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The outdoor sauna experience is a uniquely serene experience. Along with relaxing in a tranquil environment, the best home saunas for the outdoors saunas can provide physical health benefits like improved muscle recovery1, reduced inflammation2, and better cardiovascular health3.
From high-quality infrared saunas to compact barrel saunas, and everything in between, the team at Garage Gym Reviews has researched and tested over a dozen saunas to find the best outdoor sauna for fitness and recovery aficionados. Our team consists of certified personal trainers, CrossFit Level 1 trainers, lifting coaches, and lifelong athletes—meaning we have the experience and expertise to provide expert recommendations on top recovery tools, including saunas and cold plunge tubs.
We rated these outdoor saunas between 1 and 5 on aspects noted in our fitness equipment testing methodology to find their overall score:
- Delivery and setup
- Construction and durability
- Footprint
- Performance
- Features and extras
- Overall value
The Best Outdoor Saunas
- Best Outdoor Sauna Overall: Sun Home Luminar Outdoor Infrared Sauna
- Best Outdoor Steam Sauna: Redwood Outdoors Thermowood Cabin Outdoor Sauna
- Best Splurge Outdoor Sauna: Plunge Sauna
- Best Budget Outdoor Sauna: SaunaBox SmartSteam Kit Pro
- Best 2-Person Outdoor Sauna: Redwood Outdoors Mini-Cube Sauna
- Best Outdoor Traditional Sauna: Almost Heaven Morgan Barrel Sauna
Best Outdoor Sauna Overall: Sun Home Luminar Outdoor Infrared Sauna
Good for: People wanting a high-quality infrared sauna suited for the outdoors
Best Overall
Sun Home Luminar Outdoor 5-Person Infrared Sauna
Product Highlights
- Outdoor full-spectrum infrared sauna
- Only need a screwdriver and included Allen wrench for assembly
- Grade-A carbonized all-season wood exterior to prevent warping and cracking
- Cedar interior
- Panoramic glass windows for view of outside
- Requires 240V outlet
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Sleek design
- Minimal tools for assembly
- Outdoor infrared sauna
- Full-spectrum infrared
- Grade-A carbonized wood
Cons
- Heavy
- Expensive
- More of a 4-person sauna
- Requires 240V outlet
Bottom Line
The Sun Home Luminar Outdoor Infrared Sauna has a sleek aesthetic to its design, while also being functional. One of the only infrared saunas that are able to be set up outdoors, this sauna has an exterior built from Grade-A carbonized wood to prevent warping, cracking, and shrinkage of the exterior. This sauna is a full-spectrum infrared sauna, providing near, mid, and far infrared heat in the sauna.
Best Outdoor Steam Sauna: Redwood Outdoors Thermowood Cabin Outdoor Sauna
Good for: Those wanting a durable outdoor sauna that provides high-end performance
Best Steam Sauna
Redwood Outdoors Sauna
Product Highlights
- Outdoor sauna kit
- Designed to stand up to the elements
- Traditional Scandinavian design
- Constructed from ultra-dry Thermowood timber
- Comes with a Harvia heater
- Includes bucket and ladle, backrest, sauna rocks, light fixture
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Ability to relax and recharge from your backyard
- Interlocking lumber for streamlined assembly
- Powerful electric heater
- 2-level seating
Cons
- Expensive price tag
- Short 1-year limited warranty
- Requires 240V for electric heater
- Some drilling required for assembly
Bottom Line
Redwood Outdoors is a brand that offers a dozen different outdoor saunas. The Thermowood Cabin is the ideal choice for anyone looking for a four-person sauna that will offer a straightforward assembly with interlocking ultra-dry timber. The sauna features 2-level seating, which is the traditional Scandinavian design so you can choose between low- and high-heat options. The Thermowood Cabin comes standard with a Harvia electric heater, bucket and ladle, backrest, sauna rocks, and an internal light fixture.
