Buying a garden sauna in the UK: a straight-talking guide

A garden sauna is one of the best things you can add to your home, and one of the easiest to get wrong. This is what we'd tell a friend before they spent their money.

The short answer: decide how many people will use it and how often, then check four practical things before you fall for a design: space, base, power and access. After that, judge the sauna on build quality (wall thickness, timber, heater brand) rather than on photos, and see one in person if you can.

1. Start with how you'll actually use it

Most people over-buy on size. A sauna for one or two heats faster, costs less to run and fits more gardens. Be honest about who will use it day to day, not just when friends come round. If your plan is a quick session after training or a quiet half-hour to switch off at the end of the day, a compact two-person cabin is usually the sweet spot.

2. Traditional or infrared?

Both are great ways to enjoy heat, and the right one comes down to the experience you prefer. A traditional sauna heats the air, stones and timber around you, usually to 70–100°C, and you pour water on the hot stones for bursts of steam. An infrared sauna uses panels to warm you more directly at lower air temperatures, which many people find gentler and more comfortable, and it's often easy to install indoors. Our outdoor collection is traditional, built for the Finnish ritual of heat and steam.

3. Measure the space, then measure again

Check the footprint, the height and the space around it. You'll need room to assemble the cabin and to reach it for maintenance later, and nothing overhanging it, like low branches or eaves. As an example, Solen Compact measures 167cm wide, 120cm deep and 216cm high. Our size guide shows it to scale next to a person and on standard paving slabs.

4. Judge the build, not the photos

• Wall thickness. Thicker timber holds heat better and copes better with British weather. Thin walls are the most common corner cut on cheap saunas. Solen Compact uses 45mm Thermowood.
• Timber treatment. Thermowood is modified with heat and steam, so it absorbs less moisture and stays more stable outdoors.
• Roof. Look for a proper weatherproof covering, such as Katepal roofing, rather than bare timber.
• Bench and interior. The bench should be raised (heat rises) and made from a timber that stays comfortable to sit on when hot, such as alder.
• Glass. Any glass door should be tempered safety glass.

5. The heater matters more than you think

Choose an established brand such as Harvia, sized to the cabin. Heater output is matched to the cabin's volume, so follow the manufacturer's guidance rather than assuming bigger is better. Make sure it has a proper stone basket, because the stones are what give you steam.

6. Power: the question most people miss

An electric sauna heater needs its own dedicated circuit from your consumer unit, never a plug. Most home sauna heaters, including both of Solen Compact's 4kW and 6kW options, run on a standard single-phase supply, which is what most UK homes have. A 6kW heater draws around 26A, so ask an electrician to check your supply has the capacity and to quote for the connection before you order. They'll typically run armoured cable to the garden on a dedicated circuit, add a local isolator and provide RCD protection as required. Saunas are covered by Section 703 of BS 7671, the IET Wiring Regulations, and in England and Wales a new circuit is notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations, which an electrician registered with a scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT can self-certify.

7. Plan the base

A sauna needs a firm, flat, load-bearing base: a concrete pad, paving slabs or a suitably built deck. It has to carry the weight of the cabin, heater, stones and people. Solen Compact weighs 450kg on its own. Lay the base before delivery day.

8. Planning permission and building regulations

Most garden saunas in England don't need planning permission, as long as they meet the permitted development limits for outbuildings, and small ones are usually exempt from building regulations. There are important exceptions, including listed buildings, conservation areas and flats. Read our full guide to planning permission for garden saunas.

9. Running costs

An electric sauna usually costs less to run than people expect. At average UK electricity prices, a typical session costs roughly £1.30 to £3.55, depending on the heater. Try our running cost calculator to see figures for how you'd use it.

10. Delivery, installation and warranty

Ask exactly how the sauna arrives, what's included and who installs it. Saunas usually arrive flat-packed and heavy, so check the route from the road to your garden. Use our delivery and installation estimator for a guide price to your postcode. Check the warranty too, and whether you need to register it.

11. See it before you buy

Photos can't tell you how a sauna feels. If you can, sit in one, feel the timber and close the door. Our Northamptonshire showroom is open by appointment. Many of our saunas are built to order, so the models on display change from time to time: book a visit, tell us which sauna you'd like to see, and we'll confirm what's on display before you travel.

Your pre-purchase checklist

• I know who will use it and how often.
• I've measured the space, including height and room around it.
• I have, or can lay, a firm, flat, load-bearing base.
• An electrician has checked my power supply.
• The flat-pack can get from the road to the spot.
• I've checked planning rules for my home.
• I know how it will be delivered and installed.

Not sure about any of these? Take our one-minute "Is my garden sauna-ready?" check.