Steam rooms offer consumers a uniquely therapeutic means to take a step back from their busy lives. Spending time in a steam room gives them the quality time they need to care for their health and wellbeing. After engaging in regular steam room sessions, they enjoy multiple health improvements, breathing new energy into everyday life.
Right now, the market for this product is hot, and its growth trajectory remains encouraging for the future. As a seller, you can stock various models to match the lifestyles of discerning customers interested in maintaining their health. Join us as we lay out the market indicators and steam room features to look for, as well as examples of different types of these products to share with your customers.
Table of Contents
Overview of the global steam room market
What makes steam rooms special?
Choosing steam rooms
Tap into this steaming hot market
Overview of the global steam room market
Market research clearly shows how hot global markets are for steam room sales. Valued at USD 274.2 million in 2021, the market is expected to expand at a sedate compound annual growth rate of 3.8% until it reaches a value of USD 399.15 million by 2031.
Accompanying this growth, Google Ads searches are also positive. The term “steam rooms” attracted 40,500 searches in August 2023 and 74,000 in February 2024, an increase of 33.10%. The growth in search rates for this term from March 2023 to February 2024 went from 60,500 to 74,000, reflecting an 18.24% improvement.
Several key factors lie behind the interest and growth in steam room sales. A focus on health and wellness dominates this interest, with many consumers wanting a different therapeutic outlet to relax, destress, and rejuvenate themselves. Similarly, the hospitality industry is an equally powerful force, willing to improve its service offerings to tourists via a therapeutic experience that is made possible with steam rooms.
What makes steam rooms special?
Instead of relying on dry heat, steam rooms exclusively use wet heat to produce perspiration and release toxins. A generator that heats water creates the wet heat in these rooms. As the heat increases, the water produces steam that reaches 100% humidity and temperatures of about 113–118 °F (45–48 °C) in the steam room.
Saunas are different from steam rooms because they use dry heat from wood-burning stoves outdoors or electric or gas heaters indoors. Additionally, saunas heat the space between 160 and 194 °F (71 and 90 °C) and only generate about 10% humidity.
Steam room types
Sellers can look at various types of steam rooms (other than portable tents, which are covered in a separate article). These products are sold as steam rooms or combinations that include saunas, showers, and tubs that accommodate one or more people. Different shapes are available, ranging from rectangular to square, corner, and ready-made cabins.
Additional features
Relatively recent technologies are enhancing the benefits of steam rooms. For instance, sellers should consider whether these products include automated temperature control for enhanced steam room sessions. Other enticing add-ons are the popular aromatherapy dispensers, entertainment systems, special lighting, ozone, and massage features that increase the overall relaxing experience of steam rooms.
Materials
Most steam room installations use tiled rooms, stainless steel water tanks, and approved tempered safety glass walls and doors. But steam rooms can be bought ready-made too. In this case, materials may consist of aluminum, stainless steel, glass, and other materials.
Installation
The steam room is typically purchased as a complete unit ready for installation and is often manufactured from tempered glass and metal. During installation, experts will fix the steam generator in the ceiling, in the same room but outside the steam space, or in a separate room.
Experts will also waterproof the ceiling and downlights in the steam room when installing this product if this has not already been done. Additionally, steam rooms often include a shower.
Applications
Steam sauna applications include private homes, sports-, rehabilitation-, and health and wellness centers. These products are also popular at spas, hotels, and luxury resorts. Overall, they are valued for their use in healing, relaxing, and attracting new customers to commercial destinations, supporting their evergreen popularity and positive sales forecasts.
Health benefits
A mixture of heat and moist heat produces sought-after health benefits. These wellness outcomes include overall body relaxation, a lower heart rate and blood pressure, and better circulation. With regular use, the condition of the blood vessels can improve, too.
Some people in the health industry also suggest that steam room usage can lead to weight loss. However, customers should consult a medical professional before using steam rooms if they suffer from certain health conditions.
Safety
Besides using safety-grade materials, it is necessary to check that steam rooms and saunas contain other safety features. For example, automatic timers and shut-off mechanisms after a certain period are vital for safety and to prevent dehydration. Electrical certification is also critical when installing products with electrical connections and components.
Choosing steam rooms
Traditional 6-person steam room
With its modern design, this six-person traditional wet steam room is made from white acrylic, stainless steel, and aluminum alloy. The computer control panel enables efficient regulation of the interior environment, ensuring a safe, relaxing, spa-like experience that your customers will love.
Wet and dry steam room
This traditional steam room has various standard yet elegant designs made from pine, glass, aluminum, and acrylic. Featuring computer-controlled heating and humidity and speakers for the best home spa experience, it also comes with a sauna stove for a dual wet and dry sauna and shower experience. However, sellers are invited to tailor this product to include other features like special lighting, etc., to meet their customers’ standards.
Corner cabin
An attractive addition to any home and with beneficial health features, this single personal steam cabin is ready for installation. Enjoy the LED lighting, computer control panel, massage function, FM radio, and many other features this small but effective steam room has to offer.
Combination dry sauna and steam room
Made for 4 people, this red cedar (external) and aspen (internal) sauna and steam room combines a 6 KW Harvia sauna stove and a steam engine for two distinct experiences in one. Add to this an LED color-changing light, music, and dry sauna accessories like a thermos hygrometer, sandglass, wooden spoon, and bucket, and you have a winning steam room combo.
Ultra-luxurious steam cabin combo
An ultra-modern cabin ready for installation, this luxurious steam room combines a whirlpool tub, shower, and steam. Customers use the control panel to regulate everything from the tub’s jet sprays to the shower experience, steam, humidity, and ozone.
Besides these features, lighting, speakers, television screens, and leather back massages are also part of the customization possibilities. Order the standard or uber-luxurious version for customers to impress them with your procurement finesse.
Tap into this steaming hot market
Whether the traditional wet steam room appeals to your customers or they love the ultra-luxurious cabins and combos with all the extra features, steam rooms are healthy and have hot business prospects. Because steam rooms are used across so many sectors, they offer enriching prospects in many aspects. So, consider tapping into this health-conscious, lucrative market today by browsing the Alibaba.com showroom for more examples of how to serve your target market with these stunning products.