Best Splurge Outdoor Sauna: Plunge Sauna
Good for: Anyone looking for a premium outdoor sauna with a modern design
Best Splurge Sauna
Plunge Sauna
Product Highlights
- Available in standard and XL sizes
- Traditional steam or dry sauna
- Can seat 5 people (7 in XL)
- Slanted wall provides ergonomic backrest
- Benches can fold up to open sauna for stretching or standing
- Incense cedar exterior with pine and hemlock interior
- Waterproof roof provides outdoor protection
- Requires 240V outlet
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Slanted wall for ergonomic backrest
- Foldable benches
- Can seat multiple people
- Good for indoor or outdoor use
- High top temperature
Cons
- Expensive
- Requires 240V outlet
Bottom Line
The Plunge Sauna is a versatile take on a traditional Finnish sauna. With a slanted back wall, the Plunge Sauna provides an ergonomic backrest to add comfort to your sauna session. Additionally, the benches fold up to allow more space for standing or stretching. The electric heater is able to let the sauna reach temperatures up to 230 degrees, according to the company.
Best Budget Outdoor Sauna: SaunaBox SmartSteam Kit Pro
Good for: Sauna users wanting an affordable, compact, and portable sauna
Best Budget Sauna
SaunaBox SmartSteam Kit Pro
Product Highlights
Pros & Cons
Pros
- 7 levels of heat
- Portable design
- 2-year warranty
Cons
- Only room for one person
- Humidity may be too intense for some folks
Bottom Line
The SaunaBox SmartSteam Kit Pro offers an easy and affordable wet sauna option for home recovery sessions. It’s compact, folds down effortlessly, and is suitable for one person at a time. The heat is sourced from the SmartSteam Unit, which pumps steam into the SaunaBox and can be set to seven different settings.
Best 2-Person Outdoor Sauna: Redwood Outdoors Mini-Cube Sauna
Good for: Compact outdoor spaces
Best 2-Person Sauna
Redwood Outdoors Thermowood Mini-Cube Sauna
Product Highlights
- 2-person outdoor sauna with compact design
- Exterior dimensions of 68.75” L x 50.75” W x 81” H
- Requires 110V for lighting and 240V for heater
- Choice of electric heater
- 800-lb weight
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Compact design
- Thermowood resistant to mildew and insects
- Choice of electric heater
Cons
- Requires 240V outlet
- Expensive, although it has good value
- Choosing a different heater raises the price
Bottom Line
The Thermowood Mini-Cube Sauna from Redwood Outdoors is a compact two-person outdoor sauna, made for tight spaces or urban backyards. The Thermowood used is heat-treated Scandinavian softwood made to be resistant to cracking, warping, mildew, and insects.
Best Outdoor Traditional Sauna: Almost Heaven Morgan Barrel Sauna
Good for: Users wanting a traditional sauna experience outdoors
Best Traditional Sauna
Almost Heaven Morgan 4-Person Barrel Sauna
Product Highlights
- Barrel-shaped sauna that circulates heat more evenly
- Able to seat up to 4 people
- Red cedar construction
- Outdoor or indoor use
- 220V outlet required
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Affordable 4-person sauna
- Barrel shape helps circulate heat evenly
- Harvia heater gets above 200 degrees
- Indoor or outdoor use
Cons
- Instruction manual isn’t specific to this model
- Requires 220V outlet
Bottom Line
The Almost Heaven Morgan 4-Person Barrel Sauna is a barrel-shaped sauna to help circulate heat throughout the sauna evenly. This helps keep the temperature more uniform no matter how close or far you are from the Harvia heater. A more affordable option, this barrel sauna is suitable for both outdoor and indoor use, as well as steam or dry heat.
How We Picked and Tested Outdoor Saunas
We’ve tested over a dozen saunas since prioritizing muscle recovery tools, saunas, and cold plunges. For each of these saunas, we performed multiple tests, measuring the top temperatures for each, as well as the time it takes for the sauna to warm up.
RELATED: DIY Cold Plunge Ideas
After researching top sauna brands and companies, we chose several to try out and gave them ratings from 1 to 5 based on the following criteria:
- Delivery and setup: We looked for how easily we could construct the sauna and noted any snags we hit along the way.
- Construction: We looked at the type of wood the sauna uses and made sure that the building had no air leaks. For outdoor saunas, the wood used should be resistant to insects and mildew.
- Footprint: Even compact saunas can be big, so we looked for the sauna to be used efficiently, providing good capacity for the amount of space the sauna takes up.
- Performance: What is the sauna’s maximum temperature, and how quickly does it get there? We also noted the type of heater used for the sauna.
- Features and extras: This is any sort of convenience feature or add-on to the sauna, ranging from a thermometer to chromotherapy LED lighting.
