If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance that you need no convincing that outdoor saunas are awesome. Heat bathing, or sauna bathing, as it’s also known, harnesses a few of nature’s essential elements—wood, fire, water, and air—to create a rejuvenating experience for the body and mind in 10 to 20 minutes. While there are many different types of saunas available on the market, like indoor, outdoor, and infrared saunas, and of course, the wildly popular cold plunge tubs that immerse bathers in an exhilarating round of fire and ice, there’s just something about a barrel sauna that makes it stand out amongst the rest.
Despite having no clear origin story, the barrel sauna is said to have come from Finnish water tower builders who realized that the barrel design could also function well as an outdoor sauna (they were right), but there are many other cultures throughout Northern Europe that developed their own sauna experience. So, even though there’s evidence of widespread sauna use elsewhere in the world, the outdoor barrel sauna is most closely tied to Finland and Finnish culture. It’s not hard to understand why people who live in one of the coldest places on earth would be drawn to the inviting heat and relaxation of a sauna session.
Putting aside the question of its Nordic roots, the barrel sauna is easily one of the most appealing sauna designs because of its organic aesthetic and round shape that makes it look as if it belongs out in nature; however, there are plenty of practical reasons for why this specific form simply just works better. It's also super beginner-friendly DIY project because almost every outdoor barrel sauna will need to be assembled at the location.
Longtime readers of Field Mag will know that we’re endlessly fascinated by the art of heat bathing, along with wood fired hot tubs, and even cold plunging, as a way of being immersed in nature through a timeless restorative practice that’s so dang relaxing. Join us as we dive into the world of barrel saunas and share practical advice, smart buying strategies, and our top picks to help you find the perfect sauna for all your future sweat sessions.
What Are the Benefits of the Barrel Sauna Design?
Reminiscent of a large whiskey barrel, the barrel sauna’s cylindrical shape pushes the heat down low, preventing it from rising up to the ceiling, which makes it more efficient to heat than a square-shaped or cabin-style sauna. "When you’re in a sauna, you want the most equal heat distribution possible, so your head isn’t sweating while your toes are cold," says Stewart Jensen, Director of Product Design at Redwood Outdoors, the Washington State-based manufacturer of top quality saunas, hot tubs, and cold plunge tubs. "The barrel shape is the best choice for creating a naturally even heat distribution."
On the exterior, the rounded top allows water and snow to slide off, prevents leaves and other debris from piling up, and because the rounded bottom doesn’t sit flat on the ground, there’s plenty of ventilation underneath to keep it dry, so you don’t have to worry about moisture becoming an issue.
What Type of Wood Are Barrel Saunas Made From?
All barrel saunas are made of cedar, spruce, or pine wood. However, cedar reigns supreme as the wood of choice for its inherent weather and rot-resistant properties, beautiful appearance, and when using Western red cedar (the most high-quality option), it releases a lovely woody aroma that, according to bar stool science, can even repel bugs! Cedar barrel saunas are the most practical and aesthetically-pleasing in comparison to spruce and pine, and are the most popular type of wood used to make hand-crafted barrel saunas throughout the USA and Canada.
Keep in mind, cedar, and red cedar, especially, is going to be more expensive because of the higher quality. Some companies will offer an option to choose knotty wood or clear wood, the main difference being knotty wood has more noticeable wood grain and variations, which makes it cheaper than a clear wood, but overall, the quality is the same.
A quick pro-tip for care and maintenance of a cedar or wooden barrel sauna is to avoid using any cleaning solution or chemical treatment in the sauna room that you wouldn’t want to breathe in. Cedar barrel saunas don’t need to be treated because the wood is naturally durable, but you can use a non-toxic cleaning solution on the benches and backrests, like a water and vinegar solution, if you prefer. On the exterior, it’s fine to use a stain to maintain the appearance of the wood.
