Outdoor saunas
Step into soothing warmth after a long day, with a little more time to slow down. Explore our outdoor sauna collection in barrel, cube, cabin, pod and bespoke designs. Choose from traditional timber cabins to modern outdoor sauna kits. Available in electric, wood-fired, infrared or hybrid heating options, with features such as panoramic glazing, insulation and changing rooms to suit your space and lifestyle.
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NORDHAVEN
4-Person Barrel Sauna
NORDHAVEN
4-Person Barrel Sauna
NORDHAVEN
4-Person Barrel Sauna
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Buying guide
An outdoor sauna is a long-term addition to your garden. The right choice usually comes down to three things: the space you have, how many people will use it, and how you'd like it heated.
Explore outdoor sauna design and styles, from traditional barrels to modern cubes, curved pods and bespoke luxury cabins.
Starting price: £2,000
Bring traditional charm to your outdoor space with a barrel sauna. Barrels have curved timber construction and a compact design. Choose an electric or wood-fired outdoor barrel sauna with a firm and well-drained base, and suitable heater clearances.
Starting price: £2,000
Cube saunas bring a contemporary look to outdoor spaces. Outdoor cubes have clean lines, straight walls and practical bench layouts that make space more usable than in a barrel of similar size. Some models feature panoramic glazing that create a brighter and more open feel.
Starting price: £2,150
Make space for slower evenings with a sauna cabin. Outdoor sauna cabins offer a more enclosed space for year-round relaxation. Choose a timber sauna cabin with features such as panoramic glazing or a separate changing room, depending on your space and needs.
Starting price: £3,995
With their curved, cocoon-like shape and often panoramic glass fronts, pod and oval saunas bring sculptural character to outdoor spaces. Pod saunas offer more headroom than barrel designs and need a load-bearing base. Pre-assembled models may require crane access for delivery.
Starting price: £12,995 fully installed
Modern luxury saunas create a private wellness retreat with bespoke layouts, premium timber and expansive glazing. Integrated changing rooms add comfort and privacy. Premium models feature 100mm insulation and double-glazed panoramic windows, perfectly framing your view while maximizing heat retention.
Compare electric, wood-fired, infrared and hybrid outdoor saunas to find your preferred heat, running costs and heating experience.
Electric outdoor saunas bring soothing, consistent heat to chilly UK evenings, heating up in 30 to 45 minutes. Insulated thermowood, weatherproof electrics and frost-ready heaters make it reliable and cost about £1.75 to £2.00 per session.
Wood-fired saunas give an authentic steam experience and require no electrics. They heat up in 45 to 75 minutes. Tough woods like cedar handle harsh British weather, and need a proper chimney. Expect £2 to £4 per session in dry logs.
Step outside, feel the cold air and then slip into gentle warmth of your outdoor infrared sauna. Outdoor infrared saunas warm you directly at 50 to 65°C, plug into a standard socket, heat in about 25 minutes, and are affordable with running costs of around £0.35 to £0.60 per session.
Have one cabin with two kinds of heat. Switch between gentle infrared warmth and steamy Finnish heat whenever you like. Hybrid outdoor sauna is fully insulated and weatherproof for year-round British gardens. Running both together costs about £2.00 to £3.00 per session.
Find the right outdoor sauna setting, from peaceful gardens to patios and terraces with limited space.
Create a peaceful escape among your favourite plants. Choose a compact barrel or a roomier cabin, with a levelled and well-drained base. Saunas within 2m of a boundary are generally limited to 2.5m high under permitted-development rules. Explore our garden sauna guide to choose the right design for your space.
Explore Garden SaunasTurn an unused patio into your own warm hideaway. Some sauna-and-terrace units weigh around 950kg before users and accessories, so check load capacity of your surface with a structural professional before installation.
Compare outdoor sauna sizes and prices to find a comfortable fit for your space and budget.
Compact barrel and basic electric sauna cabins are often available under £5,000. Perfect for couples and smaller households, but have less room to stretch out or lie down.
Standard barrel and cube saunas often fit £5,000 to £10,000 budgets. They offer more seating space, roomier interiors and options such as panoramic glazing or upgraded timber finishes.
Larger sauna cabins that come with separate changing rooms and premium glazed designs can exceed £10,000. They offer more space for group sessions and have upgraded finishes and bespoke layouts tailored to your outdoor space.
Discover practical outdoor sauna features, from better insulation to panoramic glazing and changing rooms.
