Redwood Outdoors sauna review: barrels, the 4-person cabin and indoor models
5 saunas: 2 dry saunas and 3 outdoor saunas, $4,299 to $7,885. Redwood Outdoors sells complete kits: a 6 kW Harvia heater, rocks and roofing come in the box, and the 6-person barrel costs $6,299. What holds it back is the warranty. Redwood covers the sauna for 1 year, original buyer only; Almost Heaven's barrels carry a limited lifetime warranty.
If you want a cabin with a flat floor and room for four, the Cabin at $7,299 is the model I'd look at first. Check stock before you pay, though: on October 6, 2026 all three outdoor models showed "Currently Out of Stock" and an active Add to Cart button with a ship date on the same page.
By Kirill Gissa · Published · Prices checked Oct 8, 2026All 5 Redwood Outdoors saunas
The Redwood Outdoors lineup
| Model | Type | Seats | Wood | Size | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barrel Outdoor Sauna - 6 Person | Barrel | 4–6 | Thermally modified hemlock | 71 × 72.75 × 76.5 in | 900 lb | $6,299 |
| Extra-Wide Outdoor Barrel Sauna - 6 Person | Barrel | 4–6 | Canadian Thermowood | 71.75 × 84.75 × 88.5 in | 1,245 lb | $7,885 |
| Cabin Outdoor Sauna - 4 Person | Cabin | 4 | Canadian Thermowood | 78 × 67 × 92.5 in | 1,150 lb | $7,299 |
| Alcove Indoor Sauna - 2 Person | Indoor | 2 | FSC-certified wood (species not stated) | Not published | — | $4,299 |
| Haven Indoor Sauna - 3 Person | Indoor | 3 | FSC-certified wood (species not stated) | Not published | — | $5,499 |
Every model ships with a 6 kW Harvia KIP and offers bigger heaters at extra cost. On the cabin: 8 kW KIP Wi-Fi, 6–8 kW Harvia Spirit Wi-Fi, 8 kW Harvia Virta Wi-Fi. The Extra-Wide barrel was on sale at $7,885, down from $8,299. Redwood also sells cold plunges and hot tubs; they're outside this review.
Is it made of redwood?
No. The name is the brand's, not the species. The 6-person barrel is thermally modified hemlock, the Extra-Wide and the Cabin are Canadian Thermowood, and the indoor Haven and Alcove are listed only as "FSC-certified wood" with no species named. None of the five uses redwood.
Redwood says sauna wood left untreated stays durable and that sun will turn it "a silver-gray color over time." I haven't found a source comparing redwood with these woods for sauna use, so I'm not ranking them.
Warranty and returns
The warranty runs one year from delivery, covers defects that "existed at the time that the Product left our warehouse," and "does not extend to any subsequent owner." It excludes transport and storage damage, improper installation, normal wear and tear, and "labor costs are not covered." Harvia heaters have their own cover: 1 year on the elements and 5 years on other parts for home use.
Returns: 30 days from delivery, only with Redwood's written approval. You take the sauna apart, pack it on a pallet and ship it back, and the refund is minus shipping and handling.
| Redwood Barrel Outdoor Sauna - 6 Person | Almost Heaven Salem 2 Person Barrel Sauna | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $6,299 | $4,036.50 |
| Seats | 4–6 | 2 |
| Warranty on the sauna | 1 year, first owner | Limited lifetime, first owner |
| Returns | 30 days by written approval; refund minus shipping and handling | 30 days, unopened only; minus freight both ways, 25% restocking |
Almost Heaven costs less per sauna but more per seat, and its warranty is for life rather than a year. Full review: Almost Heaven.
Power and delivery
The heater needs 240 V and the lights 120 V. Redwood's electrical FAQ says its heaters "must be hardwired to your electrical panel" by a certified electrician: a two-pole 30 A breaker for the 6 kW Harvia, 40 A for 8 kW, 45 A for 9 kW. It recommends getting at least two quotes. Two more notes from the same FAQ: the heaters are UL listed and "designed to run for a maximum of 60 minutes at a time," and every Harvia it sells except the Spirit needs adjusting above 4,000 feet.