Barrel Sauna Kits Vs Professional Installation
The barrel sauna has a simple and effective design that makes it extremely efficient and easy to assemble on your own. Unless you're working with a local dealer for delivery and assembly, you will need to assemble an outdoor barrel sauna yourself. If you’re keen to DIY, a barrel sauna kit is accessible to anyone with basic building skills and a willingness to learn, plus, constructing it at home can save you money because you won’t have to pay for professional assembly. "Because of their size, barrel saunas are almost always customer-built," says Jensen. "People are leading their lives in front of screens more and building something with your hands is something that we rarely do. A barrel sauna is a great way to do something tactile, and the best part is it's totally doable as an amateur without DIY skills. It’s a piece of craftsmanship that you can take pride in and will sit in your backyard for 10+ years." Not completely sold yet? Check out this thorough how-to video of building a barrel sauna at home.
Barrel saunas are comprised of several basic parts:
- A front and back wall
- Wooden staves that fit together in a tongue-and-groove style to create the barrel shape
- Stainless steel or aluminum bands that hold the staves together and prevent the wood from expanding too much
- Support cradles for a stable base
- Tempered glass door
- A sauna heater and rocks
- Any other add-ons, like lighting, shingles to protect the roof, windows, or a porch with a covered canopy that can work as a change room
If you decide to go the DIY route, enlist a few friends to help out in exchange for a sauna session and have fun with the process!
If you opt out of buying a sauna kit, the company or dealer you purchase your outdoor barrel sauna kit from will deliver and assemble it for you. This will cost more for the labor and will also depend on what services they provide, such as prepping the area and foundation so you have a flat floor for your sauna. Consider doing some of this light manual labor yourself to save some time and money on installation. If you’re buying an electric sauna, it’s important to remember that most companies aren’t likely to include the cost of the electric work which has to be done by a licensed electrician. The good news is that they may be able to recommend someone or have an electrician on deck to assist you with the hookups. Depending on the size of the sauna, the heater, and the distance it is from your electrical panel, it can cost anywhere from $1,000-$,2000 to hook up an electric sauna.
Wood-Fired Stove Vs Electric Stove
Although neither is better than the other, the most obvious difference between a wood burning sauna stove and an electric heater is that the electric will be faster and easier to heat, plus it gives you more control. Whereas, a wood-fired stove requires more hands-on work, like chopping the wood, stoking the fire, and installing a chimney, but on the flip side, gives you an amazing, immersive experience if that’s what you’re after.
In short: the bigger the sauna, the more heat you’ll need. You’ll need a higher-powered electric stove to match the sauna size, and as mentioned before, a licensed electrician to hook it up, which increases the cost. The most popular types of electric stoves include the Tylo, HUUM Drop, Virta, and Harvia KIP models—the KIP has an option to upgrade to a WiFi connection for wireless control—which runs the gamut of four to 10.5 kW and 20 to 30 amps, depending on the heater size.
How Hot Does a Barrel Sauna Get?
A barrel sauna is a traditional sauna, meaning it uses a stove to generate a very high temperature of 160 to 195 degrees Fahrenheit along with water poured over hot stones from a bucket and ladle to create steam that encourages a deep, detoxifying sweat. You can control the level of heat through the electric or wood burning stove, and the humidity through how much water is sprinkled over the sauna rocks.
The Health Benefits of Saunas
The deep, cleansing sweat that comes from a session in a heated sauna room does more than just hydrate the skin and support the body’s detoxification process. Bathing in sustained, elevated temperatures has been shown to improve circulation and reduce inflammation, as well as lower blood pressure. Interestingly, studies done on occasional and regular sauna users, show that a sauna session has a similar effect on the body as moderate to intense exercise. So, if you’re struggling with an injury or condition that prevents you from moving in that way, relaxing in a sauna helps to speed up the healing process both physiologically and mentally! Overall, it delivers an incredible full sensory experience that can draw you closer to nature and improves mind-body health no matter how often you do it.