Thermowood outdoor saunas use heat-treated timber that absorbs less moisture and resists swelling and shrinking. It helps your thermowood sauna withstand damp UK weather while retaining its natural warmth and beauty.
Outdoor saunas with changing rooms give you a private place to get ready, hang damp towels and unwind between sessions. These rooms typically add 1 to 1.4m in depth, so allow extra space for your base.
Outdoor saunas with panoramic glazing bring natural light into your sauna retreat. Toughened glass improves safety, while double-glazed fronts help reduce heat loss and condensation during colder UK weather.
Insulated outdoor saunas keep you warm through cold, damp British winters. Triple-layer insulation and double glazing reduce heat loss, while Thermowood or cedar cladding resists moisture.
Create your own peaceful escape with an easy-to-assemble outdoor sauna. These DIY outdoor sauna kits come with pre-cut timber and instructions. They have simplified setup, though you will still need a level base and a qualified electrician for fixed wiring.
Choose between permanent installations, easy-to-store sauna tents and mobile saunas for outdoor adventures.
Permanent outdoor saunas use durable cedar or Thermowood to withstand British weather. Permanent saunas need a level base with professional assembly and suitable mains wiring. Their installation cost can range from £1,500 to £4,000, and planning permission may be required depending on height and location.
Portable outdoor saunas and sauna tents offer a cosy retreat without permanent installation. Insulated fabric holds warmth, while compact wood-burning stoves provide heat. Some models seat 4 to 6 people and set up in 90 seconds. They pack into a car boot, which makes them ideal for flexible outdoor use.
Take your sauna wherever the experience calls you with a towable mobile sauna. Mobile saunas are ideal for wild swimming and outdoor events. Wood-fired heating works without mains electricity. Planning rules depend on where and how it is used.
From compact garden cabins to made-to-measure saunas, explore designs for different outdoor spaces.
Create a garden sauna that fits your outdoor space, from compact barrel designs to insulated cabins. In wet UK gardens, a strong leveled and well-drained base helps prevent timber damage. Keep your sauna over 2m from boundary for greater height flexibility. Within 2m, the height is generally limited to 2.5m without planning permission. Please check local rules before installation.
Design a bespoke outdoor sauna to your garden's dimensions, with 50 to 100mm insulation, custom bench layouts and panoramic glazing for better heat retention, comfortable seating and uninterrupted garden views.
Type
Key feature
Typical UK specs
UK buying consideration
Best for
Barrel
Curved timber walls
Diameter: 1.9-2.25m;
Length 1.5-4m; Seats 2-8;
Walls 42mm; Reaches 90°C in 30-60 min
Usually uninsulated, so heat-up varies with weather. Needs leveled, well-drained base
Traditional garden style
Cube
Straight walls; practical bench layouts
About 2.05-2.2m wide x 2.4-3.9m long;
Seats 4-6; 28-42mm walls; Heat-up 30-60 min
Check usable internal size
Modern gardens
Cabin
Box shape; usually two rooms
Compact: about 2.4 x 3.4m to 2.34 x 4.34m outside;
Sauna room about 2 x 2m;
50-70mm logs;
Larger sauna houses reach 5.9 x 3.7m.
Changing room adds 1-2m of width or length. Measure the base, not just the hot room
Families and changing rooms
Pod / oval
Curved shape; often glass front and changing room
Width 2.25-2.4m;
Length 2.6-5.1m;
Height 2.2-2.45m;
Seats 2-4;
Walls 28-42mm.
Check base size (a 4.8m pod needs about 2.3 x 4.8m) and delivery access
Statement garden designs
Luxury / bespoke
Custom dimensions, finishes and glazing
Varies by build
Confirm insulation, double glazing, heater sizing and installation scope
Tailored garden projects
Electric
Controlled, convenient heating
Heaters about 6.8kW for 6-10 m³ rooms;
9kW and above usually need three-phase;
Heat-up 30-60 min
Qualified electrician required.
