The Complete Home Sauna Buyer's Guide

It depends on your heat preference, available space, and electrical setup. Traditional saunas offer hotter air and optional steam, infrared offers lower ambient temperatures, and hybrid combines both experiences.

Many saunas do. Requirements vary by model and heater: some smaller infrared units may use 120V, while many traditional and hybrid units need a dedicated 240V circuit. Check the product manual and consult a licensed electrician.

Only if the model is rated for it. Indoor-only saunas are not built for the weather. Some indoor/outdoor models can sit outside under a covered structure such as a patio, but for full exposure to sun, rain, and snow, choose a sauna designed for outdoor use and follow its foundation, clearance, and maintenance guidance.

Far-infrared saunas use far-infrared heaters. Full-spectrum saunas include near, mid, and far infrared wavelengths. Compare the heater layout and specifications of individual models before choosing.

Yes. Keep benches and floors clean and dry, follow the heater's care instructions, and inspect outdoor structures for weather-related wear. Always follow the maintenance instructions for your specific model.

They are interchangeable. Due to the dry heat and lack of humidity, the hot sauna is thought of as a dry sauna when you enter it before any water is sprinkled on the rocks. It becomes a wet sauna the moment steam is produced by pouring water on the rocks creating a humid environment.

Our outdoor saunas are made for the rigors of outdoors and ok to be in all elements including very cold, windy, humid, and hot climates. If left untreated, the wood will eventually turn a gray/silver color from the sun but this will not affect the function of the sauna in any way. If you want to preserve the sauna’s deep, natural color, you should use a clear UV-inhibited stain on the exterior to protect it from the damaging effects of rain and sunlight. Your neighborhood painter might offer assistance with a suitable product. Don’t ever treat the sauna room's interior.

Although Salus Saunas can be utilized in most settings, it is imperative that the surface upon which the sauna is supported be firm and level (a tiny slope for rain run-off is OK). Wood decks, concrete patios, paver stones, pressed gravel, etc. are examples of appropriate surfaces. Do NOT place your barrel or cabin saunas cradles directly on the grass/ground. Please ask a sales representative for assistance with foundation options if unsure.

Traditional sauna heaters require 240 volt and a 30, 40 or 50 amp breaker, and need to be hardwired by a licensed electrician. Infrared saunas require 120 volt with a 15 amp or 20 amp dedicated circuit depending upon the size.

From a maintenance perspective, relatively little work is needed. Occasionally cleaning the sauna’s floor or benches with a water and baking soda solution is recommended. If sweat stains get too bad you can lightly use sandpaper to get rid of them. Not often, but every once in a while for a barrel sauna, you may need to tighten or loosen the bands occasionally due to how much the environment causes the wood to shrink or expand.

It really depends upon your preference. Hotter doesn’t necessarily mean better, some people like it cooler and some people like it extremely hot. It boils down to choice and preference.

This will depend on the heater model. The Harvia KIP heaters get up to a max temp of 190 degrees. The Virta heaters will get to a max temp of 190 and sometimes closer to 200 in the right environment. The Huum heaters can get all the way up to 220 degrees!

Our Infrared saunas operate between approximately 1 micron (the NEAR Infrared part of the Electromagnetic Spectrum) to 12 microns (the FAR Infrared part of the Electromagnetic Spectrum) capturing all three wavelengths. NEAR Infrared falls between .76 - 1.5 microns, MID Infrared falls between 1.5 - 5.6 microns, and FAR Infrared is greater than the 6 microns.

The optimal absorption rate for the human body is 9.4 microns. But because of the fluctuation in electricity, it is not possible to only get exactly 9.4 microns. Therefore, the microns are typically listed in a range, that being 1 micron (the NEAR Infrared part of the Electromagnetic Spectrum) to 12 microns (the FAR Infrared part of the Electromagnetic Spectrum) capturing all three wavelengths.
NEAR Infrared falls between .76 - 1.5 microns, MID Infrared falls between 1.5 - 5.6 microns, and FAR Infrared is greater than 6 microns.

Our saunas are near zero EMF which means they are less than 0.1mG (milligauss) when a few inches away (which is how you would sit in the sauna).
You wouldn't lean right against the heating panels but if you did it would be a reading of 1.1.

Infrared saunas are safe for most healthy adults when used as directed. Start with shorter sessions at a lower temperature, drink plenty of water, and step out if you feel lightheaded, dizzy, or unwell. If you are pregnant, take medication, or have a heart condition, blood pressure issues, or any other medical condition, talk with your doctor before using a sauna. Always consult with your doctor if you have any serious health questions.

