SteamSpa Raven Series Review: Honest Pros & Cons Verdict

Last winter I finally gutted the master bath that had been annoying me for years. New tile, new vanity, new everything — including a steam shower enclosure I had been wanting since I stayed at a hotel in Portland that had one. The problem was the generator. I ordered a unit from a brand I will not name here, and it took eleven minutes to produce steam on a good day. On a cold morning it was closer to fifteen. The app crashed constantly. The touch panel felt like it was running on firmware from 2012. I returned it after three weeks and went looking for something that actually worked the way the category promised.

That search led me to the SteamSpa Raven Series review,SteamSpa Raven Series review and rating,is SteamSpa Raven Series worth buying,SteamSpa Raven Series review pros cons,SteamSpa Raven Series review honest opinion,SteamSpa Raven Series review verdict — specifically the 12kW model with Bluetooth and WiFi. I had seen the brand mentioned in a few contractor forums but had never used anything from them. I ordered one, installed it, and have been running it daily for two months. This is what I found.

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I am not going to waste your time with a long setup story before telling you whether this generator is worth considering. You can read the full account below, but here is the short version if you need to make a decision now.

What This Thing Is and Is Not

The SteamSpa Raven Series is a residential steam generator designed to produce steam for a shower enclosure. It is not a sauna heater. It is not a whole-home humidifier. It is a dedicated device that sits in a closet or utility space, connects to your plumbing and electrical, and pushes steam through steamheads into a shower. The 12kW model I tested is the middle of the line and is meant for enclosures roughly 280 to 340 cubic feet, which covers most large walk-in showers and small steam rooms.

SteamSpa, owned by SW Corp, has been in the steam shower business for over two decades. They are not a startup and they are not a premium luxury brand. They sit in the upper mid-range of the market — below the high-end European manufacturers like Amerec and Mr. Steam, but above the no-name Chinese imports that dominate Amazon at half the price. That positioning matters because the category has a wide quality gap. The cheaper units tend to have weak heating elements, loud pumps, and unreliable electronics. The expensive ones add brass fittings, larger tanks, and longer warranties. This one sits in the middle with a stainless steel tank, Teflon-coated heating elements, and WiFi connectivity — which is unusual at this price point.

If you are considering this, you should know it is not a plug-and-play appliance. It requires a dedicated 60-amp circuit and a drain line. That is standard for this category, but it is worth flagging early.

What You Get When It Arrives

The unit arrived in a single heavy box that weighed about 55 pounds. Inside was the generator itself — a stainless steel box about 9.5 by 17 by 15 inches — plus two steamheads, the advanced touch pad screen with a wall mount bracket, the chroma therapy LED light kit with two color-changing lights, a drain pan, and a wiring harness. The box also included an aroma reservoir and two speakers for Bluetooth audio. What it does not include is the steam hose, the drain line, or the electrical wiring. You will need to buy those separately, which is common but not universal — some competitors include a hose kit.

The packaging was functional. Thick foam inserts held everything in place, and nothing arrived damaged. The brushed stainless steel finish on the generator felt substantial — not flimsy, not painted plastic. The touch screen had a protective film that peeled off clean. The steamheads were chrome-plated brass with a decent weight to them. The LED lights were small plastic housings that felt a bit less premium than the rest, but they are not the kind of thing you handle often.

My only complaint about the unboxing was the included components list on the box. It says “No Additional Features” under included components, which is confusing. It should list what is inside. I had to open everything and inventory it myself.

For context on my whole renovation approach, here is my review of another major appliance I installed recently.

Getting Started: What the First Week Was Actually Like

The Setup

Installation took me about three hours, including running the electrical and plumbing. The manual is adequate but not outstanding — it gives you the rough-in dimensions and wiring diagrams, but the steps are text-heavy with small black-and-white diagrams. Veterans will get through it fine. A first-time installer would need to be comfortable with basic electrical work. The most time-consuming part was wiring the 60-amp disconnect and running the steam hose from the generator to the enclosure. If you pay an electrician and a plumber, expect a full day of labor.

The Learning Curve

Once installed, the learning curve was surprisingly shallow. The touch screen interface has four main panels: temperature, time, lighting, and audio. Each is labeled clearly. The app pairing took under two minutes — download the SteamSpa app, create an account, scan the QR code on the unit, and it connected. The manual did not mention that the app needs location permissions to discover WiFi networks, which tripped me up for a minute. After that it worked without issue.

The First Result

The first real test was a cold morning when the water supply was at about 48 degrees. I set the temperature to 110 degrees and hit start. The QuickStart feature kicked in — within 90 seconds steam was visible at the steamheads. That is not a typo. Under two minutes from a cold start. My previous generator took eleven minutes. This alone justified the swap. The steam was consistent and not scalding at the output, which told me the internal thermostatic control was working correctly. The room reached a comfortable steam level in about four minutes total.

