The Complete Sauna Buying Guide

Picture an ordinary evening in January. You and your partner have finished dinner, there's snow on the ground, and you want to use the sauna. How far are you willing to walk? Can you start the heater from inside the house? When you get there, can you both sit comfortably on the upper bench?

Those questions can tell you more about the right sauna for your property than a photograph or an advertised seating capacity. This guide walks you through the decisions in the order we recommend making them, from setting a budget to checking the finished installation. All dollar examples are in Canadian dollars.

1. Set a budget for the finished sauna

Start with the total amount you're comfortable spending to have the sauna installed and ready to use. The price of the cabin is only one part of that number.

Ask for an itemized quote covering the cabin, heater, controls, stones, delivery, site preparation, foundation, assembly, electrical work or chimney installation, applicable permits, and taxes. Have the seller identify anything you'll need to arrange yourself. This makes it much easier to compare two companies quoting different packages.

It can make sense to spend more upfront for better construction and reliable service. Consider the math: one $20,000 sauna costs $10,000 less than buying two $15,000 saunas. That comparison matters if the less expensive sauna actually needs replacement during the time you own it. A higher price alone doesn't tell you how long a sauna will last. Ask what the extra money buys you. Solid floor construction, well supported benches, replaceable heater parts, and written warranty coverage are features you can check.

2. Choose a size for the way you'll actually use it

Start with the people who will use the sauna on an ordinary day. If it's you and your partner eight or nine times out of ten, look for two genuinely comfortable places to sit. If one of you likes to lie down, measure the usable bench length. Sit side by side if you can. A sauna advertised for four people may feel quite different depending on how much shoulder room you want.

Now think about your busiest day. If you host a birthday party once a year, would everyone enjoy taking turns? Or is sitting together part of the reason you want a sauna? At a cottage where friends gather every weekend, extra bench space may be worth the larger footprint. Your property also has a say. In a small backyard, a compact sauna can leave room for a walkway, an outward opening door, and somewhere to cool down. On a larger property, you may have room for a longer bench or a separate changing area.

Before ordering, mark the outside dimensions on the ground. Mark the doorway and its full swing, then walk around the outline. Ask for the interior dimensions as well. The walls, heater, and required clearances all affect how much usable space you'll have inside.

3. Pick the location before choosing the model

Walk the route in the season you expect to use the sauna most. A spot at the far end of the yard can look beautiful in July. In February, it might mean clearing a long path through snow every time you want to use it. For a year round home sauna, a shorter walk from the house can make a real difference in how often you go outside.

At a summer cottage, your priorities may be different. A spot near the boathouse or dock can give you a lake view and easy access to your cooling area. Check local shoreline rules and setbacks before falling in love with a particular spot. If you're considering one sauna at home for winter and another at the cottage for summer, plan each around how you'll use that property.

For an electric sauna, compare the wiring routes before settling on a location. A site closer to the breaker panel may cost less to connect. Distance, rock, difficult trenching, and limited access can all affect the quote. If you're replacing a hot tub, the existing pad and electrical route are worth investigating. Have the pad checked for size, level, and condition, and have an electrician confirm whether the existing supply suits the exact sauna heater.

For a wood fired sauna, confirm the proposed location with your municipality, installer, and insurer. The required distance between buildings is a separate question from the stove and chimney clearances. Get both answers before preparing the base.

4. Prepare a stable foundation

Moonlight's preferred base is a level concrete pad over properly compacted gravel. A stable base supports the floor evenly and helps the door stay aligned. If one corner settles after winter, you may notice it first as a door that starts rubbing or won't close properly.

Concrete pad. Remove the topsoil, prepare and compact the gravel base, and plan for water to drain away from the sauna. Moonlight recommends a concrete pad at least four inches thick as a starting point for planning. Have your installer confirm the slab design for your model, soil, drainage, and local frost conditions before pouring.

Interlocking pavers or patio stones. These can work well over a prepared, compacted gravel base. On an existing patio, check the stones beneath each sauna support. They should sit firmly and evenly without rocking or sinking.

Crushed gravel. A carefully compacted gravel pad is an option when the sauna manufacturer allows it. Some models require concrete pavers or strips beneath the supports. Gravel can settle, so check the level again if the door begins to bind.

Deck. A deck with suitable footings, beams, and joists can be a good location. Have its capacity checked for the sauna, occupants, heater, stones, and applicable snow load. This is particularly important when placing a sauna on an existing raised deck.

Never set a sauna directly on grass or bare soil. Get the manufacturer's foundation drawing first. It should tell you the footprint and exactly where the sauna must be supported.

5. Decide between electric and wood heat

Choose electric if convenience is a priority. About 80% of Moonlight customers choose electric heat, based on our experience. You don't have to carry firewood, light a fire, or tend it while the room warms up.

