Best Steam Shower Buying Guide
This unbiased steam shower buying guide shows how to buy or build the best steam shower, including custom steam showers, modular units, and steam generators.
Steam showers have been popular at gyms and health clubs for decades, thanks to their ability to help relax muscles, soothe aching joints, and invigorate tired bodies.
Now steam shower manufacturers focus on the home spa market, offering homeowners a range of products from complete steam shower units to equipment that can add steam capabilities to a conventional shower. These products offer a great way to install steam showers in residential bathrooms for the ultimate in comfort and luxury.
Steam Shower Basics
A steam shower is essentially a small, enclosed room with a steam generator and a vapor-tight door. The steam generator heats water to a boil and then delivers the resulting vapor into the enclosed room. Tile or another material that is impervious to hot, moist vapor covers the walls, ceiling, and floor of a steam shower.
Inside the shower, a seat or bench gives you a place to relax while you enjoy bathing in the steam. In addition, nearly all steam showers also serve as regular showers with water controls and one or more shower heads.
Is a Steam Shower Right for You?
Buying a steam shower isn’t like buying a washing machine. In addition to the cost of the equipment, expect to pay a contractor to install it. And know that, because a steam generator puts a tremendous amount of moisture into the air, the shower enclosure—and the bathroom—requires custom design or consideration to prevent mold and/or moisture damage.
People with certain medical conditions—such as high blood pressure and diabetes—should not use steam showers without consulting a doctor first. Pregnant women and very young children should never take a steam shower.
Considering Your Options
You can buy a steam shower as a complete kit, ready for installation. Or you can buy a steam generator and install it in a custom-built enclosure. First you must decide between a prefabricated, manufactured steam shower or a custom-built one. In addition, if you plan to install a custom steam shower, expect to choose the right type of steam generator to buy.
Modular Steam Shower Units
Buying a modular steam shower unit is the quickest and easiest way to get a new steam shower. Typically priced from $3,000 to $5,000, prefabricated all-in-one modular steam shower units have integral doors, molded seats, steam dispensers, multiple showerheads, and more.
In one of these, you can enjoy either a steam bath or a regular shower—and some steam shower units even have whirlpool bathtubs at the base.
Modular Unit Construction
Made of easy-to-clean acrylic, these waterproof enclosures keep water vapor from escaping into the rest of the bathroom where it could damage walls, wallpaper, and paint.
Basic sizes and configurations fit the space of a conventional bathtub/shower unit. As a result, replacing an existing tub with a steam shower unit may not require excessive reconstruction. Most provide for easy installation and hookup to plumbing.
Colors & Styles
Don’t expect a lot of color choices. Most modular steam shower units come in white or off-white. Look for a model that has a textured floor to reduce the potential for slipping.
Acrylic modular units often don’t visually integrate as seamlessly into a bathroom as elegantly as custom-made steam showers that employ the same tile, stone, or other materials used elsewhere in the room.