Home Sauna Types

From super luxurious to practically functional, below are the most common home sauna types that you can choose from.

Call it a sauna, a sweat bath, or even a sweat lodge, but there’s no denying the importance of saunas in our modern homes and rather stressful lifestyles.

Home sauna types are as versatile as our personal preferences and tastes. Each type does a good job detoxifying your body and leaving you feeling cleansed, relaxed, and rejuvenated.

Learn more about home sauna benefits.

Of all the home sauna types, traditional saunas offer the highest temperatures but they also consume more power and are harder to maintain.

Infrared saunas and electric saunas are more energy conservative and easy to install although they have a steep price tag.

For more budget-friendly options you can opt for sauna shower combos, sauna blankets, or sauna suits among others.

Each home sauna type has a different approach to help you sweat out the stress and toxins.

Not only do they operate differently, but they also have varying installation and maintenance costs. Read on to find out which one of the various home sauna types is good for you and what to consider before choosing the right type. 

Top Considerations When Buying a Home Sauna

Before you buy a home sauna, you need to make sure that you understand the different types and their maintenance requirements.

Depending on which type you choose you might have to consider the financial implications both in the upfront costs as well as the operational costs of the home sauna.

Here are the key factors that you have to consider.

• Property Limitations: The size and space available in your property for the home sauna is a major factor. Traditional saunas require more space than other sauna types.

• Indoors or Outdoors: If you don’t have enough space inside the house, then you need to choose a sauna type that works outdoors. Infrared saunas are mainly indoor types.

• Number of People: Some types can accommodate a small group of people while others are only designed for one person at a time. 

• Safety Concerns: If you’re worried about the health hazards of operating a wood-burning sauna then an infrared sauna or a sauna shower combo are both safer options. 

Operational Considerations: Some home saunas are easier to operate than others. Electric and infrared saunas are easier to operate and have control panels for a more relaxing and luxurious experience.

Traditional saunas need more work.

Home Sauna Types

As you can see from the above considerations, home saunas are not created equal. Some, like infrared home saunas, are quite intuitive and have lots of extra features to make your sauna experience more relaxing, soothing, and refreshing.

Others, like traditional and wood-burning saunas, have more preparation time and if you want to increase the temperature, you’ll need to throw more logs into the fire.

I took a closer look at the different home sauna types that you can enjoy from the comfort of your home.

In this comprehensive review of the various sauna types, I took into account the price, operational costs, ease of installation, functionality, as well as the extra features and added benefits that each type offers over the others.

Infrared Sauna

Packed with more features and benefits than traditional saunas, infrared saunas are newcomers to the world of saunas.

Yet they’re growing in popularity and are changing the way people think of and experience sauna in general.

Instead of raising the temperature of the air within the cabin, infrared saunas target the skin directly, increasing the temperature of the skin a few inches deep.

That triggers your body to sweat out the toxins and relax your aching muscles without having to go through the discomfort of staying in a very hot room.

The infrared sauna is easier to operate and doesn’t have a long downtime. It’s also quite cheap and starts at $1,500 for a single kit accommodating one or two persons.

The sauna is easy to install and should be set up indoors. 

The average temperature it produces is between 120 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. This is not as hot as other sauna types.

However, you’ll often sweat a lot more during the 12-15 minute sessions since the emitters focus the infrared light on the skin. At the same time, this sauna type consumes less energy overall.

Electric Sauna

An electric sauna has the same look and functionality as a traditional sauna except for the conspicuous absence of fire.

Lined with wood inside and with a stove occupying one of the walls, the electric sauna heats the stove and stones with electricity rather than wood.

If you need more steam to open your skin pores, you pour water on the hot stones.

Lack of fire means no smoke, pollutants, or toxins produced every time you enjoy a sauna session. You can install it either indoors or outdoors according to your needs and the availability.

An average one-person electric sauna would have a starting price of $2,500. It uses more electricity than an infrared sauna, however, its operational costs are still lower than traditional saunas.

Steam Sauna

A steam sauna is similar to a Turkish bath in that it has ceramic tiled floors and the cabin is filled with steam to keep the temperature at around 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

The steam comes directly from boiling water rather than pouring water on hot stones. As a result, you will enjoy more hot steam in this sauna type than in other wet saunas.

This can have great benefits to the respiratory system as well.

Steam saunas are more elaborate than their infrared counterparts. They’re not easy to install and you would often need a professional to set them up.

This sauna type often sells by square foot which costs anything from $60 to $120 depending on the quality of the materials.

An average 4-person steam sauna would set you back between $2,500 to $5,000.

Smoke Sauna

This specific type of sauna is often found in Finland. As far as traditional saunas go, a smoke sauna follows a different path in making you sweat.

