Where are the saunas manufactured?

Most of the traditional (both outdoor and indoor) saunas are produced here domestically or in a partner facility in Northern Europe. The modern infrared and hybrid saunas are imported from Asia.

What are the choices of lumber for the construction of my sauna?

With our traditional saunas, we give you the choice of selecting from three types of lumber: Rustic Fir, Rustic Western Red Cedar, and Clear Western Red Cedar. You’ll be able to get the exact look that you want for your new favorite home retreat!

Modern infrared saunas are usually constructed using Canadian hemlock which is known for its natural strength and resistance to decay. It also comes with beautiful patterns and textures.

Our Enhanced Sauna Collections are constructed exclusively with Nordic Spruce and Aspen, all sourced responsibly from Northern Europe. Whichever you choose, you will find the craftsmanship to be unparalleled.

How do I decide where to place my outdoor barrel sauna?

Two rules: firm and flat (a slight taper for run-off is fine). You can place your sauna on a deck, concrete, paved stones, pressed gravel, etc. Our barrel saunas comes with molded cradle supports that protect the sauna from moisture when it is placed directly on the ground.

How do I decide where to place my indoor sauna?

Your indoor sauna can go on almost any surface — concrete, tile, laminate, etc. We do not recommend placing it on carpet.

Can an outdoor barrel sauna go indoors?

Yes. Our barrel saunas are designed with the outdoors in mind; the barrel shape sheds water and snow, and the lumber is weather-resistant. But it works equally as well indoors as it does outdoors.

How do I treat the exterior of an outdoor barrel sauna?

You really don’t have to treat it. Over time the lumber will weather naturally as a result of sun and rain, but this doesn’t harm the wood or impair the sauna’s performance. But if you wish to retain the natural color of the wood, you can apply a stain with a UV inhibitor that resists weathering. Your local paint professional can help you pick the right one. Note: never treat the interior of the room, and never apply paint or varnish to the exterior.

Why is a traditional sauna experience considered good for your health?

Any health benefits attributed to sauna usage are linked to the fact that sauna rooms get hot. These benefits include improved circulation, lower blood pressure, enhanced immune system, respiratory relief, detoxification, burned calories, better skin tone, and joint and muscle pain relief. 

How is a traditional sauna experience different from an infrared one?

By definition, a sauna is a room where water is used to generate steam, so technically the infrared experience is not a sauna at all. Infrared does not warm the room but instead penetrates the body with infrared rays. It does so at a low temperature and is helpful in relieving sore joints and muscles. The proper definition for the infrared experience is to refer to it as an “infrared therapy room.” The wet/dry effect of a traditional sauna is a total body experience, providing joint and muscle relief as well as a host of other health benefits. Read more.

What is the difference between a wet and a dry sauna?

Take water. Apply to hot rocks. Voila, wet sauna. That’s it. A wet sauna experience is simply when you pour water over the heater rocks, thus producing steam. Thus, a dry sauna is the absence of any humidity.

How hot will my sauna get?

Traditional saunas can reach temperatures up to 200F if humidity is controlled and most electric heaters come with automatic shutoff set at 194F. Modern infrared saunas can reach around 150F.

What are the electrical requirements?

For most traditional saunas (and household usages), the heater requires 240V power and must be hard-wired to the electrical box.

If your sauna comes with a 4.5kW or a 6.0kW heater, it will require a 30-Amp breaker and 10/2 wire, unless it is positioned more than 30 feet from the breaker in which case it will require 8/2 wire. If your sauna comes with an 8.0kW or a 9kW heater, it will require a 40-Amp breaker and 8/2 wire. If your sauna comes with a 10.5kW heater, it will require a 50-Amp breaker. The LED light bar will plug into a standard 110V, 15-Amp outlet.

For most infrared saunas, all of the 1 and 2-person units use a standard 15-Amp, three-pronged household outlet. All other infrared units require at least one dedicated 20-Amp outlet.

Your electrician will drill a hole in the wall of the sauna below the heater for the conduit. All of the wiring will come into the sauna through this hole. In a barrel sauna, it can also come up through the floor below the heater. Please always hire a licensed electrician to do your wiring according to local electrical codes.

How long will it take to heat up?

How hot or cold is it where you live, on average? The time it takes a sauna to heat up is contingent upon the ambient temperature surrounding the sauna. So if you have an outdoor sauna and you live in a northern climate and it’s the dead of winter, give your sauna a little more time to heat up. Furthermore, some people like their sauna hot and some like it blazing, and that’s a factor that will influence heat-up time too. However, as a rule of thumb, the sauna will heat to 165F in 30–40 minutes and to 190F in less than an hour.

What are the operational costs?

The unit operates on an efficient 240V heater and draws no more than 40 amps of power. Furthermore, it only draws power when you use it. You turn on the heater, let it get nice and hot, use the sauna, and then shut off the heater when you’re finished. As a result, the operational costs are negligible under normal use, much like the cost of a clothes dryer or electric oven.

What’s included with each sauna kit?

Every sauna kit comes with all the pieces you need to assemble your sauna room, a heater, stones, and a light. We also have some optional accessories that you can purchase to include with your order: bucket and ladle, backrests, leg rests, magazine racks, replacement doors, floor kits, rain jackets, sauna oils, wood cleaner, and more.

How difficult is assembly?

You’re the one in charge of assembling your new sauna, although we do a lot of pre-assembly ahead of time. All of the panel, ceiling, bench and end sections are pre-assembled at the factory, and all of the holes are pre-drilled for your convenience. Generally two or three people can put a sauna together in just a handful of hours, so grab someone you love and have fun bonding over the building of your new sauna. A complete assembly manual comes with every sauna.

What to prepare for the sauna space?

If you purchased a barrel sauna, be sure to determine if your sauna needs a cover, as well as having the designated outdoor space for it.

If you purchased an indoor sauna, be sure to determine whether or not the existing flooring is water-resistant and level. The type of flooring to consider include concrete, ceramic, vinyl, laminate, tile or other solid flooring. We do not recommend carpeting.

Please read this sauna guide for more tips.

What kind of maintenance is required?

Please review our care & maintenance tips here.

Can a delivery occur at a later time?

Yes, we can accommodate most customer requests by not shipping out the orders until they are ready to be received. We will work with your schedule so you don’t have to worry about a delivery that happens too soon. Just keep in mind that some of our saunas do have a variable production lead time of a few weeks throughout the year. However if you’d like them to be shipped out even later than that, all you have to do is add your special instructions during checkout, or send us order number and preferred delivery timeframe immediately after you place your order!