NOIR XL Signature — FinSteam Premium Sauna Package with Safety Pack (Aurora R14S)

Steam & Oak is the first UK retail partner for FinSteam.

The Signature configuration — Aurora heater with the full safety pack, complete in one buy

NOIR XL Signature is the FinSteam package built for families with kids, holiday lets accepting reservations, light commercial use, and anyone who wants the complete certified safety story standard. The Aurora 81 R14S heater ships with the Halo safety rail and Njord heat shield included as standard — the configuration most professional installers and Gas Safe engineers will expect to see on a fixed install, and the configuration public-liability insurers expect to see in commercial / hire use. Premium black tent, premium heater + full safety pack, folding Western Red Cedar bench, 40 kg of stones, and the UK gas kit. One consignment, ready to use the day stock arrives.

Why a gas sauna at all (and why it beats wood-fired or electric)

The UK portable-sauna market is split between two compromises. Wood-fired tents bring a chimney to fit through the roof, smoke and ash to clean up, a 30-45 minute warm-up, fire-tending mid-session, and the standing fire risk of a live flame in fabric. Cheap electric steam pods are dry, lightweight, frequently unrated for safety, and tied to a wall socket. The FinSteam NOIR is the third path: gas-powered, no electricity, no chimney, no live fire — engineered as a sauna from the start.

A clever piece of engineering — the certified safety case

Running gas safely inside a small enclosed space is genuinely hard. FinSteam solved it with patented burner technology delivering clean, stable combustion, wrapped in two layers of automatic safety. The Oxygen Depletion Sensor (ODS) continuously monitors oxygen and automatically shuts off the gas if it drops to approximately 18% — well above any level dangerous to occupants. Flame monitoring cuts the gas instantly if the flame is lost. The XL Signature adds a third layer the lower NOIR tiers don't have: the physical safety pack — Halo rail to prevent contact with the hot heater top, Njord shield to reduce clearance to combustible timber. FinSteam's stated claim: this is the only CE-marked, electricity-free sauna gas heater on the European market. AENOR-tested under EU Gas Appliance Regulation 2016/426. Zero warranty returns on the heater across the last 12 months.

What's in the XL Signature package — every piece explained

1. FinSteam Fritid X premium black sauna tent

The premium version of FinSteam's portable sauna tent system, in deep matt black with a two-entrance connectable design. The tent and the heater are designed and manufactured as a single safety-engineered system — vent openings sized to match the heater's airflow, fabric specified to handle combustion warmth, certified together under EU Regulation 2016/426. You don't add ventilation, modify the tent, or specify a base.

• Floor: 180 × 180 cm. Height: 180 cm at the sides, 207 cm at the centre.
• Internal volume: 8 m³ — sized for 2 to 4 people comfortably.
• Required pitching space: 240 × 240 × 220 cm.
• Setup time: under a minute. Integrated pop-up frame, no tools.
• Fabric: 3-layer engineered insulated construction. Outer Oxford 420D polyester with waterproof coating (2000 mm rating). Middle 150 g/m² polyester fibre fill. Inner Oxford 210D smooth heat-retaining liner.
• Vent openings sized and positioned for the FinSteam heater's airflow — engineered around it from day one.
• Two entrances — one for sauna use, second connectable to a second Fritid X if you scale to XXL later.

2. FinSteam Aurora 81 R14S gas sauna heater + safety pack

The Aurora 81 is FinSteam's newer premium 8.1 kW heater. The "S" configuration (R14S) is the heater plus the FinSteam safety pack included as standard:

• Aurora 81 heater chassis — 8.1 kW, 0.59 kg/h gas consumption, 15-20 min heat-up, 61 × 51 × 30 cm, ~9.8 kg.
• Orbis 14 stone cage fitted — 20-25 kg+ stone capacity.
• Halo safety rail (included as standard). A wood-clad circular rail that fits around the top of the heater, preventing accidental contact with the hot stone cage during a session. Standalone retail ~£249.
• Njord heat shield (included as standard). A non-combustible steel shield that sits between the heater and any timber surface — reduces the required clearance to combustible timber (200 mm → 50 mm on the sides). Standalone retail ~£189.
• UK propane spec: I3P 37 mbar (included regulator + hose pre-configured).
• Sauna size range: 4-12 m³ insulated. The Fritid X is 8 m³ — sits mid-range.
• Certification: EU Type-Examination Certificate, AENOR-tested under Gas Appliance Regulation 2016/426. ODS + flame monitoring.

