Sauna Guide, Reviews, Sauna Heaters

7 Best Electric Sauna Heater Reviews in 2024

best electric sauna heaters blog post
At Sauna Marketplace, we believe that sauna is not meant to be 'endured' but enjoyed.  You should leave the sauna feeling better than you entered it.  And getting the right heater, sized perfectly, makes all the difference in the world. A good sauna is more comfortable even at hotter temperatures.  When the heater and the sauna are in balance, your entire body will get the benefits of sauna longer.  If you want a sauna that won't make you light-headed and dizzy then this article is for you.

Choosing a Sauna Heater

The best sauna heater depends on your preferences, sauna routine, and space.  And in a sauna, aesthetics do matter. There are also tradeoffs sauna companies don't tell you about. For instance, more rocks provide a softer and more pleasant experience but they take longer to heat up. Fewer rocks heat the room faster but can serve a harsh heat if not carefully planned. We've gotten pretty good at finding the sweet spot.  We know what heaters last, where to locate the heater and vents for the most balanced sauna, and how to size the heater just right. To get started, let's look at what kind of temperatures and humidity you prefer. 

Note: We only recommend authentic sauna heaters that get hot (180°F+) and can create steam by splashing water on rocks.  These are also known as Wet, Dry, and Finnish Saunas.  You'll find no infrared gimmicks here.

Best Electric Sauna Heaters

Looking for wood stoves?  Those are here!

 

Control Temp and Humidity

Virta Combi

Dial in a variety of sauna and spa experiences available at your fingertips.


The Harvia Virta Combi has a built-in reservoir ready to deliver traditional sauna, a steam sauna, herbal sauna, or an aromatic sauna.


Want to pair Harvia's Autosteam technology with any other electric or wood-fired sauna heater?  Then Harvia Autodose is the way to go!


 

Climate Equalizer

Saunum Air

Electric saunas have a problem. The hottest air sits near the ceiling, making for an uncomfortably hot head and cool feet.

That's why so many Americans approach sauna as something to be endured.  

It doesn't have to be that way.

Saunum fixes this by blending the hottest air from the ceiling with cooler air at your feet for the most enjoyable, invigorating sauna experience ever.

Want climate equalization with a different sauna heater?  Then Saunum AirSolo is for you.

Like it Hot?

HUUM

HUUM sauna heaters are SGS listed and the only sauna heaters in North America designed to reach temperatures up to 230°F!


That's crazy hot, but for those who like pushing the limits, or don't want to worry if you're sauna will get hot enough, this is for you.

But it's more than hot air, HUUM is loaded with unrivaled rock capacity in every heater that provides a "soft" pleasant sauna experience and endless steam potential.

Ready When You Are!

Harvia Forte

If you plan to use your sauna 4+ times a week (and you should!) then the Always-Ready Harvia Forte should be considered.

It packs up to 220 lbs of stones in the chamber that store heat ready to bring the sauna to temperature in as little as 5 minutes.

It stores heat so well that it saves energy and requires less power than other heaters!

Splash some water on the rocks, take a pre-shower, and you're ready to go.

And if you like to jump in the sauna on a whim, the Harvia Forte is definitely for you!

New!

Harvia Spirit

Harvia's latest wall-mounted sauna heater is UL approved and ready for anything - especially ladles of water!
Canadian Made

Homecraft Revive

An instant classic.


The tower design holding up to 200 lbs of rocks with their unique free air flow design allows for large amounts of water to be added to the heater creating large amounts of steam and increasing the humidity to the room.


This beautiful heater was designed for the sauna user who desires that increased humidity and have a more wet-sauna experience.


We think the Homecraft Revive is the most likely to passed down to future generations.  Homecraft has excellent support and are built like a tank.  

Are More Stones Better?

As you can see from our recommendations, we really like sauna heaters with a lot of rocks.  Are they always better?

Usually, but there is a tradeoff!  Let me explain.

It takes longer to heat the extra thermal mass contained in the stones, but when they are fully heated then you will be rewarded with a more comfortable sauna.  

The sauna will be more comfortable, and have much more potential for steam when pouring water on the rocks.  

A well sized sauna heater with fewer rocks will heat faster.  In a smaller sauna especially, the heat will feel "harsh", like a blower dryer to the face.  

So the best of both worlds might be a heater with a lot of rocks and a Wi-Fi enabled controller.  This allows you to start the sauna from the gym, work, or bed.  Now the extra heat up time doesn't matter so much.  

What about...

IKI Pillar Sauna Heaters

These are way too tall for a good sauna experience.  While some heat does radiate out the sides, most heat works its way to the top of the rocks, which is ideally below the seating position in a sauna.  Good sauna design and performance is nearly impossible with pillar heaters this tall.  

Vevor

These cheap Chinese heaters won us over (for the price) when we purchased a few for testing purposes and comparing with our higher end models from Europe.  

To be clear, the higher end models shown above will perform better, be safer, are UL or SGS approved for safety, and provide more options.  But if you want a cheap heater that will really put out heat check this model out specifically.

Narvi

We are reviewing and testing Narvi sauna heaters now!  They make very solid heaters with good design from Finland.  So far we are impressed and are waiting to clear up a few details before we sell them on Sauna Marketplace!  

What's the best 110v Sauna Heater?

We've sold 110v heaters from Harvia and Amerec in the past but won't do it anymore.

In our experience, 110v sauna heaters are never enough, even in super insulated tiny saunas like this one.  

If you want a 110v sauna heater because you think you can plug it into the wall, think again.  

Electric sauna heaters require hardwire service from your electric panel regardless of volts.  This is because they don't work well with GFCI protection that would be required if plugging into the wall.  

If you insist on trying a 110v volt sauna heater due to your circumstances, we recommend getting a cheap Vevor sauna heater here, so at least you won't have a lot of money in the project.  

Best 110v Sauna Heater

HUUM VS HARVIA

Loyly (Finnish) vs Leil (Estonian).

The rivalry is real.  

Harvia just released a sauna heater design called the Harvia Spirit - very similar to HUUM's most popular model, the HUUM DROP.  

See how they compare here.  

The big difference between Harvia and HUUM sauna heaters is that HUUM is SGS listed while Harvia is UL listed.  This sounds technical and boring but it determines how hot the heaters can get.

HUUM reaches temps up to 230°F while Harvia is limited at 194°F.

You may never want to bathe over 200°F but remember the thermostat location for the heater is often internal in the heater or above the heater.

That means if you want 180°F at the seating position, some saunas will require you to crank that dial to 230°F on the sauna controller.

Our customers have never complained about their HUUM not getting hot enough.

On the flip side, Harvia is a trusted Finnish brand with seemingly fewer heating element failures and other issues.

Some homeowners may also prefer the peace of mind of having a heater that is UL approved, although our understanding is that SGS is perfectly acceptable.  

HUUM heaters are all rock basket heaters.

Harvia has a much broader range of heaters that include the automatic steaming Virta Combi, the always ready Forte, and inexpensive heaters with built in controls like the KIP and Cilindro.  

We can't imagine a world without both, and luckily we don't have to. 

To us it's not HUUM VS Harvia, but HUUM + Harvia.  

How to Choose The Best Heater

That covers the preferences, but we must also get the sizing and budget right.  

Check out our guide to sizing HUUM sauna heaters here, which will be a good start for any heater brand.  

If you have a large or commercial sauna, then your only good options are HUUM HIVE, Harvia Club, Harvia Virta Pro, and Saunum Air L.

See all of our recommended electric sauna heaters here.