Sauna Heaters Explained
When it comes to choosing a heater for your sauna—whether a barrel or an indoor sauna room—the heart of the sauna is always the heater. As Harvia, one of the global leaders in the sauna and spa market, would say: “The right heater is the heart, and part of the interior and atmosphere of the sauna.”
We at Heavenly Sauna offer a variety of heater choices that are suitable for all your sauna needs. Not only do we have the traditional electric heaters, but also wood stoves for those who are into burning wood to heat up their cabins or cottages. Generally speaking, the first step of choosing the type of heater is to determine whether getting a wire back to the electrical box is easier than setting up a connection to the chimney, or vice versa. Once that’s determined, let’s say you go with the electric heater, we will walk you through the thought process of selecting the correct model.
Step 1 - The Style
This is likely the easiest part and a matter of personal preference. No matter the type of the heaters, they always come down to just two styles: wall-mounted or floor-mounted. A lot of saunas on the market usually come with a wall-mounted heater because it’s either part of the package or it lacks the space to place a full-fledged floor model. We, however, give you the choice when choosing your favorite sauna here. A lot of our models will have a heater selection dropdown menu with some choices to get you started, however if you don’t like what’s shown on the page you can either go to our heaters & stoves section to pick out a different one, or use your own heater if you’ve already bought it elsewhere.
If you want a wall-mounted heater, we’d recommend either HUUM DROP or Harvia KIP. Both can be easily mounted anywhere inside the sauna and come with a digital controller.
If you prefer a floor model instead, check out either Cilindro or Virta which are both made by Harvia so the quality is unparalleled. Virta is operated exclusively using a digital controller whereas Cilindro comes with either traditional buttons or a digital controller.
Step 2 - The Power Level
It’s usually determined by the size of the sauna and the type of use. The power levels of sauna heaters range from as low as 3-kilowatt to as high as 15-kilowatt depending on the setting. You can refer to the below chart to determine the correct heater size. In order to ensure that your sauna gets hot enough, it’s not recommended to go lower than what’s mentioned.
1-2 Person Sauna: a 4.5kW heater is recommended
3-4 Person Sauna: a 6.0kW heater is recommended
5-6 Person Sauna: a 6.0kW-8.0kW heater is recommended
7-8 Person Sauna: a 8.0kW-10.0kW heater is recommended
The other factor which you may want to consider is whether the sauna is for home use or commercial use. If you are an occasional to frequent home user, check out our simple-to-operate KIP heater w/Dials which has been serving customers for years. If you want something fancier like our new DROP heater with its compact round design, you will not only find its appearance unique but also its soft and high heat pleasant.
Drop Heater
If you operate a day spa or a fitness club, choose a heavy duty heater is a must to ensure the continuous usage throughout the day for your customers. Check out our Harvia Club heaters or HUUM Hive heaters below.
Club Heater
Hive Mini Heater
Step 3 - The Features
Nowadays technology is in many parts of our lives, so are the modern heaters that can be controlled not only by a wall control pad but also by your phone. HUUM, a Scandinavian company, has been quietly taking over the sauna market with their state-of-the-art heaters that come not only with appealing looks but also impressive features like Wi-Fi. One of their key innovations is the HUUM mobile app. They said it plain and simple: “The innovative electronic solutions of HUUM remote controls and app are the creation of some of the bright minds of our hometown Tartu. It took five years to develop and improve the technology that we currently use.”
Not longer do you have to wait 30 minutes or so after turning on the sauna for the room to be properly heated, you can actually schedule the heater in advance no matter where you are. It works on any of their heaters including the DROP and HIVE series models. Read more about it here if the Wi-Fi feature is a must-have for you.
Harvia WiFi solutions, combined with the MyHarvia mobile app, have been designed to allow the safe and easy remote control of your sauna. These solutions allow you to switch on the sauna heater remotely and control other features that will save energy, as your sauna will be ready exactly when you are.
You can control the features of the Harvia Xenio WiFi control panel from your mobile device from anywhere and at any time using the MyHarvia mobile app.
We have the WiFi remote kit available for purchase, however you do need to know your heater model number and date of purchase in order to confirm compatibility!
FAQs:
1. Which heaters are compatible with the Xenio WiFi remote kit?
Most Harvia heaters with an existing Xenio digital controller purchased within the last 3 years. This includes the Virta, and Cilindro and KIP heaters. Please note the KIP heaters with built-in controls (or physical dials) are not compatible with this WiFi upgrade.
2. What do I do if my heater is not compatible but I want the WiFi remote kit?
We offer a variety of Harvia heaters separately! Our Virta, Club, and select Cilindro heaters come standard with Xenio digital controller and can be found on our website here!
3. How much does the WiFi upgrade cost?
The upgrade cost is $699 for those with existing Xenio-controlled heaters. Shipping is included.
4. What is the upgrade process once received?
If you already have a Xenio-controlled heater, all you'll have to do is swap out the touchpad! However, if you have a heater with psychical dials, you would have to purchase a new heater kit. Any new heater should be replaced by a licensed electrician.
Last but not least, you will find a list of our heater models here as we’ve compiled an one-page summary.