Search for a backyard sauna and you get three quite different products under one label. They heat differently, cost differently and suit different yards. Sorting out which one you want first makes the rest of the decision easy.
Traditional barrel
A cylinder, usually cedar or spruce, with a stove inside and rocks on top. You pour water on the rocks and get steam. This is the sauna most people picture.
Suits you if you want the classic high heat, high humidity experience and you have room for a round object roughly six to eight feet long. The curved shape sheds rain and snow well and the smaller air volume heats quickly.
Watch out for the roof style. A shingle or metal roof over the barrel adds meaningful life in a wet climate.
Cabin
Square or rectangular, same heating principle, more usable interior for the same footprint because you are not losing corners to a curve. Easier to fit a bench layout that seats four comfortably.
Suits you if you want more than two people in it regularly, or you want it to read as a small building rather than an object.
Watch out for the flat roof surface in snow country. Check the load rating.
Infrared
Different technology. Panels warm your body directly rather than heating the air to Finnish temperatures. It runs cooler, around 120 to 150 Fahrenheit rather than 180 plus, and there is no steam.
Suits you if you want lower running costs, faster warm up, an easier electrical requirement, and you find traditional sauna heat uncomfortable.
Watch out for the expectation gap. If what you actually want is the steam and the intensity, infrared will disappoint you no matter how good the unit is.
The practical constraints
Power. This is the one that decides many purchases. Traditional electric heaters usually want a dedicated high amperage circuit. Infrared is frequently gentler. Wood fired needs no electrics at all but does need a flue and somewhere to keep dry wood. Find out what your panel can support before you fall in love with a model.
Footprint. Two person units start around four by six feet. Six person units are closer to eight by ten. Add clearance around it for maintenance, and a path you can walk in bare feet in winter.
Base. Level, load bearing, and draining. Pavers or a concrete pad. Not soft lawn.
Winter access. The sauna you use in January is the one you can reach without crossing thirty feet of unlit ice. Put it close to the door and light the path.
Where to start
Answer three questions in order: how many people, what does your electrical panel allow, and do you want steam. Those three narrow it to one or two models almost every time.
Browse saunas and spa, or tell us your constraints and we will shortlist for you.