Building a Sauna in My Backyard
The Research and Insights Behind My Decision-making Process
One of the best decisions I made last year was setting up a mini-wellness center in our backyard. It brings me so much joy and has become the perfect gathering spot for family, friends, and neighbors.
Our backyard is small, and when I started researching how to fit everything I wanted, every designer and professional I spoke with laughed at my ambitious plans: “Your backyard is too small for all that!”
But I was determined. I spent a lot of time refining the design, testing different layouts, and eventually landed on a setup that maximized every inch. One of the biggest challenges, and most rewarding parts, was finding the perfect sauna setup. Today, I’ll share all the research that went into making that happen.
First Decision: Infrared versus Traditional
Most of the available research focuses on traditional saunas, so naturally, most experts will tell you they’re the better option, mainly because they reach much higher temperatures. I chose a traditional sauna because I wanted intense heat. I typically set mine to 175-180°F, whereas an infrared sauna maxes out around 150°F.
After weighing the pros and cons, traditional was the right choice for me for three main reasons:
It gets much hotter.
You can create steam if you want.
Most research points to greater benefits from traditional sauna use.
Eight months in, I’m still very happy with my decision. That said, traditional saunas aren’t for everyone, especially if you don’t have solar panels, since they can consume a lot of energy if not used strategically. Infrared saunas also have unique benefits, such as:
Deeper tissue penetration: Infrared heats your body directly rather than heating the air around you, which some believe helps with muscle recovery and detoxification.
Easier setup: Most infrared models run on a standard 110v outlet, so you don’t need special electrical work.
More comfortable heat: Because infrared heats you at a lower temperature, some people find it more tolerable for longer sessions.
Lower energy consumption: As I mentioned it earlier. Infrared saunas generally use a lot less electricity than traditional ones. If you don’t have solar panels, get ready for a crazy bill!
Again, I went with traditional, but keep in mind that it is a lot more expensive, and you’ll need a 220v outlet (it costs anywhere from $1,000–$3,000 to install if you don’t have one available).
Second Decision: Pre-made, DIY, or Custom?
The beginning of my search involved getting into the very deep ends of Reddit. I’m very scrappy and didn’t want to spend a ton of money so my first inclination was to buy a pre-made kit. I encountered several options coming from China that you can find in any marketplace such as Wayfair, Home Depot, and Costco that are very “cheap”.
But as much as I like to save money, my sauna was going to be my “oasis of peace” I didn’t want to sit on a cheaply made kit shipped from China with questionable ethical and environmental manufacturing practices. I also wanted to make sure that the wood quality was good, and with non-toxic materials. Finally, I wanted to make sure that it was customized to the space I had. My requirements were very specific, I needed a sauna that could fit 4-5 people in a ~5x7 feet area.
I decided to explore the custom route, and after several local phone calls, I could not find anyone building a custom one with the specs I wanted for less than $20-25k. That was way over my budget. So I thought of other options.
I found very detailed DIY plans online, the materials costs amount to ~$5k in total. Some of the best resources I found were:
Detailed Plans of beautiful designs: From homemadesauna.com
Instructables Finnish Sauna Build: Step-by-step, but still requires a lot of skill.
Reddit DIY Sauna Threads: Loads of tips from other builders including the exact BOM and cost, etc. People are incredibly collaborative and generous.
I had the tools. Having a degree in engineering, I tend to be very overconfident about my time/skills. I definitely explored this route, but then, thank God for my dear husband, who convinced me that it was a terrible idea. I was very very close to start ordering all the materials and attempting to build my own. With the limited time I have it would have taken me 6-12 months to get it done.
Beware of the Löyly hype
When you get into the sauna Reddit rabbit hole, a lot of the experts make you believe that you need to follow a ton of specs from the original Finnish saunas in order to be happy. Don’t fall into that trap. I went a bit crazy listening to this advice, and after a lot of research and trying different saunas, I realized that it was BS. If you end up following all those Finnish guidelines, you need extremely high ceilings and over-dimensioned vents which will make your sauna very expensive and electricity bill even higher.
I would probably not choose a barrel sauna because they air circulation is not as good and they don’t retain heat as well, but other than that, you don’t need to strictly follow the specs from Trumpkins, TylöHelo or Harvia enthusiasts that are so famous in the Reddit subworld.
The Pre-made Option I Considered
After all my research, this was my favorite pre-made kit:
Cedarbrook 5×7 Outdoor Sauna Kit: A high-quality option from a family-owned, U.S.-based business with a great reputation. The owner was kind and very knowledgeable, but the process wasn’t the easiest. It wasn’t cheap (~$15K), and I found it challenging to coordinate the ordering, shipping, and assembly.
Thank God I Found Kai, the Sauna Savior!
As I got deeper into the rabbit hole of Instagram and local searches, I found Kai, a highly creative and talented craftsman, surfer, engineer, philosopher, and all-around awesome geek. He does a bit of everything, but by the time I found him, he had already built a few saunas in San Diego and had experience with van conversions. The saunas he designed were stunning. I visited one in person and instantly fell in love with both the aesthetics and functionality.
After doing a lot of research I realized that there are skilled artisans like him in every town, you just have to dig deep to find them.
What really stood out about Kai’s work was his use of high-quality materials:
Premium cedar wood: Durable, naturally aromatic, and perfect for a sauna.
Proper roofing materials: Ensures longevity and weatherproofing.
Premium sheep wool insulation: Superior to fiberglass, and fun fact: the sheep come from Europe (like me!).
Huum heater: A sleek, high-performance heater that heats up quickly and can be controlled via phone. I went with the 6kW model, which reaches 170°F in no time.
And the best part? His pricing was a portion of what other custom sauna builders charged for the same specs. He offered three sizes, and the mid-sized model (designed for 4-5 people) was the perfect fit for my space.
Adding a Red Light Panel
Since I was going to be sitting in the sauna for at least 20 minutes, I thought, why not adding a red light panel? I did a bunch of research and found one called Sauna Max Pro that could withstand the high temps of a traditional sauna.
While research on red light therapy is still evolving, some potential benefits include:
Improved skin health (collagen production, reduced wrinkles).
Reduced inflammation (helpful for recovery and joint health).
Better circulation (some evidence suggests enhanced blood flow).
I don’t think is necessary by any means, and I would never sit there if it were just a red light session, but it makes it worthwhile if I’m already sitting in the sauna for 20 minutes anyways.
Final Thoughts
Today, I couldn’t be happier with my sauna setup. I absolutely love it. I use it every morning after weight lifting and most nights before bed. I love hosting wellness nights with friends, it’s so much fun! I’ve noticed real benefits:
Better sleep: Deeper, more restful nights. I can see it in my Oura data, as my deep sleep has increased steadily since I started using the sauna before bed.
Enhanced recovery: Muscles feel less sore and there is research that says that using a sauna post strength training can potentially contribute to muscle hypertrophy (growth) by stimulating the production of heat shock proteins.
Overall well-being: I just feel amazing every day after using the sauna. Any time I feel under the weather or have to fight jetlag, the sauna shakes it off immediately.
I love to pair up my sauna session with a cold plunge (only in the mornings, I don’t use the cold plunge at night). And how did I choose the perfect and most reasonably priced cold plunge? That’s a story for another day!
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Thanks Maria!