Which sauna (heater) stove is the best?

Which sauna heater stove is the best? The main thing with sauna is spending time in a hot room and relaxing. That simple‑sounding thing can be performed and created in various ways. A closed space and some heat are obligatory. Let’s find out how it’s done properly, starting with the heat source.

The heat shall come from hot sauna stones. That means the stones need to be heated somehow. In early times, fire was pretty much the only hot thing available, so stones were grilled in open fire and then thrown or carried into a sauna. The sauna itself was in many cases a cave or a tent. Pouring water on those hot stones creates a wonderful thing called löyly.

Open fire being slightly impractical, that original method is not very popular in modern saunas. Fire, however, still is—at least in traditional sauna bathing. It could be called semi‑open fire, meaning that the fire is in direct contact with the stones. In those conditions, one obviously cannot breathe safely because of the smoke. If, however, the smoke is removed from the sauna room after the fire is off and no new smoke appears, it’s called savusauna.

Another type of wood‑fired sauna stove works so that the burning happens in a closed fire chamber inside the stove. That produces smoke like any fire does, but the smoke is led out—starting with the smoke channels of the stove, and finally outdoors through a chimney. Burning can continue and fuel can be added during the sauna bath, as the smoke does not enter the room. That genius machine we call jatkuvalämmitteinen kiuas.

Other fuel types besides wood can also be used. The sauna industry knows, for example, gas and pellets. They burn cleanly, and the produced heat can be transferred to sauna stones effectively. Our beloved friends even created a hydrogen sauna heater—good job there, H! Another contender would be the infrared sauna, which in fact is not a sauna at all. It can often be found in spas, and the lamps are often mounted in wood‑paneled rooms. It is therefore understandable that it has a touchpoint with sauna, in a way. But it is an infrared cabin, not a sauna.

From a global perspective, the most common sauna heater type is the electric one. You don’t need a chimney, and the smoke doesn’t disturb your sensitive neighbors. Most importantly, you don’t need to first find a tree to cut down—preferably one that’s yours. Then chop it into pieces and finally wait a few months for the logs to dry. Just push the button, and the heating elements start working the stones. They also stop when you decide that you’re done. Local or remote control, high heat, low humidity—anything you want. Quite brilliant, if you ask us—the sähkökiuas.

And the winner is

Quite often, we are asked to judge and name the best and most authentic type of sauna. The one and only. Our heritage goes way back, and we dare to say that we’ve seen a lot, and we should be able to reveal the best option. However, as we produce both electric sauna heaters and wood‑burning sauna stoves (and even infrared panels), we won’t tell anyone. But there will be signs.

Sauna should always be about relaxation, and like the famous actor Woody Harrelson once said: “I’m not a time person. A watch is not good for me.” In sauna terms, this means not getting fooled by time consumption or hectic scheduling. Or, like it is for a woodpecker pecking its future residence in a fine tree, lots of patience is needed. But when you manage to get it ready, and you have done it properly, the safe shelter will provide both physical and mental wellness and relaxation for ages.

The final quote comes from a former Narvi owner: “The best possible sauna is a smoke sauna with a hand‑built masonry stove. The next best would be one with Aitokiuas.” This heat‑storing, massive structure really is the real deal of sauna stoves. Hoping that the sauna people feel educated now.

Useful links:  
Aitokiuas – the smoke sauna stove
Push the button and go to sauna (Narvi Flow)
Liikkanen (savusaunakiuas)