Description
What Makes Our Cedar Barrel Saunas the Best on the Market?
Faster Heat Up Times: We use larger heaters than our competitors to give you the fastest possible heat up time (10-20 mins)
Silent Heater Control: Some heaters have audible “”ticks”” as the heater timer counts down. Our electric heaters are digital so don’t have any count-down ticking.
Electric Heater Control On Front Wall: Several electric heaters on the market have their controls mounted directly on the heater. This means that you need to go into the sauna and get down on the floor to turn the heater on or off. With our convenient control display, which is mounted on the front exterior wall of the sauna, it’s much easier to control your heater.
You Can Pour Water on the Rocks: Both our electric and wood-fired heaters can handle water being poured directly on the rocks for that traditional sauna experience. Our electric heaters are CSA Approved for use in Canada.
Get it as a Sauna Kit or Assembled On-site: For customers in Vancouver, Squamish, Horseshoe Bay, Lions Bay, Whistler, Pemberton, Sunshine Coast, Nanaimo and the Gulf Islands, we’re able to offer an installation service. We’re also currently working to expand our installation services to Toronto, Muskoka, Collingwood, Whitehorse and Calgary with our network of trained carpenters. For customers in other locations, or even handy customers who want to save a bit on the delivery fees, we offer our units as a cedar barrel sauna kit, which comes flat packed and you can install yourself in less than a day (we recommend two people, but it is possible to do an install as one person).
A Word on Our Capacity Ratings
Our capacity ratings are a conservative guide for how many adults we suggest in the sauna. Most of our customers find they can fit more people in their sauna than what we suggest. For example, when we say 4-5 person capacity on our 6’5″” model, we mean 4-5 people can fit with plenty of space between everyone.
*Our capacity ratings for the wood fired units are lower than electric saunas of the same size, because the wood stove takes up more floor space than the wall mounted electric heater.
What Type of Wood Does Nootka Saunas Use?
All of our barrel saunas are made with locally-sourced Western Red Cedar. The cedar is kiln-dried to ensure it’s as dimensionally stable as possible. We use select tight knot cedar, which means that the cedar has some knots, which are purely visual and don’t compromise the integrity of the cedar.
Sometimes you’ll hear the rumour that saunas should only be made with clear cedar (ie: no knots). That thinking is valid when saunas are made with <1″ thick tongue and groove panelling, which allows knots to eventually “pop-out” after several heat cycles. Since all of the boards we use are 2″ thick (planed to 1.5″), there is no risk of knots shifting or ‘popping-out’ of the wood. That means you can rest assured that your sauna will withstand the test of time. We can also produce clear cedar barrel saunas for customers that want that options for aesthetic reasons. Clear cedar costs about 60-70% more than select tight knot cedar.
Should I Go Wood or Electric?
It all depends on how frequently you intend to use your sauna and where it’s being installed.
Electric: For customers in urban locations or who wish to use their sauna several times a week, electric is a great option. You can get the electric heater up to 90°C (194°F) and there is no issue pouring water on the rocks of our electric heaters. The electric models heat up in just 10-20 minutes and it’s as simple as hitting the “on” button to get it fired up. The electric heaters we use require a 40A (8ft sauna) or 50A (10ft sauna), 240V service run to the back wall of the sauna. Getting an electric hookup is often easier than you think and in most cases can be done by an electrician in just a few hours. For customers between Vancouver – Whistler, we recommend contacting Red Alder Electric to get a wiring quote. Our electric stoves are fabricated by a Vancouver-based company, Homecraft Saunas and they all come with a 1-year warranty.
Wood: If you have a rural property, have limited electrical capacity or just love the traditional method of getting a sauna fire stoked, then our Harvia stove powered saunas are a great option. The stoves are made in Finland and in our opinion they’re the best wood-fired stove out there. For customers with wood-fired saunas, temperature control can be done most effectively by managing how much wood you use as well as the the species (ie: cedar burns hotter than pine). Our wood-fired saunas, take about 20 minutes to heat up.
Still Have Questions?
If You Have Questions about ordering a barrel sauna, please check out our FAQs page , email us at [email protected] or give us a call at (778) 652-3569
John A. –
Used our sauna for the first time tonight and love it. We ordered the sauna a couple of months ago. Had to delay delivery because our pad wasn’t ready. Kris and Andrew were super understanding and put us on their list for delivery and installation as soon as we could accept it. Controls are easy to use. Unit heated up super fast. Looking forward to our cold snap this coming week in the lower mainland. I’ll be spending it in our sauna.
