SAUNA LIGHTING

Since natural light is rarely a feature of any sauna, the way in which you choose to artificially illuminate your sauna can enhance or detract from the overall enjoyment of the sauna experience.

Sauna lighting is therefore a feature that requires careful consideration and it should never be dismissed, or considered as an insignificant afterthought.

Things to consider

With the rapid increase in pre-fab and sauna kit availability, the number and variety of sauna lighting options now means that this aspect of sauna customisation is one that allows a high degree of scope and, if you have the budget, expenditure as well.

Choosing the right kind of sauna lighting can help create the perfect mood for relaxation and contemplation. But additionally, carefully selected sauna lights can create an intimate environment in a larger sauna, or make a small sauna appear more airy and open.

Things to consider when choosing how to illuminate your sauna include, the type of sauna lights, the style of the sauna lights and the position of the sauna lighting.

Types of sauna lights

The three common types of sauna light are the bulb, the tube and the fibre optic light.

Both bulbs and fibre optic sauna lights can be supplied in different colour options and new developments in fibre optic lighting mean that this type of lighting is increasing in popularity. It can also offer different effects and lighting characteristics.

Bulbs have the advantage of being cheap and easy to replace and they can also be easily switched with coloured bulbs for varying lighting effects.

Tube lights are efficient, bright and can be used in a way that prevents the casting of shadows (as in a kitchen or working environment). For many this is an important feature. Shades or slats can also be used to enable this type of sauna light to have variable brightness across different parts of the sauna room.

Styles of sauna lighting

Which ever type (or combination) of sauna lights are selected, they are usually available in a number of styles and as individual units or in clusters or banks.

Bulbs fittings are commonly countersunk into the ceiling to provide a clean finish. This style of sauna lighting may have progressive dimmer switches that allow varying degrees of brightness dependant upon the desired mood. Wall mounted light bulbs can create spotlight effects, or offer coloured lighting.

Themed style features can easily be added to a sauna by using shades or light housings (slatted light covers), which are typically made from cedar or pine. This kind of lighting effect maintains the Finnish sauna style and is very popular. Although generally composed from a series of narrow timber lathes, with gaps between them, these covers are still referred to as lamp or light shades.

Some of the more exotic and expensive lighting sets comprise several light tubes in a timber frame to form a ladder effect.

Many sauna owners select their lighting very carefully in order to emphasise the sensation of heat (and often humidity) in the sauna. As an example, the use of bulbs with a red or amber tint can be used to create a glowing effect which enhances the sensation of heat.

The location of sauna lights

There are no fixed rules regarding the location of sauna lighting other than that, sauna lights should never be installed immediately above the stove.

Light can be fixed at any level on the saunas wall, or to the ceiling. Lights can even be set in the sauna’s floor.

Creating sauna lighting effects

Using tube lighting is the best way to create an even light with little or no shadow.

Bulbs can be used to create balanced light, spot light effects, or different coloured lighting tones. Reds, yellows and oranges will make a room feel warm. Blues and whites will create a cooler feel (very unusual in a sauna).