Nootka Saunas 8 ft Electric Barrel Sauna (9 kW heater, black metal roof, standard door, no rear window)

1. Heat & research 30% of the rating 4 of 5

   A 9 kW stone heater with 40 lb of rocks that takes water on them, capped at 90 °C (194 °F), and the maker says 10 to 15 minutes to reach it; we found no measured cabin temperatures.

2. Materials 25% of the rating 4 of 5

   Solid western red cedar with stainless bands and no stain or glue named in the hot room, but the fastener metal is not stated, the cradles are pressure-treated and we found no emissions test.

3. Safety & EMF 20% of the rating 5 of 5

   The 9kW-1ph heater is in Intertek’s directory to UL 875 and, separately, to CAN/CSA C22.2 No. 164, and the manual gives clearances, a 90 °C limit and a 60-minute cutoff.

4. Trust 10% of the rating 4 of 5

   No recall, Prop 65 notice or detox claim found and the manuals and warranty are public, but its heater manual gives 2 years where the website gives 1 year in full, and one article praising it is sponsored by the maker.

5. Value 15% of the rating 3 of 5

   About $2,240 a seat for four with the heater and control included, plus an electrician for a hard-wired 240 V, 50 A circuit, and no other seller to compare the price with.

The rating, 4.1 of 5, is the weighted average of these scores. See how we rank saunas and our standard.

1. Western red cedar for the barrel: the maker says select tight-knot, kiln-dried and locally milled
2. Three stainless steel bands with buckles and clamps (named on the maker’s care page)
3. Tempered glass, 10 mm per the maker’s page, which does not say which panes it covers
4. Black roof of 24-gauge galvanized aluminum over a waterproof membrane and plywood strapping, all outside the hot room
5. Three pressure-treated wood cradles under the barrel, outside the hot room (maker’s FAQ)
6. Benches of 2 x 4 slats (the maker says all its saunas are western red cedar); the metal in the stave and bench screws is not stated, and wood glue is on the manual’s list of tools you supply, for joining cut staves
7. 9 kW Nootka electric heater with a touchscreen control, temperature probe, wall brackets with six 1.5 in stainless steel screws, two 20 lb boxes of igneous rocks and a wooden heater guard kit

• Paid certification Intertek (ETL directory, Nootka Saunas heater, UL 875)

  Lists Nootka Saunas’ sauna heater models 7.5kW-1ph, 9kW-1ph and 9kW-3ph to Electric Dry Bath Heater UL 875, with the ETL Listed Mark. It covers the heater, not the wood, the glass or the air in the cabin, and shows no certificate number or date. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

• Paid certification Intertek (ETL directory, Nootka Saunas heater, CAN/CSA C22.2 No. 164)

  Lists the same three heater models to Electric Sauna Heating Equipment CAN/CSA C22.2 No. 164, with the cETL Listed Mark. Same limits: heater only, no certificate number or date. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Is the heater safety-listed, or just “certified” on the maker’s say-so?

We could check it. Intertek’s ETL directory has one entry to UL 875 (opens in a new tab) and one to CAN/CSA C22.2 No. 164 (opens in a new tab) naming the 7.5 kW and 9 kW models. The listing covers the heater, not the barrel. A search of the directory by company name returns six Nootka entries: those two and four for a sauna heater thermostat, model V13 (UL 60730-1, UL 60730-2-9 and the two CSA equivalents). We could not confirm that the V13 is the control sold with the heater.

Is this an imported kit made of glued or finger-jointed boards?

The maker says no: its FAQ (opens in a new tab) says every sauna is fabricated in-house from locally milled western red cedar, and its product page criticizes imported kits for finger-jointed boards. We could not visit the shop. The barrel assembly manual (opens in a new tab) lists wood glue only among the tools you supply, for joining staves you cut to fit. A Field Mag feature that praises the in-house build is labeled as sponsored by Nootka.

Does the wood give off fumes, and is cedar a problem for people with asthma?