Jikke G. (Fernie B.C.) –
Love our new sauna. Kris is great and managed to ship it to Fernie, BC and arrange for a local contractor to build it for us as well.
Stewart B. (B.C.) –
Our family recently purchased Nootka’s barrel sauna. We picked up and did the assembly ourselves. The support we received from Kris and his team was wonderful. The sauna itself is better than I expected. The materials used and the construction design are perfect. Our barrel sauna came with a Harvis wood burning stove. This stove is second to none. What a great product!!!
In summary, without hesitation we recommend Nootka Saunas as a place to make your barrel sauna purchase.
Sincerely,
The Berge’s
Chris G. (Sunshine Coast, B.C) –
Awesome sauna! Great experience dealing with the Nootka Saunas team!
Greg L. (Vancouver, B.C.) –
Great Service from Kris and Andrew, loving the sauna we are using it daily great for the West Coast drizzle days.. Very simple and easy ( electric version)
Joseph Z. (Lower Mainland, B.C.) –
Great experience, value and customer service!
Paul W (Mayne Island, B.C.) –
It was a pleasure working with kris and Andrew on the build of my wood burning sauna with front porch. I decided to go with the metal roof which was a perfect choice as it will be durable in the forest location at my cabin, not to mention looking really attractive. Kris was also supper accommodating when I asked to pause my order. His installer Andrew did an incredible job building and assembling my sauna, he sent me photos during the build and after as I was not able to be present when it was taking place. I finally was able to use it for the first time tonight after a long anticipated wait and the relaxation is none other. So happy I went with the wood burning, easy to light and fast at heating. I added some led strip lights to under the seats which works perfectly. I also choose the flat wood floor which makes it easy to walk when getting into thr sauna and also while inside. I would definitely recommend Nookta to anyone who wants a well built stylish relaxing sauna. I could not be happier. I would give 10 stars if I could.
Marianne I. –
We have enjoyed the Nootka Sauna for a month now and couldn’t have made a better choice. It is extremely well built and roomy inside, love the smell of cedar and the very efficient wood stove! We really appreciated your two ladies who came to set it up in our yard in a few hours
Stefan S. –
Fairly straight forward to build and works really well. Very enjoyable to relax in after long days out in the rain. Absolutely no complaints from me on the sauna and the owner is also really helpful if you get stuck.
Chris B. (Whistler, B.C.) –
Kris and Andrew make an amazing sauna. Right from the first email, to delivery and set up, it was a breeze. They are quick to get back to you about any questions and concerns, very professional, and as I said make a amazing product. I would suggest Nootka saunas to anyone that’s looking to get their sweat on. Keep up the amazing work fellas, this is a superior sauna compared to many other ones that I have tried.
Nick Belmar –
10 out of 10 experience with Kris and Andrew at Nootka Saunas! The sauna was delivered ahead of schedule and installed in a day. The finished product sits in the yard almost as an art piece. We’ve been recommending Nootka Saunas to all of our friends. We use it everyday! Healthy Livin!
Phil Watkins (Delta, B.C.) –
Great sauna! What an awesome place to sit unwind and relax! A quality build. Heats up fast., Couldn’t be happier. Also the metal roof really finishes it off and adds a nice touch. I was concerned at first, I didn’t want anything too industrial looking. Not at all. Looks way better than I had hoped. Looks perfect in our yard!
Arianna G. (Canada) –
We are delighted with our sauna! Everything went smoothly, from beginning to end, and the sauna arrived ahead of schedule. We had it expertly assembled on our back deck (thanks!). It’s perfect – heats up super fast, looks and smells beautiful. The sense of peace after a sauna session is priceless. If you’re vacillating, don’t wait!
Jessica L. (Robert’s Creek, B.C.) –
This sauna has been a wonderful addition to our property. Kris, Andrew and Chanel were all great to work with, and the sauna was installed in just half a day (thanks Chanel!) High quality materials, solid construction and the woodstove heats it up quickly. We couldn’t be happier, and would highly recommend Nootka to anyone looking for a beautiful sauna.
David F. –
Absolutely love my Nootka Custom Barrel Sauna. It looks amazing and works like a dream. Working with Kris and his team (thanks Rob) was effortless. They were responsive from the time we ordered to the install date. The installation was also a really great experience. It went smooth and was quick! Absolutely loving the sauna and have already recommended this to a number of friends!