When you first begin your sauna session, keep the temperature low. Most people enjoy their infrared sauna between 118 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Most infrared saunas max out at 140-150 degrees. Begin with 15-minute increments and work your way up to 30 minutes. An infrared sauna should never be used for longer than 60 minutes. When you start sweating, you will notice that you sweat even more when you wipe it away with a towel. Listen to your body and exit the sauna if you feel faint, lightheaded, or dizzy.

Salus Saunas infrared sauna warranty is one of the best in the business. We will cover your infrared sauna for 7 years!

Choosing the best infrared sauna is an important decision. Consider the size of the sauna, the number of people it can accommodate, the available space in your home, and any unique features you want. Our product descriptions include thorough information to assist you in making an informed decision. All of our infrared saunas come “fully loaded” with dynamic speakers, Bluetooth and aux hookup, and chromotherapy mood lighting. Most infrared saunas also have a heated floor and exterior/interior touch panel. Our Full Spectrum saunas also come with a built-in pink Himalayan salt bar. All infrared saunas have accessories that can be purchased if desired, such as backrests, aromatherapy cupholders and sauna cushions.

Salus Saunas has a wide range of infrared saunas available with models ranging in size from 1-8 people! We carry both far infrared and full spectrum sauna models. Explore our selection to find the ideal sauna for your space and needs.

We provide expert 1-on-1 video, email, and text support for any installation questions or assistance. Our infrared saunas require assembly, but saunas do not ship fully assembled; most parts are prebuilt. The infrared sauna kits are easy to put together and usually only take 1-2 hours. We do offer simple assembly instructions to make the process as straightforward as possible, as well as available customer service reps to help throughout the whole process.

Infrared saunas require little to no maintenance other than the occasional cleaning. To preserve the longevity of your sauna, it is ideal to quickly wipe down the sauna with a wet cloth after each use if you sweat a lot. For occasional cleaning we suggest a mild solution of water and baking soda. For hard to remove sweat stains, lightly scrubbing with sandpaper will remove these.

Yes! Sweat will not hurt the floor heater however it is suggested to properly clean it if needed.

Unfortunately the infrared saunas are meant for indoors only. Putting them outside will void the warranty. They can go in any room in the house, on any floor surface, and against any wall. All saunas have a built in water proof floor heater so you do not have to worry about it leaking on carpeting for example. All of the electronics are on the roof of the sauna so if you decide to put it outside, you must make sure it is under a covered patio/roof. Please note that since these are meant for indoors, putting it outside will void the warranty and you will be responsible for payment on any replacement part you will need. Depending on the environment, it will also take your infrared longer to heat up if it is outside. We do offer custom canvas covers for your sauna. Please speak to a Salus Saunas representative about this in more detail if you are considering putting your infrared sauna outside.

Ceramic heaters can burn to the touch and carbon heaters do not. In addition, there are no “hot spots” with Carbon heaters, and the heat is evenly distributed throughout the cabin. This gives you a much better and even heating session, allowing the infrared rays to be absorbed more by your body.

We provide expert 1-on-1 video, email, and text support for any installation questions or assistance. Our saunas are kits and most are fairly easy to assemble on your own, some may require extra people and take more time. Generally the larger the sauna is the more people and time are required. 90% of our customers nationwide assemble on their own, some however hire a handyman or contract to do it. Our saunas usually take anywhere from 2 - 10 hours to assemble depending upon size and complexity. Infrared saunas are pretty easy, they sometimes take only 1-2 hours to assemble.

We provide expert 1-on-1 video, email, and text support for any installation questions or assistance. Most of our saunas do not have pre-drilled holes, you will need to screw in yourself with robust screws strong enough to hold the weight of the heater and stones. Make sure you check that your heater is securely fastened to the wall of your traditional sauna, and the screws are long enough to go through the walls and support the weight of heater and stones.

We provide expert 1-on-1 video, email, and text support for any installation questions or assistance. The bands should be tight enough that they shouldn’t move when firmly pulling on them. You should tighten the bolts very firmly, you will hear the wood make crunching noise which is completely normal. You want them very snug, but you do not need to overtighten and strip the bolts. Wood shrinks and expands, you will need to tighten them up periodically if the nuts become loose, usually every 2-6 months. Please just check periodically if the bolts are firmly tightened.

You do not need a lot of space for ventilation for both infrared dry and traditional indoor dry/wet saunas. First there are plenty of ports and crevices for air to get into both types of saunas, and our saunas have built-in ventilation ports that you can open and close if desired. All of our saunas are built extremely well to hold and retain heat and moisture so it won’t escape in the room you have it in.

