Best Sauna Lights: 11 Clever & Reliable Options

Only few of us manage to sauna without needing sauna lights at some point, so what should you do when your sauna moments, literally, take a dark turn?

The answer might seem obvious at first: you buy a sauna light fixture, a regular light bulb or LED light, and have the lamp installed on the ceiling of your sauna.

But what about all those sources that say you can’t have “normal” lights in a sauna because of the high temperature? Some go as far as saying that LED lights specifically are terrible in saunas as they can’t take the heat, all the while sauna stores sell LED lights exactly for sauna use.

And what if your sauna is off grid, meaning electric lights aren’t an option anyway?

Luckily I have much more good than bad news: sauna lighting can be simple and affordable once you’re concentrating on the right things, not being confused by misinformation.

Reliability is also key as it gets tiring really fast if you constantly have to change light bulbs, recharge batteries, buy candles and avoid fires, or what have you.

Let’s see what you really should consider when choosing proper lights and introduce the best sauna lights for every possible scenario and every budget, both for indoor and outdoor saunas (= fixtures vs. portable, wireless sauna lights).

2 Things that Really Matter with Sauna Lights: Placement & IP Rating

Let’s first address the elephant in the room: can you use LED lights in a sauna?

Yes, not only can you use LED lights in a sauna setting but they’re also the most common and popular choice for saunas.

LED lights are exactly what legitimate sauna light manufacturers sell. They’re the perfect choice as they are long-lasting and require very little electricity. They’re also a lot more affordable than glass fiber lights, for example.

So yes, most proper sauna lights you see for sale (online) are LED lights. I also have a LED sauna light in my indoor sauna.

Whenever you hear or read that a LED light isn’t suitable for sauna use, it’s incorrect information. It’s no surprise, though, why this kind of misconception was ever born: wrong placement of sauna lights is rampant especially in the US and Canada.

This brings us to our first lesson of the day:

1. Placement (= don’t install a regular sauna light on the ceiling!)

There are several reasons why you should avoid ceiling installations like the plague when discussing normal LED sauna lights:

🔶 it’s the hottest area in your sauna, meaning it strains the light the most and has you replacing bulbs more frequently

🔶 it brings you the ugliest and dullest light possible and ruins the mood!

🔶 there’s a reason why indirect lighting from the wall is so appealing in saunas: it not only illuminates the areas that are most important for safety, i.e., the sauna heater and benches for you to see and climb on, but it also doesn’t draw unwanted attention to other, (naked) sauna bathers

🔶 proper sauna light manufacturers always make it clear the light should be mounted on the wall and not any higher than 3.28 feet (1 m) above the floor

Now that you know there are no benefits to having an overhead light in a sauna environment, we can move on to our second lesson of the day:

2. IP rating (= your sauna light has to be splash-proof)

When most people ponder what kind of sauna light they need, the first obstacle they think they have to overcome is the high temperature.

Yes, saunas are hot for sure, but fortunately it’s not the heat you have to worry about when your sauna light is correctly placed as discussed above.

It’s actually the humidity that your sauna lights have to be able to withstand. It’s because of all the wonderful löyly (steam) that’s produced when you throw water on the hot sauna rocks.

Light manufacturers use an internationally acknowledged IP rating (Ingress Protection), also called an IP code, to indicate how strongly the light (= the enclosure) is protected against water and dust.

Common ratings you can find in (sauna) lights include:

🔶 IP44: Protected against splashing water.

(Notice that some actual sauna lights can have a rating of IP44, but the connection device and the manifold they come with have a rating of IP20, which means they’re not protected from humidity at all.)

🔶 IPX4: Protected against water splashes from all directions. Usually not fully waterproof, but equipped with a water removal system that stops water getting into electrical components and also makes sure the water flows outwards.

🔶 IP54 & IP55: Protected against dust and spraying water. Common in lights meant for the outdoors and bathrooms.

🔶 IP65: Protected fully against dust and spraying water from all directions.

🔶 IP68: Protected fully against water even when constantly submerged.

The last rating is obviously overkill for sauna use, but I wanted to include it since I’m going to introduce one sauna light option with this high of a rating.

Whichever light you get, whether it’s labeled as a sauna light or not, should always be at least splash-proof. If the seller says nothing about humidity, vapor, wet locations, or IP rating, it’s a clear red flag.

