Indoor or outdoor
Indoor saunas go in a basement, garage or home gym. No pad, no weather, and the shortest walk on a cold night. You need a level floor that handles heat and moisture, like concrete, tile or vinyl. Not carpet.
Outdoor saunas are built for weather, and come in larger sizes. They need a level, solid base and a longer electrical run.
Traditional, infrared or hybrid
A traditional sauna uses an electric stove loaded with stones to heat the air to 170–190°F. Ladle water on the stones for steam. This is what the long-term research studied.
Infrared panels warm your body directly at a lower air temperature, around 120–140°F. Gentler, drier, no steam.
A hybrid gives you both in one cabin. Traditional heat one night, infrared the next.
The ideal range for our traditional stoves. Our hybrids run infrared at about 118–132°F.
How big
Size for the number of people who will use it on a normal night, not the most you will ever host. A 2-person indoor sauna is about 60 by 46 inches. A 6-person outdoor model is closer to 7 by 7 feet.
Leave room around it for the door to swing and for service access. Bigger cabins take longer to heat.
Electrical
Every traditional and hybrid sauna we sell needs a dedicated 240V circuit: 30 amps for a 6 kW stove, 40 amps for an 8 kW stove. Our indoor models use a regular 120V, 15 amp circuit.
Required for every traditional and hybrid sauna in our lineup. Plug-in 120V saunas are small infrared units.
Foundation
Outdoor saunas need a flat, solid base. A reinforced concrete pad is the most durable option and the one we recommend for most yards. On some sites, a compacted and leveled gravel base works.
Either way, level matters. A sauna set out of level will have doors that bind and gaps that let heat out.
Wood
Canadian red cedar is aromatic, naturally resistant to rot and the classic sauna smell. Canadian hemlock is pale, nearly scent-free and a good choice for sensitive noses. Pacific cedar is a clear-grade cedar with a lighter tone. Our Modern and Barn series use an all-weather exterior with a red cedar interior.
Heat-up time and running cost
Plan on roughly 20 minutes to reach full temperature, longer on a very cold night.
An 8 kW stove running flat out for an hour uses 8 kWh. At typical Utah residential rates that is roughly a dollar, and the thermostat cycles the stove, so real use is usually lower.
Care
Sit on a towel. Leave the door cracked after a session so the wood dries. Wipe benches with water, never harsh cleaners. Lightly sand stains. Check the stones every year and replace any that crumble.
