Barrel Sauna

A barrel sauna is designed in the shape of a large barrel, and can typically fit 4 or more people comfortably. Barrel saunas have the convenience of easy delivery, set up, and assembly. Their easay construction, and tremendous performance are two reasons for their popularity throughout the world. Besides its pleasing aesthetic, the beauty of the barrel sauna is that it’s cylindrical design allows natural air circulation because air is constantly being pushed back up the curved walls. This also allows for a quicker heat time, and will keep the room hotter for longer, while saving you on energy costs.

Listed: The Top Barrel Saunas of 2020

ALEKO SB8PINECP Finnish White Pine Indoor Outdoor Wet Dry Barrel Sauna with 9 kW ETL Certified Heater 8 Person 93 x 72 x 75 Inches
Finnish Finland Pine Wood 6′ Foot Outdoor Barrel Sauna Spa, 4 Person, with 6KW Wet or Dry Heater and Lava Rocks
Allwood Barrel Sauna 220-EHC Electric Heater
BZBCabins.com Barrel Sauna Kit W34, 6-8 Person Outdoor Sauna with Harvia M3 Wood Burning Heater
Allwood Barrel Sauna 160-EHC Electric Heater

Advantages of barrel saunas vs traditional saunas

Barrel Construction

A proper barrel sauna has several advantages to a traditional sauna. For one, construction doesn’t involve much hardware or fasteners. In barrel construction, the wooden panels that make up the barrel are called staves. These staves are notched and drawn together tightly with bands. Once these staves are wet, the wood swells and forms a tight seal. Once it’s wet and heated, a barrel sauna swells to create a tight lock. The tighter construction also allows for more efficiency as less hot air will escape from poor sealing.

Sauna Efficiency

The barrel sauna is extremely efficient, and doesn’t lose as much heat to drafts or cracks in construction like a traditional sauna might. If you’ve ever been in a traditional sauna, you’ve probably noticed the lower parts of the room are much cooler than the top. This is because heat rises. But, the circular design of a barrel sauna causes the rising heat to push the hot air at the ceiling to the sides and the bottom of the room, creating an overall hotter and more efficient experience.

Quicker Heat Time

The circular design of a barrel sauna allows for a faster heat time compared to traditional square or rectangular saunas. Square saunas have more cubic feet than cylindrical barrel saunas, thus taking longer to heat this extra, unused space.

Top 5 Barrel Sauna Kits of 2020, Reviewed

Pros:

• Spacious, room for up to 8 people.
• This wet-dry sauna comes with lots of extras that we love including: touch screen control panel, lamp, wooden bucket with ladle.
• Comes with a heater and 44 pounds of sauna rocks
• High quality, durable construction built to withstand the elements

Cons:

• This quality sauna is a heavy one. At 750 pounds, it comes in several pieces, and will require a few people to assemble.

The Aleko Finish Pine Indoor-Outdoor Wet-Dry Barrel Sauna is one of the best in its class. With spacious seating and durable assembly, you know you’re getting a quality home sauna with this one. The exterior benches and front porch are a nice added touch for taking a breather from the heat of this barrel sauna. With a little bit of effort, you can have this assembled at your own home in no time.

Pros:

• Durable Finnish Pine construction
• Shingled roof designed to withstand the seasons
• Spacious 4 person sauna with some very nice extras: wooden seat rests, thermometer, water bucket and ladle,  timer, light, and magazine rack.
• Multi-year structural and electrical warranty

Cons:

• 850 lbs.
• Assembly required

The Finnish Finland Pine Wood 6′ Foot Outdoor Barrel Sauna Spa is a beautiful, compact outdoor sauna (can also be used indoors). This barrel sauna boasts it’s beautiful, high quality Finnish Pine construction made to withstand Finnish winters. While it’s a heavy product to assemble, the weight speaks to it’s durability and the multi-year warranty gives reassurance that this is a sound investment.

Pros:

• Compact, high quality construction made to fit 4 adults
• Made from slow grown Nordic Spruce
• Constructed with roof shingles, adding years to your sauna’s lifespan
• Front canopy shields the interior from the sun

Cons:

• 30-40 delivery time
• $$$

The Allwood Barrel Sauna is a durable product made from high quality materials. It’s higher price point stems from it’s quality construction. If you’re looking for a durable sauna you won’t have to worry about, this barrel sauna from Allwood is a safe bet.

Pros:

• Largest sauna on our list. Fits 6-8 people in this barrel sauna
• Made from Nordic Spruce
• Contains 2 rooms: 1 small changing room, 1 larger sauna room
• Free Shipping

Cons:

• Huge: if you’re trying to nestle this into a spot in a smaller yard, you may have troubles
• $$$$

This Barrel Sauna Kit from BZBCabins.com is beautiful, and will fit all your friends. While it’s pricey, you get what you pay for: a big sauna with a changing room, beautiful design, durable construction with shingled roofing, and a product you will love for the rest of your days.

Pros:

• Compact, 3 seater barrel sauna
• Made from slow grown Nordic Spruce

This 3 Seat Barrel Sauna from Allwood is a perfect option for those looking for a compact sauna that will get the job done.

Tips when Buying a Barrel Sauna

• The first thing you should consider is the size of sauna you want. Are you looking for something small or portable for yourself? Or, are you looking for something spacious where you can fit several people? Barrel saunas are great for mid-size or larger options. Consider checking out portable or home saunas if you’re considering something smaller.
• Consider the type of heater. There are electric heaters, infrared heaters, wood-fired heaters, and gas heaters. The type you choose should depend on where your sauna will be located – for example, you probably won’t want a wood-fired heater inside your home. But, since many people typically keep their barrel saunas outdoors, this may not matter as much
• Thinking not only about the type, but the size of the heater is important. You’ll want as big of panels for an infrared heater, or as big of an electrical heater as you can afford because you’ll want to save time heating your sauna. This is an often overlooked part of sauna purchasing. Make sure your sauna’s heater is big enough so that you won’t be waiting all day for it to heat up.

Conclusion

Finally, if you’re on the fence about whether buying a sauna is right for you, consider why you wanted a sauna in the first place. Is it for the enormous health benefits? Do you want to help your body’s muscle soreness? Do you want to live longer? Do you just want to add heat stress to your health and fitness routine? All of these reasons are valid ones. And if you’re concerned about the cost, just remember that adding a sauna to your property ups the resale value of your home. Or, you can always take it with you if you move! Take the leap, and buy your sauna today.