This is our review of the best electric sauna heaters currently on the market.

When I was younger I always preferred wood burning sauna stoves. The smoke and smell of burning wood was, and still is, a magical sensation. 

And even if the more traditional stoves will always have a place in my heart, electric sauna heaters have become my favorite over the years. They are easier to use, quicker, and kinder on your lungs. 

But with so many options out there, which one should you pick for your setup?

Let’s dive into the topic and try to find the best electric heater for your sauna.

I base my reviews of these heaters on first-hand testing over the years as well as a bit of research.

Best For Home – Harvia KIP

This is a true classic. If you have ever been to a home sauna, chances are a Harvia provided the heat.

The Harvia brand is famous for its value and quality. They make simple-to-use heaters that have stood the test of time.

So why is the KIP my favorite electric sauna stove for the average homeowner?

Well first of all is actually safety. The Harvia KIP has an automatic shut-off feature after a preset time, as well as for overheating.

If your home life is as chaotic as mine can be, an automatic shutoff can be a literal lifesaver if you forget to turn off the sauna.

The compact design and square shape also mean you can fit this thing into most average-sized saunas. So no matter your sauna setup, most of you should have enough space for the KIP.

Next is performance.

The KIP is a fast-heating stove. We used the 6 kW version and it heated our 250 cubic feet (7 cubic meters) sauna in about 30-45 min.

The Harvia KIP that I have can be controlled with two simple dials. They are placed on the right-hand side and are easily accessible, as seen in the picture.

You can also opt for the Xenio controls, which lets you control the settings of your heater straight from your phone through Harvia’s app.

These features make the Harvia KIP one of the most intuitive and simple-to-use heaters out there.

Harvia has been a staple of the home sauna builds for many years now.

This has given the company a lot of time to perfect its products, removing any unnecessary gimmicks and focusing on rugged design and performance.

Something that stood out when I installed this heater was the quality of the parts. You can feel the difference in the quality of the metal body when compared to cheaper alternatives.

The resulting customer reviews for the KIP speak for themselves.

When I visited my local sauna store and spoke to their sauna experts they all praised the Harvia brand, and the KIP in particular.

I had a Harvia KIP for many years in my previous sauna and it worked flawlessly.

Some find the design somewhat basic and lacking in features when compared to the HUUM lineup for example.

But I find the classic, simple design very attractive and quite refreshing in the current, over-designed product lineups.

To sum up, if you need an affordable and safe electric sauna for home use, look no further. This simple classic will do the job for as long as you need it to.

Harvia KIP Installation and Safety Distances

Here is a quick overview of the most important information to keep in mind when installing the Harvia KIP. 

This includes the Harvia KIP 30, Harvia KIP 45, Harvia KIP 80 and Harvia KIP 90.

Another thing to keep in mind is the sauna stones. I have seen people try to save money and throw in whatever stones they can find. I would say don’t do this since it can ruin your sauna heater.

Be sure to use drinking water as well since you might damage the heater if you use a different water source.

Best Design – HUUM DROP 

If you are somewhat familiar with the sauna industry, you will know about the HUUM DROP. The iconic “free-floating” rocks are always striking and a staple of the company’s design. 

I saw one of these for the first time at a design shop in Finland many years ago. At that time the design was not as common and I remember the HUUM standing out even more back then as a truly beautiful and unique heater.

I have used this stove a lot since then, so let’s get into the details about what makes the HUUM DROP one of the best options for your sauna.

First of all, performance, the HUUM DROP creates a strong even heat. The entire thing is basically rocks surrounded by thin metal rods. This means a lot of hot surfaces for the water to come into contact with.

The design is of course something that needs to be mentioned in further detail.

There was something truly striking about seeing the HUUM DROP in a steam-filled sauna with dimmed lights.

It gives off a luxury feel that I didn’t get from any of the other heaters I have used.

A few years ago, HUUM added an app to the controller options. This means you can now use the UKU Local (simple controller without Wi-Fi), UKU GSM (uses mobile data to connect your DROP to the app), and UKU Wi-Fi Control (uses Wi-Fi to connect to the DROP).

Giving the HUUM DROP one of the most versatile and easy-to-use controls.

Personally, I used the app most of the time. It worked fine, nothing to write home about. I prefer the UKU Local though since I wouldn’t recommend bringing your phone into the sauna, I learned that the hard way.

The heating is quick and it keeps the temperature very well. The 55kg of rocks that fill the DROP gave off an even steam.

