Nootka Saunas Electric Heater, 9 kW, 240 V single phase, with touchscreen control

1. Heat & steam 25% of the rating 3 of 5

   A 9 kW heater limited to 90 °C (194 °F) that takes water on igneous rocks, but Nootka supplies only about 40 lb of rocks with a sauna and states no maximum, a fraction of the 110 to 330 lb in other heaters here.

2. Build 15% of the rating 3 of 5

   The maker does not name the body or element metal, the mounting screws are stainless steel, and the heater depends on a relay board in its base.

3. Safety listing 25% of the rating 5 of 5

   The 9kW-1ph model 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. Durability 20% of the rating 2 of 5

   At most 2 years on parts and labor per the manual (1 year in full per the website), heating elements excluded, and a claim needs the installing electrician on the phone.

5. Value 15% of the rating 3 of 5

   About $2,100 for the 9 kW heater and its control, with rocks extra, against $1,920 for a Harvia Cilindro that includes 200 lb of stones and built-in controls, while Nootka adds its 9 kW heater to its barrels for $950.

The rating, 3.3 of 5, is the weighted average of these scores. See how we rank sauna heaters and our standard.

1. Brushed metal body with a stone basket on top. Photos show it, but the maker does not name the metal, so we cannot say it is stainless steel
2. Heating elements (material not stated; the maker calls them consumable parts)
3. Relays on a circuit board in the base, with no separate contactor box, and a mechanical high-limit switch in the base
4. Needs the Nootka touchscreen control (24 V, mounted outside the sauna) and a temperature probe, both in the price
5. Wall brackets and six 1.5 in stainless steel mounting screws
6. Takes igneous rocks only. A Nootka sauna kit has two 20 lb boxes (40 lb); the manual lists rocks as not included with the heater alone

• 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 rocks, the control or the room, 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 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?

Yes, and we could check it. Intertek’s directory has an 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 9kW-1ph model. The cover of the installation guide (opens in a new tab) says it conforms to UL 875 and is certified to CSA C22.2 No. 164. 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), which we could not match to the control sold here.

Does about 40 lb of rocks make real steam?

The maker says you can pour water on the heater and to ladle moderate amounts (FAQ (opens in a new tab)). Its parts list shows two 20 lb boxes of igneous rocks, and the manual warns that too many rocks trap heat and trip the high-limit switch. It gives no maximum stone mass, and the product page (opens in a new tab) calls the rock capacity “generous” while saying the design avoids the heavy lag of traditional rock-filled heaters. For comparison, a Harvia Spirit takes 110 lb and a HUUM STEEL about 330 lb, which hold more heat for steam.

What does it cost with everything it needs?

The product page (opens in a new tab) lists the touchscreen control the heater cannot run without at +$0, so $2,100 covers both. App control costs $375 more, either over cellular (5 years of service included, then $50 a year) or Wi-Fi, under-seat lights cost $215 and a bent-wood heater guard $210. The installation guide’s parts page, though, lists the controller and the rocks among the items not included with the heater unless you buy a whole Nootka sauna, so confirm at checkout. Nootka’s barrel page (opens in a new tab) adds its 9 kW heater to a sauna for $950 with the basic control at no charge, so buying the heater on its own costs $1,150 more. You also pay an electrician for a permit and a 50 A circuit.

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

The installation guide (opens in a new tab) gives 2 years on parts and labor. The website’s warranty (opens in a new tab) gives year 1 in full (parts and shipping) and year 2 for parts only, and says heaters and controls are not covered after year 2. Heating elements are excluded in both, an electrician’s fees are never covered, and an electrical claim needs Nootka to speak to the electrician who installed it.

Does it work with a GFCI breaker, and what stops it running all day?

The manual says GFCI breakers cause nuisance tripping and are not compatible, so ask your electrician and inspector what your code requires. It also says that unless an attendant is present the control is set to shut the heater off after 60 minutes, and that the heater has a manually reset high-limit switch for overheating.

Who builds the heater, and who services it?

Nootka’s pages say “Canadian-made” and the Intertek listing is in Nootka’s name, but none names the builder. The FAQ (opens in a new tab) says Nootka supports other local businesses when buying “our cedar, glass, heaters, etc.”, and the installation guide (opens in a new tab) names a Homecraft Saunas control as an acceptable alternative, so a supplier may build it. Warranty claims go to Nootka.

What if the app or the connection fails?

The control works on its touchscreen without the app. The product page (opens in a new tab) says refunds are not offered for range problems with Wi-Fi or cellular, and recommends cellular for saunas more than 15 ft from the house. We did not review what the app collects.

• The listing can be checked. Intertek’s directory names the 9kW-1ph model to both UL 875 and CAN/CSA C22.2 No. 164, and we opened both entries in Intertek’s own directory.
• Plain numbers from the maker: 23 x 15 x 29.75 in, 3.5 in clearance around it, 42 in to the ceiling, a 50 A breaker for 9 kW, a 90 °C limit and a 60-minute cutoff when unattended.
• The product page includes the control it needs in the price, and the installation guide is public: wiring, mounting, rocks, ventilation and how to reset the limit switch.
• Water on the rocks is allowed, so it makes the steam a traditional sauna is about, and the maker says it takes 10 to 15 minutes to reach 90 °C in its own saunas.

• Only Nootka sells it. We found no other store, and the maker does not say what the body or elements are made of or who builds the heater.
• It is a new design with electronics in the base and no independent owner reports that we could find. Heating elements are consumable and excluded from the warranty.
• A small rock load: 40 lb comes with a Nootka sauna kit and the manual gives no maximum. Steam will be less than from a heater built around a large stone mass.
• The warranty is short and split between the manual and the website. Ask for the term in writing.
• Outdoor saunas need a disconnect within sight of the sauna in most places, and GFCI breakers are not compatible, so wiring needs a careful electrician.
• 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 model)

1. Nootka Saunas electric heater: maker’s product page. Maker’s page. Price, options and the control terms, seen 2026-11-03. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
2. Nootka 7.5 kW and 9 kW heater installation guide (PDF). Maker’s page. Size, clearances, room sizes, rocks, GFCI warning, 90 °C limit, 60-minute cutoff, 2-year warranty. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
3. Nootka Saunas FAQ. Maker’s page. Water on the rocks, 50 A and 40 A breakers, heat-up time. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
4. Nootka Saunas limited warranty. Maker’s page. Year 1 in full, year 2 parts only; elements excluded. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
5. Nootka barrel sauna assembly manual (PDF). Maker’s page. Heater kit contents: heater, brackets, stainless screws, control, probe, two 20 lb boxes of rocks, guard kit. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
6. Intertek ETL directory: Nootka Saunas, Electric Dry Bath Heater (UL 875). Certifier or regulator listing. Models 7.5kW-1ph, 9kW-1ph, 9kW-3ph. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
7. 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)
8. 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)
9. Nootka Saunas 8 ft electric barrel sauna: maker’s product page. Maker’s page. Adds the 9 kW Nootka heater for $950, basic control at +$0, seen 2026-11-03. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
10. 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)
11. 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)
12. 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)

• HUUM STEEL 6 kW A floor-standing stainless steel tower that holds about 330 lb of stones. About $3,895 with a control and stones.
• Harvia Cilindro PC90 Floor-standing, 200 lb of stones, built-in dials, a UL 875 listing we could match. About $1,920 with stones.
• Harvia Spirit SP60E Wall-mounted, 110 lb of round stones, listed to UL 875. About $3,096 with a control and stones.

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