- Value: The price has to make sense for the build, capacity, and performance of the sauna. This score compares how the sauna stacks up to other saunas in a similar price range, and determines if you’re actually getting your money’s worth.
After scoring these saunas, we took the top saunas we researched and tested—that were suited for the outdoors—and compiled the final list before you.
Benefits of Outdoor Saunas
Indoor saunas may share quite a few benefits to outdoor saunas, but even so, outdoor saunas can provide some unique benefits. Here’s a few of those benefits.
The Space
Sometimes you just don’t have the space in your home for an indoor sauna. Everyone has a different living situation, but most homeowners can usually find adequate space for a large backyard sauna before they can find the space inside their own home. An outdoor sauna can open up a substantial amount of room in your home.
The Scenery
I get it; you could have a really nice-looking garage or room in your house. Still, there’s something a bit more relaxing about being able to sit in a sauna and see trees, bushes, and other greenery through its windows and doors. There’s no health or wellness benefit to being outdoors while sauna-bathing, but I imagine the scenery will be a stress reliever to most people.
The Recovery
Although not unique to outdoor saunas, the heat therapy of saunas has been shown to do wonders for a user’s recovery. A small study from 20231 suggested that athletes who sauna-bathed showed less muscle soreness and greater perceived muscle recovery. Another study from 20182 showed regular sauna use could increase the amount of anti-inflammatory proteins in the body.
Saunas can also stress the cardiovascular system, increasing blood flow and heart rate. However, a 2019 study4 measured resting heart rates after a workout and then after a sauna session post-workout. Resting heart rates were lower after the sauna session than they were post-workout.
The Heat
The majority of outdoor saunas will be traditional dry saunas, as some infrared heaters (but not all) can be more fragile and may not survive harsher weather extremes. This means most outdoor saunas can get hot—close to or even over 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sauna expert and assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Carolina Panthers Thomas Barbeau, CSCS, SCCC, says that a warmer heat will get you the most benefits from a sauna. “A lot of the research shows that the best temperature to reap the most benefits from a sauna is above 176 degrees for a 20-minute session,” he explains. “Temperatures at or above 200 degrees would require only a 15-minute session.”
The hotter temperatures of traditional saunas may help improve brain health. One 2017 study5 showed that heat stress and exercise can increase levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein in the nervous system shown to help with memory function as well as anxiety and depression.
What to Look for in Outdoor Saunas
Want an outdoor sauna that’ll last through the hottest summers and coldest winters? Here are the things to consider when shopping for an outdoor sauna.
Materials
One of the most important things to check for an outdoor sauna is the type of wood being used. In addition to being sturdy, the wood needs to be able to withstand the harsher elements of the outdoors. A common wood for outdoor saunas is red cedar, which has been shown to be more resistant to mildew and insects.
Also look for heat-treated wood, as this process helps dry out the wood, making it less prone to warping, cracking, and swelling from any moisture from the interior or exterior of the sauna.
Sauna Type
Most outdoor saunas are traditional dry saunas with the option to become steam saunas (if you add enough moisture to the sauna stones and room). These dry saunas can approach 200 degrees, although warming up to that temperature may take time.
Infrared saunas are far less common for the outdoors, mostly because the components of infrared heaters can be fragile. Infrared saunas can heat up in minutes, although the maximum temperature isn’t as high—usually between 150 and 160 degrees. If an infrared sauna is suited for the outdoors, keep in mind that it’s probably more expensive, too, to provide adequate protection for the infrared heaters.
Electrical Compatibility
Most outdoor saunas will use a 30-amp heater, meaning it’ll require 220 or 240 volts, a far less common voltage than the American standard of 110 or 120 volts. If this is your first outdoor sauna, there’s a good chance you’ll have to call an electrician to install the new outlet for a sauna, which will add to the overall cost of the sauna—it cost us about $1,600 at GGR to get one installed at our warehouse.
If you don’t have an outlet suited for an outdoor sauna, make sure to factor the electrical installation into your budget.
Features and Amenities
Any extras to a sauna are a plus, but they can vary in outdoor saunas. Most saunas have some sort of lighting for evening sauna sessions. Others have the added convenience of being operable from your smart device. Still, others keep it to basics, with a basic thermometer and bucket and ladle to operate the heat of the sauna.
