Garden & barrel saunas
Barrel, cube and cabin saunas for the garden: what the main shapes cost in the UK, what they need underneath and behind them, and how to compare them without being sold to.
What to decide before you shop
- Heat source. Electric heaters are the default, but a 6–9kW heater needs its own circuit from your consumer unit. Wood-fired and gas options avoid the cable run but bring their own rules. See wood-fired vs electric and best sauna heaters.
- Shape. Barrels have less air to heat for their footprint; cubes and cabins use the floor space better and are easier to fit with glass fronts and changing rooms. See barrel vs cube.
- Timber. Untreated spruce is cheaper but needs an exterior finish; thermowood and cedar cost more and the retailers say they need less upkeep.
- The extras. A base, an electrician, assembly and sometimes delivery are on top of the sticker price. Budget for them from the start. See sauna base options.
Guides
Guides marked Ad are buying guides that contain affiliate links.
Ad Buying guide
Best outdoor saunas UK 2026: 8 garden saunas compared on price and spec
Eight outdoor saunas from UK retailers compared on price, heater, size and power needs, from a £2,900 two-person cabin to a £7,899 six-person barrel. Prices checked 10 November 2026.
Ad Buying guide
Best barrel saunas UK 2026: 8 models compared, from £2,945
Barrel saunas from four UK retailers compared on length, timber, heater and real starting price, including which ones come without a heater. Prices checked 10 November 2026.
Ad Buying guide
Best outdoor saunas under £5,000 (UK, 2026): what the money really buys
Every outdoor sauna we found under £5,000 at four UK retailers, with heater included or not, plus what you'll pay on top for a base, electrics and assembly. Prices checked 10 November 2026.
Costs
Garden sauna cost UK 2026: the all-in price, line by line
What a garden sauna really costs in the UK once you add assembly, a base and a dedicated electrical supply, with three worked examples from £4,100 to £10,600 and sources for every figure.
Costs
Sauna running costs UK 2026: cost per session at the current price cap
How much electricity a home sauna uses per session, worked out for 1.9kW infrared cabins up to 9kW heaters at the Ofgem cap of 26.32p per kWh, with every assumption shown.
Guide
Do you need planning permission for a garden sauna? (England, 2026)
When a garden sauna counts as permitted development in England, the height and boundary limits that catch people out, building regulations, listed buildings, and wood-burning rules.
Guide
Sauna electrical requirements UK: supply, Part P and what an electrician costs
What a home sauna needs electrically in the UK: dedicated circuits, 13A plug-in infrared cabins, 32A heaters, three-phase, Part P notification, BS 7671 Section 703, and typical installation costs.
Ad Buying guide
Best sauna heaters UK 2026: 9 electric and wood-burning heaters compared, from £409.99
Harvia, HUUM and Narvi sauna heaters from UK retailers compared on price, output, room size, controls and stones, with how to size a heater for your sauna. Prices checked 11 November 2026.
Guide
Infrared vs traditional sauna: price, heat, running costs and power compared (UK 2026)
How infrared cabins and traditional stove-heated saunas differ on temperature, purchase price, running cost, electrics and space, using UK retailer listings checked in November 2026. No health claims, just the practical differences.
Guide
Barrel vs cube sauna: which garden sauna shape suits you? (UK prices 2026)
Barrel and cube garden saunas compared on price, space inside, heating, delivery, warranty and upkeep, using UK retailer listings checked in November 2026.
Guide
Wood-fired vs electric sauna: costs, rules and practicalities (UK 2026)
Wood-burning and electric garden saunas compared on upfront price, installation, running costs, smoke control rules and day-to-day use, with real UK prices for the same saunas with each heater, checked in November 2026.
Ad Buying guide
Harvia vs HUUM vs Narvi: which sauna heater brand? (UK prices 2026)
The three sauna heater brands UK retailers sell most often, compared on price, controls, stone capacity, wood-burning options and warranty, using retailer listings checked on 11 November 2026.
Ad Buying guide
Polar Recovery Sauna Cube review 2026: specs, real price and the small print (desk review)
A desk review of the Polar Recovery Sauna Cube from its UK listing: what's included, sizes, heater, electrics, base, warranty conditions, returns and total cost, checked on 11 November 2026. We haven't tested it.
Costs
Garden sauna base options UK 2026: concrete, paving, timber or ground screws?
What a garden sauna needs underneath it, and what concrete slabs, paving, timber bases and ground screws cost in the UK, with published 2024–2026 prices and the load figures sauna retailers ask for.
Ad Buying guide
Sauna and cold plunge on a budget UK 2026: hot and cold setups from £348.99
Five budget ways to get a home sauna and a cold plunge in the UK, from a sauna blanket and an inflatable tub to a garden sauna with an inflatable tub, with real prices checked on 10–11 November 2026 and the running costs.
Work out the real cost first
Our calculator adds up the sauna, delivery, base and electrics, then shows what each session costs at today's electricity price. You can change every assumption.