This sauna is not made from cedar, but from cheaper hemlock, which means you don’t get the same glorious cedar smell that you would be familiar with in more classic saunas. That said, Canadian hemlock has a pleasant woody aroma that lingers after many months of use; It’s still a relaxing place, scent-wise, even with all that sweat.
Quick and painless
Unlike traditional saunas, which can take a long time to preheat, this infrared model is quick and painless. You press the buttons on the built-in thermostat inside the door to decide how hot and how long you want it to run and it starts heating instantly. I usually give it at least 20 minutes to warm the small box to room temperature.
The included thermostat reaches 149 degrees Fahrenheit, but I’ve only been able to consistently reach it at about 145 degrees after 45 minutes of preheating. The timer counts down from 99 minutes, so you can preheat it and then stay on for as long as you want to stay there. The sauna is lightweight and not well insulated, so I would keep it inside if I didn’t have it in the mild winter climate of Portland, Oregon.
There are infrared heating panels behind, on the sides, under and behind the legs for relatively even heating of the body. I found that the heat from the floor can get a little hot if you have your feet right on top of the gap next to a slat in the wood floor, but otherwise, I was sweating so much and felt overheated after similar time in a sauna traditional.
Photography: Parker Hall
It’s nice to sit outside under the covered area, look at my garden and sweat for a few minutes before heading to my non-gross, non-gym shower. I really feel like I’m in a spa. And I can pair with the built-in Bluetooth speakers and watch my latest shows or a YouTube meditation.
If you, like me, no longer have regular access to a sauna at the gym and have discovered how much you miss the time in the heat, there aren’t many options as affordable and easy to set up as this one. I even moved it between houses with no problems (the movers didn’t have to take it apart because it’s so light). How long it will last is a different question and only time will tell, but it has held up for me for several months.
You can’t share the experience with friends and loved ones, but that’s okay since I use my sauna time at the end of the day to relax from social interactions. If you want to organize sauna sessions at your home, you had better a larger model either a traditional saunawhich of course, Wayfair also sells.