Seen in person
We stepped inside the Viva at Leil in Estonia.
On September 1, 2026, Ben Burger and Ben Frizzell visited Leil in Võnnu, Estonia, and photographed a Viva 210 inside and out: the same Thermowood build, bronze glass front and hexagonal deco wall as the Viva 250. Seeing these saunas in person and how they are built won us over.
The Viva 250 is the largest Viva, 15 inches wider and 7 inches taller than the 210, and it now comes with an L-shaped bench.
Look around the Viva we photographed in 360° ↑Watch our 79-second walk around Leil’s display saunas ↗
Now standard
An L-shaped bench, standard since October 2026.
Leil now builds every Viva 250 with an L-shaped bench. The upper bench runs 94 inches along the back wall, long enough to lie down on, and the L turns along the side so a second bather can sit back with legs stretched out. Leil rates the Viva 250 for five to six people.
- Seats
- 5 to 6
- Upper bench
- 94 in long, 24 in deep
- Lower bench
- 16 in deep
- L section
- 36 × 26 in
- Sauna exterior, W × D × H
- 98 × 71 × 99 in
- Interior
- 94 × 62 in, 89 in high
- Sauna weight, per Leil
- 1,874 lb
- Delivery form
- Kit for assembly on site
Allow room in front for the door and around the sauna for assembly and maintenance. Exterior size is the sauna size, not a foundation or clearance specification. Ask us for the dimension drawing.
The construction behind the comfort
Built for life outdoors, from the roof to the base.
The Viva’s walls, floor and ceiling are Thermowood, wood that has been thermally modified to take up less moisture and move less with the seasons. Vertical timber slats frame the bronze glass front, and a rubber membrane covers the roof.
- 1.57 in Thermowood walls, floor and ceiling
- Thermal modification reduces moisture absorption and wood movement, so the walls keep their fit through wet and dry seasons.
- An EPDM rubber roof
- A one-piece rubber roof cover and a rain gutter keep water off the wooden shell.
- A bronze glass front
- Two glass panels and a tempered glass door, 71 5/8 × 80 3/8 in in all, with black hinges and a long black handle.
- Thermo-alder benches
- The upper and lower benches, the L, the backrest and the step are thermo-alder: the darker wood in Leil’s photos.
- Ventilation openings
- Vents bring in fresh air during a session and help the room dry afterward.
- A black base frame
- The sauna stands on a black base frame of 1 3/4 × 3 3/4 in beams.
Why we insist on thermally modified wood
We’ve seen outdoor sauna kits develop gaps and cracks as their wood expanded and contracted. A year later, what looked like a heater struggling to keep up was heat escaping through those gaps.
That experience changed what we sell. For our solid-wood outdoor saunas, we choose thermally modified wood for its stability and durability: a tighter fit through the seasons and less heat escaping through gaps.
Heaters
Heaters sized for the glass front
HUUM sizes a sauna by its room volume plus 3.3 cu ft for every square foot of glass. Leil puts the Viva 250 room at 304 cu ft, and its glass front is 40 sq ft, so it heats like a 436 cu ft room. These three HUUM heaters are on Leil’s heater list for the Viva and cover that. Each package adds the heater, a HUUM UKU Wi-Fi control and the stones it needs to your cart as separate items.
HUUM HIVE Mini 10.6 kW
Best fit for the glass front
An open stack of stones for soft, generous steam. With the glass counted, the Viva 250 sits in the middle of its 354 to 566 cu ft range. Leil lists it under its European name, HIVE Mini 11.
- HUUM UKU Wi-Fi control
- Ten 33 lb boxes of HUUM stones
- HIVE Mini safety rail
- 240 V, 43.75 A, on a 50 A breaker
Package: $5,231
HUUM HIVE Mini 9 kW
On Leil’s heater list
The same open stack of stones with a little less output. Its 283 to 460 cu ft range covers the Viva 250 with the glass counted.
- HUUM UKU Wi-Fi control
- Ten 33 lb boxes of HUUM stones
- HIVE Mini safety rail
- 240 V, 37.5 A, on a 50 A breaker
Package: $5,103
HUUM DROP 9 kW
On Leil’s heater list
HUUM’s compact drop-shaped heater. Its 283 to 460 cu ft range covers the Viva 250 with the glass counted.
- HUUM UKU Wi-Fi control
- Four 33 lb boxes of HUUM stones
- DROP safety railing
- 240 V, 37.5 A, on a 50 A breaker
Package: $3,686
Room ranges and electrical figures are from HUUM’s US manuals. Keep the clearances in your heater’s manual. A licensed electrician wires the heater and control.
Choose your heaterKnow what you’re buying
The sauna, the heat, and the work on site.