I had debated about ordering my own custom kit and doing something myself but I’m so glad I decided to go with Nootka Saunas. The price, quality and service are spot on! It would have been more expensive and time consuming to try and do it myself.
Highly recommend. Also for any prospective buyers, hit me up if you’re thinking about it. I’m happy to share my experience or answer questions.
Pat W. (Vancouver, B.C.) –
I absolute love my sauna, I use it every day. Kris and his crew are first class!
Hugh J. (Ottawa, O.N.) –
Nootka Sauna delivered and install at my home in Ottawa. Installed in 1 day, very professional work done by Andrew, very impressed with the quality of the wood used to make the sauna, looking forward to using it 12 months of the year, sound investment and relaxation benefits for family enjoyment in the backyard!!!
Chas W. –
Best addition to the house. Not only is the sauna top of the line and amazing, the customer service is impeccable. Kris was faster than he originally said by a month to Install. Install was part of a day only and later that day we were able to enjoy our new sauna.
Mac L. (Whistler, B.C.) –
We are super happy with our new Nootka sauna. Kris was great to deal with, very professional and provided a quality product.
Todd S. (Chilliwack B.C) –
I recently purchased a Sauna from Nootka Sauna. Kris was very helpful and professional in helping me select the right sauna for my needs. The Sauna is beautiful and works perfectly. the Sauna was delivered and installed on time. Andrew the installer did a great job building my Sauna. All and all a great experience. I would recommend this to anyone looking for quality Sauna.
Cynthia F. –
From initial discussions about this project through to efficient installation and sourcing of electrical support, it has been a distinct pleasure to work with Kris Harris at Nootka. He generously offered some operational guidance and we couldn’t be more grateful for the beautiful cedar sauna now gracing our garden.
Cathy Z. –
We are so thrilled with our sauna and use it nightly.
It heats up in about 10 minutes and allows for water on rocks to create intense heat and steam.
Ordered and installed painlessly and ready to use within hours.
Easily seats 6 .
Jen H (Northern B.C.) –
Kris was great to work with for helping us obtain the Sauna we have dreamed about for years. Smart, but simple design comes together relatively quickly. We went with the wood fired model because of our rural setting in North-Central, BC. Kris arranged shipping directly to our door, in our out of the way location. Order, to delivery time was less than two weeks!
Connor H. –
Super happy with our sauna, and working with Kris was a breeze. He was extremely helpful, attentive, and fair. Would recommend to anyone!
John-Mark –
Kris was awesome. Installed the sauna in a tight spot. Very professional. Will recommend to friends!
Hayden K.M –
Loving the 6ft barrel sauna! It’s awesome to support a Canadian company that builds such a high quality product. I always wanted to use the sauna as additional recovery from sports. I’ve been using it after running and found it to be a huge help! Would recommend getting the under the bench lighting also for night time sessions.
Paul T –
After considering a lot of options I decided to purchase a sauna from Nootka Saunas. From start to finish I received excellent customer service and the quality of the finished product definitely exceeded my expectations. I assembled the sauna at home with help from a friend and it has totally transformed my backyard. If you are considering adding a sauna to your home I strongly recommend you check out Nootka Saunas!
Norm H. (Squamish, B.C.) –
We are super stoked with our Nootka sauna. We use it almost everyday and has been a great addition to our wellness routine. Kris provided excellent service and followed up immediately with any issues or tweaks we had. Great service and a great product!
Norm H. –
We are super stoked with our Nootka sauna. We use it almost everyday and has been a great addition to our wellness routine. Kris provided excellent service and followed up immediately with any issues or tweaks we had. Great service and a great product!
Jeff M. –
Couldn’t be happier! Kris was very knowledgeable and extremely helpful in all aspects of our project. Beautiful cedar and high quality heater and accessories.
Dave G. –
We are super happy with our Barrel Sauna from Nootka Sauna’s. The knotted western red cedar is beautiful and the sauna is perfect for our family. It’s a great addition to our ski chalet and provides warmth and relaxation during the winter season. We added a slatted cedar floor, heater guard, Sunbrella cover, and LED lights. Love the finished product. They were easy to deal with and super helpful with all of our requests.
Hayden K. –
Loving the 8ft barrel sauna! It’s awesome to support a Canadian company that builds such a high quality product. I always wanted to use the sauna as additional recovery from sports. I’ve been using it after running and found it to be a huge help! Would recommend getting the under the bench lighting also for night time sessions.