28 July 2026 · 5 min
When a wood stove is the right heater
Electric is easier. Fire is slower, smellier, and often the reason people actually use the thing on a Tuesday.
If you will sauna before work, choose electric. A good heater on a timer means the room is ready while the kettle boils. You will need a qualified electrician and a supply that matches the heater — we specify this before anything leaves the yard.
If the sauna is a weekend building, a wood stove changes the pace. You light it, you wait, you go in. The heat is less even and more interesting. You also need dry wood, a flue that clears the eaves, and a little more patience with soot.
Plenty of suite owners mix them: electric in the sauna for weekdays, wood under the tub for Saturday. There is no moral high ground. There is only the version you will actually keep using.