Plan a home sauna

Step 1

How sauna heat works

Sauna heat is about more than the number on the wall. Humidity, heater type and thermometer height all affect how you interpret it. Löyly, the burst of steam when water meets hot sauna stones, can make the cabin feel hotter with little change in air temperature. A higher reading does not tell the whole story.

Step 2

Size the room

Size your home sauna for the people who will share each session and how they want to sit or lie down. One guide uses a 2m × 2m room as a starting point for four people, though the benches change its capacity. Allow around 60cm of bench width per seated person, and check usable height as well as floor space.

Step 3

Choose the heater

Allow roughly a kilowatt per cubic metre of sauna space as a starting point, not a finished specification. Glazing and heat-storing surfaces increase the power needed, while insulation and ventilation also matter. Measure the room, including its height, then use Harvia or HUUM’s calculator to account for its construction before comparing heaters.

• Holl's Vulkano Black Sauna Heater6 kW · from £629
• KOVE Cube Sauna 5–6 Person Outdoor Sauna – Premium Spruce Wood, 8kW Harvia Heater, Modern Cube Design8 kW · from £5,999
• KOVE Cube Sauna 3–4 Person Outdoor Sauna – Premium Spruce Wood, 6kW Harvia Heater, Modern Cube Design6 kW · from £4,299
• HUUM HIVE Mini Electric Sauna Heater6 kW · from £730
• Tylo Sense Sport 6 Sauna Heater6.6 kW · from £1,164
• Narvi NC Domestic Electric Sauna Heater (Wi-Fi)6 kW · from £900
• Tylo Sense Combi Pure 6 Sauna Heater c/w Pure Control Panel6.6 kW · from £2,684
• Tylo Crown Combi Elite 8 Sauna Heater Black c/w Elite Control Panel8 kW · from £4,077
• Helo Laine STJ Electric Sauna Heater8 kW · from £621
• KOVE x Harvia The Wall SW60 6kW Sauna Heater6 kW · from £569
• 2 – 4 Person Traditional Barrel Sauna6 kW · from £2,849
• Harvia The Wall SW808 kW · from £714
• KOVE Outdoor Barrel Sauna – 3–4 Person Garden Sauna with 6kW Harvia Electric Heater6 kW · from £3,199
• Tylo Crown Combi Elite 6 Sauna Heater Black c/w Elite Control Panel6.6 kW · from £4,191
• Harvia 8kW Electric Heater8 kW · from £5,999
• Harvia KIP Series 6kW Sauna Heater, Black6 kW · from £978
• KOVE 8kW Electric Sauna Heater8 kW · from £189
• Tylo Crown Elite Sauna Heater Floor Standing Black Grey8 kW · from £3,204
• Narvi NC Domestic Electric Sauna Heater6 kW · from £588
• The Wall E Harvia Sauna Heater 6kW - SW60E Black steel (Controls Not Included)6 kW · from £475
• 6 kW Huum Drop Electric Sauna Heater + Local or WIFI Control Unit6 kW · from £739
• Tylö Sense Combi Pure 8 Sauna Heater c/w Pure Control Panel8 kW · from £2,528
• Sense Commercial 8 Grey Sauna Heater8 kW · from £1,165
• Tylo Sense Pure 8 Sauna Heater c/w Pure Control Panel8 kW · from £1,659
• SHSW800S | The Wall 8.0kW Harvia sauna heater8 kW · from £596
• Tylo Sense Elite 6 Sauna Heater c/w Elite Control Panel6.6 kW · from £2,332
• Classic Sauna Heater6 kW · from £250
• Harvia Cilindro PC70 6.8KW6.8 kW · from £699
• Tylo Crown Elite 8 Sauna Heater Black c/w Elite Control Panel8 kW · from £3,885
• Tylo Crown Elite 6 Sauna Heater Black c/w Elite Control Panel6.6 kW · from £3,318
• Electric Sauna Heater6 kW · from £450
• Harvia KIP Series, 6kW Sauna Heater, Built-In Controls, Stainless Steel6 kW · from £1,064
• Helo Hanko STJ Electric Sauna Heater8 kW · from £408
• Harvia Spirit Series 6kW Sauna Heater Package, Black6 kW · from £3,340
• Tylo Sense Sauna Heater Temp Limit Control 3 Pole (May 2018 onwards)8 kW · from £80
• KOVE Outdoor Barrel Sauna – 4–6 Person Garden Sauna with 6kW Harvia Electric Heater6 kW · from £3,799
• KOVE x Harvia Vega 6kW Sauna Heater6 kW · from £409
• Harvia Spirit 6kW and 9kW + WiFi app control6 kW · from £50
• Helo Rondo 360 Degree Electric Sauna Heater Graphite6.5 kW · from £4,314
• KOVE x Harvia The Wall SW80 8kW Sauna Heater – Stainless Steel Electric Heater with Built-In Controls8 kW · from £599
• KOVE x Harvia Vega 8kW Sauna Heater8 kW · from £449
• Harvia The Wall Series 6kW Sauna Heater Package, Built-In Controls, Stainless Steel6 kW · from £1,812
• Narvi NC Domestic Electric Sauna Heater6 kW · from £588
• Harvia Glow Electric Pillar Sauna Heater E XE Wi-Fi Polished Steel6.8 kW · from £407
• Electric sauna heater – SAWOTEC Tower Wall, without control unit 6 kW6 kW · from £447
• Saunum Experience Heater6 kW · from £1,899
• Harvia Vega6 kW · from £307
• KOVE 6kW Electric Sauna Heater – Powerful Wall-Mounted Heater for Medium Saunas6 kW · from £199
• Tylo Sense Commercial 6 Sauna Heater6 kW · from £928
• Electric sauna heater - IKI WALL 6 kW6 kW · from £1,105
• Tylo Sense Combi Elite 6 Sauna Heater c/w Elite Control Panel6.6 kW · from £3,410
• Woodchop Solid Spruce Barrel Sauna 2.5m – Charcoal Grey6 kW · from £7,590
• Tylo Sense Elite 8 Sauna Heater c/w Elite Control Panel8 kW · from £2,707

Step 4

Pick the wood

The best sauna wood depends on where you use it. Nordic spruce offers a budget-friendly interior, while cedar brings a distinctive scent and natural decay resistance. Aspen suits benches and panelling. Alder offers comfort against the skin, and thermally modified timber improves stability. Exterior cladding needs a separate choice, not simply more of the timber used indoors.

Step 5

Set a budget

A home sauna in the UK can cost from £900 for a basic kit to more than £40,000 for a bespoke cabin. Checkatrade puts indoor saunas at £3,600–£14,800 and garden saunas at £2,500–£10,000 for supply alone. Your total depends on size, specification and what the price includes. Installation and running costs need separate attention.

A home sauna’s running cost depends on its heater, fuel price and total operating time, including warm-up. Published estimates vary because sources use different tariffs and session lengths. Infrared examples generally come out lower than traditional electric saunas. For your own budget, use your tariff and expected use, then allow separately for servicing and upkeep.