We provide expert 1-on-1 video, email, and text support for any installation questions or assistance. We do not include assembly as part of the sauna purchase, nor do we have a Salus Saunas representative that can install your sauna. Most customers nationwide assemble their sauna themselves. We provide owners manuals, pics, documents, and assembly videos upon purchasing and we’re always here to help with any questions. We rarely get calls from customers that cannot figure out how to assemble their sauna, but again we are always here to help.

No you cannot use an extension cord to power up either an infrared or traditional sauna. Infrared saunas need to be plugged directly into the appropriate 120V 15 amp or 20 amp receptacle. Traditional saunas do not use a plug, they all require 240 volt and need to be hardwired by a certified electrician. Please reference your owners manual for your particular sauna, and always consult a certified electrician for power requirements of your sauna.

Salus Saunas has many sauna models. Infrared saunas must be indoors and protected from moisture and are not meant to go outdoors.  Our indoor traditional saunas are meant to go indoors only.  Our outdoor barrel, cabin, and luxury saunas are meant to go either indoors or outdoors. Our barrel saunas, for example, are built with quality wood and the ball and socket design of the staves makes for a robust seal and solid structure for outdoor use. Additionally, the thick softwood staves are excellent at retaining the heat of the sauna and the circular barrel shape provides excellent distribution of heat. We also have luxury, cabin, and hybrid options for outdoors.

Generally speaking all saunas are very inexpensive to operate and will not yield an extremely high electric bill each month. Saunas are only on when in use, and off when not being used so you are not drawing power. The cost of using a sauna depends on the type of sauna (infrared saunas are more cost efficient than traditional saunas), how often the sauna is used, the kW of the heater, and the local billing rate per kWh. To get a better general idea, you can access our Sauna Cost Calculator on our website here.

Infrared saunas are meant to go indoors and in a room with an ambient temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. At this temperature it generally takes about 30 minutes to get to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the average temp most people use it at. If you have your infrared sauna in a colder room like a garage or basement, it may take a little longer to heat up. Traditional saunas usually take 45-60 minutes to get to 160 - 180 degrees Fahrenheit, but it will also depend on the inside and outside environment, and the ambient temperature.

Please speak to a Salus Saunas representative to get a more accurate estimate based on your chosen sauna model and heater.

This varies depending on the person, if the sauna is traditional or infrared, as well as how hot the sauna is. Each person should start out with a shorter amount of time, as well as a lower temperature, and then build up from there until they find what works best for them if they are not used to or comfortable with the higher heat. Some individuals spend 10-15 minutes in a sauna at low temps, some spend a few hours in their sauna and go in and out to cool down and heat back up again. It really just depends on the individual and their preference as to how hot and how long.

After using the sauna, most rinse off in a shower or bath but it is up to the individual. Remember to drink enough water to make up for the fluids you lost while using the sauna.

Before using any type of sauna, speak with your doctor if you have a history of serious health issues, especially heart issues or high blood pressure. Always consult with your doctor if you have any serious health questions.

Once your sauna ships, the delivery driver will contact you ahead of time to set up a delivery time and date that works for you. Most of our saunas ship via LTL freight with a few bigger and heavier saunas shipping flatbed. Your sauna will ship in a crate or multiple boxes, packaged safely together on one pallet. The sauna will be delivered using a lift gate truck. The lift gate will drop your palletized sauna to the ground, and the driver will relocate the sauna shipment to your curbside.  If the 30-35 ft LTL freight truck cannot get to your curbside then they will have to make other arrangements with our customers to get their shipment like picking it up at the local terminal or meeting them at the end of the driveway.  There may be an extra shipping charge customers may be responsible for if there are special delivery requirements.

Our goal is simply to help people change their lives, one person at a time, through the power of sauna therapy. That means our focus is on you, not the sale. Our team is highly trained and knowledgeable in health and wellness, as well as the sauna industry. We personally review each of our customer’s goals, lifestyle, and home to help recommend the sauna that will benefit and improve the quality of your life. We realize that a sauna is a significant investment in your health and home; we want you to be 100% comfortable and happy with your purchase.
We make buying and owning a sauna easy. Our price includes everything you need for a safe and enjoyable sauna experience. All of our infrared saunas are world-class, fully loaded, include everything you could want or need with your sauna, and have the best warranty in the sauna industry. Best of all, our saunas are easy to assemble and require no construction, plumbing, or complicated wiring. We’re here for you before, during, and after you purchase your sauna. We strongly believe our products and customer service are superior in every way to what you’ll find anywhere else. Our customer service is world class and the best in the sauna industry. Please feel free to Google Salus Saunas reviews and read our 275+ 5 Star Google Reviews and all our reviews across all mediums.

