Electric Sauna Heaters

How to Choose an Electric Sauna Heater

An electric sauna heater warms a load of sauna stones, which heat the room and give off steam when you ladle water over them. Choosing the right heater comes down to your sauna's size, your electrical supply and how you want to control it.

1. Match the heater to your sauna's volume

Heaters are rated in kilowatts (kW). Each Harvia model lists the room volume it is designed for, so measure your sauna's length × width × height in feet and pick a heater whose range covers it. Add capacity for glass walls, stone or tile surfaces and outdoor saunas in cold climates, which all need more heat. Our heaters run from 3 kW for small cabins to 10.5 kW for large family saunas.

2. Wall-mount or floor-standing

• Wall-mount heaters (such as the KIP, TopClass and SW/SWS series) save floor space in compact saunas.
• Floor-standing heaters (such as the Cilindro, Virta and Forte series) hold a larger stone mass for softer, longer-lasting heat.

3. Built-in or separate controls

Models with built-in controls have temperature and timer dials on the heater. Others connect to a separate wall-mounted control panel for more precise settings. Check the product page for what is included.

4. Electrical supply

Most electric sauna heaters need a dedicated 240V circuit sized to the heater's kW rating. Have a licensed electrician install it.

Prefer fire? See our wood-burning sauna stoves. Building a whole sauna? Compare complete traditional saunas and barrel saunas, or browse everything from Harvia.