Here weve laid out the basics to help you make a more informed decision. No one heater is right for everyone. You'll need to choose based on your needs and preferences.

Wood Heaters

The traditional type of sauna heater is a wood burning one. These burn wood, obviously, and are the best for heating a large space, as well as retaining that heat for longer. Wood tends to be cheaper than electricity, as well, so if you are on a budget, this is a good way to go.

Wood heaters tend to run at a lower temperature than any other type, which makes them useful for people who prefer to keep things less than stifling hot. This is also the best way to go if you like a lot of steam, since there is more space for the rocks, making it easy to produce an abundance of heavy steam. Since you are burning wood, albeit not a lot, it's necessary to vent the smoke outside via chimney, so you`ll need to have an exterior wall in your sauna.

Electric Heaters

These more modern sauna heaters offer the option of dry or wet steam saunas and require a good bit of electricity. They can be rather expensive to run, but are excellent for heating small spaces and for producing a steam that helps create a sweat quite rapidly. The temperature is also quite a bit higher (around 50º) than any other type of sauna heater.

While electric heaters may still be the most commonly used methods of raising the temperature within a sauna, they are slowly being phased out by the newer and more efficient infrared heaters.

Infrared Heaters

The most recent addition to the world of sauna heaters, infrared heat is special. These heaters don't produce steam, so you`re looking at dry heat. However, the temperature is much lower than the more common electric heaters and most people find it more comfortable.

With this type of heating, infrared light actually penetrates the skin to cause the heating. This means that you'll need to sit in front of the heater for it to work best, so these are ideal for very small or portable saunas where a lower temperature is desired. These heaters are also perfect for saunas that are unable to vent outside or that can`t be drained of the condensation that would be caused by steam.

The amount of energy needed to run infrared heaters is about 90% less than what is required for a regular electric sauna. That makes this type of heater far more energy and cost effective than most heaters.

Which sauna heater is best for you? It all depends on your motive. Do you want a lot of steam and long lasting heat? Then wood might be the best way to go. Prefer dry heat and don't want to worry about vents? Infrared is ideal for this. It all depends on just what you need done .. . whether you want steam or not and the preferred temperature of the room.

Take the time to weigh your options and make your decision based on what you need. This is the best way to find a sauna heater to fit you perfectly.