Find your sauna.
10 questions, 2 minutes. We match your answers against the 22 saunas of the comparator and tell you which one fits, and why.
The % says how well a sauna fits your answers; the SaunaMetrics score is the same for everyone. No affiliate links: nobody paid to come out on top.
Hallmark 44
A traditional stone sauna that runs on a 120 V circuit: no 240 V line to pull.
Utu Small
A compact Finnish cabin in heat-treated aspen, from Harvia, the reference in sauna heaters.
Variant S1515
A genuine Finnish multi-person indoor sauna with Nordic spruce exterior and thermo-aspen benches by Harvia.
Multiwave 2
A modular French-designed traditional steam cabin in Canadian hemlock operating on a single-phase 230 V line.
Pinnacle 4-Person Barrel
A classic cedar barrel with a 6 kW Harvia heater, made in the USA.
Salem 2-Person Barrel
A compact 2-person outdoor barrel sauna in solid rustic cedar with Harvia stone heater and lifetime room warranty.
Cala Outdoor
An architectural contemporary outdoor sauna cabin in premium thermo-aspen crafted in Estonia with expansive glass front.
Canadian Timber Serenity
An eastern white cedar barrel with a front porch, made in Canada.
Sauna
★ Bryan Johnson’s daily saunaThe cedar Finnish sauna Bryan Johnson uses every morning: 20 minutes at 200 °F (93 °C).
Outdoor Tent Sauna
A portable insulated outdoor tent sauna with a heavy-duty stainless steel wood-burning stove reaching 95 °C anywhere.
Sanctuary 2
Full-spectrum infrared with a lifetime warranty on the whole cabin.
Sanctuary 3
A spacious 3-person full-spectrum infrared cabin with medical-grade chromotherapy and a lifetime warranty.
Barcelona
The best-selling budget infrared cabin: Canadian hemlock, carbon panels, standard outlet.
Venice 3-Person
An accessible 3-person Canadian hemlock infrared cabin with carbon heating panels for shared sessions on a budget.
FD-1
A one-seat full-spectrum cabin that reaches 170 °F (77 °C) on a standard outlet.
Joyous 1-Person
An entry-level 1-person solid hemlock infrared cabin that plugs into any standard wall outlet.
mPulse Believe
A smart full-spectrum cabin: near, mid and far infrared plus red light, each controlled on its own.
Triple Threat Infrared Dome
A 360-degree dual-arch infrared sauna dome with memory foam gemstone mat and verified low EMF.
Infrared Sauna Blanket V4
A lie-down infrared blanket that heats up in 10 minutes and folds into a bag.
Thera360 Plus
A foldable full-spectrum tent with red light and tourmaline panels.
What the science says
The strongest evidence (thousands of people followed for about twenty years) is on traditional Finnish saunas at 175 °F and up. Infrared has smaller, shorter studies with promising results. No study has compared the two over the long run: we recommend traditional because it has proven itself, not because infrared is useless. These are observational studies: they show a link, not a cause.
Traditional sauna
- Laukkanen et al., JAMA Internal Medicine, 2015. 2,315 Finnish men followed for 20 years: with 4 to 7 sessions a week, 63% fewer sudden cardiac deaths and 40% lower all-cause mortality than with one.
- Laukkanen et al., Age and Ageing, 2017. The same men: 66% less dementia and 65% less Alzheimer’s disease with 4 to 7 sessions a week.
- Kunutsor et al., Neurology, 2018. 1,628 men and women: 61% fewer strokes with 4 to 7 sessions a week.
- Zaccardi et al., American Journal of Hypertension, 2017. Nearly half the risk of high blood pressure with 4 to 7 sessions a week.
- Laukkanen et al., Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2018. The reference review on sauna and health covers only Finnish saunas, “the most widely studied to date”.
Infrared sauna
- Hussain and Cohen, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2018. 40 studies (3,855 participants), Finnish and infrared: mostly small (13 randomized trials), possible benefits on both sides, not enough to name the best type for each goal.
- Mero et al., SpringerPlus, 2015. In 10 athletes, infrared (95–122 °F) helped neuromuscular recovery after an endurance session.
- Systematic review and meta-analysis on heart failure, 2018. Infrared at 140 °F (Waon therapy), 5 times a week for 2 to 4 weeks, improved several cardiac markers; evidence moderate to insufficient.
Questions
How is the result worked out?
Each answer counts more or less depending on how much it matters (kind of heat, location and budget weigh the most). We measure how well each sauna of the comparator fits, then add a little of its SaunaMetrics score to break ties. It all runs in your browser: nothing is sent.
Traditional or infrared: which is better?
For long-term health, traditional: it’s the one the big Finnish studies followed (fewer cardiac deaths, strokes and dementia with 4 to 7 sessions a week). Infrared has promising results, but from smaller, shorter studies. So the quiz leans traditional, unless you ask for infrared or your situation calls for it.
Which sauna should I buy for my home?
It comes down to three things: the heat you want (traditional at 175–212 °F or infrared at 113–150 °F), where it goes (a room, the yard, or nowhere fixed) and the electrical you have. Budget does the rest.
Why only 20 saunas?
They are the ones in the comparator, where every figure comes from a published source. We add more over time, and the quiz picks them up right away.
Whatever sauna you pick, track it.
Sauna Metrics logs your sessions, rounds and heart rate on iPhone and Apple Watch.