Redwood Outdoors Extra-Wide Thermowood Barrel Sauna Review

Hopping into a sauna for 15 to 20 minutes a few times a week offers many potential benefits, such as stress relief, reducing inflammation, flushing toxins, and improving your circulation. While it can be expensive, owning a sauna like the Redwood Outdoors Extra-Wide Thermowood Barrel Sauna is like having a five-star resort in your backyard. This sauna is made from Scandinavian Thermwood and features stadium seating to allow for up to six people at once. 

The heater can reach up to 195 degrees in under an hour, and there are eight different delay settings, so it’ll be ready for you to step in after a long day at the office. With your purchase, you’ll also receive rocks to place on the top of your heater and a water bucket/ladle combo to create steam during your sweat sessions. If you can squeeze a $6,600 sauna into your budget and your living space, we think this sauna offers excellent value thanks to the high-quality build, fast-acting heater, and automatic shut-off features. 

Redwood Extra-Wide Thermowood Barrel Sauna

Redwood Extra-Wide Thermowood Barrel Sauna

Redwood Outdoors keeps the traditional look of Finnish saunas but adds modern amenities like WiFi capabilities and specially treated materials to resist rot and warping. Bi-level seating and a large seven-foot diameter make this sauna roomy too.

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Main Takeaways

Redwood Outdoors Extra-Wide Thermowood Barrel Sauna Video Review

Our Reviews Writer, Jake, tested the Extra-Wide Thermowood Barrel Sauna firsthand during his detailed video review. Follow along as he offers his pros and cons, and breaks down everything there is to know about this luxury sauna. 

Redwood Outdoors Extra-Wide Thermowood Barrel Sauna Highlights

• Price: $6,600
• Heater: Reaches 195 degrees in under an hour and features eight different hourly delay settings
• Materials: Scandinavian Thermowood
• Dimensions: 7.3 feet tall, seven feet wide, six feet long

A sauna is definitely an investment, and the Redwood Outdoors Extra-Wide Thermowood Barrel Sauna is no exception at a price of about $6,600. And shipping and electrician fees will bump you up to around $8,000. While we realize that’s a large chunk of change, it’s still cheaper than some rival saunas, and we think it fits the bill thanks to the high-quality construction, spacious interior, and automatic shut-off features. 

The heater is fast-acting and reaches 195 degrees in under an hour. Plus, you can utilize eight different hourly delay settings. So if you’re going to be gone from the house for a few hours, you can set your delay start time, and it’ll be nice and toasty for you when you get home. You can even purchase the upgraded Wi-Fi heater and control the settings from your phone if you desire. 

We’re also big fans of the Scandinavian Thermowood build. It’s free from any harsh chemicals, and the heat treatment process used prevents it from rotting and fungi growing. It’s worth remembering that this is not a small product at seven feet tall, seven feet wide, and six feet long. Because of this large build though, Redwood Outdoors was able to incorporate stadium seating to allow up to six people to sweat it out all at once.

Pros

• The fast-acting heater reaches 195 degrees in under an hour.
• The multiple delay settings mean your sauna will be ready for you after a long day at the office.
• The stadium seating allows you to share the space with friends and family.

Cons

• The base price tag is $6,600, shipping is an additional $500, and you must hire a licensed electrician to ground the sauna to your breaker.
• Assembly is an extensive process that requires two people.
• The overall size may make it tough to find a good spot for it at your home, and it requires a flat surface.

Using the Redwood Outdoors Extra-Wide Thermowood Barrel Sauna

We have been thoroughly impressed with how fast the Redwood Outdoors Extra-Wide Thermowood Barrel Sauna heats up, reaching 195 degrees in around 45 minutes. It’s also hard to ignore how well-insulated it is, as the temperature hovers around 140 degrees even two hours after we shut it off. 

However, the assembly process is not for the faint of heart. Aside from the front and back walls, you must assemble this sauna piece by piece, so you might want to hire some extra help as we did. The wood seating is relatively comfortable, and it’s nice knowing Redwood Outdoors didn’t treat the wood with harsh chemicals. 

Assembly

Assembling this sauna is a chore that requires two people and will take up most of your afternoon. After assembly, your next step is to hire a licensed electrician to wire the heater to your breaker since it requires 220v of electricity and cannot be plugged into your standard 110v outlet. 

You must also position the sauna on a flat surface, and placing it on concrete or a strong deck is recommended. If you place it directly on grass, the weight of it (900 pounds) will eventually cause it to sink into the ground. 

Temperature Settings

Using the heater is extremely easy; just turn the thermostat knob all the way up, turn the timer knob on the right to the first “one,” and you’re good to go. The heater will kick in, and you’ll notice the temperature rise rapidly. We didn’t keep tabs on how many degrees it rose per minute, but it reached 195 degrees in around 45 minutes every time. We’ve also noticed that the sauna is so well insulated that the temperature doesn’t dip below 140 degrees for up to two hours after shutting the heater off.

Remember, there is an automatic shut-off after one hour of run time, and you can choose between eight different hourly delay settings (one through eight hours). The one-hour run time is nice since it won’t put a huge spike in your electricity bill, and it reduces the risk of a fire if left unattended for hours at a time. We also found the automatic shut-off when the sauna reached above 220 degrees to be an additional safety blanket. 