Field Mag's Top 5 Picks for the Best Barrel Saunas:
- Best Small Barrel Sauna: Almost Heaven Salem 2-Person Barrel Sauna
- Best Panoramic Barrel Sauna: Dundalk Leisurecraft Panoramic Sauna
- Best Barrel Sauna With Porch: Redwood Outdoors 6-Person Barrel Sauna
- Best Barrel Sauna Kit: BZB Wood Burning Sauna Kit W42
- Best Red Cedar Barrel Sauna: Forest Cooperage Western Red Cedar Sauna
The 5 Best Barrel Saunas of 2023
Best Compact Barrel Sauna: Almost Heaven Salem 2-Person Barrel Sauna
The West Virginia-made Almost Heaven Salem 2-Person Barrel Sauna lets you keep it small and compact with their 6x4’ sauna. Thanks to its compact size, it doesn’t take up a lot of room and heats up fast, making it a great option for anyone who wants to get a quick sweat in under an hour. There are also plenty of add-ons to customize your tiny but might sauna, including a rear window, light fixtures, and all-wood, clear, or opaque tempered glass door. Assembly is required.
Seating capacity: Two people - Heat source: Electric only - Wood type: Fir, Hemfir, or Cedar - Dimensions: 72″W x 47″D x 75 -3/8″H - Weight: 540 pounds
Price: $7,917 $$4,236
Best Panoramic Barrel Sauna: Dundalk Leisurecraft Panoramic Sauna
A well-known maker of high-quality saunas, Canada's Dundalk made the perfect sauna to take the beauty of nature in while you sweat it out. The traditional sauna has a not-so traditional acrylic bubble rear window and a half-moon shaped bench that sits inside the dome, so you can have the hottest seat in the house. Made from high-quality cedar, there are plenty of ways to upgrade this sauna, with add-ons that include a porch, change room, and clear cedar wood. Assembly is required.
- Seating capacity: Six people
- Heat source: Electric or wood burning stove
- Wood type: Red cedar
- Dimensions: 84″W x 71″D x 84″H
- Weight: 1,065 pounds
Price: $13,494
Best Barrel Sauna With Porch: Redwood Outdoors 6-Person Cedar Barrel Sauna
Handcrafted from Canadian red cedar, this 6-Person barrel sauna has a traditional Scandinavian design that comes with benches, backrest, bucket, ladle, interior lighting, and your choice of Harvia electric heater or a wood-burning stove with a chimney kit. What sets it apart is the covered front porch with benches that is the ideal spot to cool off in between sweat sessions. Assembly required.
- Seating capacity: 4-6 people
- Heat Source: Electric or wood stove
- Wood type: Red cedar
- Dimensions: 72 3/4″W x 94 3/4"D x 76 1/2 "H
- Weight: 1,150 pounds
Price: $7,300
Best Red Cedar Barrel: Forest Cooperage Red Cedar Barrel Sauna
What makes Forest Cooperage’s barrel saunas unique are the customizations that allow buyers to choose a two, four, or six-person sauna all built with the same high-quality Western red cedar and craftsmanship. The Minimalist barrel sauna keeps things simple with a two-person design and Harvia stove, while buyers can kit out their six-person barrel sauna with a clear acrylic dome, front porch, and WiFi-controlled Harvia heater. Assembly required.
- Seating capacity: Three options: 2, 2-4, and 4-6 people
- Heat source: Electric, WiFi option or wood stove
- Wood type: Western red cedar
- Dimensions: 6.5′ x 5′; 6.5′ x 6′; 6.5′ x 7′
- Weight: 677 pounds; 770 pounds; 959 pounds
Price: $12,200 - $22,800
Best Barrel Sauna Kit: BZB Wood Burning Barrel Sauna Kit
You’ll have to use your own two hands and a little imagination to envision what BZB’s wood burning sauna kit will look like in your space. This spacious barrel sauna only comes as a kit—there’s no team to assemble it for you!—and uses a wood burning stove to produce heat, so no electricity is needed, but you can add a heater if you prefer. Plus, the W42 model comes with roofing shingles, a porch, changing room, and the option to add half-moon or round windows to let in natural light. Assembly is required.
- Seating capacity: 4-6 people
- Heat source: Wood burning stove or electric
- Wood type: Nordic spruce
- Dimensions: 7'4″W x 13'9"D x 7'8"H
- Weight: 3,600 pounds
Price: $8,950
Published 06-20-2023