The sauna arrives by freight in a wooden crate, and the driver leaves it at the curb; carriers "are unable to move shipments beyond the curb or into backyards." Redwood doesn't recommend setting a sauna on bare ground, since a full one "can weigh over 1000 lbs" and will sink. It suggests a concrete pad at least 4 inches thick, gravel, or a deck checked by an engineer (foundation FAQ). Permits and HOA rules depend on your town, so call the local building department.
Barrel or cabin
The barrel is the cheapest and lightest outdoor model at 900 lb, seats 4–6, and comes with asphalt shingles. The Extra-Wide is 84.75 in wide against 72.75 for the standard barrel, at 1,245 lb. The Cabin has a flat floor and roll roofing, seats 4, and stands 92.5 in tall.
Without a roof, the FAQ says water will leak "through the roof boards" in rain and that it "will not harm your sauna." One owner says the seat counts are optimistic: the four-person cabin "really accommodates three" (quoted below). Other brands' barrels and cabins are on barrel saunas, cube saunas and outdoor saunas.
The indoor Haven and Alcove
Both use a 6 kW Harvia KIP on 240 V. The Alcove has a full glass front, gravity ventilation and, per Redwood, is "our easiest sauna to assemble"; it's the only Redwood model with a stated top temperature, 194°F. For the Haven I couldn't get dimensions or the wood species, and search results mix it up with another seller's barrel, so check its page before ordering. Other indoor rooms are on indoor saunas.
How to use it
The included Harvia KIP is rated for dry or wet use, so pouring water on the rocks is fine. Redwood doesn't give a heat-up time for the outdoor models; it says reaching higher temperatures or heating in cold weather "may take longer than 60 minutes," which is also the heater's maximum run time.
What owners say
Reviews come only from Redwood's own site: 4.86 out of 5 from 21 reviews for the barrel and 4.36 from 22 for the cabin. I read all of them.
On redwoodoutdoors.com, 9 barrel reviews say the kit was easy to assemble; one couple reports building it in about 5 hours, roofing included. (redwoodoutdoors.com) On redwoodoutdoors.com, 4 reviews say the sauna heats up quickly, though one owner says the heater does not get it above 90 degrees in cold weather. (redwoodoutdoors.com)
On redwoodoutdoors.com, 3 reviews describe a harder job: unclear pictures in the manual, a build that took two contractors a full day, and heater wiring that kept an electrician busy for 8 hours. (redwoodoutdoors.com)
"So far, it seems way too complex to get the wiring right for the heater…… can’t believe by now that it isn’t simply a plug and play." 3-star review, Dec 2025, redwoodoutdoors.com
"Sauna barrel is great but heater does not heat it above 90 degrees in cold weather" 5-star review, Jan 2026, redwoodoutdoors.com
"The sauna is well made, sturdy and strong.The four person really accommodates three." 4-star review, Aug 2025, redwoodoutdoors.com
Questions people ask
Are Redwood Outdoors saunas good?
They're complete kits at fair prices: the heater, rocks and roofing are in the box, and owners on the brand's site rate the barrel 4.86 and the cabin 4.36 out of 5. The weak points are a 1-year warranty and returns that require you to disassemble and ship the sauna.
Is redwood good for a sauna?
Whatever the answer, it doesn't apply here: none of Redwood Outdoors' saunas is made of redwood. They're thermally modified hemlock, Canadian Thermowood or unnamed FSC-certified wood.
What is the best outdoor sauna company?
Our data doesn't crown one company. On terms alone, Redwood's 1-year, first-owner warranty is the shortest in the comparison above and Almost Heaven's limited lifetime the longest. Prices, seats and heaters by model are on the outdoor sauna page.
Do you pour water on rocks in a sauna?
In a traditional sauna with a heater rated for it, yes. The Harvia KIP that comes with every Redwood sauna is rated for dry or wet use.