Sauna Lighting Ideas: 11 Clever Options

Below I’ll introduce the best sauna lights, starting with budget-friendly finds and finishing with the most expensive ones.

When considering what is the best lighting for a sauna, it depends heavily on whether your sauna is on or off the grid.

A wired light fixture makes the most sense and is most convenient whenever it’s a possibility for you.

But if installing any kind of lights isn’t possible, whether it’s because of building regulations, difficulty of finding an electrician who understands saunas, or having your sauna off grid, don’t worry; there are many portable and wireless sauna lights in my list in addition to more traditional sauna light fixtures.

1. Wall-mounted sauna light

This beloved classic goes by many names: normal or regular sauna light, bulkhead light, sauna luminaire, sconce light for sauna, etc. It should always be mounted on the wall!

If this is an option for you, meaning that wiring is possible to do in your sauna, then this is by far the best choice.

🔶 This option always brings enough light but is ambient as well when placed correctly.

🔶 Specifically designed for saunas, with IP codes varying between IP44 and IP65.

🔶 It’s easy to use, reliable, and affordable ($40–$90).

🔶 It means least effort and least maintenance on your part; the bulb is easy to replace when it’s time, which often takes several years. No “special” bulb is needed.

🔶 Remains functional for several decades; one that I featured above is from the 1980s, and it still works just as perfectly as it did when it was new.

🔶 Can be dimmable, but most basic models are not. Some can also be recessed although surface mounting is far more common.

You simply don’t need anything else or anything more fancy. If you want something more special, that’s totally fair, but in terms of necessity, you’re all set with a basic sauna light on the wall.

Just don’t let the electrician install it on the ceiling, even if the instructions allow it (in most cases, they don’t)!

2. USB-chargeable / battery-powered lights

This is the best option when electricity isn’t available. Even if your sauna tent or sauna building is in the middle of nowhere, you can still have as much light as you wish.

The one I got for my off-grid outdoor sauna is officially a camping light, rated IPX4 and IP54, and is shock-proof as well.

It’s actually super bright (= 500 lumens), so I have it dimmed in the picture above.

Lights like these have countless pros in sauna use:

🔶 more than enough lighting power

🔶 portable, wireless, and IP rated

🔶 dimmable unlike many regular sauna lights

🔶 works for a long time before you need to recharge it: for reference, mine is said to work for 370 hours when it’s USB-charged and has regular batteries as well (it’s a hybrid)

🔶 can be hung (on the wall) with the hooks/handles they include or placed directly on the floor or lower bench

🔶 no need to replace batteries when choosing an USB-chargeable version

🔶 affordable, expect to pay around or less than $50 for a quality brand

The only con is that you occasionally have to remember to charge the light, which means a little more mental energy is required than when using a regular, wired light. Nothing’s more annoying than having your lamp dying while you’re sauna bathing when it’s pitch-black.

3. Solar-powered lights

This is less reliable and brings less light than the previous option, but can still be great especially for those who live in warmer climates with more sunlight all year round.

As solar-powered lights are obviously meant for the outdoors, they’re much more likely to be IP rated than many indoor lights. When not placed too high in a hot sauna, they work ideally in a humid sauna environment.

Some solar-powered lights also include a normal battery compartment, meaning they’re hybrids that can still work once solar power is fully gone.

The biggest con of this light source is that a lot of sunlight is required for proper charging. Otherwise the light will be too dim or even non-existent after a couple minutes of use.

I personally couldn’t rely on solar power for most of the year, but it’s a cool and affordable (free after initial purchase) option for those living in more southern regions.

4. Jars & lanterns with string lights

These types of solutions represent the best DIY sauna lights.

You’re essentially creating the “IP rated” enclosure yourself by using a jar or tightly closed lantern, meaning you can put any rechargeable or battery-operated (string) lights inside it.

Humidity won’t then pose a problem. Hotness neither, when (once again) not placing the jar or lantern too high in your sauna.

If you don’t already own the products you’d be using for this light source, this wouldn’t be my first choice: if you have to go shopping, you may as well buy a decent (camping) light that won’t cost you much more but will be a more reliable multipurpose light, possibly with several IP ratings and a 3-year warranty, for instance.