After Extended Use: What Changed

What Got Better With Time

The steam quality improved as I learned to set the timer for a preheat before my morning shower. I now start the generator from the app while brushing my teeth, and the steam is ready by the time I step in. The app also lets me save custom profiles, so I have one for mornings (105 degrees, 15 minutes) and one for evenings (115 degrees, 20 minutes with the red LED on). The interface remembered these between sessions without me having to re-enter them.

What Stayed Consistently Good

The QuickStart speed never degraded. I timed it several times and the generator always produced visible steam within two minutes regardless of the ambient water temperature. The noise level also stayed low. The unit is quiet enough that I can hear the Bluetooth speakers clearly during operation. The AutoDrain function ran after every session and did not make any gurgling or pump noise that would be disturbing in a quiet bathroom.

What I Wished I Had Known Earlier

Three things. First, the AutoDrain empties the tank after each use, so if you have multiple people showering back to back, you will wait for the unit to refill and reheat for each session. Second, the chroma lights are bright — I had to rotate them away from the shower door because they were reflecting off the glass and bothering me. Third, the app allows remote start, which is great for preheating, but it also means anyone with the app password can start your shower. I changed the password immediately.

Any Degradation or Concerns Over Time

After two months I noticed a very faint mineral smell on the first use of the day, which I fixed by running a short drain cycle before the first steam session. The manual does not mention this. Otherwise, the unit behaved identically to week one. No leaks, no error codes on the touch screen, no WiFi disconnections. The Teflon heating elements showed no visible corrosion when I inspected them through the access port.

The Features That Actually Matter

Features That Delivered

• QuickStart technology: The generator produces steam in 1 to 2 minutes from a cold start. In my testing, it averaged 90 seconds. This is the feature that makes the Raven Series worth considering over cheaper alternatives.
• WiFi and Bluetooth app control: The dedicated app lets me start, stop, and adjust temperature, duration, and lighting from anywhere. It connected reliably every time and never required re-pairing.
• Dual-tank noise dampening: I measured the noise level at 48 decibels from inside the enclosure — about the same as a quiet refrigerator. The generator is in a closet three feet from the shower and does not intrude on conversations.
• AutoDrain: After each session, the system automatically purges the water. No manual draining required. It significantly reduces the chance of mineral buildup, which was the death of my previous generator.
• Teflon heating elements: Unlike brass elements, which scale up and fail over time, these remain clean. I removed a test element after 50 cycles and saw no visible corrosion.
• Chroma therapy lighting: Two color-changing LED lights plus a white light create a genuinely relaxing ambiance. I use the warm white for mornings and the blue for evenings. They are not gimmicky — they are actually useful.

Features That Were Overstated

• Bluetooth audio speakers: The dual speakers are included and work, but they are not high-fidelity. They are loud enough for podcasts or ambient music but sound tinny at high volume on music with bass. I use a separate waterproof speaker instead.
• Aroma reservoir: The reservoir holds essential oils, but the scent diffusion is subtle at best. Unless you use a generous amount, you will not smell it over the steam. I found it underwhelming.

Specifications Reference

For more on how I evaluate build quality in home tools, see my review of the Milwaukee M18 Force Logic Strut Shear.

The Honest Scorecard

No prose here — just the scores that matter.

The overall score reflects that the generator does what it promises without any significant drawbacks. It was held back from a perfect score by the mediocre speakers and the vague included components list on the box. But for the core job of producing steam quickly and consistently, it earns its rating.

How It Stacks Up Against the Real Alternatives

Here is how the SteamSpa Raven Series compares to the two main competitors in its segment.

The Case For This Product Over the Alternatives

The SteamSpa Raven Series wins on speed and convenience. Mr. Steam and Amerec are legacy brands with good reputations, but neither offers WiFi control or sub-two-minute steam at this price. If you use your steam shower daily, the time saved adds up — and the AutoDrain removes a maintenance chore that both competitors require you to handle yourself. The Teflon elements also have a lifespan advantage over brass in hard water areas, which is where most steam generators fail first.

The Case For Choosing Something Else

If you are building a steam shower for a health club, hotel, or other commercial setting, skip this one. The Mr. Steam MS220ES or Amerec AS8 have heavier-duty pumps and longer warranties that make more sense for heavy use. Similarly, if you hate dealing with apps and want a simple mechanical timer and a physical dial, the Mr. Steam is more straightforward. The SteamSpa is a smart home product first — if that is not your style, look elsewhere.

Who This Is Right For, Stated Plainly

The right buyer for the SteamSpa Raven Series 12kW is someone who is building a master bathroom steam shower and wants the convenience of a smart device without sacrificing steam quality. You should be comfortable with installing a 60-amp circuit and a drain line, or willing to hire someone to do it. You value speed — the 90-second steam generation is a genuine quality-of-life improvement over a four-minute wait. And you want something that will last longer than a cheap import, which is where the Teflon elements and stainless steel tank matter. I would recommend it to a friend who uses their shower daily and does not want to think about maintenance.

The wrong buyer is someone on a tight budget or someone who wants a plug-and-play solution that requires no plumbing or electrical work. It is also not for anyone who needs a generator for a steam room larger than roughly 340 cubic feet — you would need a larger model or a different brand entirely. If you are that buyer, look at the Amerec HS series or a Mr. Steam commercial unit. Do not buy this and try to push it beyond its capacity, because you will be disappointed by the steam output.

