SAUNUM CLIMATE CONTROL

This is the first time I am hearing about it, is it something like air conditioning in a sauna?​​

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Something similar, yes.

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Currently, apart from the accumulation of CO2 that we can deal with proper ventilation, the other main problem in the modern saunas is simply that the top levels are too hot, while the lower levels are too cold. This, together with a lack of oxygen at head level and steam that both scalds the skin and doesn’t last long, results in an unpleasant, tiring sensation.

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We use a patented solution, called the Saunum Base, that mixes steam from the higher levels and cold air from the lower levels, filters it through Himalayan salt crystals and distributes it throughout the room, creating more moisture, a more even temperature, and more oxygen at head level, which all leads to more efficient sweating and a more pleasant experience. This also provides more sauna design flexibility as it eliminates the need for high benches in order for the whole body to sit in an even heat. This makes it suitable for modern contemporary single bench saunas, such as steam sauna combinations next to each other behind glass fronts.

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What Saunum Does That Standard Saunas Don't

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The core innovation is active air mixing. In a conventional sauna — Finnish or otherwise — hot air rises and stays at the top. The temperature difference between the upper and lower layers of air can be 20–30°C. Your head is in 90°C heat while your feet sit at 60°C. This is why experienced sauna users lie down — it's instinctive thermoregulation.

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Saunum's climate control unit sits above the heater and mechanically circulates the air, drawing hot air from the ceiling and redistributing it evenly throughout the room. The result is a far more uniform temperature from floor to ceiling — typically within 5–8°C of each other rather than 25–30°C.

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The Specific Benefits

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1. More even, tolerable heat Because the temperature is consistent throughout the room, you can sit upright comfortably rather than needing to lie down to find the sweet spot. For clients with smaller saunas where lying down isn't practical, this is genuinely transformative. A 2-person sauna that would normally require horizontal bathing becomes properly usable seated.

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2. Softer, more pleasant steam (Löyly) When you pour water on the stones, Saunum distributes the steam evenly rather than letting it billow upward and dissipate at the ceiling. The steam experience is softer, more enveloping, and lasts longer. Clients who've used both consistently describe the Löyly in a Saunum sauna as feeling more like a proper Finnish public sauna than a home installation.

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3. Optional salt crystal filtration The Saunum unit can be fitted with a Himalayan salt crystal tray in the circulation path. Air passes through the warm salt crystals before being redistributed into the room, which adds micro-particles of salt to the atmosphere. This replicates halotherapy — the same principle as a salt cave or dedicated salt sauna — but integrated into a standard Finnish heat sauna. You get the respiratory and skin benefits of halotherapy without needing to build full salt walls (though you can still do that too, as we've done in Weybridge).

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4. Faster heat-up and better energy efficiency Because hot air is actively circulated rather than stratifying at the top, the room reaches an effective bathing temperature more quickly. The heater doesn't need to push temperatures as high to achieve the same felt experience, which reduces running costs over time. For clients using their sauna daily — which research strongly suggests they should — this adds up.

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5. Better air quality and CO2 management Active circulation assists ventilation by preventing the stagnant pockets of exhaled, CO2-heavy air that form in poorly ventilated or passive saunas. It doesn't replace proper mechanical ventilation — we always design and install that separately — but it complements it significantly. Combined with correct inlet/outlet positioning, a Saunum sauna is noticeably fresher to breathe in, particularly after several consecutive sessions.

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6. Genuine flexibility of experience The Saunum unit allows you to dial between a drier Finnish experience and a more humid, softer atmosphere by adjusting fan speed and water volume on the stones. One sauna, genuinely different sessions. For households where one person wants a hard 90°C Finnish sweat and another wants a gentler, steamier experience, this is the practical answer.

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Who It's Best Suited For

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Saunum makes the most difference in these scenarios:

• Smaller saunas where lying flat isn't possible — the even temperature makes seated bathing genuinely comfortable

• Clients who've experienced public Finnish saunas and found home saunas disappointing by comparison — the Löyly quality closes that gap considerably

• Health-focused users who want the salt therapy benefit without committing to a full salt wall build

• Daily users for whom energy efficiency and air quality compound over time

• Multi-user households where different people have different heat preferences

 

The Honest Limitation

 

Saunum adds meaningful cost — the unit itself plus correct integration into the sauna design. It also adds a mechanical component that, like any equipment, can eventually need servicing. For a client who wants a simple, robust, low-maintenance traditional Finnish sauna and is happy to lie down and let the heat stratify naturally, a standard Harvia or HUUM heater with good ventilation design will serve them perfectly well.

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But for anyone who wants the best possible home sauna experience — closest to what the research on cardiovascular, cognitive and longevity benefits is actually measuring — Saunum is the most significant upgrade available in the market right now. It's the difference between a sauna that's pleasant and one that's genuinely transformative.​

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Our new build climate controlled saunas use a combination of HUUM Sauna Heaters and Saunum Base Solution, but we can also install climate control to all kinds of saunas, new or existing, just send us a photo and ask us free advice!  

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