If you want WiFi, ask whether it's included with your heater and controls. On a winter evening, being able to start preheating from the house can save an extra trip through the snow. Check that your WiFi signal reaches the sauna and that the system includes the safeguards required for remote operation. Use remote start according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Electric heaters may cost less to purchase, but the wiring can change the comparison. Moonlight uses $1,000 to $3,000 as a planning estimate for electrical installation. Long runs, difficult trenching, or panel upgrades can take a project above that range. Get a quote for your address and heater before deciding which option costs less.

Choose wood if you enjoy tending a fire. Some people genuinely look forward to splitting wood, lighting the stove, and watching the fire build. Think about who will do that work in winter, where you'll keep dry firewood, and what it will cost if you buy it. Include the chimney, installation, required shielding, and any inspection in your budget.

Speak with your insurer before buying a wood stove. Give them the model and proposed location and ask what documentation they require. They may request an inspection report from a WETT certified professional. WETT certifies the person performing the inspection. Ask the insurer what it needs for your property and keep its written response with your quote.

6. Choose a heater that fits the room

Ask the seller to show you how they sized the heater for your particular sauna. They should consider the inside length, width, and height, along with large windows, glass doors, wall construction, and insulation. Ask for the exact heater model, its output in kilowatts, and its recommended room range. An undersized heater may take longer to warm the sauna and work harder to maintain the temperature.

A useful question for an outdoor sauna is, "How long should this model take to warm up on a cold winter evening, and what conditions is that estimate based on?" That answer is more meaningful than a warmup time with no starting temperature attached.

Look at the heater before the stones go in. In a wood stove, the fire heats the stones. In an electric heater, the elements do. The stones store heat and produce steam when you ladle water over them. A larger stone load can provide a generous reserve for steam, but it also takes energy to heat. The stone capacity and heater output should suit the room and the experience you want.

Moonlight's stainless steel heater holds 200 lbs of sauna stones. An inner cage shields the heating elements from the weight of the stones, and a centre channel allows air to circulate. When comparing heaters, ask the seller to show you how the stones are supported and how a technician would reach an element if it needed replacement. Follow the instructions for the correct stone size, stacking, water use, and maintenance.

Ask about service as well as performance. Moonlight offers a lifetime warranty on its heating elements. Read the written terms for your model and confirm what happens with labour and shipping. Knowing whether a replacement element is stocked locally can matter just as much as the part price if your heater stops working before a weekend at the cottage.

7. Estimate what a session will cost

An electric sauna heats for preheating and bathing, then you can switch it off. That makes its running cost easier to estimate than a hot tub that maintains its water temperature between uses.

For a simple upper estimate, multiply heater output in kilowatts by hours at full power by your electricity rate per kilowatt hour. Include warmup time, even if you only plan to sit in the sauna for two 15 minute rounds.

For example, a 9 kW heater running at full power for two hours uses 18 kWh. At an illustrative energy rate of $0.10 per kWh, that comes to $1.80 per session, or $14.40 for eight sessions. That example covers the energy charge before other bill charges and taxes. Actual use may be lower because the thermostat can cycle the elements once the room reaches temperature.

Use the rate on your own electricity bill. If you have time of use pricing, the same session can cost less during off peak hours. Outdoor temperature, room construction, heater size, and how long you leave it running all affect the result.

8. Compare the wood and the structure

Western Red Cedar is Moonlight's preferred wood. Its heartwood contains natural compounds that help it resist decay. It moves relatively little as moisture changes, has no sticky pitch, and gives the room that familiar cedar aroma. Moonlight uses sustainably harvested, kiln dried Canadian Western Red Cedar. When comparing models, ask which grade the builder uses on the walls and which grade touches your skin.

Thermally modified spruce or pine can be a durable alternative. Heat treatment improves stability and resistance to decay while reducing resin. Some people notice a smoky aroma. If scent is important to you, visit a heated showroom or ask for a sample so you can decide for yourself.

Untreated pine or spruce may suit a smaller budget. One practical concern is resin, which can seep out when heated and leave sticky spots. Look closely at benches and backrests, especially around knots and pitch pockets.

Eastern white cedar is softer, but its heartwood also has natural decay resistance. Look at the actual boards for sound edges and tight knots. Wood species, grade, construction, drainage, and drying conditions all influence how well a sauna holds up.

Look underneath the floor

Moonlight favours solid 2 x 6 cedar construction. A properly supported 2 x 4 floor system can also work. The floor has to carry people, the heater, and the stones, so ask for the board thickness, the support spacing, and a photo of the underside.

If a company advertises 3/8 inch tongue and groove boards, ask: "Are these a finish over a structural floor, or do they span the supports themselves?" Tongue and groove describes how the edges fit together. It doesn't tell you how much weight the floor can carry.