Included in the sauna kit
- Thermowood walls, floor and ceiling
- EPDM rubber roof cover and rain gutter
- Bronze glass front with a tempered glass door and handle
- Thermo-alder L-shaped bench, backrest and step
- Ventilation openings
- Black base frame and trim
Choose with your package
- A HUUM heater, UKU Wi-Fi control and stones
- The hexagonal deco back wall
- LED lighting under the bench and behind the backrest
Arrange at your property
- A stable, level base with drainage
- Moving the crate from the curb to its spot
- Assembly and a protective finish on all the wood, inside and out
- A licensed electrician for the heater and lighting
- Any locally required permits
Leil’s photos show the hexagonal deco wall and LED lighting. Those are options; the sauna kit price covers the sauna itself.
Choose your options & heaterPlan the whole project
Delivery and assembly, explained up front.
01
Check access and the base
Plan a route from the curb to the sauna’s spot and a stable, level base with drainage. The Viva 250 is 98 × 71 in, plus room for the door to open. Leil lists its crate at 47 × 98 × 47 in.
02
Budget beyond the kit
Curbside freight to the lower 48 states is $1,500 per sauna, added at checkout. Freight does not include unloading, moving the kit into your yard or assembly. Tax, base preparation and electrical work are separate.
03
Plan the finish and the wiring
Leil supplies the wood unfinished, so plan to coat it inside and out right after assembly. Your electrician uses your heater’s HUUM manual for the circuit and control placement.
We confirm your delivery window with Leil when you order. When the crate arrives, inspect it and note any visible damage with the carrier before you sign.
Want help matching the sauna and heater to your plans? Book a Ben consultation or use the question form beside your package choices.
Questions
Good questions to ask.
Is a heater included?
No. The sauna kit price covers the sauna. The heater packages above add a HUUM heater, its UKU Wi-Fi control and the stones it needs. Choose sauna only if you are supplying your own suitable heater.
How many people fit, and can I lie down?
Leil rates the Viva 250 for five to six. One person can lie down on the 94-inch upper bench while another sits back on the L with legs straight out.
What changed with the L-shaped bench?
In October 2026, Leil made the L-shaped bench standard on the Viva 250 and raised its capacity to five to six. Earlier photos of the Viva 250 show a straight bench.
Which heater should I choose?
Any of the three fits. With the glass front counted, the Viva 250 heats like a 436 cu ft room. That is the middle of the HIVE Mini 10.6’s range and near the top of the HIVE Mini 9’s and DROP 9’s, so the HIVE Mini 10.6 is our pick.
What does my electrician need to know?
Every heater package runs on 240 V. The HIVE Mini 10.6 draws 43.75 A on a 50 A breaker; the HIVE Mini 9 and the DROP 9 each draw 37.5 A on a 50 A breaker. Those figures come from HUUM’s US manuals, which your electrician follows for wire size and control placement. Leil’s construction guide brings the LED lighting to its own junction box outside the sauna.
Do I need to finish the wood?
Yes. Leil supplies all of the wood unfinished. Its construction guide says to coat every interior and exterior wood surface right after assembly, using sauna-safe, heat-resistant products inside, and to recoat as needed. Skipping it can void Leil’s warranty.
What base does it need?
A level, stable base with drainage. Leil lists the sauna at 1,874 lb, before the heater, stones and bathers, on a base frame of 1 3/4 × 3 3/4 in beams. A deck needs its load capacity checked for the finished sauna, heater and bathers.
Can I assemble it myself?
Yes. The Viva 250 ships as a kit with Leil’s construction guide, linked below. Leil also has a step-by-step assembly video; ask us for a copy. A licensed electrician connects the heater and lighting.
What is the hexagonal deco wall?
A panel of timber hexagons on the wall behind the bench: the patterned wall in Leil’s photos. Open Studio above the photos to compare it with the standard wall.
Can I use a wood-burning heater?
Leil also builds the Viva for wood-burning heaters, with the chimney parts that requires. Ask us and we’ll put that package together with Leil.
Can I pick it up instead?
Ask us about picking it up at Leil’s US warehouse in Garfield, New Jersey.
What warranty applies?
Leil’s construction guide makes the wood finish and regular care conditions of its warranty. Ask us for Leil’s written warranty terms before you order.
The documents for your project.
Keep these with your assembly and electrical plans.
Viva 250 dimension drawing Ask us with the question form → Viva 250 construction guide Assembly and care, from Leil ↗ HUUM HIVE US manual Sizing and electrical ↗ HUUM DROP US manual Sizing and electrical ↗ Leil Viva catalogue The whole Viva range ↗More from Leil
More Leil outdoor saunas.
Viva 210Round Cube RelaxRound Cube SinglePatio SAll Leil saunas →
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