Saunas for Sale UK: What They Cost and What You Get
Most sauna listings tell you the price and almost nothing else. That is a problem when the range runs from just over a thousand pounds to nearly ten, and the differences are not obvious from a photograph.
This page lays out what is actually for sale in the UK right now, what each type costs, and — more usefully — what you are giving up at each rung. All prices are ours and current at the time of writing.
The short version
| If you want | Look at | From |
|---|---|---|
| The cheapest way in, indoors | Infrared cabin | £1,195 |
| Real Finnish heat, no electrician | Complete gas sauna | £2,495 |
| A permanent garden sauna | Barrel sauna | £3,890 |
| Permanent and no electrician | Gas barrel or cube cabin | £6,190 |
| Modern, glass-fronted | Cube sauna | £6,499 |
| Traditional cabin, larger groups | Cabin sauna | £6,495 |
A note on how we have quoted these. Every price below is for something you can actually use on delivery — cabin and heater together. You will see sauna tents advertised elsewhere from a few hundred pounds; those are the tent alone, and a tent without a heater is a shelter, not a sauna. We have quoted the complete package throughout so you are comparing like with like.
What you get at each price
£1,195–£4,500 — indoor infrared cabins
These plug into an ordinary 13A socket and go in a spare room, garage or large bathroom. Infrared heats you rather than the air, so you are sitting in 45–60°C rather than 80°C. Different sensation — gentler, drier, no steam.
Worth being straight about: infrared is not a Finnish sauna, and if what you want is löyly — water on hot stones, thick heat, the smell of it — infrared will disappoint you. If what you want is 30 quiet minutes indoors after work without wiring or building work, it is the practical choice.
From £1,195 for a 1-person cabin, up to £4,500 for larger models.
£2,495–£2,695 — complete gas saunas
Cabin, gas heater, stones and UK gas kit in one box. This is the cheapest route to real Finnish heat with real steam — and note that it is the complete thing, not a tent you then have to find a heater for.
The reason this category exists at all: a powerful electric sauna needs a dedicated circuit and an electrician. A wood-fired one needs a flue, logs and forty minutes of tending. Gas needs a propane bottle and a dial. Fifteen minutes, no smoke, nothing to sweep. We are the first UK retail partner for FinSteam, whose heaters carry EU Type-Examination certification and an oxygen depletion sensor.
Ember Base £2,495 · Ember Complete £2,695 (with cedar bench).
£3,890–£6,499 — barrel saunas
The classic garden sauna. The curved shape means less air to heat, so it comes up to temperature faster than a square cabin of the same volume, and the shape sheds rain.
Most come with the heater included, which is worth checking elsewhere — a barrel advertised at a keen price with the heater sold separately is not the bargain it looks.
From £3,890 (2 person) to around £6,499 for a 6-person model.
£6,190–£9,290 — gas in something permanent
The same FinSteam heater goes into our own barrel, cube and pod cabins — a proper timber garden sauna with no electrician, no dedicated circuit and no flue. As far as we know it is the only way in the UK to get a permanent garden sauna with genuine Finnish heat and no electrical work at all.
Worth being straight about the trade: gas costs more up front on these cabins, not less. The same 1.8m barrel is £4,295 with a Harvia electric heater and £6,190 with the FinSteam gas heater fitted. You are paying roughly £1,900 to avoid the electrician, the dedicated circuit and the trench down the garden. That is money well spent if getting power to the bottom of the garden is awkward or expensive, and money wasted if you already have supply where the sauna is going. Tell us which you have and we will say so plainly.
From £6,190 (1.8m barrel) to £9,290 for the 3.4m premium cube.
£6,495–£7,995 — cube and cabin saunas
Glass-fronted cubes and traditional peaked-roof cabins. This is where you are buying architecture as much as heat — these are things you look at from the kitchen window as well as sit in.
Built for daily use rather than weekend novelty: thicker timber, better insulation, proper benching, and sizes up to 6 people.
Cube from £6,499 · cabin from £6,495, depending on finish.
The four questions worth answering before you buy
Do you have 32A power, or only a 13A socket? This decides more than anything else. A 13A socket limits you to infrared or a smaller electric heater. Anything with a serious heater needs an electrician and a dedicated circuit, wired and signed off under Part P — typically £800–£1,500 for that work, plus the wait to book someone. Gas sidesteps it entirely.
Is the heater included? Sometimes yes, sometimes an extra £600–£2,000. Compare the total, not the headline.
Do you need planning permission? Usually not — most garden saunas fall under permitted development. There are conditions on height and boundary distance. Our planning permission guide covers where the lines are.
What will it cost to run? A 6.8–9kW electric sauna at the July 2026 price cap (26.11p/kWh) costs roughly £1.75–£2 per session. Gas runs about £2–£2.50 on a 13kg bottle. Neither is expensive per use; both add up if you leave them on. Full breakdown here.
Where we would start
- Indoors, no building work, lowest cost → an infrared cabin from £1,195
- Real Finnish heat, no electrician → Ember Base at £2,495
- A permanent garden sauna → a barrel from £3,890
- Permanent, and still no electrician → a gas barrel or cube from £6,190
- Something you will still love in ten years → a cube or cabin from £6,495
Browse the full range in outdoor saunas, barrel saunas, cube saunas, indoor infrared, gas saunas and our own gas cabins.
If you tell us your garden, your power situation and roughly how many people, we will tell you honestly which of these fits — including when the answer is the cheap one. help@steamandoak.co.uk · 03330 1515 33
Frequently asked questions
How much does a sauna cost in the UK?
Prices run from around £1,195 for an indoor infrared cabin to £7,995 for a premium outdoor cabin sauna. Complete gas saunas start at £2,495 and traditional outdoor barrel saunas at £3,890. Those are complete prices — cabin and heater together, ready to use.
What is the cheapest type of sauna?
An indoor infrared cabin, from £1,195, which plugs into an ordinary 13A socket. For real Finnish heat with steam, the cheapest complete option is a gas sauna at £2,495 — no electrician and no dedicated circuit needed.
Why do some saunas look much cheaper online?
Usually because the price is for the tent or cabin alone, with the heater sold separately. A heater can add £600–£2,000. Always check whether the quoted price includes one before comparing.
Do I need an electrician to install a sauna?
For most electric saunas, yes — they need a dedicated 32A circuit, signed off under Part P, typically £800–£1,500 of electrical work. Infrared cabins run from an ordinary 13A socket, and gas saunas need no mains power at all.
Can you get a permanent garden sauna without an electrician?
Yes. Our barrel, cube and pod cabins can be fitted with the FinSteam gas heater instead of an electric one, from £6,190 — a permanent timber sauna with real Finnish heat, no dedicated circuit and no flue. It costs around £1,900 more than the same cabin with an electric heater, so it is worth it when running power down the garden would be difficult or expensive.
Is the heater included in the price?
It depends on the seller. Ours include the heater on most outdoor saunas. When comparing prices elsewhere, check — a heater bought separately can add £600–£2,000.
Do I need planning permission for a garden sauna?
Usually not. Most garden saunas fall under permitted development, subject to conditions on height, boundary distance and how much of the garden is covered.
