Salem 2 Person Barrel Sauna

The second-cheapest model of all 85 at $4,037, but at $2,018 a seat it is one of the dearest barrels per seat in our data.

Salem seats 2 for $4,037 at Finnish Sauna Builders, the one store we list for it. That is $2,018 per seat against a barrel median of $1,326, and only four of the 37 barrels cost more per seat. The 6 kW heater works out to 3 kW per seat, double the 1.5 kW that is typical here, so a cold start should heat a small cabin quickly. At 47 by 78 inches it is one of the smaller footprints we track.

Who it suits

It suits a couple with a tight yard who want real cedar and are happy to build a kit. If friends will ever join you, the 4-seat Watoga costs $628 more and cuts the cost per seat by about 42 percent. Almost Heaven states a Limited Lifetime warranty for manufacturing defects; the Harvia heater has its own, 1 year on the elements and 5 on other parts.