What makes a Finnish sauna different

The Finnish sauna follows a set of principles that have remained largely unchanged. These principles shape how heat, air, and space work together.

Heat is steady

In a Finnish sauna, heat is built slowly and held evenly. Kiuas, the stove in Finnish, heats a large mass of stones, which store warmth and release it gradually into the room.

Temperatures typically settle around 70 to 80 degrees Celsius. At this range, the body warms deeply without being rushed. You can sit, breathe, and remain present for longer periods of time.

The purpose is not to test endurance.

The heat is meant to support the experience, not dominate it.

Löyly shapes the experience

At the heart of the Finnish sauna is löyly. This is the soft wave of heat that rises when water is poured onto hot stones.

Löyly is not just steam in a technical sense. It is the movement of heat through the sauna space. When the movement is designed right, it feels round and enveloping rather than sharp.

Proper löyly depends on three things. A generous amount of stones, or the right size of stove (kiuas) for the sauna space. Stones that are fully heated. And controlled airflow.

Without these, water evaporates too quickly and the heat feels thin.

Wood-fired heat matters

Electric saunas are common in Finland, but the wood-fired sauna remains the reference for how a sauna should work.

A wood-fired kiuas (the stove in Finnish) heats stones slowly and deeply. The fire creates movement in the air and supports natural circulation. This gives the sauna its characteristic softness.

Wood-fired heat is not uniform. That variation is part of the experience.

Bench height is intentional

In a Finnish sauna, benches are built high, often with three levels.

Heat rises. Sitting higher brings you closer to the warmth. Feet are ideally above the level of the stones of the kiuas (stove). Lower benches offer a cooler option for those who prefer less heat during the session.

Sauna is used regularly

In Finland, sauna is part of ordinary life. People bathe weekly, often more. Children grow up with it. Elders continue to use it.

Sauna is also a social space.

People bathe together with friends, much like they would share a meal or an evening. Conversation comes and goes. Silence is equally natural.

Sauna is often part of marking moments as well. Birthdays, reunions, and life transitions. In Finland, a bridal or mother-to-be sauna is a familiar tradition. Not as a performance, but as a way of gathering before something new begins.

Design refined through use

Because sauna is used regularly, its design has been refined through use. Because sauna is used regularly, its design has been refined through use. The room is enclosed to hold heat. The stove carries a large mass of stones to release warmth slowly. Benches are placed at different heights to allow people to adjust to the heat. Fresh air is drawn in to support breathing and the fire.

Nothing is added for appearance.
Nothing remains without a purpose.

These Finnish sauna principles are not theoretical. They are the result of use, repeated over time.

This is what makes a Finnish sauna different. Not a single feature, but a way the space is designed and works as a whole. Built to be used. Again and again.

At Lilla Sauna, these traditional Finnish sauna principles guide every detail of our sauna.