There was something different about the radiating heat as well. The DROP seemed to give off a more even heat in all directions than a regular stove with the rocks placed up top.

The design also gives the added benefit of not having to aim when pouring water on the heater. Although HUUM recommends pouring it from the top I tried just throwing it anywhere on the rocks and it worked fine. Obviously more of a fun experiment than a useful function.

I read a review saying that the HUUM DROP works extra well with essential oils and after trying it out, I kind of agree. Of course, it smelled great as always, but it was a more intense and short-lived sensation than usual, so go ahead and try it if aroma steam is your thing.

The installation is straightforward enough if you follow the instructions. When I installed the HUUM DROP 6 kW that a friend recently bought, I kept the 19 cm space between the wall and installation plate as instructed, but it was a bit tight. So would recommend you keep at least a 30 cm gap.

Now I want to touch on something real quick. Although neither I nor my friends have run into any issues when using the HUUM DROP, some users have found the quality to be quite lacking. The elements breaking or the heater shorting out were some common issues mentioned.

I would have wanted the durability to be a bit better given the steep price tag. It does seem that the warranty worked most of the time and customer support was helpful.

Thanks to the simple design, any tinkering that needs to be done is fairly quick and easy, if you consider yourself to be handy.

All in all, I strongly recommend the HUUM DROP if you are looking for a unique electric sauna stove with a gorgeous design. 

Just be aware of the price tag and that you might need to do some fixing from time to time if you are unlucky.

HUUM DROP Installation and Safety Distances

Here is a quick overview of the most important information to keep in mind when installing the HUUM DROP. 

This includes the HUUM DROP 9 kW, HUUM DROP 6 kW, and HUUM DROP 4.5 kW.

Same here, be sure to buy the right sauna stones for the HUUM or it might ruin the heater. 

If you are investing in an expensive electric sauna heater such as the HUUM DROP you might as well opt for some high-quality stones instead.

Finally, be sure to buy and install the heater guard, it is a small investment for the safety benefit.

Best Compact – Harvia Vega Compact

Another entry from Harvia, the Vega Compact is the perfect companion to your small sauna. 

Don’t let the size fool you though, this little guy is powerful for his size, perfect for that two or three-person sauna build. 

I have used the Vega Compact in larger saunas as well, but it struggled a bit to keep the temperature up, especially with people coming and going.

Now I have only tried the 4.5 and 6 kW versions of the Vega Compact, so those are the ones that I will be reviewing.

The last time we tried the Vega Compact was in a 7 cubic meter (250 square feet) sauna and it was the 4.5 kW option. It performed very well, we let the sauna heat for a bit extra and avoided any opening of the door.

There are no complaints quality-wise for the Vega, the stainless steel body feels very solid and the polishing looks great.

As you can see from the pictures I took from the sauna, the dials are easy to reach, even with the protective rails around the stove.

The heating system is a scaled-down version of their tried and true, larger sauna heaters and so far I haven’t heard any complaints about it from any of my friends who own one. 

I could mention that the dials felt a bit less sturdy when using them than for the larger variants like the Harvia KIP, nothing that I think would affect longevity however.

Installing the Vega Compact was easy. Once the rack was up I simply lifted the heater onto it and attached it with one bolt in the center. 

Something you don’t notice unless you try it out is that thanks to the small size of the Vega Compact, the heat gets a lot lower than with regular-size heaters.

This made the difference in temperature between the top and bottom benches seem a lot smaller.

The limitation of this review is that I didn’t have access to the more powerful heaters so I could check them out, maybe I’ll add them sometime in the future.

So who is the Harvia Vega Compact for?

Well, if you are someone who is looking for the best heater to heat up your massive outdoor sauna, this heater isn’t really for you.

The Harvia Vega Compact is perfect for those of you with a smaller sauna that need a compact, but capable heater.

If that sounds like you, this is your best choice. 

Harvia Vega Compact Installation and Safety Distances

Here is a quick overview of the most important information to keep in mind when installing the Harvia KIP. 

This includes the Harvia Vega Compact, Harvia Vega Compact, Harvia Vega Compact, and Harvia Vega Compact.

Best Affordable – Vevor 9kW

If you want to get the most out of a heater for as little money as possible, Vevor makes one of the best options out there.

What I enjoy about Vevor’s lineup is that they make their electric sauna stoves as simple as possible to drive down the price. No unnecessary gimmicks or attempts at standing out.

They also make their heaters with a few different power options depending on the size of your sauna.

The one that I have used was the 9 kW so let’s go through some of the pros and cons I found when using it.

