Home Saunas

Every sauna here goes inside a house: a spare room, a basement, a garage corner or, for the fold-flat units, a bedroom. They split into four kinds, and the first decision is which kind, because that sets price, wiring and floor space before you compare models.

Infrared cabin saunas, $2,799 to $11,999

A wood cabin with infrared heating panels in the walls. The panels warm the body directly at a lower air temperature than a traditional sauna, which is why these run from a standard 120 V, 15 A outlet without an electrician. The Medical Sauna Medical 3, 4, 5 and 6 are full spectrum (near, mid and far infrared) hemlock cabins for 1, 2, 3 and 4 to 6 people; the SaunaBox Solara ($2,799) is a full spectrum, low EMF cabin for one to two; the Durasage 2-Person Canadian Hemlock ($3,295) is a far infrared cabin. Far vs full spectrum, EMF and the infrared deep-dive are on Infrared Saunas and Full Spectrum Infrared Saunas.

Traditional saunas, $4,999 to $12,199

The sauna most people picture: a hemlock cabin with an electric heater, rocks on top and the option to pour water for steam. Air temperature runs higher than infrared, the session feels hotter, and the heater needs a dedicated 220 V, 30 A circuit. The Medical Sauna Traditional 5 (2 person), Traditional 6 (3 person) and Traditional 7 (4 person) are the three here. When buyers search "dry sauna for home" they usually mean this kind run without water, or an infrared cabin; both are dry heat.

Personal infrared units, $249 to $1,428

One-person enclosures with infrared panels that you sit in with your head out, from the fold-flat Durasage tents with heated footpads, ionizers and low EMF options to the SaunaBox Pulse PRO ($699, red light panels, one to two people) and the Therasage Thera360 PLUS ($1,428), a full spectrum personal cabin with red light that still folds flat and states a 100 to 170 degree F range at 900 W. They fit where a cabin cannot and run from any outlet.

Steam sauna tents, $119 to $429

A fabric tent with a chair and an 800 W steam generator: the lowest-cost way to sweat at home. Thirteen Durasage tents from $119.95 and the three SaunaBox SmartSteam units ($299 to $429, one with red light). The tents and the personal units are compared in detail on Portable Saunas; traditional cabins that pour water and the tents together make up Steam Saunas.

Infrared runs cooler and dry and needs no special wiring; traditional runs hotter with the option of steam and needs 220 V; steam tents are humid and cheap. Three units include red light panels today (Pulse PRO, SmartSteam Pro Red Light, Thera360 PLUS); we are confirming with Medical Sauna and SaunaBox which cabins ship with red light emitters.

For a single type, see Traditional Saunas (electric heater and rocks), Red Light Saunas (red light panels built in) and Low EMF Infrared Saunas (units rated low EMF by their makers).

Capacity on a sauna is bench length, so a 2-person cabin seats two adults side by side and a 4 to 6 person cabin seats four comfortably or six close. Pick the size for the people who will use it together, not the largest the room allows, because a bigger cabin takes longer and costs more to heat.

• 1 person: Medical 3 ($3,199, full spectrum cabin); Thera360 PLUS ($1,428, personal cabin); Durasage 1-Person Full Size ($599.95, 1,000 W, folds flat); every personal unit and steam tent on Portable Saunas.
• 2 people: Medical 4 ($5,199, full spectrum); Traditional 5 ($4,999, electric heater); Durasage 2-Person Canadian Hemlock ($3,295, far infrared); SaunaBox Solara ($2,799, full spectrum, 1 to 2); Durasage 2-Person Full Size ($649.95, 1,500 W, folds flat); SaunaBox Pulse PRO ($699, 1 to 2).
• 3 people: Medical 5 ($7,199, full spectrum); Traditional 6 ($9,199).
• 4 people: Traditional 7 ($12,199).
• 4 to 6 people: Medical 6 ($11,999, full spectrum).

For a small room, a bathroom corner or a rental, the 1-person cabins and the personal units are the fit; the Thera360 PLUS at 33 by 33 inches is the smallest cabin-style unit here.

Purchase price

• Steam tents, $119.95 to $429: Durasage and SaunaBox SmartSteam.
• Personal infrared units, $249.95 to $1,428: Durasage tents, Pulse PRO, Thera360 PLUS.
• Infrared cabins, $2,799 to $11,999: Solara, Durasage Hemlock, Medical 3 to 6.
• Traditional cabins, $4,999 to $12,199: Traditional 5, 6 and 7.

