Mr. Steam

The range

Four generator families, and what each is for

Commercial rooms are served by the CT and CX lines, from 6 kW up to 120 kW, in 208, 240, 480 and 600 volt, single and three phase. Those carry a one year warranty because commercial duty is a different job.

Paying for it

Financing

What steam actually does

Steam heat, and why it feels different

A steam room runs at around 110 to 120 F at full humidity. A sauna runs far hotter and much drier. The lower temperature is why a steam session feels gentler on the chest than a sauna does, and the humidity is why it feels hotter than the thermometer suggests.

People use steam for the same reasons they have for a century: warmth, the feeling of clear breathing, and twenty quiet minutes. Research into heat bathing is mostly drawn from sauna populations rather than steam rooms, so we would rather say what is reliably true than overstate it. Warm, humid air may make breathing feel easier for some people, and many users report they sleep better after an evening session.

In use

A Tuesday in February

It is dark outside and it has been raining since lunchtime. You press one button on the way past the bathroom and carry on hanging up your coat. By the time you are back the glass has gone soft and white at the edges and the room smells faintly of eucalyptus from three drops in the reservoir.

Twenty minutes later the room shuts itself off, because it always does. Nothing was running all evening, nothing needs draining by hand, and the towel on the warmer is the temperature of a towel that has been in the sun. That is the whole point of the box in the cupboard.

Buyer guide

Narrowing it to one generator

Start with the volume, not the price

Measure the enclosure width by depth by height and match the cubic feet to the rating. This is the only step that cannot be fudged. Between two sizes, take the larger.

Then look at what the walls are made of

Glass, natural stone and unglazed tile shed heat faster than sealed acrylic or porcelain. A room finished mostly in those sits at the top of its band, and a ceiling over eight feet adds volume people forget to count.

Then choose how much you want the room to do

A simple control sets temperature and time. The fuller control lines add aroma, light and sound. The generator does not change, so this is purely about what you want to touch and how much you want the room to do on its own.

Common questions

Mr. Steam questions