Most people arrive at a sauna purchase with one question — which one — and no way to answer it. This page is the answer, written the way we would explain it on the phone.
Start with how many people sit in it
Not with the wood, not with the heater. Capacity decides the footprint, the electrical work, and roughly two thirds of the price.
Two people — from about $3,100
Fits a small yard or a deck corner, typically 4×6 feet. In most builds it runs on a standard 240V circuit, which is the single biggest cost difference against the larger sizes. Right for a couple, or one person who wants to sit upright and read.
What people regret: buying this size and then wishing they could lie down.
Four people — from about $5,400
The size most households actually settle on. Around 6×7 feet, with an upper bench long enough to lie on. Still a 240V appliance in most configurations, still movable by four people and a set of rollers.
If you are undecided between two and four, take four. Nobody writes to tell us their sauna is too big.
Six people and up — from about $8,900
Cabin builds, changing rooms, and wood-fired options. This size usually needs a prepared gravel or concrete pad and, if electric, a dedicated circuit installed by an electrician. Plan the site before you plan the purchase.
Electric or wood-fired
Electric is what nine out of ten buyers choose. Push a button, it is ready in 30 to 45 minutes, and it holds a set temperature. It needs power at the site.
Wood-fired takes 45 to 90 minutes and needs tending, splitting, and a chimney clearance you must check against local code. People who choose it do so because they want the ritual, not despite the work. It also runs where there is no power.
What the wood actually means
- Western red cedar — stable, aromatic, stays cool to the touch, resists rot. The default for outdoor barrels, and the reason many of them cost what they cost.
- Thermally modified aspen or spruce — heat-treated rather than chemically treated, pale, very low resin. A good choice for anyone sensitive to cedar scent.
- Untreated spruce — the budget option. It works, and it weathers faster.
If a maker will not tell you the wood grade, that tells you something.
The heater matters more than the shell
A sauna shell is joinery; a heater is an appliance that runs at 400 degrees for a decade. Harvia, HUUM and their peers build heaters that can be re-stoned and serviced years from now. A sealed no-name element turns the whole sauna into a disposable object the day it fails.
Before you order, check three things at the site
- Can a freight truck reach you? Saunas arrive on a pallet, curbside. A narrow lane, a steep drive, or a low branch is a real problem, and it is much cheaper to discover it now. Call us if you are unsure.
- Is the pad ready? Level gravel, pavers, or concrete. Not soil, not grass.
- Is there power where the sauna will stand? For anything above the smallest models, budget for an electrician.
Where our catalogue stands today
Northaven is a new dealer. We list a product only once our dealer agreement with its manufacturer is in place — never before, and never a photo of something we cannot actually ship you.
Manufacturers we are currently applying to are named on our Brands page. If you are shopping now and want a recommendation before our catalogue opens, call us anyway: +41 79 592 75 12. We would rather point you somewhere useful than lose your trust.
What does not change
Free curbside freight to the lower 48. A delivery date on every listing rather than a vague range. And if your sauna arrives damaged, we file the carrier claim for you.