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The difference between barrel sauna and a traditional sauna. Which one is better?

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A sauna is a building, a room, or an object in which people can experience wet and dry heat sessions. High heat and steam make users sweat, which cools down the body and also helps with muscle and body aches etc. A lot of sauna users also believe that this experience allows their body to detoxify and rejuvenate. 

Traditional Sauna

A traditional sauna is a room that is square in shape and is often wood lined. Traditional saunas have heaters filled with hot rocks which have water ladled over them to release steam. Modern saunas may have other types of heaters and steam releasing machines as well. 

Even though traditional saunas have existed for years, and are used by many across the world, new and improved technology has allowed for a lot of innovation in the sauna industry. 

Barrel Sauna

Barrel saunas are a newer and modern type of sauna which is in the shape of a barrel and is often 7-8 feet wide. These saunas can fit about 4-5 people, although larger designs may accommodate more. Here are some interesting facts about barrel saunas:

A barrel sauna is also about 23% smaller than a traditional square sauna. However, even though these saunas are much smaller in terms of the space they occupy, they are still able to accommodate a good number of people.

What is good about this size is the fact that it makes these saunas quite easy to deliver, ship, and assemble. On the contrary, a traditional sauna is much more difficult to just ship off and assemble and must be constructed by trained professionals. 

The design of a barrel sauna allows for natural air circulation. This is because air is being pushed continuously up the walls which are curved. In turn, this allows for a quicker heat time and also enable the room to remain hotter for long. 

With the ergonomic design that lessens heat time and also helps retain the room’s heat, the energy costs associated with operating a sauna are decreased exponentially. 

Wooden panels called staves are used to construct the barrel of the barrel sauna. These staves have notches in them and are kept together by the use of bands. When the staves become wet, the wood naturally swells and allows for a much tighter seal. This natural response to moisture allows for these saunas to be built by using a lot less hardware and fasteners as compared to traditional saunas. 

The tighter seal allows less hot air to escape, which further allows the sauna to retain heat for longer, ultimately saving heat costs. 

 This is not to say that traditional saunas are not comfortable or useful, but barrel saunas are far more efficient, take up less space, are less costly to operate, are easier to assemble, and are overall much better as an investment as well. If you ask us, barrel saunas are much better than traditional saunas. 

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