Within a kind, price moves with capacity first, then spectrum (full spectrum costs more than far infrared), wood and finish, and heater size. The warehouse-club saunas people price-check against (Costco is one retailer, not affiliated with us) land in the same band as our $2,799 to $5,199 cabins; the difference to look for is the spectrum, the EMF rating, the warranty and who handles it.

Running cost

A sauna costs what its heater draws for the time it runs. As an estimate, a 1,500 W personal unit for a 30-minute session uses about 0.75 kWh, roughly 12 cents at a typical US rate of 16 cents per kWh; a full spectrum cabin drawing around 2 kW for a 45-minute session including warm-up uses about 1.5 kWh, roughly 25 cents; a traditional heater at 4.5 to 6 kW for an hour including heat-up uses 4.5 to 6 kWh, roughly 70 cents to a dollar. Exact heater ratings for each cabin are being added to the compare table as the manufacturers confirm them.

Shipping, warranty and returns

Freight shipping on cabins is free to domestic USA addresses in the lower 48 (Alaska, Hawaii and international by quote), delivered to the curb on a pallet. Medical Sauna cabins carry a lifetime warranty on the wood and 1 year on components; Durasage, SaunaBox and Therasage carry 1 year. Warranty claims go through us. 30-day returns on eligible products in original condition; cabins are eligible only unopened, so measure the room first.

Can you plug a home sauna into a regular outlet?

Yes for most of them. Every personal unit and steam tent, the Solara, the Durasage Hemlock and the four Medical Sauna infrared cabins run from a standard 120 V, 15 A household outlet; give a cabin its own circuit rather than sharing with other appliances. The three traditional cabins (Traditional 5, 6 and 7) need a dedicated 220 V, 30 A circuit for the electric heater, which usually means an electrician. The Durasage 2-Person Full Size personal unit draws 1,500 W and should also have its own circuit.

Floor space and ceiling

A 1-person cabin needs roughly a 4 by 4 foot footprint; 2-person cabins about 4 by 5 to 5 by 6 feet; 3 and 4 person cabins 5 by 6 to 6 by 7 feet; the 4 to 6 person Medical 6 more again, with about 7 feet of ceiling clearance for assembly. Exact dimensions for each cabin are on its product page and are being added to the compare table. Personal units take about 3 by 3 feet. Place cabins on a hard, level floor (tile, sealed concrete, vinyl or laminate rather than carpet), leave a few inches behind the heater wall for air, and no plumbing or venting is needed for infrared; a traditional sauna wants a floor that tolerates the occasional splash.

What a home sauna kit is

Our cabins are sauna kits: pre-cut tongue-and-groove hemlock wall and ceiling panels, benches, the heater or infrared panels, controls and hardware, packed flat on a pallet. Assembly is a two-person job with basic tools, typically an afternoon, and no cutting; a kit is not a set of plans or a heater sold alone. Indoor cabins on a standard outlet do not normally need a permit; a 220 V circuit for a traditional heater does need to be installed to code, so check with your electrician and local rules.

• A first cabin on a standard outlet: the SaunaBox Solara ($2,799, full spectrum, low EMF, one to two) or the Medical 3 ($3,199, full spectrum, one person, lifetime wood warranty).
• Two people, infrared: the Medical 4 ($5,199) for full spectrum, or the Durasage 2-Person Canadian Hemlock ($3,295) for far infrared at a lower price.
• A traditional sauna with rocks and steam: the Traditional 5 ($4,999) for two, Traditional 6 ($9,199) for three, Traditional 7 ($12,199) for four; plan the 220 V circuit before ordering.
• A family of four or more: the Medical 6 ($11,999, 4 to 6 people, full spectrum, standard outlet) or the Traditional 7.
• Red light built in: the SaunaBox Pulse PRO ($699), the Thera360 PLUS ($1,428) or the SmartSteam Pro Red Light ($399).
• Under $700, or no spare room: a personal unit or steam tent; compare all 27 on Portable Saunas.

Buying from us

Every sauna is new with the manufacturer warranty handled through us as your US point of contact. Free shipping to domestic USA addresses in the lower 48, freight included; Alaska, Hawaii and international by quote. 30-day returns on eligible products in original condition. Gyms, studios and wellness centers can ask for multi-unit pricing and delivery scheduling. For the cold side of a contrast setup, see Cold Plunge Tubs.