Are Home Saunas Worth It? 5 Best Places To Install Your Home Sauna

Looking to add some luxury and relaxation to your home? A home sauna might be just what you need. With the right location and installation, a home sauna can provide a variety of benefits, from increased home value to improved health and wellness. In this article, we'll explore the best locations for installing a home sauna in your house.

Top places to put your home sauna

1. Outdoor near pool or garden: Provides a unique and natural ambience, a picturesque view of the landscape
2. Spare room: Provides privacy and easy accessibility, as well as your own wellness room at home
3. Large garage: Provides ample space and privacy, with the added benefit of a separate entrance for your sauna
4. Basement: Great space, and privacy makes it a popular choice for home saunas
5. Attic: This can be a unique location for a home sauna

The top spot for your sauna is the Outdoors

Our top pick for where you should put your home sauna is outdoors! For a unique and natural ambience, consider building an outdoor sauna near your pool or garden. This location provides a picturesque view of your landscape, with the added benefits of fresh air and natural surroundings.

Pros:

• Provides a unique and natural experience
• Save space with possibly under utilised space outside
• Easier for socialising and entertaining
• Can be an eye-catching backyard feature

Cons:

• Maybe less private than indoor options; may require additional privacy measures such as landscaping or fencing
• May require additional weatherproofing and maintenance measures to protect the sauna from the elements
• Outdoor saunas are more expensive

Utilising a spare room for your home sauna

Another option is a spare room in your house. This provides even more privacy and easy accessibility. Plus, you can consider adding additional spa features like a shower to create a complete relaxation space.

Pros:

• Provides even more privacy and ease of use; additionally you can create a complete wellness space at home
• May already have the necessary infrastructure such as electricity and size
• Most households have a spare room

Cons:

• May limit the use of the room for other purposes if converted to a sauna space

Home sauna in your garage

If you have a large garage, consider partitioning a section for your home sauna. This provides abundant space and privacy, with the added benefit of a separate entrance for your sauna.

Pros:

• Provides much space and privacy, with the added benefit of not damaging flooring when wet with sweat
• May already have the necessary infrastructure such as special electrical requirements
• Can be easily converted or repurposed for other uses if the sauna is removed
• Can utilise other health and wellness tools nearby such as workout equipment

Cons:

• May not provide the same level of comfort and relaxation as other locations due to the garage's utilitarian nature

Placing your home sauna in your basement

The basement is a popular choice for home saunas, thanks to its space, privacy, and out-of-the-way nature. Whether you convert an unfinished basement into a sauna room or opt for a pre-fabricated sauna, the basement offers a great location.

Pros:

• Ample space allows for a larger sauna and relaxation area
• Provides privacy

Cons:

• Moisture buildup may be a concern; proper ventilation and waterproofing are essential

Putting a home sauna in your attic

Finally, while not a common choice, the attic can be a unique location for a home sauna. However, proper ventilation and adequate space are crucial for this option.

Pros:

• Can be a unique location for a home sauna
• May provide a cozy, intimate space for relaxation

Cons:

• May require significant structural modifications to support the weight of the sauna
• May have limited headroom or space, depending on the size of the attic.

Different Types of Home Saunas

Before you start planning your sauna installation, it's important to understand the different types of saunas available. The most common types of home saunas include traditional saunas, infrared saunas, and steam saunas.

Traditional Saunas

Traditional saunas use heated rocks or a stove to generate heat and steam in a closed room. They typically operate at temperatures between 150 and 195 degrees Fahrenheit and have a humidity level of 10 to 40 per cent. Traditional saunas are known for their ability to provide the hottest temperatures.

Infrared Saunas

Infrared saunas use infrared light to generate heat, which heats the skin and provides gentle, therapeutic benefits. They operate at lower temperatures than traditional saunas, typically between 120 and 150 degrees Fahrenheit, and have a lower humidity level of 0 to 5 per cent. Infrared saunas produce the most health benefits of all saunas and come in many different sizes and options.

Traditional Steam Saunas

Steam saunas use a steam generator to produce heat and steam in a closed room. They typically operate at temperatures between 110 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit and have a humidity level of 100 per cent. Steam saunas are often preferred in commercial premises but are the most expensive to run.