Ask where spills drain, how the floor dries, and whether a damaged board can be replaced without taking apart the sauna. Those details matter long after the first installation.

Understand what is behind the walls

A small outdoor sauna can work well with solid timber walls and no added insulation when its heater is appropriately sized. Moonlight uses solid 2 x 6 cedar for this style of build. A framed indoor or outdoor sauna can also perform well when its wall and ceiling assemblies are designed for sauna conditions.

Insulation affects heat loss, especially in winter. If you're comparing options, ask about warmup time and electricity use under similar conditions. If the sauna has framed walls, request a cross section and the product specifications for the insulation, vapour barrier, and tapes. Confirm that the complete assembly is suitable for the temperatures and moisture it will experience.

9. Try the benches

Look for two usable bench levels if you enjoy intense heat. Warm air rises. On a low bench, your shoulders may feel hot while your feet still feel cool. An upper bench gives you access to hotter air, and a lower level gives you a gentler option.

In a showroom, sit upright on the upper bench with your feet supported. Check the headroom, bench depth, and comfort of the front edge. Many traditional barrel saunas have a single bench level because of their curved walls. If you like a barrel, try the seating arrangement while the room is warm whenever possible.

Choose clear wood for the surfaces you sit on. Moonlight benches use 1 x 4 clear Western Red Cedar. Clear boards give you a smooth seating surface without knots that can feel uncomfortably hot against bare skin. Pay particular attention to the front edge where the backs of your legs rest.

Check what supports the seat. Sit near the middle of the longest span and shift your weight. The bench should feel steady. Look underneath for framing, and ask the builder how much total weight the bench is designed to support. If several people will use it at once, you want a seat that stays firm without wobbling or squeaking.

10. Look closely at the windows and door

A large window can be worth it for a lake or garden view. Sit at bench height and consider what you'll actually see, how much privacy you'll have after dark, and how the glass affects heater sizing. Moonlight uses double pane insulated windows to bring in natural light and help retain heat.

For an outdoor sauna, a solid wood door or a wood door with a window gives you options if the fit changes. If a door starts rubbing after winter, check the base, frame, and hinges first. If those are sound, an installer may be able to trim a wood edge slightly within the manufacturer's limits.

A full glass door can also work well, and its hardware may be adjustable. The difference is that tempered glass cannot be trimmed or ground down once manufactured. Ask whether the replacement panel is a standard size and who services the hinges.

Open the door from inside during your showroom visit. It should swing outward easily, with a clear landing. Picture winter again: will you be able to clear enough snow for the door to open fully?

11. Ask what protects the roof

Moonlight prefers a steel roof over a suitable underlayment for an outdoor sauna. Cedar can turn grey as it weathers. The more important question is what happens when windblown rain or melting snow reaches a seam or an opening around a chimney.

Ask the builder to explain how the roof edges, joints, and penetrations shed water. Request the name of the underlayment and confirm that it is suitable beneath metal roofing and for the temperatures expected in that roof assembly. The word "membrane" on a quote tells you very little about the product being used.

A good showroom question is, "If water gets past the steel, what keeps it out of the wood structure?" Ask who handles roof leaks under the written warranty.

12. Agree on delivery and installation

Find out exactly what "delivered" includes. Who unloads the sauna? Who moves it from the truck to the pad? Who handles assembly, the heater connection, and the final walkthrough? Confirm gate width, overhead obstacles, tight turns, and access for any equipment before booking.

Where available, Moonlight recommends using a crew familiar with the sauna model. If you're buying a kit, request the assembly manual, installation video, tools list, and support hours before paying. A weekend project is easier when someone can answer the phone on Saturday.

For some kits, two people working for two or three days is a reasonable planning allowance. Confirm the estimate for your specific model and site. If you're hiring a carpenter, give them the manual before they quote so they can see the scope and bring the right tools.

At the walkthrough, open and close the door, sit on each bench, and have the installer demonstrate the controls. Ask who you should contact if an adjustment is needed after the first season.

13. Get the warranty in writing

Ask one specific question: "If a heating element fails two winters from now, who do I call, what will you cover, and what will I pay?"

For the heater, check the coverage for the elements, controls, and heater body separately. Confirm who pays for parts, freight, and labour, what maintenance records you need, and where replacement parts are stocked. A lifetime parts warranty alone doesn't tell you the cost of getting the sauna running again.

For the sauna itself, ask about the structure, roof, windows, doors, and benches. Have the seller explain what counts as a defect and what counts as normal wear. A door that starts rubbing is a useful example. Who will help determine whether the hinges need adjustment, the base has settled, or the door needs repair? Good support matters even when the repair falls outside the warranty. Before you buy, make sure you know who will answer the phone and whether the parts you may eventually need are available.