IEC 60335-2-53 Ed. 5.0 en:2026

IEC 60335-2-53:2026 deals with the safety of electric sauna heating appliances and infrared emitting units having a rated power input not exceeding 20 kW, their rated voltage being not more than 250 V for single-phase appliances and 480 V for other appliances.

The appliances covered by this standard are intended for use in the home and in public saunas located in blocks of flats, hotels and similar locations. This standard also applies to prefabricated saunas, prefabricated infrared cabins and sauna heaters provided with a thermal storage function.

This standard also deals with the safety of electric sauna heating appliances provided with a humidifier unit. The room air is humidified by evaporating or atomising water.

NOTE A humidifier can be part of a sauna heating appliance or can be incorporated in the sauna heater. The sauna heating appliance or sauna heater can be operated with or without the humidifier.

As far as is practicable, this standard deals with the common hazards presented by appliances that are encountered by all persons in and around the home. However, in general, it does not take into account:

• persons (including children) whose physical, sensory or mental capabilities; or lack of experience and knowledge prevents them from using the appliance safely without supervision or instruction;
• children playing with the appliance.

Attention is drawn to the fact that:

• for appliances intended to be used in vehicles or on board ships or aircraft, additional requirements can be necessary;
• in many countries, additional requirements are specified by the national health authorities, the national authorities responsible for the protection of labour and similar authorities.

This standard does not apply to:

• appliances intended to be used in locations where special conditions prevail, such as the presence of a corrosive or explosive atmosphere (dust, vapour or gas);
• appliances intended to cause perspiration to only a part of the human body;
• sweating baths where the head of the user remains outside the heated space;
• tents and other collapsible sauna baths;
• room heaters (IEC 60335-2-30);
• humidifiers intended for use with heating, ventilation, or air-conditioning systems (IEC 60335-2-88);
• humidifiers (IEC 60335-2-98);
• appliances intended for medical purposes (IEC 60601).

This fifth edition cancels and replaces the fourth edition published in 2011, Amendment 1:2017 and Amendment 2:2021. This edition constitutes a technical revision.

This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous edition:

• a) alignment with IEC 60335 1:2020;
• b) conversion of some notes to normative text (Clause 1, 7.1, 7.14, 19.101, 19.104, 22.101, 22.104);
• c) clarification and addition of requirements for sauna heaters with a thermal storage function (Clause 1, 3.1.9, 3.5.101, 3.8.103, 5.3, 7.1, 7.12, 10.1, 10.2, 13.1, 19.1, 19.105);
• d) addition of test probe 19 for accessibility of live parts and moving parts not more than 850 mm above the floor (8.1.1, 8.1.3, 20.2);
• e) addition of surface temperatures for external accessible surfaces outside the sauna room or infrared cabin (11.3, 11.8);
• f) clarifications related to the use of the terms "control" and "protective device" (3.5.102, 3.6.102, 5.9, 6.2. 7.7, 7.12.1, 22.105, 24.102, Figure 101.

This part 2 is to be used in conjunction with the latest edition of IEC 60335 1 and its amendments unless that edition precludes it; in that case, the latest edition that does not preclude it is used. It was established on the basis of the sixth edition (2020) with amendment 1 (2025) of that standard.