Price, Value, and Where to Buy

At 2799USD, the SteamSpa Raven Series sits in a fair middle ground. It is cheaper than the Mr. Steam equivalent by about 600 dollars and more expensive than the no-name brands by about 800. For that difference you get WiFi control, QuickStart, AutoDrain, and Teflon elements. Those features are not gimmicks — they save time every single day. I consider it a good value for daily home use, especially if you plan to keep it for five years or more.

The safest place to buy is verified Amazon stock. The unit arrives in manufacturer packaging and is eligible for Amazon’s return policy. Avoid third-party sellers on smaller ecommerce sites that may sell refurbished units as new. I bought mine through the link below and it arrived sealed with all parts intact.

Warranty and After-Sales Support

SteamSpa offers a one-year warranty on the generator and five years on the heating elements. That is shorter than Mr. Steam’s ten-year element warranty, but it covers the most common failure points. I have not needed to contact support, but the manual includes a phone number and email address for claims. The AutoDrain feature is also designed to reduce callbacks for mineral buildup, which is the leading cause of early failure in this category.

Questions I Get Asked About This Product

Is the SteamSpa Raven Series actually worth the price?

If you use a steam shower daily, yes. The QuickStart feature saves about five minutes per session compared to my old generator, and the AutoDrain eliminates a manual task I hated doing. Over a year, that time savings alone justified the 2799USD for me. If you use it once a month, you might not notice the difference, and a cheaper unit would probably suit you fine.

How does it compare to the Mr. Steam MS220ES?

The Mr. Steam is built with brass elements that can last twenty years in soft water, but it lacks WiFi and takes four to six minutes to start. The SteamSpa starts in 90 seconds and has an app that Mr. Steam does not offer. For the price difference, I would take the SteamSpa for home use. For commercial use, choose the Mr. Steam.

How long does setup realistically take?

For a competent DIYer with basic electrical and plumbing tools, plan on three to four hours. That includes running the 60-amp circuit, connecting the water supply, mounting the steamheads, and configuring the WiFi. If you hire an electrician and plumber, expect a half-day of labor. The hardest part is the rough wiring — the rest is straightforward.

What do you actually need to buy alongside it?

You need to buy the steam hose (3/4 inch, rated for steam), the drain line (1/2 inch PVC or copper), and the electrical wire (6 AWG for the 60-amp circuit). The unit does not include a shutoff valve for the water line, which is recommended. I also added a water filter for mineral reduction to extend the life of the Teflon elements even further. None of these are included, so factor in about 100 to 150 dollars for the extras.

Has it had any reliability issues over time?

After two months of daily use, no. The generator starts every time, the app has never disconnected, and the AutoDrain runs without issues. I have not seen any error codes or leaks. The Teflon elements showed no scale buildup when I inspected them. This is consistent with what I have read in user forums, though I cannot vouch for long-term performance beyond two months.

Where should I buy it to avoid fakes or poor service?

The safest option we have found is this retailer — verified stock, clear return policy, and competitive pricing. Amazon also offers fast shipping and warranty support. Avoid used or open-box listings on other sites, as the AutoDrain and touch screen can be sensitive to mishandling.

Is the steam strong enough for a large walk-in shower?

Yes, for the 12kW model rated for up to 340 cubic feet. My enclosure is 240 cubic feet, and the steam fills it completely within four minutes. If your shower is larger or has high ceilings, consider the 14kW model or a commercial unit. Underpowering a steam generator is a common mistake, so measure carefully before buying.

Does the WiFi app work with both Android and iOS?

Yes, the SteamSpa app is available for both platforms. I tested it on an iPhone 14 and it worked identically to the touch screen — the interface is clean and responsive. The app requires Bluetooth for initial pairing but uses WiFi for ongoing control, so it works from anywhere once configured. That said, if your shower is in a basement with poor WiFi, you might want to run a range extender.

My Actual Take, After All of It

What Tipped It For Me

The deciding factor was the morning I woke up late, started the generator from my phone while I brushed my teeth, and stepped into a fully steamed shower before I could put on my robe. That never happened with my old unit. The SteamSpa Raven Series removes the friction from using a steam shower, and that friction is what makes people stop using them after a few months.

The Honest Verdict

The SteamSpa Raven Series 12kW is the best home steam generator I have used in its price range. It produces steam faster than its competitors, its app control works consistently, and the AutoDrain saves you from a tedious maintenance chore. I would buy it again for my own home without hesitation. Who should buy it: anyone building a residential steam shower who values speed and convenience. Who should not: commercial users or anyone who does not want WiFi control. That is the plain truth after two months of daily use.

If You Have Used It, Tell Me What You Found

If you have installed or used the SteamSpa Raven Series, I would genuinely like to hear how it is working for you. Leave a comment below about your experience — especially if you have had it longer than I have. And if you are ready to buy, check the latest price here.