Home Sauna Buying Guide

Having a sauna in your home is all the trend these days. Why go to a crowded, public sauna with dozens of half naked – or completely nude and assumedly hairy – people you don’t know, when you can live it up MTV Cribs style with your very own home sauna. There are lots of different variations of saunas on the market today and it is important to think about what you are looking for and which model and style would be right for you and your home. Here are some important factors to think about.

• Do you want a dry or wet sauna? A dry sauna is what most people conjure up in their heads when they think of a sauna in general. The typical wood enclosure and in the case of a Finnish sauna, hot stones you can pour water over to produce a little steam. A wet sauna is more commonly associated with the term “steam room” than a dry sauna is. Both will provide different experiences.

• If you’re going dry, do you want a traditional Finnish sauna or an infrared sauna? A traditional Finnish stone sauna can provide a more authentic feel to your home sauna. The main actual difference is that a Finnish sauna works by heating the air, which in turn heats you. An infrared sauna directly heats your body and doesn’t require the use of any stones or steam. A Finnish sauna may be more expensive; both in the original purchase with the cedar wood it uses and in the long term. The higher temperatures and steam can test the durability of a home sauna.

• What are your size requirements? Are you looking for something portable and small that you can fit into an existing area of your house, or are you looking for an entire and separate outdoor enclosure?

• In addition, are you looking for a private and personal enclave or a party room? The more people you plan on having in your home sauna, the more space you need; and as a result the more likely you will need to build a separate sauna area outside of your house as opposed to inside of it.

• Are you a do-it-yourselfer or a plug-and-play person? If you like to build things yourself, go the Finnish sauna route. For simplicity, infrared saunas come put together and can be easily installed.

• Check your plugs and pipes. Different saunas require different amounts of electricity and some may require the additional use of extra pipes. Figure out the current setup you have or could accommodate before making your final decision.

• And of course, do what feels right. There are plenty of saunas in all spectrums of budgets that can be perfect for your needs and desires. Get something that will make you feel at home; after all a sauna is made for you to relax in.