and it is very effective when a steam shock is required.

Not surprisingly large saunas are not made from kits and they are usually designed to accommodate both their destination room and their expected level of use. This means that they have a much higher level of use and this, in turn, means that the materials used to construct them tend to be of a higher standard, with thicker timber sections and more robust construction.

Small commercial saunas

In addition to the communal saunas found at sports clubs and leisure centers, many therapists and beautician's salons also provide small, single occupancy, sauna rooms.

These rooms are generally the same as those found in any home sauna and they will often be constructed from a sauna kit.

Some beauty salons will also offer steam showers and sweat suits, usually as an aid to loosing weight or cleaning the pores of the skin. Both of these options differ from an actual sauna.