It is unknown exactly when the first sauna was built, but it can safely be said that saunas of one sort or another were in use by nomadic tribes in what is now Finland more than 1000 years ago. The original saunas were a tent in which a fire would be lit - after the fire went out, people would enter, similar to the sweat lodge of Native Americans.

From these beginnings, the smoke sauna evolved. These were small buildings with a fireplace. Smoke could exit through a small hole made in the roof but again, the fire had to die out before people could enter. These saunas were in use until the 1920s, when the modern style of sauna familiar to us came into use. Smoke saunas have seen a small revival in their country of origin, with many Finns considering these to provide the best sauna experience possible.

By the 1930s, a new type of sauna stove was introduced. This sauna stove allowed the rocks to be heated without being placed directly over the flames of the fire. This meant that the fire could burn while the sauna was being used. The earliest stoves of this type used wood as a fuel but later models used electricity.

Various Types of Saunas

Saunas can be built in many shapes and styles. They can be separate buildings or they can be installed in a house or apartment. Traditional saunas are wooden structures and are as beautiful as they are functional.

The popularity of saunas all over the world has brought about a lot of new designs, including the innovative portable sauna. These are collapsible saunas which can be easily transported and used nearly anywhere. These saunas are big enough for one person to use - your head and hands are outside of the sauna, so you can read or do other things while in the sauna.

Another unusual design is the barrel sauna. This is a small cabin constructed using barrel making techniques and can hold six to eight people. Barrel saunas can be installed either inside or outside the house and can be heated with a wood or electric stove.

Infrared saunas have been used since the 1960s. The heating source in this type of sauna is an infrared heater. Unlike traditional heaters that heat the air of the sauna, infrared heaters heat objects and people but not the air. Infrared is a type of light and proponents of infrared saunas say that they have superior health benefits to traditional saunas.

Sauna Construction Styles

Most saunas are made of wood, generally cedar or hemlock, with only the stove and rocks being made of other materials.

The sauna provides a dry heat — usually between 70C and 100C. From time to time water can be thrown on the rocks on the stove. This creates a cloud of steam which has the effect of immediately raising the temperature.

A sauna can use either electric heat or a wood burning stove. While wood stoves are usual in rural settings, urban sauna owners generally opt for electric heat.

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