“The sauna was a place to cleanse the body and was considered a sterile environment.”

For most people today the purchase of these types of luxury items is between one or the other. Oftentimes the financial investment alone makes these types of purchases a one time “splurge” not a regular thing. Traditionally the North American market has a bigger affinity towards the hot tub but there is growing awareness and popularity with Saunas that is seeing sales increase year after year. Since the hot tub traditionally has been the “go-to” for most people we want to highlight some of the reasons why you might want to consider an outdoor sauna for your home.

Personal Preference or Persona Prejudice?

How can you not enter a decision with an already preconceived idea or preference in mind? Most people have spent some time in a hot tub and have a certain memory or experience that comes to mind. Maybe it connects your memory with a vacation or spending time with friends or family. When it comes to sauna use in Canada (Or North America in general) the majority of people haven’t had those same experience or memories. Oftentimes the addition of a hot tub is the automatic response because of the lack of awareness into the amazing benefits, affordability and culture a sauna can bring to your home.

Initial costs vs your long term costs

A decent brand new hot tub for 4 people will cost you around $8000 – $12000 dollars and so when it comes to cost comparable’s you will find that the price of a prefabricated outdoor unit will cost within the same range and so pricing between a hot tub and sauna are relatively equal. The major differences comes down to the consistent monthly costs that begin to accumulate with hot tub use over sauna use. A general rule of thumb for maintenance is between $20-$40 a month depending on the type and style of the hot tub so a fair estimate is about $360 in maintenance a year which is not a huge amount begins to accumulate over time especially when compared to the fact that a sauna does not require a monthly investment. 

The Maintenance Question

Hot tub: Water levels, chemicals, water pumps, switching out the water, winter prep etc etc. 

Sauna: Sit, Sweat, cold plunge, repeat, enjoy!! 

Just to be fair, there are some minor things that saunas may need. An initial investment in a wood sauna sealant to better protect the wood nor is a once a year sauna clean a bad idea but other then that, Enjoy!

Weighing the Health Benefits

Over the past several years more and more studies are showing the real health benefits of consistent sauna use. From Cardiovascular improvements to skin care the benefits of consistent sauna use is becoming widely accepted and known. Beyond the health benefits there probably is a reason the Finns are the happiest people in the world! Creating a culture of sauna use is also tremendously centring and relaxing. Hot tub use often brings a certain amount of relaxation and can help a person sleep but there are no studies that show that it actually is beneficial to your overall health. Once again it just goes to show you the tremendous benefits of investing in an outdoor sauna over a hot tub. 

Which holds it’s value more?

Like most items we have there is usually some depreciation over time from the original value. Since hot tubs are such a common item the resale value is oftentimes less then what you would get in selling a used outdoor sauna. The fact that a quality built outdoor sauna (like our cottage sauna) should outlast a hot tub in lifespan gives added value when it comes to every deciding to part with it (which we don’t ever suggest).

The Homecraft Conclusion

So… Yes we are a biased group over here at Homecraft but we also can see that the investment into an outdoor sauna far outweighs what you will get in a hot tub so if you are on the fence maybe these few thoughts will help you solidify a decision.