Regular home use
Wood-fired
Heat without mains power
Heat-up about 30-60 min; Needs chimney and dry, seasoned wood
In a smoke control area, use a Defra-exempt stove. Follow manufacturer's flue height
Off-grid gardens
Infrared
Direct radiant heat at lower temperatures
Typically, 1 to 3 people;
Around 40-65°C;
Around 2–3.5 kW
Check kW rating (a UK 13-amp socket supports about 3kW) and outdoor suitability
Gentler heat sessions
Hybrid
Combines traditional and infrared heating
Example: 2-3-person hybrid barrel, 1.8m wide x 1.5m deep x 2.17m high
Confirm both heaters can run together and the total kW
Flexible heating preferences
Portable / mobile
Tent or towable trailer
Tents: 2-6 people, about 1.8 x 1.8m floor, up in minutes; Trailers: 2-3 people (3.25m, under 750kg) to 8-10 people (5.8m, 1,800kg)
Check stove safety, ground surface, towing weight and licence
Trips, wild swimming, events
Garden / permanent
Fixed outdoor position
Rules limit height to max 2.5m within 2m of boundary, max 4m (dual-pitched) or 3m otherwise
Not in front of the house. Flats have no permitted development rights. Listed buildings need permission
Dedicated installations
Typical price range
Indicative running costs, depending on heating type
Capacity across popular outdoor sauna designs
Heating options for different preferences
Expected lifespan with care
Typical running cost per session
Typical delivery & installation
Slabs, concrete or ground screws
Expected lifespan with care
Short on space? Browse our indoor saunas, compare infrared saunas, or read do I need planning permission?
FAQs
Ready-made outdoor saunas typically cost about £3,000 to £15,000, and bespoke builds can even exceed £35,000 depending on material, size and design you order. DIY kits are available in roughly £3,500-£8,000. Prices largely depend on heater type, size, timber, and many other factors. Please take free consultation for getting the more accurate estimate. Keep in mind the additional cost of base, electrics, installation, and delivery for better estimation.
Running costs depend on heater power, heat-up time, insulation, weather and your electricity tariff. Most small UK electric saunas use a 4.5-9kW heater, and a rough guide is kWh used multiplied by about 28p. That gives around £1.75-£2 for a typical session. Wood-fired saunas use about £2-£4 of dry logs. If budget is tight, then you should go for infrared outdoor saunas that have much lower running costs of around £0.35–£0.60 per session. Please check the latest electricity prices for getting truer estimate of running costs.
Yes, usually they are at similar capacity because barrels heat up quickly and hold temperature efficiently compared with cabin-style saunas, so they have lesser running costs. But cabins have more usable room space with thicker walls so many families pay extra for extra space.
It depends on which outdoor sauna you are using. If you have an infrared sauna, then mostly, infrared cabins are under 3kW and can be plugged in 13-amp socket that supplies about 3kW. But traditional electric outdoor saunas have heaters that draw 4.5-9kW that is higher than 3kW supplied by 13-amp socket. These saunas need dedicated circuit with outdoor-rated cabling and weatherproof connections fitted by a qualified electrician. A 9kW heater typically needs three-phase while wood-fired needs no power.
Electric saunas can be easily switched on and heat in 30 to 45 minutes but you need power supply. Wood-fired sauna offers authentic heat with no electricity but needs a chimney, dry seasoned logs and a Defra-exempt stove. Purchase decision depends on the power access and convenience.
Outdoor saunas are of many types. Your electric barrel sauna will typically reach 90°C in 30-60 minutes, and cubes take 30 minutes to an hour. Wood-fired saunas take longer and their heat up time depend on stove and wood. Cold weather affects heat-up in uninsulated barrels. Smaller sauna rooms and correctly sized heaters heat faster.
Outdoor saunas are specifically designed for the year round use and withstand the harsh British rainy and frosty winters. But expect slower heat-up in freezing weather, particularly in uninsulated barrels, and consider an insulated cabin for steadier heat.
A well-built outdoor sauna can last 15-30 years, with pods typically lasting 15-20 years. Heat-treated timber models usually last 20-30 years or more with care. The lifespan also depends on the quality of care and timber quality. If you want to extend the sauna's life then have a dry leveled base with good ventilation and regular exterior treatment.
Leave the door open to dry the cabin after use and wipe benches. Treat the exterior with breathable wood oil every year. Do it twice if the usage is high. Never paint, stain or oil the interior as high heat can release harmful substances.
At often, yes, they are covered. Your home insurance may cover a permanently installed sauna, but portable saunas and sauna tents may not be covered. Please check your policy and tell your insurer before installation to make sure your sauna is protected.
Reviews
4.8
Based on [N] reviews
Sarah M.
Verified buyer · Bath
“Exactly what we hoped for. The team talked us out of a bigger model that wouldn't have suited our garden.”
James T.
Verified buyer · Leeds
“Delivery was smooth and the installers were tidy. We use it most evenings now, even in the rain.”
Priya K.
Verified buyer · Surrey
“Beautifully made. The glass front makes the garden feel part of it. Advice was calm and honest.”
Sample reviews shown as placeholders.
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