The overall build quality is sturdy, although the finish doesn’t feel as high quality as the Harvia, not that I expected it to at this price.

The controls are intuitive and simple to use and let you set time and temperature with ease.

The Vevor heated fairly quickly and kept a stable temperature even when we were pouring water on it regularly. I would say that the HUUM and Harvia handle it better, but those are also a lot more expensive.

Although I wasn’t there for the installation, my friend did mention that installing the Vevor was a bit more complicated than what he was used to.

He mentioned that the wiring setup was confusing and the instructions didn’t make a lot of sense. The Amazon reviews seem to agree with him.

Although I mention some installation info below, I would recommend checking out some YouTube videos or consulting with an expert before installing the Vevor to make sure you’re doing it right.

For a truly budget sauna heater, the Vevor 9kW does a great job. You might want to consider their 3 kW option if you have a smaller sauna. They also have a 6kW and 8kW option.

Whichever you choose however it will do the job for a fraction of the price of its competitors.

Vevor 9kW Installation and Safety Distances

Here is a quick overview of the most important information to keep in mind when installing the Harvia KIP. 

Electric Sauna Heater Buying Guide

Sauna Size

The first thing you need to consider when looking for an electric sauna stove is the size of your sauna. The larger the sauna, the more power you’re going to need, a rule of thumb is 1 kW per 50 cubic feet. 

When I built my first sauna in the yard I decided to go for a really big cabin-size sauna. The thinking was that when I had all my friends over, we could all fit in the sauna at the same time. 

The issue I found was that when I was alone or when we were just a few people, heating the sauna took a really long time. 

That’s why I would recommend sticking to a smaller sauna (unless you want to buy a more powerful heater). 

And that brings me to the next point, power.

Power Output

The power of your electric heater for the sauna really depends on what you need and what you can get. 

Depending on the power supply to your house or cabin you might be limited to a certain power, in which case you don’t have much of a choice.

But let’s say you’re not limited in power, should you always go for the most powerful heater?

Not really. As mentioned above, you need 1 kW per 50 cubic feet, and I would recommend following that rule. Check the graph to see the size of the sauna that fits some of the most common heater wattages. 

In my experience, very large saunas will need even more power per cubic foot than small ones to avoid cold spots.

Price

This one is a bit more complicated. Prices for electric sauna heaters go from the hundreds to thousands of dollars.

With brands like Vevor, you get bare-bone sauna heaters for under two hundred bucks. With HUUM on the other hand, you might have to pay well over a thousand dollars.

Although there are some differences in the way that the Vevore and the HUUM heat your sauna, the main difference lies in quality and design.

So depending on what you are looking for in your sauna, the amount of money you should spend can vary a lot. 

In my experience, however, you should stick to the reputable brands.

Type of Sauna

There are of course hundreds of sauna variations, so telling you which one you need to go for is impossible.

Instead, I’m just gonna go over the most common ones and give a quick overview of their pros and cons.

The three main types are “Cabin saunas”, “Cylindrical saunas” and “Glass saunas”.

The Cabin saunas are shaped like small cabins and are very popular in northern Europe. They have a very cozy feel and fit well into the surroundings, even in suburban areas. 

The downside is that they might be a bit harder and more expensive to construct and they take up a lot of space.

The Cylindrical sauna is a great option if you want something simple and compact. It also has great heat retention because of the small surface-to-volume ratio. 

If you put in some decoration effort around it, the sauna can turn out just as nice as the cabin ones.

The Glass saunas work great in a place with a nice view. Big windows and glass doors bring the surroundings into the sauna and are great for mitigating claustrophobia. 

However, they tend to be more expensive, both when you buy them and when you heat them since the windows tend to let out a lot more heat.

FAQs – Electric Sauna Heater

What type of heater is best for a sauna?

Electric heaters are easy to use, you simply turn them on and wait for them to heat up. Wood burning stoves are simple to set up (Chimney needs to be installed by a professional) and will last you a lifetime. They also have the benefit of being very cozy. Finally, gas stoves are a nice alternative for large saunas.

Do sauna heaters use a lot of electricity?

Not as much as you might think. If you have a well-insulated sauna, it will typically run between 8-14 kWh depending on the power of your heater and the size of the sauna.

What kW heater do I need for a sauna?

1 kW per 50 cubic feet is the rule of thumb. Check out this graph to see the exact numbers.

Is 4.5 kW heater enough sauna?

Yes, If your sauna is 225 cubic feet or less.