Still, jars and lanterns with lights inside can have pros many other lights don’t: they offer needed protection and endless-seeming possibilities, don’t require any special features from the lights themselves, and are ambient for sure, which is very appropriate for saunas.

If you’re one of those people looking for color-changing sauna lights, this option would make that dream easily possible: just get rechargeable color-changing lights and put them inside a tightly closed jar or lantern. Place it low in your sauna where it’s cooler.

5. Light source from the outside / candle window

This is less ideal than any of the previous options but may be worth considering for some.

Let’s say you assembled your indoor sauna in a space that was already well lit, and your sauna has a glass front like so many indoor saunas do; if this sounds familiar, you may not need any kind of light in the sauna room itself.

Many people in this situation would probably still prefer more light, even if wireless and portable, purely for ambiance, but it’s for you to decide.

Some traditional outdoor saunas also have a glass surface in the form of a candle window: whether you put a candle or some other light source in it, the light is still coming from outside the sauna, meaning it doesn’t have to withstand hotness and humidity.

The light also doesn’t have to be weatherproofed if the candle window isn’t located in the outdoors but in the changing room.

6. Headlamp / flashlight

Several headlamps and flashlights are IP rated, so when placing one low enough in your sauna, it can get the job done brilliantly.

And since you get to enjoy it in other contexts too, you don’t have to get a specific sauna light at all: the headlamp I got was mainly for running in the countryside where no streetlights are found, but I later realized it’s perfect for sauna use too. Here’s why:

🔶 rated IP68 (fully waterproof) and shockproof

🔶 6–10 modes: as bright or dim as you wish

🔶 works even in cold climates, down to -13 F (-25 C), which is amazing when preparing and heating your outdoor sauna in the middle of winter

🔶 has temperature control: if the environment gets too hot (around 135 F (57 C), the light becomes a bit dimmer on purpose to protect the device from overheating

🔶 10-year warranty

🔶 Comes in warm or cool light: I conveniently happened to choose the warm one even though I primarily didn’t get the light for sauna use. The cool option could be too bluish and clinical-feeling in a sauna setting.

As we’re moving on with our list, all the remaining options (7–11) require wiring and hiring a licensed electrician. They’re also less clever than many of the previous ones but can’t be left out since they’re all legitimate and popular choices for sauna use.

What you lose in cleverness, you gain in fanciness.

7. Spot lights / recessed lights

What some people call spot lights, others call LED sauna light kits, for instance. Even though these spots really do utilize LED lights, they differ significantly from the #1 sauna LED light in this list.

Usually sold in packages of six or more, many brands specify the bulbs are fixed and can’t be replaced. So once your lights are dead, the product becomes waste.

It can still be a good purchase, though. The lights can work for 50,000 hours and come with a 2-year warranty. IP ratings usually vary between 44 and 67.

If a light set like this interests you, note that sauna spot lights aren’t automatically meant for ceilings; some brands clarify the maximum height for their lights is 1 m, while others have Teflon coating and withstand temperatures as high as 300 F (150 C), meaning they’re perfectly suitable for ceiling installations.

Also, remember that even the most heat-tolerant lights can’t be installed on the ceiling right on top of the sauna heater.

If you want a light for decades to come, and sauna light bulb replacement is an option you want to have, then a regular bulkhead light on the wall is the best choice.

8. LED light strip

This type of light is common in sauna ads and has many pros:

🔶 proper ones are rated IP67/68, which is perfect in a humid environment

🔶 enough lighting power: the length of the strip can be 16.4 feet (5 meters), for instance, including 120 LEDs

🔶 withstands heat up to 140 F (60 C), which means it’s ideal to integrate into your sauna benches or behind a backrest (ceiling area will be too hot)

🔶 unlike fiber lights (discussed below) that will break if you cut them, you’re allowed to cut your LED light strip at designated parts, which facilitates installation according to your own taste

As with almost everything, there are cons too:

• can be expensive ($300–$400)
• often sold without crucial components; you need a (pre-existing) light switch from another brand to control your lights
• if you get a strip that includes a remote control and/or dimmer, it jacks up the price even further (to around $500)
• unlikely to be as long-lasting as a regular sauna light mounted on the wall

But if you really enjoy the look of well-lit benches, this option can be cool and modern.

9. Sauna light bar

This option is much like the previous one, but it’s rigid and offers more uniform light.