7 Reasons a Home Sauna is worth it

Below, we’ve listed some of the best reasons to add a personal sauna to your home- these include:

1. the time you’ll save
2. convenience
3. the flexibility you’ll suddenly have in your schedule
4. as well as the stress relief
5. the value you’ll add to your home
6. the people you’ll impress
7. and the health benefits of building a proactive culture that involves health, wellness, and mindfulness.

Saving Time With A Personal Home Sauna?

Make the most of a busy schedule by slipping into your own personal infrared sauna. No more time wasted sitting in traffic, commuting to a gym or a health spa.

When you add a sauna to your home, you’re eliminating potentially hundreds of wasted hours over the course of a year, that you can now spend inside a sauna, instead.

A report from the A&M Transport Institute says that the average commuter wastes more than 54 hours in traffic each year, and if even a narrow slice of these hours are spent travelling to a gym or spa, you’ll be saving yourself hundreds of hours over the lifespan of your personal sauna.

A Personal Sauna Provides Convenience Like Non-other

Imagine a lifestyle that allows you to wake up, practice some mindfulness alongside a coffee and then spend time in your own personal sauna, free of strangers, their germs, awkward glances and distractions. With an infrared sauna in your house, you’ve got the flexibility to choose your sauna sessions and invite friends and family over to enjoy the benefits, too.

Our brains respond positively to being able to choose something, rather than being forced into it, so it’s not too far of a stretch to say that having the ability to take a sauna whenever you want, in the comfort of your own home will help alleviate stress and anxiety about making it to the gym on time or sharing a confined space with strangers.

A Personal Sauna Relieves Daily Stress

It’s well-known that spending some time in a silent, isolated environment can work wonders for your psychological wellness, and with an infrared sauna, this relaxation is compounded. Take, for example, the relaxation that comes with your self-care strategies.

Would your time be better spent in an environment that is free from distractions, or the intimidation of a gym environment? We think so.

Aside from this anecdotal evidence, there are also well-established peer-reviewed papers that show infrared saunas have a positive impact on our psychology, with a 2018 study concluding that “the psychological impact of sauna bathing may be due to a combination of factors that include the release of endorphins, forced mindfulness, psychological stress reduction, relaxation, improved sleep and time out from our busy lives.”

While your time in the sauna is no doubt important, it’s essential that you remember the importance of building a ritual around your wellness activities that fosters a quiet, intimate setting and allows your body to relax completely.

A Personal Sauna Builds Good Health Habits Easily

There are immense psychological and physical benefits on offer once you’ve created a routine that prioritises your daily wellness and mindfulness activities. From helping to fight illnesses, all the way to an improved overall headspace that can fortify your mental and emotional state.

The simple act of practising mindfulness in a sauna, for example, can reduce anxiety levels by as much as 60%, and improve your overall productivity at work by 120%.

As you build a routine that includes consistent time in a personal sauna, you’ll find yourself building a culture of preventative health and wellness that will benefit you immensely in the future. With a personal infrared sauna, you can find out how to raise your body temperature and achieve a state of complete relaxation without the need to leave your house.

This process as a whole is assisted by the fact you’re operating in a zone that is free from strangers, and distractions and includes the comforts of home.

After your first sitting, you are able to enjoy the health benefits of your very own personal infrared sauna without a commute, interaction with strangers or the need to renew your spa membership.

A Home Sauna Adds Value To Your Home

As the health and wellness space is becoming increasingly mainstream, and homeowners are beginning to see the virtues in owning their own wellness space, rather than spending their time in a gym or a health spa, it's this preference of home buyers that has continued to show profitable returns.

A British study found that creating an on-trend space for your home increased the value of the property anywhere between 8% all the way up to 10%, a considerable benefit for appealing to modern times.

We're not saying that by purchasing a sauna you'll automatically increase the value of your home by 10%, but that people are more conscious than ever about their personal wellness, and by prioritising the convenience from the above-mentioned reasons, the associated value of having a dedicated wellness space is desirable in today's market.

As more people recognise the importance of self-care routines, red light therapy and infrared therapy devices will become a normal, albeit, luxury addition to modern homes, and even apartments.

Socially Benefiting From Your In-Home Sauna

There are a number of social benefits of owning your own sauna, most notably, the fact that you can now invite your friends and family over, and enjoy a personal and private sauna session in the comfort of your own home.

Keeping our lifestyles social helps us unwind from a stressful day, and the psychological benefits of spending time with our loved ones in a setting like a sauna help to build trust and intimacy within our relationships.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find someone that isn’t in awe of the fact that you’ve got your very own personal sauna in your home.