Look at the heater on its own and the safety pack pays for itself. Stepping from the Aurora 81 R14 (£1,995) to the R14S (£2,295) is a £300 step — and the R14S bundles the Halo safety rail (~£249 standalone) and the Njord heat shield (~£189 standalone), around £438 of safety equipment at standalone RRP. In other words, the S configuration is itself the saving: ~£438 of kit for a £300 step, arriving factory-fitted and matched to the heater rather than bolted on afterwards — the configuration insurers, fire-risk assessors and Gas Safe engineers expect to see. And the package step mirrors it exactly: NOIR L Elite at £2,895 to NOIR XL Signature at £3,195 is £300 — precisely the standalone R14 → R14S difference. You pay the exact heater difference; the safety pack comes with it.

3. Folding Western Red Cedar sauna bench

Solid Western Red Cedar, sized for the Fritid X and built to fold flat. Cedar is the classic sauna-bench timber: naturally moisture-resistant, with low heat conductivity so it stays comfortable against bare skin instead of scalding, and it carries the warm cedar aroma you expect the moment the sauna comes up to temperature.

• Low heat conductivity — comfortable to sit on even when the sauna is at full temperature.
• Naturally moisture-resistant — cedar handles the humidity of a gas sauna without special treatment.
• Folds flat — packs down for storage and travels with the tent.
• Solid wood, no veneers, no panel-board.
• Sized for the Fritid X — drops in without adjustment.

4. 40 kg pre-washed FinSteam sauna stones

Sized to fit the Orbis 14 cage, 40 kg packs proper thermal density for genuine löyly response. Pre-washed, burn off on first use, replace every 2-3 years of heavy use. 40 kg lasts most domestic users 3-5 years.

5. UK propane regulator + 1.2 m CE-marked gas hose

The bit FinSteam don't ship by design. The kit included with every NOIR is:

• UK propane regulator, I3P 37 mbar.
• 27 mm clip-on connector — fits standard UK Calor 13 kg propane bottles.
• CE-marked gas hose, internal Ø ≥ 9 mm, 1.2 m length.
• Commercial / hire operators with larger bottles (POL screw, 19-47 kg) — get in touch before ordering.

What it costs bought separately

Every part of this package is something we sell on its own. Bought piece by piece:

• Fritid X premium black tent — £895
• Aurora 81 R14S heater with Halo + Njord — £2,295
• Folding Western Red Cedar bench — £185
• 40 kg stones + UK regulator & hose kit — £188

That's £3,563 separately. As the NOIR XL Signature package it's £3,195 — a £368 saving, delivered as one matched consignment rather than four orders you assemble yourself.

Why the safety pack matters — and who needs it

The "S" variants (R11S, R14S) add the Halo + Njord as standard. The pack is recommended in three specific scenarios:

• Family use with children — Halo prevents accidental contact with the hot stone cage during a session. The cage runs at sauna temperature; a brushed elbow or shoulder is a burn risk without the rail.
• Commercial / hire / holiday-let use — public-liability insurers expect to see a physical barrier around hot surfaces in any operation accepting paying customers. The Halo is the standard answer; an event/venue fire-risk assessment will look for it.
• Tighter fixed installs — the Njord reduces the required clearance to combustible timber (200 mm sides → 50 mm), letting the heater fit the tightest cabin / cube saunas. Gas Safe engineers will expect to see Njord (or equivalent fire-board) on any fixed install.

If you fall into any of those three categories, NOIR XL is the pick — you get the safety equipment matched and fitted from new, which is the position you want to be in with an insurer or a fire-risk assessor.

Made in Finland. Designed as a system. Backed by a track record.

Every component is FinSteam-engineered and matched. The Aurora 81 is manufactured in Finland by FinSteam Ab Oy with all components sourced from Europe. Spare parts ship direct from the factory. UK stock + UK service + UK phone support through Steam & Oak as the official first UK retail partner. Zero warranty returns on the heater in the last 12 months.

Portable by default. Gas Safe registered if you fix it down.

The heater ships as a portable LPG appliance — connected outside to a propane bottle via the included 37 mbar regulator and CE-marked hose, like a patio heater. You do not need a Gas Safe registered engineer for portable use. If you choose to permanently fix the heater into a structure, UK regulations require the gas connection to be made by a Gas Safe registered engineer. The Njord heat shield in this package is part of what makes that fixed install workable — most fitters expect to see it.

XL vs L, and what the step up to XXL adds

Step from NOIR L Elite (£2,895) to NOIR XL Signature (£3,195) is £300 — exactly the standalone difference between the Aurora 81 R14 (£1,995) and the R14S (£2,295). You pay the heater difference and nothing else, and the heater arrives with:

• Halo safety rail as standard (~£249 standalone).
• Njord heat shield as standard (~£189 standalone).
• Both factory-fitted to the heater as the R14S configuration — matched from new, not retrofitted.

