The outdoor sauna decision, argued from verified numbers
Barrel and cabin saunas compared on what their makers actually publish. Heaters sized from the manufacturers' own tables. Dashes where sellers stay silent, never guesses.
Styled illustration, not a specific product we track.
The fit finder
Start from your backyard
Party size, pad, shape preference. The finder checks every footprint we track and says what fits, what is tight, and what it could not evaluate.
By party size
Or start from who is coming
Size is the decision that moves everything else: the pad, the heater class, the circuit. These three pages compare like against like.
The catalogue
Or start from what you already know you want
The shape and the spot
The build
The heater is arithmetic, not vibes
Room volume, glass, insulation. The calculator applies the heater makers' own published sizing rules and returns the stoves rated for your room, along with the ones it refuses to guess about.
Run the calculator
The guides
Read before you buy
- Barrel vs cabin vs podThe shape decision, argued from geometry and price rather than photos.
- Cedar vs thermowood vs spruceWhat the species changes in weathering, upkeep and price.
- Sauna electrical requirementsWhat the 240 volt circuit involves, so you can brief an electrician.
- What an outdoor sauna costsReal listed prices, plus the lines that are never on the sticker.
- The foundation questionGravel, pavers or concrete, per the makers’ own install guides.
How this site earns trust
Every figure on the 26 records we track is read from one of 33 source pages, cited and dated, the oldest checked 2026-08-30. Where a seller publishes nothing, our tools skip the record and say so rather than guess. Zero numbers on this site are estimates.
Read the verification method