Rather than meeting your friends down at the gym, you can relax in the comfort of your own home and strip down without the self-consciousness that so many of us experience in a gym or spa.

How much does it cost to run an infrared sauna?

The running cost of an infrared sauna is really cheap, and we have a Sauna Running Cost Calculator to help you get an accurate estimation of the electricity cost of an infrared sauna. For Clearlight Saunas operating costs equate to around $0.30 cents per sauna; or around $5 a week if you’re soaking up five sessions.

Even for our larger saunas, operating costs are rated at around $7.50 for five sessions per week - a massive saving from the potentially hundreds of dollars you’re spending on a gym, spa membership or even your daily coffee.

Is Owning An Infrared Sauna Worth It?

Owning an infrared sauna has a number of benefits over visiting a gym or spa. These advantages, though, are dependent on certain factors in your lifestyle that differ from person to person. The most notable benefits of owning an infrared sauna include:

• Privacy: Arguably the biggest benefit on offer, when you own a sauna in your home, is the privacy that it enables. Remember that some of the health benefits from saunas often stem from the deep meditative state that you enter after 15-20 minutes of your session, and if you’re in the comfort of your home, you’re likely to relax a lot more.
• Flexibility: Owning a sauna in your home also means that you have an unparalleled amount of flexibility and convenience. If you have a busy schedule, this is perhaps the best reason to opt for your own sauna.
• Long-Term Price Advantage: When you start to add up the long-term price of a gym or spa membership, the cost advantages of owning an infrared sauna begin to present an economic incentive.

What Are The Disadvantages Of Owning An Infrared Sauna?

There are also some disadvantages when it comes to owning your own sauna, which can mean that visiting a gym or spa might actually be your best option. Again, these are dependent on how often you plan to use your sauna. The problems associated with owning your own sauna include:

• Initial Price Investment: While modern infrared saunas are in fact cheaper than you might think, they do require an investment of thousands of dollars. For some people, this simply isn’t feasible for their budget, and purchasing a sauna for the house would be unrealistic.
• Spacial Dimensions: Another concern of owning your own sauna is the question of if, and where, you can fit it in your house or unit. Adding an infrared sauna to your home requires some vacant space in your home, and for a number of households, this isn’t practical. Ensuring you have enough space for an infrared sauna in your home is essential, and one of the common barriers to adding a sauna to a home.

Home Sauna Considerations: How to find the right location

1. Indoor vs. Outdoor Sauna. The first decision you need to make is whether you want an indoor or outdoor sauna. Both have their unique advantages and disadvantages, so it's essential to weigh them before making a decision.
2. Choosing the Right Location. Once you've decided on the type of sauna you want, the next step is to choose the right location. We've made some suggestions in this blog already.
3. Size and Space Considerations. The size and space of your sauna depending on various factors, such as the number of people who will use it, its features, and its purpose. How big a sauna depends on the brand, type and how many it seats.
4. Electrical and Plumbing Considerations. A typical sauna requires a 240-volt outlet, which may require an electrician to install. If you plan on having a shower, you'll also need to install plumbing. It's essential to ensure that your chosen location has access to these requirements. Additionally, you should consider the cost of installation and maintenance.
5. Ventilation. Proper ventilation is crucial for the functionality and safety of your sauna. A poorly ventilated sauna can lead to mould, mildew, and other potential health hazards. You should ensure that your chosen location has adequate ventilation to allow air to circulate freely.
6. Insulation. Insulation is vital for the efficiency of your sauna. Proper insulation ensures that the sauna retains heat and consumes less energy. You should consider using insulation materials such as fibreglass or mineral wool. Investing in high-quality insulation can save you money in the long run and help you achieve the perfect sauna experience.
7. Flooring. The flooring of your sauna is another important consideration. You should choose the flooring that is slip resistant and can withstand high temperatures. Suitable flooring materials include concrete, ceramic tile, or vinyl. A non-slip surface can prevent accidents and ensure that you enjoy your sauna experience safely.

Finding the Ideal Spot for Your Home Sauna

Choosing the perfect location for your home sauna requires careful consideration of various factors. By following this guide, you can make an informed decision that meets your specific needs and preferences. When selecting a location for your home sauna, keep in mind the factors mentioned earlier in this blog. We hope you find the perfect location for your home needs.