Let's face it. We could all use a little relaxation time these days. Nothing sounds more enticing during these stressful times than stepping into a steamy space for a stress-reducing relaxation sauna session after a long day. Plus, the high temperature and humidity level inside a sauna experience offers countless health benefits, including detoxification, increased circulation, anti-aging, pain reduction, and improved immune function.
Whether you're looking for a family-sized outdoor sauna or a single-person indoor unit, there's something on the home spa sauna market for everyone. To help you create the perfect spa experience at home, we've rounded up the best barrel saunas of 2021.
What to Consider Before Buying a Barrel Sauna
When selecting the best barrel sauna for your home, there are few things you'll need to consider:
- Price— While a home sauna is a bit of an investment, it's certainly a worthwhile one. It's worth saving up and treating yourself to a high-quality sauna unit that you can enjoy for many years to come.
- Cubic feet— How many people will be using the spa? Barrel saunas come in all different sizes, shapes, and styles, so measure your space to determine what size it can safely and comfortably accommodate.
- Type of Lumber— Look for barrel saunas made from high-quality handcrafted wood because they will last longer. Different types of lumber will also offer their pros and cons. For example, Cedar barrel saunas offer additional health benefits thanks to naturally-occurring anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties.
- Type of Heater— Saunas can be heated by gas, infrared, wood-burning stove, or electric. Each style has unique pros and cons, so consider safety, electricity costs, heat circulation efficiency, and energy usage when deciding between the saunas.
- Indoor or outdoor— If you are considering purchasing an outdoor barrel sauna, you definitely want to invest in a high-quality sauna because it will be exposed to your element. Especially if you live in an area that has extreme weather.
The Best Barrel Saunas for Your Home Spa
ALEKO 7-Person Pine Sauna
Most Modern Design Barrel Sauna
ALEKO Products has been handcrafting luxury saunas for the past 16 years. They offer a wide variety of different sauna styles and sizes at an affordable price without sacrificing quality or craftsmanship. Aleko’s luxurious 7-Person Pine Electric Heater Sauna is one of the company’s best. Its uniquely designed glass dome wall opens the space and gives spa-goers a view of the surrounding scenery.
Its spacious outdoor barrel design is made from superior pine wood and a tempered glass door that withstands temperature changes during use. Inside you’ll find a single-level wooden bench for relaxing, a thermometer/hydrometer, and a heat-resistant anti-explosive lamp. The sauna unit is heated by an ETL-approved 9-kW electrical heater with a touchscreen control panel that allows for easy temperature adjustment. To boost the spa’s temperature and humidity, use the wooden water bucket and scoop included with the kit to add water to the 44 lbs of sauna stones.
With over 40 years of experience handcrafting home spas, Almost Heaven Saunas offers some of the best barrel saunas on the market. Each and every Almost Heaven sauna, including this 4-Person Audra Canopy Barrel Sauna, is made exclusively from solid, sturdy lumber.
Its barrel-shaped exterior, door, and benches are crafted from 1 ⅜ in. thick ball-and-socket cedar lumber held in place using stainless steel hardware. The canopied front exterior features two opposite-facing benches and a door with a tempered glass window. It’s heated by a dial-controlled 4.5kW KIP electric heater and 40 lbs of sauna stones that can reach 195°F in under an hour.
Thanks to two interior opposite-facing benches, the Almost Heaven Audra Barrel Sauna comfortably seats four people. To ensure the perfect sauna experience, the barrel shaped sauna comes with a 5-piece cedar accessory kit that consists of a backrest, leg lift, drink shelf, magazine rack, and robe hook. With this barrel design cedar sauna, you’ll want to kick your feet up and enjoy a little me-time all the time!
Best Large Outdoor Barrel Sauna
Aleko’s White Pine Barrel Sauna’s spacious interior offers enough room for eight spa-goers to relax and soak in the spa’s health benefits. Its barrel shape circulates hot air down the curved walls, creating even heat distribution throughout the sauna. The 240-Volt sauna heater has a range of 158-194°F and can be used wet or dry style. It’s easy to adjust using the touchscreen panel and comes equipped with an automatic shut-off timer that ensures a safe spa experience.
Its round exterior, canopied front entrance, and exterior benches are crafted from white pine wood. Users can relax inside on the two opposite-facing benches and enjoy a peek outside through the tempered glass door and front windows. The home spa kit includes a traditional sauna bucket, wooden water scoop, sand timer, sauna lamp, and 35 lbs of sauna stones.
