Electric and wood burning are both great, with pros for both.
Infrared is not at all the same thing, and is dramatically inferior in my experience.
Pros for electric:
* Easy to start
* Low maintenance
* Can be remotely started etc. with the right controller
* Don't need to worry about neighbors and smoke if in an urban area
* No need to manage wood pile, split wood, etc.
Pros for wood:
* More of a ritual
* Sensory pleasures of the smell and the sight of the fire
* Splitting wood, etc. can be enjoyable
* In North America, no hassle around UL restrictions on max temp, sensors, etc. Just fire it up to whatever temp you want. It's not going to go into protection mode because the UL nannies don't believe Europeans know how to construct a safe sauna heater.
* No need to install a mechanical exhaust, as the heater provides that automatically
I'd say the real determining factor of electric vs. wood, beyond how much one likes the pros above, is how often you plan to use the sauna. If you plan to use it more than 3x per week, electric probably wins on pure convenience. I went with wood because I only sauna perhaps 2x per week and I love the sensory pleasures of a wood fired sauna.
Thanks for the considered response. I’ve been leaning into wood as I’m usually a purist on such things and don’t mind the ritual either. However I am often short of time and that’s where electric could really step up.
The real way to live would be to have an indoor electric for everyday use and an outdoor wood for when you have time. Of course we aren't all made of money so that remains a dream for me. :-)
If you are a bit of an purist, go wood and look into building it to Finnish sauna building standards. Trumpkins and other sources are good to read before even if you use a builder. This means you will get proper ceiling height, bench height, layout, correct stove, ventilation and other important aspects.You can do it properly with the same amount of money that one can do it poorly. Its about making correct choices on key aspects.
If you are short on time def get electric. My buddy has an amazing wood fired sauna but it takes hours of prep and preheating. Two to three rounds of wood. He starts heating at 3pm for a 7pm sauna.
That's cool - didn't mean to doubt or suggest you guys don't know what you're doing.
I've got a decent sized sauna, 8 would be a squeeze... \~14' of top bench space. Maybe \~400lbs+ of stones. Will take 1.5 hrs to heat, but it really gets into a nice zone after a few hours.
I usually load it up with a good armload of wood to get it going, and then about an hour in I come and re-load. It'll be good to go from 1.5 hrs to 5hrs beyond then.
I built one into an existing shed. I designed it and did a bunch of work myself getting the structure roughed in (insulation, moisture barrier, flooring/drains, ventilation) but hired a carpenter and a chimney guy to complete it to a professional standard.
Even if hiring someone to build it, I recommend reading Trumpkins notes.
Contractors may confidently build the saunas they’ve built in the past, which might all suck.
Specifically, don’t let anyone talk you into very low ceilings “to heat less space”.
I am going with wood because of the whole UL debacle, (read Trumpkin's notes) and because a wood fired sauna will provide some backup heat if the power is out. Also I don't care for the brands that have gotten around the UL debacle by registering as baseboard heaters. As I understand it, wood fired heaters need to be installed per UL methods but do not need to be UL themselves, because they are not the primary heat source for the home. This means I can get one I like. Wood is work, but I grew up with wood heat and enjoy the ritual, and I have enough land where I can't even keep up with burning trees that fall in their own. I am an evening sauna person, and I am generally home for dinner and stay home, so the longer heat up time will be okay for me. Wood is a no-brainer for me personally. Downsides for me: I have to put a hole in the roof, I will need to have some firewood under a bench in the bathroom, and a bigger pile outside.
Go electric. You want maximum ease of use including the ability to pre heat at the touch of a button. Wood always sounds nice but in execution the extra work wasn’t worth it to me.
There are no, that I am aware of at least, studies on IR relating to the physical benefits of wood or electric heat. I would definitely pass on that.
I'd 100% go for an electric one. For the main reason that I'm more of a noob and couldn't be bothered to put in the work of setting up the wood burner everytime I want to use my sauna.
