OUTDOOR WOOD FIRED SAUNAS

Wood Fired Saunas — The Most Authentic Sauna Experience There Is

 

There is no thermostat. No app. No timer. Just you, a fire, a stack of dry birch logs, and a heat that builds slowly, deeply, and exactly as it has for thousands of years. The wood fired sauna is the purest expression of the Finnish sauna tradition — and for those who want the full, unmediated experience of löyly over stones heated by a real fire, nothing else comes close. At The Sauna Company, we design and build bespoke wood fired saunas across London and Surrey, custom-fitted to your garden or outdoor space, built from premium Scandinavian timbers, and starting from £12,995 fully installed. If the infrared sauna is the practical choice and the Finnish electric sauna is the daily workhorse, the wood fired sauna is the soul of the whole tradition.

 

A Different Kind of Heat

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Ask anyone who has used both an electric sauna and a wood fired sauna about the difference, and they will struggle to put it into words precisely — but they will tell you there is one. The heat from a wood fired kiuas is softer, more enveloping, and more responsive to löyly than its electric equivalent. The stones reach a higher mass temperature over a longer firing period, which means the steam produced when water hits them is gentler and more sustained. The cabin warms unevenly at first — hotter near the stove, cooler at the benches — and then settles into a deep, even radiance that feels fundamentally different to the instant-on heat of an electric heater. Add the sound of the fire, the smell of burning wood, and the ritual of tending the stove, and you have an experience that no amount of technology can replicate.

 

Designed for Your Outdoor Space, Built to Last Decades

 

Our wood fired saunas are built on-site to your exact specifications — whether that's a standalone cabin in the garden, a conversion of an existing outbuilding, or part of a larger outdoor wellness complex. We use thermally modified exterior timbers specified for long-term British weather performance, paired with high-mass wood fired kiuas heaters from leading Scandinavian manufacturers. Every build includes a full chimney flue system, properly sealed and weatherproofed, and a full 3D design visualisation before work begins so you can see precisely how the finished cabin will sit in your garden. Because wood fired saunas require no electrical connection to the heater itself, installation is often simpler than an electric build — though we always carry out a full site survey to confirm what groundworks or preparatory work may be needed.

 

The Sauna That Earns Its Place in Your Garden

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A wood fired sauna is not a convenience purchase — it is a considered one. The firing process takes longer than switching on an electric heater. You need a dry log store. You need to tend the fire. And because of that, every session becomes a deliberate ritual rather than a passive activity — and that is precisely the point. Our clients who choose wood fired saunas use them differently to those with electric builds. Sessions are longer, more social, and more intentional. They become the anchor event of a weekend afternoon rather than a quick 20-minute recovery tool. If that sounds like the experience you're looking for, call us on 0208 058 0871 or book a free consultation. We'll design you a wood fired sauna that earns its place in your garden for decades to come.

 

Wood Fired Sauna FAQ's

 

What is a wood fired sauna and how does it differ from an electric sauna?

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A wood fired sauna uses a log-burning kiuas — a wood fired stone heater — to heat the cabin rather than an electric element. The fundamental difference is in the nature of the heat produced. A wood fired kiuas heats a larger mass of stones over a longer period, typically 60 to 90 minutes of firing before the cabin reaches optimal temperature, which results in a softer, more sustained steam when water is poured over the stones. The heat feels less sharp and more enveloping than electric sauna heat, and the entire experience is more ritualistic — tending the fire, managing the temperature by controlling the burn, and timing the löyly becomes part of the sauna session itself. For those who want the most authentic Finnish sauna experience possible, a wood fired sauna is the closest you can get outside of Scandinavia.

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Do I need electricity or gas to run a wood fired sauna?

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No — a wood fired sauna requires no electrical or gas connection to operate the heater. The kiuas is fuelled entirely by dry hardwood logs, typically birch, alder, or ash, which are widely available across London and Surrey. This makes wood fired saunas particularly well-suited to garden locations where running a new electrical circuit would be complex or costly, and it also means that operating costs are largely determined by the price of firewood rather than electricity tariffs. The only electrical elements typically found in a wood fired sauna build are interior lighting and any optional extras such as a Bluetooth speaker system — both of which can be run from a standard outdoor power supply or even a low-voltage solar setup in more remote garden locations.

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How long does it take to heat a wood fired sauna?

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A wood fired sauna typically takes between 60 and 90 minutes to reach optimal bathing temperature, depending on the size of the cabin, the ambient outdoor temperature, the quality of the insulation, and the dryness of the firewood used. This is considerably longer than an electric sauna, which can reach temperature in 30 to 45 minutes, and it is an important practical consideration when choosing between the two. However, most wood fired sauna users consider the firing period part of the ritual — splitting and loading the logs, watching the fire establish, and allowing the cabin to warm gradually is part of what makes the experience feel different to simply pressing a button. Using well-seasoned hardwood with a moisture content below 20% will give the fastest, cleanest burn and the most efficient heat-up time.

 

Is a wood fired sauna suitable for a London garden?

 

Yes, provided a few practical considerations are addressed during the design phase. The primary consideration in a built-up urban area is smoke — a wood fired sauna produces visible smoke during the lighting and establishment phase of the fire, which diminishes significantly once the fire is burning cleanly at full temperature. Using well-seasoned, dry hardwood minimises smoke output considerably. The chimney flue system needs to be correctly specified and positioned to direct smoke away from neighbouring properties and windows. In some London boroughs, particularly those within designated Smoke Control Areas, the use of a wood burning appliance may be subject to local restrictions, and we advise all clients to check with their local authority before committing to a wood fired build. Outside Central London but within Greater London it's still worth checking although the councils are more lenient. We factor all of these considerations into our site survey and design process as standard.

 

How much does a wood fired sauna cost in London and Surrey?

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Bespoke wood fired saunas at The Sauna Company start from £12,995 fully installed, which includes design, site survey, 3D visualisation, timber structure, wood fired kiuas heater, chimney flue system, and all finishing. The final price depends on the size and complexity of the build, the timber specification, the heater model selected, and any additional features such as a covered log store, outdoor changing area, cold plunge integration, or exterior decking. Because wood fired saunas do not require a high-output electrical circuit to the heater, the installation process is often more straightforward than an electric build — which can make them a cost-effective option for garden locations where electrical groundworks would otherwise add to the project cost. Every quote is fixed and provided following a free design consultation and site survey.

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​Key Features

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• Treated timber structure with slab insulation

• Metal cladded roof for unrivalled weather protection

• British Western Red Cedar exterior cladding (painted or natural)

• 8mm premium Sauna door with wood handle

• Cosy and pleasant ASPEN / ALDER interior cladding with matching benches.

• Small dimensions, easy to fit into smaller gardens.

• Wooden details pre-treated with sauna wax.

• WOOD BURNING heater with built in controls

• LED interior lighting with IR sensor switch

• 2 nos. wall up/down lighters operated by external switch

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​The interior finish option available for this sauna is ASPEN / ALDER clad sauna with matching bench timber, and the package is complete with a 'HARVIA M3' wood fired heater with 'stainless steel or black chimney', and LED interior light with diffuser.

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*Please note that these saunas are built from scratch on site, so the best time for installation is in dry weather. Also we would need the sauna base in concrete already cast on site before we start work. Tiling the sauna floor is included, the clients have to supply the tiles of their choice.

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**Delivery 2 weeks, build time 2 weeks.