Choose a barrel sauna if you have garden space and want a hot, traditional Finnish sauna. Choose an infrared sauna if you want something indoors, cheaper to buy and run, and ready in 15 minutes.
Side by side
| Barrel sauna | Infrared sauna | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it goes | Garden, on a level base | Indoors or a dry garden room |
| Temperature | 70–90°C with steam | 45–60°C, dry |
| Heat-up time | 30–60 minutes | 10–15 minutes |
| Running cost | About €2–€3 a session (electric) | Under €1 a session |
| Typical price | €5,500–€9,000 | €2,500–€5,000 |
| Electrics | Dedicated supply, or none if wood-fired | Often a standard socket |
The experience
A barrel sauna gives you the full ritual: real heat, water on the stones, a cold plunge or sea dip afterwards. An infrared sauna is quieter and gentler. You sit back, read or listen to music and sweat steadily without the intense blast of heat.
Irish weather
A barrel sauna is built to live outside: thermowood or cedar staves, a shingle roof and steel bands. You’ll want a short, dry path from the back door. An infrared sauna stays indoors, so the weather never matters, which is a big plus between October and March.
Which one for you?
- Sea swimmers and cold plunge fans: barrel sauna.
- Apartments, small gardens and busy households: infrared sauna.
- Friends and family sessions: barrel or outdoor cabin sauna.
- Lowest running costs: infrared sauna.
For more on traditional sauna bathing, see the Finnish Sauna Society.
Frequently asked questions
Is an infrared sauna as good as a traditional sauna?
It is different rather than better or worse. Infrared runs cooler and is cheaper to run; a traditional sauna is hotter and gives the classic steam experience.
Can a barrel sauna go indoors?
Not normally. Barrel saunas are designed for outdoor use. For indoors, choose an infrared or small cabin sauna.
Which is cheaper to run?
Infrared, by a long way: usually under €1 a session, compared with €2–€3 for an electric barrel sauna.
Which lasts longer?
Both should last 15 years or more if cared for. Barrel saunas need yearly exterior treatment; infrared saunas need the electrics kept dry.
Compare saunas and get a price
Barrel and infrared saunas delivered across Ireland and NI.
