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What Are Swedish Showers?

Nicole Papagiorgio

You likely are familiar with the standard shower that uses one shower head to deliver a constant stream of water. Other types of showers are also available, including the Swedish shower. A Swedish shower is also called a Swiss Shower and use multiple water jets for hydrotherapy.

Swedish showers use multiple water jets.

Description

A Swedish shower has a shower head at the top, similar to any other type of shower setup, but that’s where the similarities come to an end. Swedish showers also have jets located all around the shower, usually four rows of four jets. These 16 jets provide the user with 360 degrees of shower jets.

Temperature

True Swedish showers are designed to fluctuate between cold and hot water to assist in circulation. The two temperatures alternate for several seconds at a time. These types of showers are most often seen in spa environments. The temperatures in a Swedish shower range from 45 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit, which can be dangerous for people with high blood pressure or women who are pregnant.

Benefits

Swedish showers are most often used for hydrotherapy in spas, using their pressure to relieve sore muscles and aid in circulation. In addition, the constant temperature fluctuations of the Swedish shower’s water cause the capillaries in the skin to contract and dilate, which also increases blood circulation in the skin.

Types

Many home shower manufacturers provide different shower models that resemble Swedish showers and include the 16 water jets along the walls of the shower. Homeowners can enjoy Swedish showers at home, but should discuss what they want out of their showers with their installers or the manufacturers. Not all Swedish showers will provide the same pressure and temperature benefits as the Swedish showers found in spas do, as some merely have extra jets and are not programmed to fluctuate in temperature or pressure.