The maker’s care page (opens in a new tab) recommends sealing the outside once a year with OSMO 410 and says nothing about sealing the inside, though it mentions a water-based interior sealant from Homecraft that it says has no off-gassing, which we did not check. The kit has no interior finish that we could find. We found no emissions or odor test. Exposure to western red cedar caused occupational asthma in 125 patients who were re-examined in a follow-up (PubMed 7058838 (opens in a new tab)). We found no study of home sauna users, so this is a precaution: if you have asthma or a wood allergy, ask your doctor first.

What happens if I change my mind after ordering?

Each sauna is made to order and the terms (opens in a new tab) take a cancellation fee of $150 plus card fees within 24 hours, $400 from 1 to 3 days and $650 from 4 to 7 days. After 7 days, and before shipping is confirmed, the whole deposit is non-refundable. Shipping costs are refunded. The FAQ (opens in a new tab) says only a 15% deposit is due when you order and the rest just before it ships.

How long is the warranty, and what does it leave out?

The warranty page (opens in a new tab) gives year 1 in full (parts and shipping), year 2 for parts only, and years 3 to 5 for the sauna structure only (rot through a board, a defective glass break, roof corrosion). Heating elements are excluded, heaters and controls are not covered after year 2, and for an electrical claim it wants to speak to the electrician who did the installation. The heater manual (opens in a new tab) says 2 years on parts and labor instead.

Can it go on a GFCI breaker, and is it allowed outdoors?

The heater manual says GFCI breakers cause nuisance tripping and are not compatible, and that an outdoor sauna needs a disconnect in sight of it in most places. Wiring must be done by a licensed electrician with a permit. Ask your electrician and local inspector what your code requires before you order.

What do owners say?

We found no independent owner reports. Searches for reviews, complaints and Reddit threads returned Nootka’s own pages and the sponsored feature above, Trustpilot shows a claimed Nootka profile with no reviews yet (Trustpilot (opens in a new tab), read 2026-11-03), and Reddit would not open for us. Nootka’s home page says it has hundreds of 5-star reviews without saying where, which we did not check.

• The heater’s listing can be checked: Intertek’s directory names the 7.5 kW and 9 kW models to UL 875 and CAN/CSA C22.2 No. 164, and anyone can look them up.
• The wood is named and local. The maker says western red cedar, select tight-knot and kiln-dried, with stainless steel bands, and it says it builds in-house rather than selling imported kits.
• A working sauna comes in the box: the heater, touchscreen control, temperature probe, 40 lb of igneous rocks and a heater guard kit are in the parts list, and the heater, assembly, wiring and site-preparation documents are public.
• The heater is the cheap part of the kit: the barrel page adds the 9 kW Nootka heater for $950 with the basic control at no charge, while the heater’s own page charges $2,100, and the barrel manual’s heater kit lists the same core parts as the heater manual.
• It is a traditional stone heater, the kind the Finnish studies on our heat therapy page followed at about 80 to 100 °C, and the maker allows water on the rocks.
• No detox, weight-loss or calorie claims on the pages we read. Its health page points to cardiac and all-cause mortality studies.

• Only Nootka sells it. We found no other store to compare the price with, and each sauna is built to order, with lead time shown only at checkout.
• Cancelling after the first week costs the whole deposit, and the full warranty lasts one year.
• The heater is new, holds about 40 lb of rocks in the kit and has no independent owner reports that we could find. A Harvia Spirit takes 110 lb.
• The product page says it seats 4 and the FAQ says up to 6. Treat 4 as the comfortable number.
• Needs a licensed electrician to hard-wire a 240 V circuit with a 50 A non-GFCI breaker, and a permit. The 7.5 kW heater, which the FAQ calls enough for the 8 ft barrel, uses 40 A.
• The cradles are pressure-treated wood and the roof has plywood strapping. Both are outside the hot room, but the stave and bench screws are not named.
• Ask a doctor first if you have heart disease or are pregnant, and skip alcohol (see our hot baths page).