That £300 buys roughly £438 of safety equipment at standalone RRP. That's where the value sits: you pay the exact heater difference and the safety pack is effectively built in, matched and factory-fitted rather than bolted on later. If you need either the Halo or the Njord — kids in the house, paying guests, or a fixed install — XL is the tier to buy. Step up to NOIR XXL Signature (£3,995) adds a second Fritid X tent connectable to the first — sauna in one, dedicated changing room / cold-plunge antechamber / sleep tent in the other.

Who it's for

• Families with children — Halo rail standard, peace of mind around the hot heater.
• Holiday-let / Airbnb operators where paying guests use the sauna — meets the insurance physical-barrier expectation.
• Light commercial / hire start-ups — the configuration UK rental operators typically buy.
• Builders / installers doing a fixed cabin install — Njord allows the heater to fit tighter sauna interiors.
• Buyers who want the FinSteam top-tier configuration without stepping up to the two-tent XXL flagship.

Not included

• Propane bottle — buy a UK 13 kg Calor propane locally.
• Non-combustible base for the heater (≥30 mm thick, ≥300 × 300 mm).

FAQs

What's the safety pack actually for?
Two things. The Halo is a wood-clad rail around the top of the heater that prevents accidental contact with the hot stone cage during a session — relevant for any household with kids and any commercial use where you're accepting paying customers. The Njord is a non-combustible steel shield that sits between the heater and combustible timber — it reduces the required clearance from 200 mm to 50 mm, letting the heater fit tighter sauna structures and giving you the safety margin on any fixed install. Both come as standard in the XL Signature; both are sold standalone (~£249 and ~£189) if you start with L and decide to add them later.

Is the heating performance different from the NOIR L?
No. Same 8.1 kW chassis, same Aurora heater design as the L, same heat-up time (15-20 min), same löyly response, same gas consumption (0.59 kg/h). What the XL adds is the safety configuration, not extra heating capability.

I don't have children and I'm not running a hire business — is the safety pack still worth it for me?
Probably the Njord — yes, especially if you plan to fix the heater into a cabin or barrel sauna later. The Halo less so. If neither applies, the NOIR L Elite at £2,895 is probably the smarter buy.

Do I need a Gas Safe engineer?
Not for portable use. Yes for any fixed install. The Njord in this package makes the fixed install option much more practical because it cuts the clearance to combustible timber by 50%.

What ventilation does the tent need?
None that you have to set up. Engineered in by FinSteam.

Can a single XL package eventually become an XXL setup?
Yes — buy a second Fritid X tent standalone and connect them at the entrances. Same end-state as XXL.

Is the XL good for commercial / hire use?
Yes — it's the configuration most UK mobile sauna hire operators choose for single-tent setups. The XXL is more typical for larger group events.

Delivery + documents

Free UK delivery. Stock status and lead time shown above the buy button.

Documents available on request: EU Type-Examination Certificate (AENOR) · EU Declaration of Conformity · Installation & safety manual · Ventilation spec · UK gas connection guide.

How the gas heat works — ready in about 15 minutes

Electric and wood heaters warm the room indirectly: they heat a big mass of stones first, which slowly warms the air — 30 to 45 minutes of waiting or fire-tending. A FinSteam gas heater is flueless and heats directly: it burns gas cleanly and puts the hot air and water vapour straight into the cabin, while the stones still heat for löyly. Nothing is stored first, nothing is lost up a chimney — so it's ready in about 15 minutes, on a dial.

Full explainer: how a gas sauna heater works. Weighing up fuels? Wood-fired vs gas vs electric.

The safety engineering

Gas in an enclosed space deserves serious engineering. Every FinSteam heater has an Oxygen Depletion Sensor (ODS) that shuts the gas off automatically if oxygen drops too low, flame supervision that cuts the gas the instant the flame is lost, and push-button piezo ignition. The Aurora R14S adds an integrated 60-minute safety timer plus the Njord heat shield and Halo safety rail (already in this package). The cylinder always stays outside. EU type-examination certified under the Gas Appliance Regulation (2016/426).

Why gas wins in busy and commercial saunas

The hardest thing for any public or mobile sauna is the door: every time it opens, hot air escapes and cold pours in. An electric or wood heater then sags while it slowly rebuilds heat from the stones. A flueless gas heater produces heat continuously and replaces the lost hot air the moment it escapes — so it holds temperature through constant use. The 12-month warranty applies to commercial use.

Compare the range

Value range (Botnia heater): Ember Base (£2,495) · Ember Complete (£2,695). Premium (Aurora): NOIR L Elite (£2,895) · NOIR XL Signature (this page, £3,195) · NOIR XXL Signature (£3,995). Commercial: NOIR Dome. Prefer the fire ritual? See our wood-fired saunas.