Steam Stones: The Best Sauna Rocks Ever Invented (2024)

If you already have some basic info on saunas, you know that sauna rocks are an essential part of them.

Sauna stones retain heat, spread the heat when water is thrown on them, and produce steam which is the whole point of a traditional sauna.

And yes, you’re supposed to throw water on the rocks (and quite plenty of it!), which can’t be emphasized enough, especially when talking to an English-speaking audience.

Depending on where you live, sauna rocks can be rather expensive, considering you can pick rocks yourself from the outdoors.

Although picking sauna rocks yourself definitely carries risks, such as them containing asbestos, or porous rocks popping (which doesn’t happen with real sauna rocks until they age), it still IS possible to get sauna rocks from nature for free.

But what you can’t get from the outdoors is steam stones for sauna!

I’ve been using steam stones in two indoor saunas for over 20 years and have nothing but good things to say about them.

Let’s find out what kind of stones they are, what they do, and why you might want to try them for yourself.

Steam Stones: The Secret Behind Humid Sauna Experiences

Steam stones are sauna rocks made of soapstone that have water cups drilled into them.

You fill the cups with warm water, and as the water boils in them during your sauna session, you get more steam and humidity than you would without them.

Steam and humidity are exactly what most sauna-goers prefer, not dryness and too hot temperatures. Steam stones therefore not only encapsulate the best elements of saunaing but take them to another level.

Being heavy and sturdy, they retain heat very well too and are extremely long-lasting compared to normal sauna rocks that you should replace every few years.

The steam stones below have been used for over 20 years, and they still haven’t cracked or crumbled in any way:

The Helo heater itself is old too, far over 30 years, but my dad doesn’t want to replace it as it still works!

My own, current Harvia sauna heater is only a few years old, equipped with new sauna rocks, and new steam stones that I installed in spring of 2024.

One important thing to know about soapstone as material for sauna rocks is that it’s very durable only when used on top of other sauna rocks.

Most soapstone sellers mention this clearly in their installation instructions: sauna rocks made of soapstone are not allowed to touch the heating elements of electric sauna heaters.

So, whenever you see regularly shaped sauna rocks for sale and made of soapstone (yes, they do exist especially in not-so-reputable sauna shops), you should know they’re not the best choice for your sauna heater.

Only when placed on top of other rocks, then soapstone can be amazing, just like the ones featured here. They’re specially made, and much heavier and denser than any other sauna rocks.

Steam stones for sauna are a Finnish invention, just like most sauna-related products, and sold by a brand called Hukka (means wolf in dialectal Finnish). Their products are sold in and/or shipped to the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia as well.

How to Install and Use Steam Stones

When installing the stones, just make sure that

🔶 they’re not touching the heating elements (not a concern if you have a wood-burning sauna stove); there should be at least 0.39 inches (1 cm) of space between the elements and the stones

🔶 the stones won’t tilt too much: they don’t have to be placed completely horizontally, but you also don’t want them tilting too much as it makes pouring water into the cups more difficult

🔶 the stones aren’t loose to the touch: they should rest firmly against other sauna rocks

One thing that’s extra nice with steam stones is that you can fill them with water (and essential oils intended for sauna use) before you start heating your sauna.

That’s actually something I wouldn’t have even thought of if I hadn’t read the instructions. When we first started using steam stones over 20 years ago, we always just threw water normally during saunaing.

But when you fill the water cups already before saunaing, you’ll know when the sauna is ready to use (it’s once the cups have emptied), and there’s already more humidity in the air when you access the sauna.

As you keep saunaing, you’re supposed to pour even more water to refill the cups.

Final Thoughts

Steam stones are not a must sauna product, but once you’ve tried them, it would be lame to go back to just having regular sauna rocks.

And maybe they even are a must product if you’re someone who loves a traditional wet sauna and hates dry saunas (I certainly do!).

Several other reviewers agree that these stones make your sauna experiences better than before, bringing out the best of saunaing with lots of humidity and steam:

If you like aromatherapy and want to use sauna essential oils with your steam stones, that’s a great idea. I’ve personally been using essential oils intended for saunas for several years.

Just always remember this: if you fill the cups with water (and sauna essential oils) already before saunaing (= when the heater is off and therefore cold), that’s the only time and moment you can use your hands.

Once the heater is on and heating the sauna, you can only fill the cups using your sauna ladle with a long handle to avoid burns.

Below, I have filled the holes with water and added a few drops of smoke sauna essential oil, so this obviously happened before turning the heater on:

Emendo is the most established sauna essential oil brand, and although it’s sold in Canada and the US too, you can’t find any text in English on the bottles (only Finnish and Swedish)!