Enjoying a sauna is a wonderful time to relax and heal, but you might worry about getting bored if you’re in there for a while.
It is not recommended to use a Kindle or any electronic device in a sauna due to the risk of water damage and exposure to high temperatures. Electronic devices are not designed for use in extreme environments and may malfunction or even explore, posing a risk to the user.
Read ahead to find out the risks involved with taking your favorite e-reader into the sauna with you, and other ways to kill time while you’re working up a sweat.
Table of Contents
- Kindle Max Temperature
- Kindle Max Humidity
- What Happens if a Kindle Gets Too Hot?
- If Not Kindle, Can You Take a Book to the Sauna?
- Can You Bring Your iPhone or AirPods Into the Sauna?
- How to Kill Time in the Sauna
- Conclusion
Kindle Max Temperature
There are two main risks to bringing any electronics into a sauna: moisture and heat. The first thing to consider is how hot a Kindle can get before any damage is likely to occur.
Many people report using theirs in a sauna with no problem, but it doesn’t mean that the device is safe inside a sauna.
The operating temperature for a Kindle is listed as 0-35°C, which means that taking it into a sauna that is hotter than 35°C is not recommended by the manufacturer. With that being said, the device itself is likely to work just fine in temperatures of around 45°C and can handle being even hotter for short periods at a time.
Kindle Max Humidity
Of course, a sauna is more than just a hot room. When it comes to humidity and moisture, you need to make sure that none of the internal electronics of your Kindle have a chance to get wet.
The manufacturer’s guidance is to not deliberately make the Kindle wet and to avoid very steamy environments. A high level of humidity on its own, however, is not likely to cause any damage – particularly if it’s not exposed for too long.
That said we don’t actually recommend using the Kindle in a sauna or steam room.
What Happens if a Kindle Gets Too Hot?
The key to understanding the likelihood of your Kindle suffering from being used in the sauna is knowing what the temperature can actually do to the device.
Like any electronic device, Kindles can overheat – particularly the more recent models that use more powerful processors. If this does happen, it typically causes the device to power down rather than causing any permanent damage, in which case you can turn it off and leave it to cool.
The more permanent consideration to be aware of is the potential for damage to the battery. When batteries are hot, they have to work harder to run, they drain faster, and consistent exposure to high temperatures can reduce your Kindle’s overall battery life.
Therefore, it’s not recommended to take your Kindle into any sauna. But if you choose to do that make sure that the device is inside for only a short period of time and then leave it in a cool corner of the room.
If Not Kindle, Can You Take a Book to the Sauna?
If you don’t want to take the risk with your Kindle, then you might be considering a traditional book instead, but is this a good idea?
You might have heard some wild rumors that a sauna can cause the ink from a page to dissipate around the room, but there is no scientific evidence to back up this claim. A book is perfectly safe to bring into a sauna – the question is whether the sauna is safe for the book.
High humidity can cause damage to the pages of a book (particularly if it is a paperback), and the high heat can break down the glue that holds the pages together, causing them to fall apart over time.
While all of that is true, short sessions in the sauna are unlikely to damage your book in any noticeable way, so it should be relatively safe.
Can You Bring Your iPhone or AirPods Into the Sauna?
While a Kindle is likely to survive the high temperatures and humidity of most sauna environments, the same is not always going to be true for a smartphone, or even AirPods.
Most smartphones contain more complicated electronics and more powerful processors than Kindles, and their internal components are often more exposed and vulnerable to damage from heat and moisture.
Some phones are much more durable and waterproof than others, but it is always going to be a risk.
They can overheat, they can get wet, and the battery life can become reduced. At the end of the day, it’s up to you – but it is advisable that you look at the manufacturer’s guidance for your model beforehand.
How to Kill Time in the Sauna
Many people who are unused to the experience of being in a sauna worry about what they will do to avoid being bored while they’re in there. In reality, the vast majority of people don’t need any distractions to enjoy the high temperatures and/or steam for the 15 to 20 minutes at most that you will usually experience.
Traditionally, saunas are places to sit, relax, and heal – either in silence or while enjoying a bit of polite conversation with whoever else might be there.
Of course, some people do find it hard to sit and do nothing, and there are a few ways to help kill time:
- Try breathing exercises
- Stretch your body
- Consider some meditation techniques
- Start a polite and friendly conversation
- Massage your arms and legs
- Practice yoga poses
- Listen to music (if the sauna has the right audio equipment)
You might also think about how to organize your day, go over work problems in your head, or catch up on other life admin considerations, but you will generally benefit the most from trying to be as calm and relaxed as possible, without introducing any stress or expectations.
Conclusion
So, is it a good idea to take a Kindle into the sauna? The manufacturer doesn’t recommend exposing one to high temperatures or high humidity, but some saunas are unlikely to cause damage.
As long as the temperature is not too high, it does not get too wet, and you are not in there too long, then it should be okay. With that being said, it is possible that your Kindle will overheat, or its battery life will be reduced from too much exposure.
It’s up to you, but you might want to just relax instead.
(Featured image by Ozgur Uzun from Pexels)