Salus Saunas provides quick and dependable shipping to ensure your sauna arrives in perfect condition. Shipping times may vary depending on your location and the model purchased. Please see more on our shipping policy here. We want you to be completely satisfied with your purchase so we will do whatever we can to make this a great experience and to make our customers happy.

As a wellness company dedicated to providing our loyal customers with the most convenient, affordable, and accessible way to purchase their dream sauna, we here at Salus Saunas accept FSA cards for any and all sauna purchases. We are not currently set up to accept HSA cards however.

The delivery time varies based on the type of sauna you choose, and you can find the specific delivery times on the sauna product pages along with all the details about its features.

There are many types of wood that are great options for indoor and outdoor saunas.  We offer Rustic Cedar and FIR, Nordic Spruce, Canadian Hemlock, and Thermally modified Nordic spruce are used around the world for all types of saunas.

Thermally modified wood is wood that has been treated with heat to improve its durability and resistance to rot, decay, and insects. The wood is heated to a high temperature, typically between 180 and 220 degrees Celsius, in an oxygen-free environment. This process changes the chemical structure of the wood, making it a better quality wood. The Thermory process also cooks the sugars out of the wood making it more stable, long lasting - it doesn't attract bugs or mold because sugars are gone and it looks better as it ages (more even coloring). Each board is checked with x-ray and the defective ones are discarded. Because of the Thermory process you also don’t have to adjust the metal bands as much because the wood is more stable and doesn't shrink/expand as much as other saunas.

Yes! We have a National program for any and all First Responders and veterans (EMT, Police, Firefighters, Military, Medical Staff, etc.).  We will ask for identification upon ordering your sauna to validate you are a first responder and/or veteran.  Discounts will vary depending upon which model you choose so please ask one of our highly trained Salus Saunas representatives.

We provide expert 1-on-1 video, email, and text support for any installation questions or assistance. We do not have Salus Saunas electricians. You would be required to source your own electrician for sauna heater installation. We have multiple technicians that can advise and support both customers and their electricians over the phone and email for any and all electrical and construction questions that arise. This is part of our service to our Salus Saunas customers for no additional fees.

Yes, our traditional outdoor saunas are world class and will perform in any weather condition. We have customers in most cities and all states nationally, including the colder climates with sub degree temps and hotter humid climates and our saunas will perform.

Yes, Salus Saunas is excited to announce that we are now shipping to Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico! This means that Salus Saunas customers can enjoy their products in the comfort of their own home without having to go to their local gym, spa, or health club.

Yes! We have both Harvia and Huum heaters that have digital control panels and WIFI capability with an App you can download on your cell phone. Now you can have the convenience of starting your sauna from your phone wherever you are!

No! We do not use anything toxic in any of our saunas including toxic glues.

We have been in business since 2013. We are one of the largest and most well respected saunas companies in the USA. Our reputation is flawless across all mediums, and we are highly regarded as one of the best sauna companies in North America.

We have your sauna order on file so there is no need to “activate” or mail in the warranty card. You can if you choose, however, we will always honor your warranty for as long as it applies from your date of purchase!

We do not recommend you bring any of these into your sauna because of the heat, sweat, and moisture.

We promise that you will be completely satisfied with our product and the entire buying and consulting process. We are 100% confident you will not want to ever return your sauna.  However there are a very few that may need extra support, we will work with you to make sure you are happy with everything!

You will have multiple support channels of service when you purchase a sauna from us. When you purchase a sauna you get all contact info, for each of these resources below. You have many support options and you’re covered under warranty for any issues with your sauna.

1. Your Sales Person

2. Salus Saunas staff

3. Our national warranty/service team. 

4. Our national technical support team

5. Multiple other channels that are here to support our customers and anything they need

Yes! We offer financing through both Affirm and Synchrony. Please ask your customer service rep to go over these with you in detail if you are considering financing as an option.

Domestic LTL freight delivery is included with your purchase. Shipments outside the continental USA states like Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico will have an additional ocean freight amount due that the customer is responsible for paying directly. Larger sauna shipments that require a flatbed truck may incur an additional fee. Please consult one of our highly trained Salus Saunas representatives about any of these shipping options.

It is true, bigger is always better if you have the space and budget for the stretch out room.

Yes! We often have sales and specials. Especially around holidays and special events. Please reach out to a sales representative to ask about our current specials!

An all glass door would only make a difference in heat loss if the sauna was going outside in a cold and or snowy climate. Then we would recommend an all-wood door or half-wood/half-glass door. If the sauna is going indoors or even a garage or basement, an all glass door would be fine and next to no heat loss would occur.

No, but our saunas do not need additional insulation.  Our saunas are all world class and will perform and do not need additional insulation.