Pop Up Sauna UK: How Fast, How Hot, and Which Type to Buy (2026)
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"Pop up sauna" covers three very different products — and only two of them are actually saunas. Some are infrared boxes you sit inside; some are proper tents with a stove and hot stones. The difference decides whether you get a gentle warm-up or real 80°C Finnish heat. Here's the honest breakdown, what each type costs, and which one to buy for a UK garden.
The three types of pop up sauna
1. Infrared pop-up boxes and blankets (from ~£100)
A foldable fabric box (or zip-up blanket) with infrared panels, powered from a normal socket. They're cheap, genuinely portable and fine for a gentle sweat — but be clear about what they are: they run far below traditional sauna temperatures, there are no stones, no steam, no löyly. If you've been in a real sauna and want that at home, an infrared box will disappoint you. We say this as a shop that doesn't sell them — read on for what we do sell and why.
2. Wood-fired pop-up sauna tents (from £1,850)
An insulated tent with a compact wood stove and flue — a real sauna you can pitch in the garden. Proper heat, proper steam, and the fire ritual if you want it, with the fire workload that comes attached: 30–45 minutes of tending before it's hot, logs to store, ash to clear. Ours is the PortaSauna HEX (£1,850); the full picture is in our wood burning sauna guide.
3. Gas pop-up sauna tents (complete packages from £2,495)
The same insulated-tent format, heated by a flueless propane sauna heater instead of a stove. Real stones, real löyly, real sauna temperatures — ready in about 15 minutes from turning a dial. No electrician (there's no electricity involved at all), no chimney, no smoke, no ash. This is the type we build our range around, because it's the only pop-up sauna that's both a real sauna and effortless. The Ember Base (£2,495) is the complete entry point — tent, 8.1 kW gas heater and stones included — and the Ember Complete (£2,695) adds the full accessory kit. Already own a heater, or extending a setup? The connectable FinSteam Fritid X tent is available separately.
Pop up sauna comparison
| Infrared box | Wood-fired tent | Gas tent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real sauna heat & löyly | No | Yes | Yes |
| Ready from cold | Minutes (low heat) | 30–45 min tending a fire | ~15 min, on a dial |
| Needs mains power | Yes (socket) | No | No — fully off-grid |
| Chimney / smoke | None | Flue + smoke | None |
| Running cost / session | Pennies | ~£2–£2.50 in logs | ~£2–£2.50 (13kg bottle) |
| Typical price | ~£100–£500 | From £1,850 | From £2,495 (heater incl.) |
How hot does a pop up sauna get?
A proper tent sauna — wood or gas — reaches the same 70–100°C range as a built sauna, with steam off the stones whenever you want it. Infrared boxes work differently: they warm your body directly at much lower air temperatures, which some people enjoy, but it isn't the sauna experience. If "does it get properly hot?" is your question, the answer is: tents yes, boxes no.
Are pop up saunas any good? The honest checklist
- Buy an infrared box if your budget is a few hundred pounds and a gentle daily warm-up is genuinely all you want.
- Buy a wood-fired tent if the fire is part of the experience for you and you're happy with the workload — see the wood vs gas vs electric comparison.
- Buy a gas tent if you want real sauna heat with none of the admin — hot in ~15 minutes, works completely off-grid, fine in smoke control areas.
- Whichever you choose, pitch it on a firm level base and follow the ventilation guidance — real saunas move real heat.
Still comparing the whole category, including built portables? Our best portable saunas UK guide covers every type, and the full range lives in the portable saunas collection.
Frequently asked questions
What is a pop up sauna?
A sauna you can set up without a permanent build — either an infrared fabric box that plugs into a socket, or an insulated tent heated by a wood stove or flueless gas heater. Tent types are real saunas with stones and steam; infrared boxes run at much lower temperatures.
Do pop up saunas actually get hot?
Tent saunas do — wood-fired and gas tents reach normal sauna temperatures (70–100°C) with löyly off the stones. Infrared pop-up boxes don't reach traditional sauna temperatures.
How much is a pop up sauna in the UK?
Infrared boxes run roughly £100–£500. Real pop-up sauna tents start at £1,850 for a wood-fired tent; complete gas packages — tent, heater and stones — start at £2,495.
Do I need an electrician for a pop up sauna?
No. Infrared boxes use a normal socket, and wood or gas sauna tents use no electricity at all — a flueless gas tent runs entirely off a propane bottle.
Can I use a pop up sauna in winter?
Yes — insulated tent saunas are designed for year-round UK use, and a gas heater reaches sauna temperature in about 15 minutes even in cold weather.
Want to know which would suit your garden? WhatsApp us — we'll tell you straight, including when a cheap infrared box is honestly all you need.