Cost
Even if you’re getting good value, saunas are expensive, especially if they’re built to withstand outdoor weather conditions. Make sure the sauna and installation costs fit your budget, and that the home sauna cost is worth the features and performance it brings.
Best Outdoor Sauna: FAQs
Is it worth getting an outdoor sauna?
An outdoor sauna can be a great way to add to your recovery and relaxation and experience plenty of potential health benefits. While an outdoor sauna can save space on the interior of your home, there may be added installation costs, such as installing a 240-volt outlet or building a level foundation for the sauna.
While it may be worth it for some to go through these extra costs and opt for a pricier sauna made for outdoors, it may not be feasible for everyone’s budget.
What is the best type of sauna to buy?
Saunas can vary drastically from budget-friendly sauna tents and blankets to grandiose eight-person sauna cabins. The best sauna to buy should fit your budget and needs and have good value.
Some of our top picks for the best home saunas include Sun Home Luminar Infrared Sauna, Redwood Outdoors Cabin Sauna, and the Sunlighten Infrared Sauna.
A few budget-conscious options that we like are the Sweat Tent Outdoor Sauna, SereneLife Portable Sauna, and HigherDOSE Sauna Blanket.
What’s better, an infrared or steam sauna?
While infrared saunas and steam saunas provide similar benefits of muscle recovery and reduced inflammation, infrared saunas can get much hotter much quicker than steam saunas. An infrared sauna can go up to 160 degrees compared to the steam sauna’s top temperature of 120 degrees (due to the humidity, although the perceived temperature will still be plenty hot). Additionally, infrared saunas need less maintenance than steam rooms due to the 100% humidity and moisture of the sauna.
Still, steam saunas have added humidity, which can help relieve skin conditions like psoriasis or eczema. It can also provide sinus and allergy relief due to the moisture in the air. Both have pros and cons, and which type is best for you will depend on your needs and goals.
RELATED: Wet Sauna Vs Dry Sauna
References
- Ahokas, E. K., Ihalainen, J. K., Hanstock, H. G., Savolainen, E., & Kyröläinen, H. (2023). A post-exercise infrared sauna session improves recovery of neuromuscular performance and muscle soreness after resistance exercise training. Biology of sport, 40(3), 681–689. https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2023.119289.
- Żychowska, Małgorzata, Nowak-Zaleska, Alicja, Chruściński, Grzegorz, Zaleski, Ryszard, Mieszkowski, Jan, Niespodziński, Bartłomiej, Tymański, Roman, Kochanowicz, Andrzej. Association of High Cardiovascular Fitness and the Rate of Adaptation to Heat Stress. BioMed Research International 2314-6133 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/1685368.
- Ketelhut, S., Ketelhut, R.G. The blood pressure and heart rate during sauna bath correspond to cardiac responses during submaximal dynamic exercise. Complementary Therapies in Medicine Volume 44, 218-222 (2019). ISSN 0965-2299, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2019.05.002.
- Laukkanen, T., Lipponen, J., Kunutsor, S. K., Zaccardi, F., Araújo, C. G. S., Mäkikallio, T. H., Khan, H., Willeit, P., Lee, E., Poikonen, S., Tarvainen, M., & Laukkanen, J. A. (2019). Recovery from sauna bathing favorably modulates cardiac autonomic nervous system. Complementary therapies in medicine, 45, 190–197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2019.06.011
- Kojima, D., Nakamura, T., Banno, M., Umemoto, Y., Kinoshita, T., Ishida, Y., & Tajima, F. (2017). Head-out immersion in hot water increases serum BDNF in healthy males. International Journal of Hyperthermia, 34(6), 834–839. https://doi.org/10.1080/02656736.2017.1394502
Further reading
The outdoor sauna experience is a uniquely serene experience. Along with relaxing in a tranquil environment, the best home saunas for the outdoors saunas can provide physical health benefits like improved muscle recovery1, reduced inflammation2, and better cardiovascular health3.From high-quality infrared saunas to compact barrel saunas, and everything in between, the team at Garage Gym Reviews has researched and tested over a dozen saunas to find the best outdoor sauna for fitness and recovery aficionados. » Read more about: Best Outdoor Sauna (2024): 7 Top Picks Tested Outside and In » Read more
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