Garden Sauna or Indoor Sauna: Which Is Worth More?
A barrel sauna in the garden or a cabin in the bathroom or basement: moisture, costs, lost floor space and how often you will really use it.
Read →Barrel sauna with or without a changing room: is it worth it?
A changing room costs extra and adds length to the sauna. Here is what you actually get for it, and when the money is better spent on a more powerful stove.
It works like an airlock
Without a changing room, every time you open the door in winter, cold air hits the benches directly. The temperature drops by several degrees and the stove has to catch up.
With three rounds and breaks in between, that is six door openings in an evening. With a changing room, the loss is much smaller each time.
A dry place for your things
Towels, clothes, flip-flops and firewood stay under cover.
With a wood-fired stove this matters even more: damp logs mean a sauna that will not reach temperature in winter.
When it is worth it
Year-round use.
A sauna set well away from the house.
A wood-fired stove, where the log store needs to stay dry.
Holiday lets, where guests change on site.
When you can skip it
The sauna is a few steps from the back door.
You mainly use it in summer.
A tight garden where every half metre counts.
A tight budget: the right stove and a 44 mm wall will do more for you in winter than a changing room.
Alternatives
A covered deck or small canopy in front of the entrance. It is cheaper and solves the problem of wet shoes and rain.
A small covered log store next to the sauna.
Not sure which layout suits your garden? Send us a photo and the space you have on WhatsApp and we will tell you honestly whether a changing room is worth it for you.
