Wood-fired vs electric sauna: which suits a UK garden?

A wood-fired sauna offers crackling fire and soft heat, and needs no electrical supply – but it takes longer to heat, needs a flue and fuel, and may be restricted in smoke control areas. An electric sauna is ready at the press of a button and suits most UK suburban gardens.

Comparison

	Wood-fired	Electric
Heat-up time	45–90 min	15–45 min
Control	Manual, by feeding the fire	Thermostat, timer and app
Power supply	Not needed	Dedicated circuit (or 13 A for small infrared)
Smoke and neighbours	Can be an issue	None
Maintenance	Ash, flue cleaning, fuel storage	Minimal
Best for	Rural, off-grid, occasional use	Regular use, towns and suburbs

Smoke control areas

Much of urban England is covered by smoke control areas. In these, you may only burn authorised fuels or use a DEFRA-exempt appliance, and you can be fined for emitting smoke from a chimney. Check with your council before choosing a wood-burning sauna stove.

Why most of our customers choose electric

• Ready when you are – start it from your phone on the way home.
• Consistent temperature with no fire to tend.
• No smoke drifting into the neighbours’ garden.
• Works for indoor saunas too.

An electric traditional heater still gives proper löyly when you pour water on the stones – see our traditional saunas. If you want the lowest running costs, an infrared sauna is cheaper again.

When wood makes sense

If you live rurally, have no practical way to run power to the bottom of the garden and enjoy lighting a fire, a wood-fired sauna can be wonderful. Plan the flue, fire safety distances and a dry log store.

Frequently asked questions