Löyly means “steam” technically, but in sauna culture it means something more. It’s the heat you feel wrapping around you, the way it hits your skin and fills your lungs. It’s the moment everything slows down, and the sauna begins to breathe with you. But not all löyly is created equal.
The best löyly is soft and full-bodied. It moves through the room in waves, drawing in fresh air and moving heat and humidity in a way that feels almost intuitive.
So, what makes the perfect löyly?
The Right Stones
We use dense, high-quality olivine diabase because they hold and release heat slowly, creating a smooth, even steam. Low-density stones cool too quickly and can make löyly feel sharp or inconsistent.
Ventilation That Moves
This part’s underrated. Löyly isn’t just created, it circulates. When you throw water on hot stones, it vaporizes into steam, which rises along with the hot air. That upward movement creates a kind of convective loop, pulling in fresh air through an intake vent. The fresh air heats up, rises again, and keeps the sauna flowing. Without proper ventilation, the sauna will feel stuffy and have higher levels of carbon dioxide.
A sauna needs to breathe, just like we do.
Even Heat
Löyly doesn’t just come from the heater—it comes from the entire sauna being properly warmed up, not just the air temperature. That means the benches, walls, and stones are all up to temp and radiating heat.
Electric vs. Wood-Fired Löyly
This is a common question many folks ask us. Löyly isn't just for the wood fired crowd, electric heaters are designed for it too. You can create beautiful löyly whether you prefer electric or wood-fired.
In the end, löyly is the result of a lot of subtle factors working together: heat, water, air, and stone all in balance. You know it when you feel it. It's why we have left ourselves the flexibility to iterate on our sauna designs - so that we can fine tune this experience.
Got a ritual or tip for perfect löyly?
Always curious how others chase that perfect heat. 🔥