Backyard barrel / cube sauna?

[3forks]

Amigos - do any of you have any experience or an opinion on a backyard barrel / cube sauna?

My wife is hellbent on us potentially getting one.

I know, I know… The novelty will quickly wear off and she’ll never use it (I agree and mentioned this to her numerous times), but saunas are pretty much standard on homes in the part of the country she comes from and she‘s insistent.

Anyway, she doesn’t complain about my dirt bikes, boats, firearms, etc. that often sit idle and the upside for me is that hopefully some of my wife’s bombshell yoga buddies will be dropping by to use it; so I’m not going to veto the sauna.

We don’t have the space for anything too large, and I’ve heard barrel saunas are pretty marginal, but would be interested in any feedback any of you may have.

 

[Southern Heritage]

This doesn’t help you on the barrel but I have a el cheapo sauna tent on Amazon. It’s fantastic. I use it all the time and will be getting one like a barrel sooner than later. i will say I love it. My wife feels like crap after she gets in it. So she doesnt Use it near as much. She also feels the same way after being in the sun for long periods of time.

 

[RojoGrande]

Got this one from Costco about 5 years ago.

https://www.costco.com/almost-heaven-saunas-morgan-4-person-barrel-steam-sauna.product.100481876.html

Wife and I use it regularly in all seasons and have been pleased. We are in the mountains at 9k ft. It heats well even in very cold temps. You will have to run a separate 220 circuit for it but no different than a hot tub. Pretty easy to set up. We have it under a covered deck. It won't be water tight unless you use a silicone caulk during assembly.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

Is your wife from the UP? Have you considered building one? You can get the heating units online pretty cheap, $400 or a bit more.

 

[idahomuleys]

I just built one in my garage. Haven't heard many good things about barrel saunas. I disagree on finding a heater for $400 unless the sauna is for 1 person.
There is a reddit subgroup r/sauna that has a ton of great information if you were wanting to build one yourself.
If i were to do one outdoors i would build a shed like structure with some modifications.

Sent from my SM-G981V using Tapatalk

 

[3forks]

Is your wife from the UP? Have you considered building one? You can get the heating units online pretty cheap, $400 or a bit more.

Yes, she‘s from the UP.

I like the kit idea some manufacturers are offering because it seems simple and quick, but building a sauna seems like it would be worth the additional effort to ensure you‘re getting what you want.

That being said, I don’t want to get wrapped around the axel trying to get one built.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

My wife went to MI Tech and one of my best friends is from Ishpeming. I guess many folks had them up there. And evidently the proper pronunciation of the word is sow-na, not saw-na. A buddy of mine and his dad built one at there deer shack in northern WI and powered it with a wood stove fueled from the outside. We had that thing near 200 degrees at times. Of course, they burned it down a couple times too.

 

[bpietila]

Of course, they burned it down a couple times too.

You are not doing it right unless you burn the sauna down a coppla times.

 

[jbosk15808]

My wife went to MI Tech and one of my best friends is from Ishpeming. I guess many folks had them up there. And evidently the proper pronunciation of the word is sow-na, not saw-na. A buddy of mine and his dad built one at there deer shack in northern WI and powered it with a wood stove fueled from the outside. We had that thing near 200 degrees at times. Of course, they burned it down a couple times too.

Not sure all colleges have saunas in the gym, but we used ours at MI Tech almost every day. Made the walk back home a little easier. Also my family is from the Ishpeming/Marquette area and they have saunas rooms built in with the house lol I thought it was coolest thing when I visited the UP

 

[Devink]

I was just looking at the Costco barrel. Just not sold and I'd hate to put it together than have to return it

 

[bozeman]

Looked at them and then joined the YMCA as it has a sauna room. I can pay membership for 15 years for the price of a well built sauna, but I can definitely tell the difference in the weeks I do go (3x/week) and when I do not..........

 

[Rich M]

my wife has a 4x4 cedar IR sauna - uses it infrequently. ah, nothing like baking at 165 degrees for 30 minutes...

 

[Pacific_Fork]

Subscribed. I want to build one soon, the benefits and feeling after sitting in 180 for 20 mins then a cold shower is amazing.

 

[JackOfAllTrades]

If your wife is from the UP, a sauna is not just a novelty that will wear off. It will get used for the rest of time. Every home that I know of up there has a minimum of 1 sauna, sometimes 2.
My recommendation is to build one in the back yard on skids so that it could be hauled away someday, or build it on a small slab and foundation so that its there to stay.
I think wood fired or a gas stove is the way to go.

 

[Yooper]

Paging @Cady Creek

He's got a barrel sauna (sow-na.....not saw-na!) at home and can probably chime in. And yes, they're pretty much prerequisites up here when building a house or camp.

 

[thedutchtouch]

Need more info on yoga buddies to properly weigh in.

 

[3forks]

Not sure all colleges have saunas in the gym, but we used ours at MI Tech almost every day. Made the walk back home a little easier. Also my family is from the Ishpeming/Marquette area and they have saunas rooms built in with the house lol I thought it was coolest thing when I visited the UP

The UP is amazing… in the SUMMER.

Is there any correlation to you going to college in the UP, and you living in Hawaii now?

 

[jbosk15808]

The UP is amazing… in the SUMMER.

Is there any correlation to you going to college in the UP, and you living in Hawaii now?

A small one, after growing up in Hawaii and going to college in the UP, I figured I could survive anywhere! lol I really enjoy the Midwest but the plan was always to move home at some point

 

[doc holiday13]

I keep threatening to build 2 things on a trailer. A sauna and a pizza oven. Get one. If anything it will be a nice pre-requisit to getting teh wife in the mood if ya know what I mean

 

[NRA4LIFE]

If you do get one and get it REALLY hot and you have someone in there that has never been in a sauna, blow on their skin. It feels like a blow torch.