Outdoor Saunas

Outdoor Saunas: The Backyard Ritual

A sauna is one of the oldest wellness practices in recorded history and one of the few that has aged into modern life without needing to be repackaged. The heat is the same. The wood is the same. The ritual — time set aside to sit in serious heat, sweat, and emerge reset — is unchanged. What has changed is the equipment. Part of our wellness collection, today's outdoor saunas are purpose-built for residential backyards: pre-assembled or flat-pack structures in cedar and Nordic spruce that can be installed on a deck or concrete pad without requiring a building permit in most jurisdictions.

We carry Redwood Outdoors, a Pacific Northwest brand that builds traditional outdoor saunas in cedar and Nordic spruce, with a lineup that spans from the Duo (a compact two-person sauna for smaller spaces) through a 4-person Cabin, a 6-person Barrel, and the 8-person Garden cabin for serious group use. All three main formats are represented: barrel saunas, which use the round shape to create a faster heat cycle with less wasted airspace; traditional rectangular cabin designs, which offer more interior flexibility and multi-bench configurations; and infrared panel models, which operate at lower temperatures and use less power for people who want the recovery benefits without the full intensity of a traditional steam session. The right format depends on how you prefer to use it and who you're building it for.

Barrel, Traditional, or Infrared?

Barrel saunas heat faster than rectangular designs — the curved geometry means there's less air volume to heat, so a smaller heater reaches temperature more quickly. They're also compact: a two-person barrel fits roughly a 7 by 7 foot footprint. The tradeoff is interior flexibility; you can't stand fully upright in most barrel designs, and the bench configuration is typically fixed. Traditional rectangular saunas behave more like a room — you can stand, stretch out, and configure the benches. They take longer to heat but hold temperature more consistently once there.

Infrared saunas operate at 120 to 150°F rather than the 160 to 200°F of a traditional Finnish sauna, which some users prefer for extended sessions. The lower temperature makes them more accessible for daily use and easier on cardiovascular systems. The heating mechanism is different too — infrared panels warm the body directly rather than heating the air around you. Both are legitimate recovery tools; the choice is about the experience intensity you want. Patio Productions is ICFA-certified and has been outfitting outdoor spaces from our San Diego showroom and nationally since 2007. Every order ships free in the U.S. and arrives fully assembled. Our USA-based team offers complimentary consultations to help match the right sauna to your space and wellness goals.

Frequently Asked Questions About Outdoor Saunas