As we all know, heat rises, and we noticed a difference in the temperature when sitting on the top row of seating versus the bottom. We view this as a luxury since you can switch your seat to coincide with how much heat you’re looking for.

Materials

The sauna’s exterior is made of Thermowood, which is created by heat-treating the Scandinavian softwood to temperatures ranging between 180 and 230 degrees in special chamber kilns for up to 96 hours. This dries out the wood to its core and leads to the removal of all of its moisture and resin. Steam is also used as a protective gas to prevent the wood from splitting and becoming damaged during this process.

Thermowood doesn’t react to changes in humidity as drastically as untreated wood, allowing it to retain its shape better. The Thermowood also features no harsh chemicals or foreign substances during its production. And due to the heating process, the wood doesn’t contain the appropriate nutrients to allow rot and fungi to grow and develop.

Since the wood is not stained, it will eventually turn gray if it’s sitting outside in the sun. While this will not negatively affect the sauna’s function, it may make it less aesthetically pleasing — so it may be worth treating it with a non-toxic wood stain.

Dimensions

It’s no secret that a sauna requires a large amount of space, and that’s no different with the Extra-Wide Thermowood Barrel Sauna. It stands just over seven feet tall, right around seven feet wide, and six feet long. So if you don’t have enough space, we suggest opting for a smaller alternative. 

The inside is spacious, as the stadium seating allows up to six people to use it simultaneously. However, we think it’s best to keep it around three to make it a more comfortable experience. 

What to Consider Before Buying the Redwood Outdoors Extra-Wide Thermowood Barrel Sauna

Like any product, you must consider some important factors before deciding whether or not to purchase this sauna from Redwood Outdoors. Money may be the obvious consideration here, but you also need to consider the size of the sauna. If it costs too much, won’t fit anywhere, or both, you might want to check out some smaller and/or cheaper models Redwood offers.

Price 

Once again, the Redwood Outdoors Extra-Wide Thermowood Barrel Sauna’s base price tag is around $6,600 — but the final dollar figure will be closer to $8,000. This is mainly due to the $500 in shipping and anywhere from $700 to $800 for hiring an electrician to connect the heater to your breaker. 

You can also purchase additional upgrades, such as the $200 roof shingles to protect the exterior of the sauna and the $300 flat flooring kit to provide a flat surface to walk on. And the $300 luxury relaxation pack consists of an aromatherapy water fountain, aromatherapy oils, pillows, exfoliation brushes, and birch soap. Plus, you can opt for an outdoor shower and the Redwood Alaskan Cold Plunge Tub to take things up in your recovery routine. Regardless, this is an expensive purchase that may not fit within everyone’s budget.

Dimensions

It’s hard to ignore the sheer size of this sauna. Remember, it’s over seven feet tall, seven feet wide, and six feet long and requires a strong, flat surface — preferably concrete. 

Available Models

While we haven’t had the luxury of testing all of the Redwood Outdoors saunas, they have various models that may suit your needs better. If you want to save around $1,500, they offer a two-person sauna for about $5,000, and they have some that can fit up to eight people if you need a bigger model.

Redwood Outdoors Extra-Wide Thermowood Barrel Sauna Vs. Competitor Saunas

Since there are so many saunas on the market that vary in price, size, and materials used, we decided to compare some of our top choices to help you determine the best option for your current situation.

As you can see, none of these saunas are identical. Not only are the prices different, but the max number of people and materials used vary. If you’re shopping for yourself and don’t want to drop some racks, or maybe you just want to get your toes wet in the sauna space, the SereneLife Portable Full Size Infrared Home Spa may be your best bet since it’s the cheapest of the four. It’s also a pop-up sauna, so you don’t have to have a dedicated space for it, making it an ideal choice for those with limited room at home. 

If you want to incorporate red light therapy into your regimen, you’ll want to consider either the Straighten mPulse or the Higher Dose Full Spectrum saunas. But in our opinion, if you’re looking for the best overall value for a long-lasting sauna, the Extra-Wide Thermowood Barrel Sauna takes the cake here. It’s cheaper than the two infrared saunas and can fit more people, making it a better choice for those shopping for their family.

Warranties

Redwood Outdoors includes a one-year warranty for the sauna and the heater. We suggest heading over to their warranty page to understand their process better.

Places to Buy

You can purchase the Extra-Wide Thermowood Barrel Sauna directly from the Redwood Outdoors website.

Company Information

Redwood Outdoors offers an extensive line of saunas, cold plunges, and hot tubs. In addition to their one-year warranty, they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on all of their products and financing options through Affirm. To speak to a team member, you can contact them at 1-800-567-8036, or head over to their Contact page, fill out a form, and someone will email you. 

In Conclusion

The Redwood Outdoors Extra-Wide Thermowood Barrel Sauna is currently our favorite sauna on the market for a host of reasons. The Scandinavian Thermowood build is free from chemicals — plus, it won’t rot or grow fungus thanks to the heat treatment. Also, the heater reaches 195 degrees in under an hour, and you can utilize eight different hourly delay settings. The stadium seating allows you to fit up to six people at once, and the automatic shut-off features are an added safety blanket. While it could cost you up to $8,000, we think it provides excellent value due to its overall functionality and long-lasting, high-quality build. 

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