How to choose an indoor sauna
Indoor saunas fall into two groups with very different installation needs. Decide which one fits your house before you compare features.
| Type | Examples in this collection | Power | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heater-plate (infrared-style) rooms, 1 to 4 person | Hemlock, white oak, aspen and pine rooms with 6 to 8 carbon plates | About 1,090 to 3,000 W, 120V class | About $1,241 to $3,127 |
| Traditional stove saunas, 1 to 6 person | Traditional 5, 6 and 7 steam saunas; Golden Designs Kuusamo, Copenhagen and Forssa; Mr. Steam Indo | 4.5 to 9 kW, 220 to 250V | $4,999 to $20,580 |
Heater-plate rooms
These rooms use carbon heating plates and plug in. Examples: a one-person room at 1,090 W with 6 plates, a one-person white oak room at 1,350 W, and a Canadian hemlock double at 2,180 W on a 20-amp plug. Stated temperature ranges include 77 to 149°F (25 to 65°C). Healthline puts typical infrared temperatures at 120 to 140°F (49 to 60°C). For more cabins like these, see infrared saunas.
Traditional stove saunas
Traditional saunas heat the air with a stove and stones, and you throw water for steam. Healthline puts traditional sauna temperatures at 150 to 180°F (66 to 82°C). The Copenhagen listing gives 170 to 185°F with a 190°F maximum. The wiring is the big difference:
- Traditional 5, 6 and 7 steam saunas: 220 to 250V at 30 amps, 4,500 W.
- Golden Designs Kuusamo (6 person): 240V, 40-amp circuit for the 8 kW stove, plus 120V, 15-amp for the control panel. The listing calls for professional installation.
- Mr. Steam Indo: offered with 4.5, 6 or 9 kW heaters.
Size a stove by room volume. Harvia's guidance is about 1 kW per cubic meter (35.3 cu ft) of room. Add about 1.2 cubic meters for each square meter (10.8 sq ft) of glass or stone surface. Our sauna heater size calculator does the math, and sauna heaters lists stoves sold separately.
Wood
Hemlock is the most common wood here, named in 13 listings. You will also find white pine and African pine, red cedar, American white oak and aspen. For a specific species, browse hemlock saunas or cedar saunas.
Fit and installation
- Footprint: one-person rooms here are about 28 to 36 in (0.7 to 0.9 m) wide. Six-person rooms run up to 77 x 67 in.
- Height: most rooms are 5 ft 1 in to 7 ft (1.56 to 2.1 m) tall, and some need more ceiling clearance to assemble.
- Floor: a level, moisture-tolerant floor is best for steam models.
- Fold-up units: three far-infrared units ($1,800 to $2,400), including a lie-down model, need no permanent install.
- Parts: three listings are replacement front walls with doors ($993 to $1,010). Check the model before ordering.
Sources: Healthline: infrared sauna temperatures; Harvia: selecting heater power.