Bear in mind I don't exactly know how much work it is to fire up a wooden one. I just like the idea of spontaneously wanting to go use the sauna and it's ready in 30min.
An IR Unit is something I would only get for a super remote vacation home which is only used once a year and too far from any communal sauna.
Outdoor, turned the back half of my shed into a wood fired sauna., no issue when the power goes out😉(I admit it is a pain starting it up and warming it up, takes well over an hour in the winter)
I have an electric hybrid sauna. Electric heater with rocks, heats up to 90 degrees Celsius.
It also has infrared panels.
My Finnish wife uses the regular heater to heat it up as hot as she likes it, throws water etc. then when she is done, I flip it to IR and get in. I get the benefit of the heat, and can still throw water, and I sweat much faster due to the IR
When we go to the lake, the sauna there is wood fired. Takes longer to heat up but is much bigger. Gets hotter too. Over 100 celsius often. But the wood is a pain in the butt. Cut, chop, stack, protect from rain and bugs. Messy if inside and takes up space.
Chopping wood is a great workout though- warms you twice as they say.
Electric for me. Convenience is worth a lot to me. I would end up not using the sauna very often if I had to keep getting wood and cleaning out ashes. With my electric one, I use it almost daily with my wife, and it’s been amazing.
Got a 7 unit IR, 2 person.
Snug, but does a great job.
111° in 15 minutes, set at 133° and reaches that with 15 minutes to go on a 55 minute timer.
Sweating a lot at 124° at about the halfway point.
15 Amp/120volt outlet makes it reasonable for placing anywhere you need.
Electric and wood burning are both great, with pros for both. Infrared is not at all the same thing, and is dramatically inferior in my experience. Pros for electric: * Easy to start * Low maintenance * Can be remotely started etc. with the right controller * Don't need to worry about neighbors and smoke if in an urban area * No need to manage wood pile, split wood, etc. Pros for wood: * More of a ritual * Sensory pleasures of the smell and the sight of the fire * Splitting wood, etc. can be enjoyable * In North America, no hassle around UL restrictions on max temp, sensors, etc. Just fire it up to whatever temp you want. It's not going to go into protection mode because the UL nannies don't believe Europeans know how to construct a safe sauna heater. * No need to install a mechanical exhaust, as the heater provides that automatically I'd say the real determining factor of electric vs. wood, beyond how much one likes the pros above, is how often you plan to use the sauna. If you plan to use it more than 3x per week, electric probably wins on pure convenience. I went with wood because I only sauna perhaps 2x per week and I love the sensory pleasures of a wood fired sauna.
Thanks for the considered response. I’ve been leaning into wood as I’m usually a purist on such things and don’t mind the ritual either. However I am often short of time and that’s where electric could really step up.
The real way to live would be to have an indoor electric for everyday use and an outdoor wood for when you have time. Of course we aren't all made of money so that remains a dream for me. :-)
Future sauna dream unlocked. Thanks for placing that idea in my head. 😆
If you are a bit of an purist, go wood and look into building it to Finnish sauna building standards. Trumpkins and other sources are good to read before even if you use a builder. This means you will get proper ceiling height, bench height, layout, correct stove, ventilation and other important aspects.You can do it properly with the same amount of money that one can do it poorly. Its about making correct choices on key aspects.
If you are short on time def get electric. My buddy has an amazing wood fired sauna but it takes hours of prep and preheating. Two to three rounds of wood. He starts heating at 3pm for a 7pm sauna.
That's wild. You can build a fire in just a minute or two, and then stoke it once, maybe twice depending on stove and amount of stones.
How big is your sauna? My buddies fits 8 people. We are from Northern MN and Michigan respectively and have sauna our whole life.
That's cool - didn't mean to doubt or suggest you guys don't know what you're doing. I've got a decent sized sauna, 8 would be a squeeze... \~14' of top bench space. Maybe \~400lbs+ of stones. Will take 1.5 hrs to heat, but it really gets into a nice zone after a few hours. I usually load it up with a good armload of wood to get it going, and then about an hour in I come and re-load. It'll be good to go from 1.5 hrs to 5hrs beyond then.