The biggest pro for consumers, depending on the model, is that all cutting and wiring has already been done: all that’s left for you to do is to hang the bar and connect it to a power source.

Light bars like these are often wood-framed which looks nice and eliminates glare, but if you wish to install the bar without the frame, most models allow you to remove it.

If all components are included, meaning you won’t have to get a light switch or remote control separately, this option is usually more expensive ($600–$700) than a LED light strip. The plus side is that with that price, you can get the length custom-cut to desired dimensions.

10. Fiber lights

If you’ve ever wondered what kind of lights the most beautifully and magically lit sauna pictures showcase, the answer is fiber light sets. They’re often intended for ceilings, so they’re also the perfect choice if you insist on having ceiling lights.

Fiber lights can be installed in a row or circle, for example, or all over the ceiling when choosing a starry sky fiber light set. Cariitti is the most known, quality brand that makes fiber lights for saunas and is widely available in North America.

Fiber lights come with a projector and glass fiber harness, possibly with up to 100 “tails;” those are the spots that emit light. Fiber lights have the strongest heat tolerance out of all sauna lights on the market: up to 356 F (180 C) (!), which is more than plenty.

Fiber lights are also very safe to use as they don’t get hot and are long-lasting, requiring no maintenance. The fibers can last forever, meaning you only need to replace the projector after 50,000 hours of use.

Undeniable cons are the price ($700–$1,500) and missing light switch/dimmer that you need to buy separately from other brands.

Most sauna shops fail to mention that Cariitti is a Finnish brand that makes their lights in Espoo, Finland. That is a clear selling point and helps explain the price tag. Not everything is made cheaply in China.

In fact, if you (or your electrician) happened to damage one of the fibers during installation, it “can be cut only at Cariitti factory in Finland and a new ferrule can be put in place. The fiber will be shorter, but usable.” (source: Sauna Revival) That could be a logistical nightmare, so be sure NOT to cut or bend the fibers or accidentally nail through them!

11. Color therapy lights

I almost didn’t want to add this last option here since the whole concept of color therapy applied to lighting specifically is so subjective and inadequately researched.

But since some people love sauna light therapy (= color-changing mood lighting in saunas) and I was able to find at least one legitimate brand (Tylö-Helo) making lights like these, I decided it was time to move my biased sauna traditionalism to the side for a sec.

Also, some cultures and countries are more receptive to “new” sauna trends, such as Japan that has experimented with fairly bright, color-changing lights, so why not introduce these to you too?

If you want wired color-changing lights in your sauna, just make sure they withstand heat and humidity just like the previous options. You can find one viable option here: Chrome LED Sauna Light Kit. It’s marketed as having “LED multi-color therapy bulbs.”

Does light therapy in the sauna actually work?

Luckily it takes only 1 minute and 12 seconds to find out: if you enjoy the video below, especially the end of it, then it’s likely you will like color-changing lights in a sauna setting. (Not recommended for people suffering from migraines!)

Do red lights in saunas work?

Studies show that red lights as mood lights are among the most disliked colors (sources: PubMed & Cornell University).

Red light therapy, on the other hand, that penetrates tissues using specific wavelengths of red or near-infrared light, does have health benefits, such as wound healing and reduced inflammation, but such red light devices can’t be used in traditional saunas as they can’t take the heat and humidity.

Final Thoughts

So, what light is best for a sauna? The kind that you can totally forget about and never have to worry whether it’s going to work or not.

Warm and cozy often beats cool and bright, yet still brings enough light for safe and ambient sauna bathing.

With portable sauna lights, a little preparation is needed unlike with wired lights, but it can’t be avoided with any off-grid solutions.

What to avoid the most is ceiling installations with lights that are meant to be mounted on the wall, and too dim or poor lighting in general.

If you go with a wireless option, attach a little shelf/stand/hook to the spot on the wall where the light source functions best. This way you don’t have any loose objects on lower benches possibly blocking your way, and you also don’t have to leave the light on the floor where some of the light goes to waste.

The last thing I want to touch on is candles: why didn’t I include them in the list?

It’s because they’re surprisingly expensive in the long run, the wax melts super quickly if you place the candle too high in your sauna, they don’t bring much light, and they’re also not the safest, especially if left on their own.

But if all else fails, candles are good for a rainy day!