It does away with stoves, steam, and boiling water altogether. Instead, you start a fire under the stones in the middle of the cabin, close the door, and wait for the fire to burn out.

Then you let out the smoke, enter the cabin, and enjoy.

The drawbacks of a smoke sauna include the long preparation time, lack of steam, and the lingering smoke in the air that can irritate your lungs and eyes.

Because they’re rare to find outside of Finland, you can only find them in specific stores. The average cost is between $3,000 to $4,000.

Wood Burning Sauna

A wood-burning sauna is a traditional sauna that belongs to the dry sauna category.

It doesn’t rely on steam to open your pores and get you to sweat profusely. Instead, the cabin is lined with wood, and the big stove inside heats up the stones and brings the temperature in the cabin to anything from 140 degrees to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

In this dry heat, you can sweat without feeling uncomfortable.

You can still get some steam to fill up the cabin by pouring water on the hot stones.

It’s more suited for installation outside the house where the smoke can disperse quickly in the quiet suburban sky.

Starting prices for these types are between $3,000 to $4,000 depending on the size, features, and materials used.

Shower Sauna Combo

A shower sauna combo is the answer to modern apartments that don’t have enough room to dedicate space to the home sauna.

Since every home has a shower, you can turn your shower area into a shower-sauna combo. This allows you to have a regular shower, a steam shower, or a steam sauna session in the same shower area.

Even though you’re saving space, you won’t be saving any costs to have the sauna shower combo.

The basic model that accommodates only two people costs about $3,800. If you want a feature-rich model with a whirlpool tub or even a dry sauna system, be ready to fork out up to $5,000 or more.

Not to mention the cost of installing the complex system.

Portable Sauna

A portable sauna is a budget-friendly sauna that is easy to set up, doesn’t take up much space, and will be up and running in no time.

It offers the same benefits as other sauna types without the hassle of maintaining and keeping them functioning properly. 

Portable saunas are only fit for one person at a time. You can take the kit with you wherever you go and enjoy a sauna session on the go.

The average portable sauna costs between $200 to $500 and has considerably fewer operational costs than traditional or electric saunas.

Sauna blanket

A sauna blanket is a smaller version of a regular sauna. It works the same way an infrared sauna works by focusing the heat on your skin.

The temperature inside of the blanket averages between 60 degrees to 160 degrees F which is the maximum setting.

As a dry sauna, the sauna blanket uses less energy and provides a more comfortable sauna experience overall.

This type of sauna is for a single person and averages between $100 for the basic blankets to $600 or more for advanced sauna blankets.

You can take the sauna blanket with you when you travel, go camping, or go on vacation.

Sauna Suit

A sauna suit is made of waterproof material such as PVC or nylon coated fabrics with little to zero ventilation. When you wear the garment, it traps the heat of the body, increasing the temperature of the skin and causing heavy sweating.

Some sauna suits come with a hood to make the head sweat as well as the rest of the body.

Sauna suits are the cheapest sauna types and average between $30 to $99 per suit. They should be used cautiously as they cause dehydration.

Home Sauna Types FAQs

Which type of sauna is best for home?

If you’re looking for a sauna that doesn’t take up much space, doesn’t pollute, and doesn’t consume too much energy, I recommend an infrared home sauna.

The light from the emanator works directly on the body and heats up the skin more efficiently than other sauna types. It also comes with other features such as chromotherapy.

Is having a sauna at home worth it?

If you enjoy the sauna experience and would like to have it from the comfort of your home, then buying a home sauna is definitely worth it.

In the long run, it’s a cost-effective option to have a home sauna instead of paying for the spa every time you want to cleanse and detoxify your body.

Do saunas require a lot of maintenance?

That often depends on the type of home sauna you have. Infrared and electric saunas are low-maintenance types in general. Traditional saunas, especially the ones that require wood to burn will expect you to do a lot of cleaning up after every few sessions.

Overall, a swimming pool or a hot tub would require more work and maintenance than a home sauna.

What is a good size for a home sauna?

Whether you’re setting up a home sauna for one person or more, you should try to make the sauna spacious and comfortable. For a 2-person sauna, the recommended size is 4 feet x 6 feet.

A 3-person sauna should measure 6 feet x 8 feet to accommodate the people comfortably. 

How much is a home sauna?

Home saunas have a wide range of prices to suit every budget. Infrared and electric saunas are usually cost-effective and have a starting price of $1,500 for infrared saunas and $2,500 for electric ones. Traditional saunas take up more space and cost more on average.

A wood-burning or steam sauna sells by the square foot and with starting prices around $4,000.

Conclusion

Home saunas come in different types, shapes, and sizes. If you have limited space in your house, then an infrared home sauna or an electric sauna will fit the purpose nicely.

A sauna shower combo is also a good cost-effective option. Steam and wood-burning saunas are rather expensive and take up more space on your property.