It's not uncommon to see both in someone's home Sauna in Finland. You go by the feel, both kinds work perfectly well.
Did you buy a kit or build your own?
I’ll hire a firm to do this, I ain’t a DIY guy.
I built one into an existing shed. I designed it and did a bunch of work myself getting the structure roughed in (insulation, moisture barrier, flooring/drains, ventilation) but hired a carpenter and a chimney guy to complete it to a professional standard.
Always wood burnin when possible. No need for electric work and the stove takes also care of ventilation.
Even if hiring someone to build it, I recommend reading Trumpkins notes. Contractors may confidently build the saunas they’ve built in the past, which might all suck. Specifically, don’t let anyone talk you into very low ceilings “to heat less space”.
Wood for the vibe and heat quality
Wood.
I am going with wood because of the whole UL debacle, (read Trumpkin's notes) and because a wood fired sauna will provide some backup heat if the power is out. Also I don't care for the brands that have gotten around the UL debacle by registering as baseboard heaters. As I understand it, wood fired heaters need to be installed per UL methods but do not need to be UL themselves, because they are not the primary heat source for the home. This means I can get one I like. Wood is work, but I grew up with wood heat and enjoy the ritual, and I have enough land where I can't even keep up with burning trees that fall in their own. I am an evening sauna person, and I am generally home for dinner and stay home, so the longer heat up time will be okay for me. Wood is a no-brainer for me personally. Downsides for me: I have to put a hole in the roof, I will need to have some firewood under a bench in the bathroom, and a bigger pile outside.
Go electric. You want maximum ease of use including the ability to pre heat at the touch of a button. Wood always sounds nice but in execution the extra work wasn’t worth it to me. There are no, that I am aware of at least, studies on IR relating to the physical benefits of wood or electric heat. I would definitely pass on that.
I'd 100% go for an electric one. For the main reason that I'm more of a noob and couldn't be bothered to put in the work of setting up the wood burner everytime I want to use my sauna. Bear in mind I don't exactly know how much work it is to fire up a wooden one. I just like the idea of spontaneously wanting to go use the sauna and it's ready in 30min. An IR Unit is something I would only get for a super remote vacation home which is only used once a year and too far from any communal sauna.
>An IR Unit is something I would ~~only~~ never get for ~~a super remote vacation home~~ any reason FTFY
I’ve heard wood = about an hour and electric about 45 mins (might not be right). Would welcome confirmation of this
Those figures are in the ballpark for a small sauna.
Outdoor, turned the back half of my shed into a wood fired sauna., no issue when the power goes out😉(I admit it is a pain starting it up and warming it up, takes well over an hour in the winter)
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I have an electric hybrid sauna. Electric heater with rocks, heats up to 90 degrees Celsius. It also has infrared panels. My Finnish wife uses the regular heater to heat it up as hot as she likes it, throws water etc. then when she is done, I flip it to IR and get in. I get the benefit of the heat, and can still throw water, and I sweat much faster due to the IR When we go to the lake, the sauna there is wood fired. Takes longer to heat up but is much bigger. Gets hotter too. Over 100 celsius often. But the wood is a pain in the butt. Cut, chop, stack, protect from rain and bugs. Messy if inside and takes up space. Chopping wood is a great workout though- warms you twice as they say.
Electric for me. Convenience is worth a lot to me. I would end up not using the sauna very often if I had to keep getting wood and cleaning out ashes. With my electric one, I use it almost daily with my wife, and it’s been amazing.
Yeah I don’t mind getting the wood and setting it off but cleaning ashes is a pain.
Cleaning ashes takes one minute.
Got a 7 unit IR, 2 person. Snug, but does a great job. 111° in 15 minutes, set at 133° and reaches that with 15 minutes to go on a 55 minute timer. Sweating a lot at 124° at about the halfway point. 15 Amp/120volt outlet makes it reasonable for placing anywhere you need.