Buying a Barrel Sauna: The Essentials at a Glance

If you read only one text before buying, make it this one. Everything here is covered in detail in its own article; this page has only the conclusions.

Size

Plan for the number of people who will use the sauna most often, not for guests once a year. That one decision affects the purchase price, the heat-up time and the cost of every session.

A 2 m barrel sauna: two people comfortably, lying down is not possible, heats up fastest.

A 3 m barrel sauna: four people sitting, one can lie down. The safest choice if you are unsure.

With a changing room: if the sauna is to run in winter and you want a dry place for clothes and wood.

Large models for six people or more: only worth it with a lot of real users.

Stove

No electricity at the spot: wood, no discussion.

Sauna close to the house, used on weeknights after work: electric with a controller and timer. That one function decides whether the sauna runs twice a week or twice a month.

Dense housing and close neighbours: electric, to avoid years of argument about smoke.

Output: about 1 kW per cubic metre of interior volume, with a reserve for lots of glass and hard winters.

Wood

Walls: spruce, 44 mm thick. A thinner wall heats faster but cools just as fast, and in winter the difference is very clear.

Benches and backrests: alder or aspen are the most pleasant. Spruce works, but should be knot-free and sanded smooth, as knots get especially hot at 90 °C.

Base

No foundation needed: paving, slabs or compacted gravel with slabs on top.

Level in both directions and dry. Water should run away from the sauna, not underneath it.

Never on grass. The sauna settles crooked and the door stops closing.

Leave one metre free on the door side and 40–50 cm on the other sides.

Rules and permissions

Small garden saunas often do not need planning permission, but whether yours does depends on its size, its position and the rules in your area. Check with your local council before you order, ideally in writing.

A poured concrete foundation and fixed connections make matters more complicated.

With a wood stove, have a qualified chimney sweep or stove installer involved.

On an allotment, the site rules decide. Ask the committee or landlord before ordering, especially about the wood stove.

Costs

Purchase price: our kits start from 2 690 €, with delivery included. Prices include 23% Irish VAT. Optional assembly by our crew is available from 1 390 €.

A single session: little with bought wood, almost nothing with your own wood, a bit more with an electric stove, depending on your electricity price.

Upkeep: treat the outside once a year, clean the chimney once a year, seal and stones every few seasons.

Timing

Order between May and August, when lead times are shortest.

In autumn the queue is longest, because everyone wants the sauna for winter.

Ask for a firm date, not for “how long it normally takes”. As a guide, a kit is made in 4–6 weeks and delivered in about a week.

Three things not to economise on

Good benches: alder or aspen, or at least knot-free, smooth-sanded spruce. Otherwise hot spots burn your skin.

Stove output with a reserve for winter. Otherwise the sauna fails in its own season.

Preparing the base. The only mistake that cannot be put right cheaply.