Third-party tested

Yes

Tested by

Intertek (ETL and cETL listings of the heater)

1. Nootka Saunas 8 ft electric barrel sauna: maker’s product page. Maker’s page. Price breakdown, options, capacity, roof and glass, seen 2026-11-03. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
2. Nootka Saunas FAQ. Maker’s page. Where it is built, cedar, pressure-treated cradles, 50 A breaker, water on the rocks, 90 °C limit. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
3. Nootka Saunas limited warranty. Maker’s page. Year 1 in full, year 2 parts only, years 3 to 5 structure only; elements excluded. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
4. Nootka Saunas terms and conditions. Maker’s page. Cancellation fees and the non-refundable deposit. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
5. Nootka Saunas: caring for your sauna. Maker’s page. Exterior sealant advice (OSMO 410), the optional water-based interior sealant, three stainless steel bands. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
6. Nootka Saunas: our story. Maker’s page. In-house build, locally sourced western red cedar, Squamish. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
7. Nootka 7.5 kW and 9 kW heater installation guide (PDF). Maker’s page. UL 875 and CSA C22.2 No. 164 statement, clearances, GFCI warning, room sizes, 60-minute cutoff, 2-year warranty. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
8. Nootka barrel sauna assembly manual (PDF). Maker’s page. Parts list (heater kit, 20 lb rocks x 2, roof parts) and tools you supply. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
9. Nootka 8 ft sauna dimensions (maker’s drawing). Maker’s page. Length, width, height, bench and cradle sizes. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
10. Intertek ETL directory: Nootka Saunas, Electric Dry Bath Heater (UL 875). Certifier or regulator listing. Heater models 7.5kW-1ph, 9kW-1ph, 9kW-3ph. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
11. Intertek ETL directory: Nootka Saunas, Electric Sauna Heating Equipment (CAN/CSA C22.2 No. 164). Certifier or regulator listing. The cETL listing for the same models. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
12. Intertek ETL directory: Nootka Saunas, thermostat V13 (UL 60730-1). Certifier or regulator listing. A sauna heater thermostat, also listed to UL 60730-2-9 and the two CSA equivalents; we could not confirm it is the control sold with the heater. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
13. US Consumer Product Safety Commission: recalls with “sauna” in the title. Certifier or regulator listing. No Nootka recall on 2026-11-03. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
14. Government of Canada: recalls and safety alerts, search for sauna. Certifier or regulator listing. Sauna recalls on 2026-11-03 name Tylö, Finnleo and other brands, DIY heater kits and ozone saunas, not Nootka. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
15. Trustpilot: Nootka Saunas profile. Independent source. A claimed profile with no reviews on 2026-11-03. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
16. California Attorney General: Prop 65 60-day notice search. Certifier or regulator listing. No notice names Nootka Saunas (searched 2026-11-03). Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
17. Clinical features and natural history of occupational asthma due to western red cedar (Chan-Yeung 1982, PubMed 7058838). Independent source. Follow-up of 125 patients with occupational asthma from red cedar exposure. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
18. Field Mag: how Nootka makes North American-made saunas (sponsored). Independent source. Presented as sponsored by Nootka, so we did not rely on it for any claim. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

• Dundalk LeisureCraft Canadian Timber Serenity Barrel Sauna An eastern white cedar barrel for about 5, $5,954 to $6,158 at four dealers, with no heater in the price.
• Almost Heaven Salem 2 Person Barrel Sauna A smaller US-made cedar barrel, about $4,485 with the basic heater or $6,706 with the Spirit heater, which matches a listing.
• Nootka Saunas Electric Heater The same 9 kW heater, sold on its own for a room you build.

• Heat Therapy Basics Article How regular sauna use and heat exposure affect cardiovascular health, brain function, inflammation, and longevity
• Infrared vs Traditional Article How Finnish sauna, infrared sauna, and steam rooms compare in temperature, mechanisms, and health outcomes
• Hot Baths and Passive Heat Therapy Article What research says about hot baths: better sleep when timed before bed, promising but early heart and mood findings, and who should be careful.