Outdoor Saunas

Every Leisurecraft sauna is built to order, which is part of its appeal. The Dundalk and Pure Cube Collections offer an extensive range of choices. We show many of these on the Backyard America website, but a phone conversation lets us walk you through additional options that may not appear online.

After you choose your sauna, heater and desired options, we’ll collect a deposit to reserve the order. Delivery to your home anywhere in America generally follows in 4-16 weeks.

The distinction matters. Canadian Red Cedar is a preferred wood for sauna construction, so logs are exported to Asia and often turned into saunas there. We’ve tested these products at Backyard America and frequently found components below standard. Examples include doors too flimsy to hold heat, straps on barrels that buckle as they’re tightened, and other shortcomings that reduce their appeal for long-term use.

For these saunas, North American made means construction takes place in North America using Canadian materials. They’re built with lasting performance in mind and carry a 5-year warranty.

Yes! A wood-burning sauna heater is an option for most models. The exceptions are saunas without enough room to accommodate these large heaters. Before choosing wood heat, check the requirements for a wood-heated sauna with your local municipality.

Our usual recommendation is electric because we think the convenience encourages more frequent use. Some heaters we offer even let you start them through a phone app, whether you’re at the office or riding a ski lift. We tend to suggest wood heat when 240 volt electrical service is a long distance away. A cabin sauna is another setting where wood can make sense, especially when building a fire fits naturally into the day’s activities.

Usually, yes. We’re not aware of a 120-volt electric sauna heater that can bring a sauna to 170°F (76°C) or higher, the heat needed for proper sauna use. Wood-burning heaters offer an alternative, and a few heaters fueled by natural gas or propane are now available as well.

They are available, and we’re evaluating a few brands as of this writing. Call us to discuss the options we currently have access to if you don’t find them on the website. Electric cars and other equipment are pushing many homes toward their electrical limits. For that reason, we think this newer approach to heating saunas will become a primary choice in the future.

A home typically has 100 amp service, while many hot tubs need 50 amps or 60 amps. That can make adding an electric sauna difficult. In most situations, a “Load Miser Energy Controller” makes it possible by managing which equipment receives electricity when the maximum load is reached. It gives priority to certain items over less essential ones. Expect this equipment to add $2,000+ to the electrical installation, and consult an electrician about whether your home needs it. In our experience, many customers only buy this addition when their municipality requires it.

Native to Eastern Canada, white cedar shares many of red cedar’s qualities for resisting mold and rot. It doesn’t, however, have the lovely red cedar scent that many sauna users anticipate. We’ve observed that untreated white cedar develops a lighter weathered color than red cedar does. White cedar is also the wood used for the Canadian Timber Collection.

Transporting a fully assembled sauna costs a great deal and is generally hard on the sauna itself. Placing it in your yard also requires a crane. Typically, hiring that crane costs 3 times as much as paying a carpenter to assemble the sauna from a kit.

Assembly time varies by model, but 8-14 hours is typical for most saunas. Barrels and Pure Cubes are generally the easiest builds. Lunas and models in the Pure Cube Black Collection present the greatest challenge. To guide you through assembly, we supply detailed written instructions, videos and support by phone.

Because saunas weigh considerably less than hot tubs, many level surfaces can serve as a base. Decks and rooftop terraces are common choices. For a yard installation, an affordable, effective option is a rectangular frame of 4x4s filled with compacted, level road crush. A poured concrete pad also works well; be sure your contractor makes the surface level. When a sloping site makes installation difficult, we often recommend a barrel sauna. These models require support only beneath the cradle feet, which can make them a good choice for challenging grades.

Severe winter weather suits cedar’s strengths. The wood offers exceptionally strong resistance to moisture and shifts in temperature. Compared with other woods, cedar expands and contracts less as temperatures change, making cedar saunas well suited to even North America’s harshest climates.

Preferences vary from person to person. The Nordic approach appeals to some: spend 15-20 minutes in the heat, cool down, then rest. Others choose one extended session, lasting up to 30 minutes or, for some, longer. Feeling a rush upon first entering a sauna is fairly common. Keeping hydrated both during sauna use and afterward is recommended.

Planning an outdoor sauna purchase starts with understanding the price range. Your choice of construction materials and design, the warranty provided and the place of manufacture all affect the cost. The outdoor saunas we list run from $5,957 to about $19,000 before options, ThermaSol designer cabins start around $30,000, and a particularly premium sauna can cost over $50,000. See the price guide above for current examples.

An outdoor sauna lets you spend time surrounded by nature while supporting your health. Research suggests sauna use may increase calorie burning and may help ease anxiety and stress, support better sleep and strengthen the immune system. Many users also enjoy alternating sauna heat with something cold. That might mean stepping into the outdoor air, taking a dip in a lake or cooling off with a shower from the hose.

We do! Call us to talk through the choices. An indoor model of the Pure Cube collection is available at a somewhat lower price, and the cabin saunas have sleek indoor versions with flat roofs. If the barrel style appeals to you, those saunas work well indoors as well. For a lower-temperature option, see our infrared saunas, or browse all saunas.

First, think about how many people you want to seat. The smallest outdoor saunas accommodate 2 people, with dimensions such as 5′ x 5′ or 6′ x 4′. Larger models offer more space, and designs with porches or changing rooms can reach 12′ in length. The footprints we see most often are 7’x8′ and 5′ x 7′. Tell us the dimensions of your available area, and we’ll help match you with a suitable sauna.