Wood-Fired Sauna
Browse the world's highest quality wood-fired saunas
To see our full range of products including home saunas, visit our Sauna Shop
Wood-Fired Sauna
When the heat source is a roaring fire, compared to electric or infrared saunas, fresh air is drawn into the sauna, giving you the best experience from an oxygen rich environment, while the warm glow of the flames creates a cosy ambience, adding to the stress relief from regular sauna use.
Having a wood-fired sauna means you can run the sauna from anywhere. ​
Heat Up Time
The 15 person mobile saunas takes 90 minutes to heat up to 100 degrees celsius. This is, refilling the fireplace every 20 minutes. Smaller wood-fired saunas like the 6 person sauna can heat up in under 45 minutes.
What Firewood to Use? Thin and Crispy, Hot and Fast.
'Thin and crispy' is what I tell my firewood supplier every time I order. At the Redwood Sauna in Raglan, we use Kiln Dried Douglas Fir. It may sounds over the top but I promise you it is not. Firstly, to get the sauna temperature pumping, you're going to want to use soft woods, like Pine or Douglas Fir. We want it to burn hot and fast. We are looking for different properties than the 'Hot Mix' that is usually offered from firewood suppliers, which contains a lot of slow burning, hard woods like Gum, Oak and Manuka. You can get away with diluting in some harder woods when the sauna is at temperature, but not before.
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We want thin so that it burns fast. Large logs will take a long time to catch and will release their heat slowly. Remember, hot and fast is what we want. Find a supplier who can give you the right sized pieces, you don't want to get out your axe every time a load is dilvered. The novelty wears off.
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And finally, we want dry wood. It shouldn't need mentioning but too many times have I been delivered a load of damp firewood. Have a large storage area where you can keep 2-3 cubic meters of firewood dry.​​
Wood-Fired Mobile Sauna Business - How Much Wood Does It Burn and How Much Does It Cost?
Of course there are many factors that determine this. On average, one cubic meter lasts about 10-15 one hour sauna sessions, so based on your price per cubic meter, you do the math.
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It means that for a commercial sauna, if you're running 3-4 days per week and a few sessions each day, you can assume you'll be burning through one cubic meter per week. That's a lot of dry, well-sized wood for your local firewood supplier to keep up with. I recommend you find a commercial supplier who can give you a GST tax invoice so you can claim your firewood as an expense.
All of our products, portable saunas and home saunas, are built for the New Zealand outdoors. They are constructed by licensed builders and built in the same way a home is built. This leads to exceptional quality and durability in the harsh NZ environment, creating a robust outdoor sauna.
Our portable saunas are our best selling product, as owners can take them to the beach or lake, near cold water and let the transformative power of contrast therapy do the rest! Customers often operate their sauna commercially, getting a return on investment while enjoying the heat and health benefits of the sauna.
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We build dry saunas for your home so that you can get the most from traditional sauna therapy. Stress relief, lowered blood pressure, improved circulation and better sleep are just some of a long list of health benefits from regular use of a home sauna.
Enquire
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What is the lead time?The lead time to build an electric home sauna, wood-fired or portable sauna, takes around 8 weeks. However, it depends how many orders we are working on, so it is best to check in before ordering.
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Is shipping included in the price?Shipping of our home saunas is not included in the price, they will be quoted to the buyer's nearest Mainfreight Depot, from where the buyer organises delivery to final location by Hiab. All portable saunas are to be picked up from Christchurch.
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Do I need an electrician to wire in electric heaters?Yes, a qualified electrician is required to wire in all electric saunas.
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Which sauna is big enough to lie down in?Our 6-8 person sauna is 1.8 x 2.4m, allowing two people to lie fully outstretched.
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How is the sauna paid for?All saunas are built to order and require full upfront payment via invoice.
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Do you build infrared saunas?We do not currently offer infrared saunas, only wood-fired and electric saunas.
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Do you have gas powered saunas?We do not currently offer gas powered saunas or infrared saunas, only wood-fired and electric saunas.
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Can the saunas run off solar power?Please ask your electrician, the power of each sauna is stated on its respective product page. For off-grid saunas, we recommend using one of our wood-fired saunas.
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Can you build the 2-3 person sauna with a wood-fired heater?We cannot build a 2-3 person wood-fired sauna . The fireplace requires more space, therefore, the 6-8 person sauna is the smallest model we offer with a wood-fired heating option.
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Do you offer financing?We do not offer financing for any of our home sauna or portable saunas.
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Do you sell building plans?We do not sell our building plans for our outdoor saunas.