This traditional barrel-style outdoor sauna from MCP Sauna is carved from solid Grade-A Canadian Pine that offers numerous health benefits itself. Up to four spa-goers can relax on the two interior benches and enjoy the warmth of the 9-kW electric heater while they gaze out the tempered glass front door. The unit comes complete with support feet, metal bands and clamps, a thermometer/hydrometer, and a pine bucket and ladle that can be used to create a wet spa experience.
The aptly-named Pinnacle Barrel Sauna from Almost Heaven Saunas is one of the best 4-person barrel saunas on the market. Hand-crafted in the USA using high-quality cedar, it’s practical, durable, and suitable for both indoor and outdoor usage.
Inside the Pinnacle sauna, you’ll find two facing benches perfect for sitting or reclining while you enjoy the warmth of a 6.0kW electric Harvia heater and 40 lbs of sauna stones. A 110-Volt LED light creates a soft relaxing glow. The sauna kit comes complete with a 5-piece cedar accessory kit that includes a backrest, leg lift, robe hook, drink shelf, and magazine rack.
Most Budget Friendly Barrel Sauna
The barrel shape of Aleko’s White Pine Outdoor Sauna is stylish, functional, and effective. The rounded design provides maximum usable space inside while creating a fast-heating environment with even heat distribution. Inside, users can relax on two opposite-facing benches and enjoy an authentic spa experience thanks to the tinted glass door with self-closing hinges.
The sturdy backyard outdoor barrel is constructed from 1 ⅜ in. thick Finnish white pine wood and stainless steel bands, hinge, and other components. It’s heated by an ETL-approved 4.5-kW electric heater that is suitable for both wet and dry style use. The sauna kit comes complete with a wooden bucket and ladle, thermometer/hydrometer, interior lamp holder, heater fence, and 44 lbs of sauna stones.
RebirthPro Luxury Cedar Barrel 1-Person Sauna
Best Personal Barrel Sauna
Searching for the perfect single-person barrel sauna? Look no further than this Luxury Cedar Barrel Sauna from RebirthPro. While shared saunas at gyms and bathhouses are filled with other people’s sweat and germs, this single-person unit prevents cross-contamination. Its compact size is ideal for creating a personalized spa experience from the comfort of your own home. Not to mention, the sauna will heat more quickly and efficiently than larger barrel saunas.
Despite its small size, Rebirth Pro’s Luxury Cedar Barrel provides a spacious interior that’s larger than most other single-person saunas. Its rounded exterior, front door, and interior bench are made from authentic cedar wood that offers natural anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties. A 110-Volt stainless steel steam generator quickly heats the unit to a maximum temperature of 135°F.
Almost Heaven’s Princeton Barrel Sauna is crafted in the USA using superior cedar wood that can handle high temperatures and steamy sauna sessions. It’s heated by a dial-controlled 8.0-kW KIP electric sauna heater and 40 lbs of sauna stones that can heat up to 195°F in under an hour.
Inside, two opposite-facing benches offer a place to recline while you soak in the spa’s relaxing atmosphere and numerous health benefits. A heater guard and 110-Volt interior LED light ensures a safe and comfortable experience while you relax inside. The unit also includes a 5-piece cedar accessory kit that includes a backrest, leg lift, drink shelf, magazine rack, and robe hook.
If you’re searching for a practical, durable home sauna that will last for years and years to come, look no further than the Finland Pine Barrel Sauna from Aleko. It’s crafted from solid, 1 ⅜ in. thick white Finland pine, stainless steel hardware, a thick tempered glass door, and Bitumen roofing that protects your outdoor barrel sauna from rain and UV damage.
The two opposite-facing benches inside offer enough room for four spa-goers to enjoy a steam session, and the outside porch seats provide somewhere to sit while you cool off after. It comes complete with a wooden bucket and ladle, interior lamp holder, heater fence, thermometer/hydrometer, and 44 lbs of sauna stones.
Most Stylish Barrel Sauna
The Oval Outdoor Sauna from BZB Cabins is a stylish, sophisticated take on a classic barrel sauna. The contemporary ovular design provides a spacious interior sauna room with increased headroom, and the tempered glass windows offer a look at the scenery. Thanks to two-level interior seating, it comfortably holds six to eight spa-goers at a time. It’s constructed in Europe from 1 ⅝ in. thick Nordic spruce wood. Shoppers can choose from two heater styles: an 8-kW Finlandia FLB80 electric or wood Harvia M3.
