Best outdoor infrared saunas

Can an infrared sauna be used outdoors?

Only one built for it. Indoor cabins have thin walls, no roof membrane and electronics that aren't sealed against rain. Golden Designs is explicit: installing an indoor Dynamic, Maxxus or Golden Designs cabin outside voids the warranty (warranty terms). Even its traditional Golden Designs Copenhagen 3 Person is described as for "indoor or covered exterior use", which is worth confirming against the warranty before you put it on a patio.

Outdoor models handle weather differently. Sun Home ships the Luminar with an all-weather cover and, on an older page, said the cover "is required at all times" in exposed spots "to maintain the warranty". Its warranty page also says it doesn't cover heavy rain or storms and recommends a covered area in harsh climates (warranty page). In practice, plan on a roof or a sheltered wall for any of them.

How infrared saunas do in cold weather

Sun Home is the only brand here that puts a number on heat-up time in the cold, and the number is an hour. The others say nothing, which I'd read as "plan for it". If you want winter sessions in a cold climate, the hybrids' stove mode is the safer bet, and so is a traditional sauna.

Infrared or traditional for outdoors?

By the numbers brands publish, traditional saunas run hotter: up to 194°F among the outdoor stove saunas in our database, against 170°F for the hottest infrared model here. Infrared needs less power in the small sizes (the Arki and Finnmark's infrared side run on 120 V), but a five-seat infrared cabin like the Luminar needs 240 V just as a stove sauna does.

Price is close. Outdoor barrels and cabins with stoves start lower, at $4,036.50; see outdoor saunas and barrel saunas. The hybrids give you both and cost about what a large infrared cabin does.

Before you buy: base, power, permits, delivery

• Base. Sun Home's manual asks for a level, dry surface that can carry 1,270 lb for the Luminar 5, with 8 inches of clearance behind and beside it, and advises against setting it on dirt or grass (manual). Other brands' instructions weren't available for these models, so ask for them before ordering.
• Power. 4 of the 11 models list a 120 V supply; the rest need 240 V for at least part of the system. Every outdoor run needs a weatherproof outlet or a hard-wired connection, so check with a licensed electrician first.
• Permits and HOA. Whether a backyard sauna needs a permit depends on your city: check your local building department and, if you have one, your HOA.
• Delivery. Expect a pallet at the curb. Sun Home says the freight company won't bring it up the driveway without paid white-glove service and recommends two to four helpers and a dolly (shipping page).