Quick answer
To choose an outdoor sauna in the UK, decide three things before you look at any cabin: how many people will sit in it, whether you want a shower and changing space in the same building, and whether the ground where it will stand is level and load-bearing. Then compare wall build-up in millimetres, not marketing language. Wellness One builds three ranges — Lifestyle (dedicated sauna), Connect (sauna plus shower and changing room in one building) and Therma (mid-range, sizes S, M and L). Lifestyle 4 is £23,400 + VAT (£28,080 inc VAT) and Connect 4 is £27,170 + VAT (£32,604 inc VAT); Therma is quoted individually. UK mainland delivery and installation are included unless the quotation says otherwise.
Wellness One outdoor saunas: key facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Manufacture | Lifestyle and Connect manufactured by Wellness One in the UK; Therma imported from the Baltics |
| Ranges | Lifestyle, Connect, Therma |
| Wall construction (Lifestyle and Connect) | 200mm wall thickness with 100mm insulation |
| Timber (Lifestyle and Connect) | Thermo wood exterior, thermo aspen interior |
| Guarantee | 5 years structural on Lifestyle and Connect; 2-year warranty on Therma |
| Published prices | Lifestyle 4 from £23,400 + VAT (£28,080 inc VAT) · Connect 4 from £27,170 + VAT (£32,604 inc VAT) · Therma by personalised quotation |
| Delivery and installation | Included for UK mainland unless the quotation says otherwise |
| Typical installation time | 3–5 days, delivery through to commissioning |
| Company | Wellness One, Alderley Edge, Cheshire, UK |
How do I choose an outdoor sauna in the UK?
Choose in this order: use, size, site, construction.
- Use. Work out what happens in the ten minutes either side of the sauna. If you have to cross wet paving in January in a dressing gown, you will use it less than you think. That single fact decides whether you want a dedicated sauna or a building that includes a shower and changing room.
- Size. Sit real people on the drawing. Capacity claims across the sauna market are optimistic, and a "six-person" cabin usually means six people upright with nobody lying down.
- Site. Confirm the base, the access route and the drainage before you order anything. Groundwork is the most common cause of delay on a garden sauna project.
- Construction. Ask every supplier for wall thickness and insulation depth in millimetres. If they will not give you numbers, you have your answer.
Everything below expands on those four steps.
What size outdoor sauna do I need?
Size it on the honest number, not the maximum. Most outdoor saunas are used by one or two people on an ordinary evening and four or more only occasionally.
Two questions settle it. How many people use it on a normal Tuesday? And does anyone need to lie flat, because a full-length bench changes the internal dimension considerably.
Wellness One Connect 4 and Lifestyle 4 are built for four to six people in the sauna. The Therma range comes in three sizes — S, M and L — and the written quotation confirms who fits. Send your garden dimensions and we will sit people on a drawing before you commit to anything.
Why does sauna insulation matter more than anything else?
Because every sauna gets hot. The difference is what happens after that.
A thin-walled cabin reaches temperature and then fights to hold it. The heater cycles constantly, the heat sits at head height while your feet stay cool, and the running cost rises because the heater is doing far more work than it should. On a cold, windy night the heat feels shallow.
Wellness One Lifestyle and Connect saunas are built with 200mm wall thickness and 100mm of insulation. That thermal envelope holds heat instead of chasing it: the temperature stays even from bench to floor, the heater does less work, and löyly — the burst of steam produced when water is thrown on the hot stones — behaves as it should rather than dissipating in seconds.
Note that this build applies to Lifestyle and Connect only. Therma is a properly constructed mid-range outdoor sauna, but it is not the 200mm/100mm specification.
What is thermo-treated wood, and does it matter outdoors?
Thermo-treated timber is wood heated to over 200°C in a controlled, low-oxygen environment. The process changes the wood's cellular structure: moisture absorption drops sharply and dimensional stability improves.
It matters outdoors because a garden sauna is cycled between extreme heat and high humidity several times a week, for years, in British weather. Untreated softwood warps, cracks and eventually rots under that. Thermo-treated timber does not.
Wellness One Lifestyle and Connect saunas use thermo wood on the exterior and thermo aspen inside. Aspen is the standard interior choice because it stays comfortable to touch at temperature and does not resinate. The exterior silvers slightly with UV exposure over time, which most owners prefer.
When comparing suppliers, ask whether the timber is thermo-treated or simply kiln-dried. They are not the same thing.
Electric or wood-fired: which sauna heater should I choose?
For most UK gardens, electric. It is controllable, needs no flue, requires no fuel storage and complies more easily where a chimney would be a planning or neighbour issue. Wellness One Therma saunas use an electric heater and have no flue.
Wood-fired stoves give a different quality of heat and a different ritual, but they add a flue, clearance requirements and a stronger case for checking planning. If you want one, raise it at the enquiry stage rather than after the drawing is agreed.
Whichever you choose, the heater on your written quotation is the one your electrician designs the circuit for, so fix it early.
What base does an outdoor sauna need?
A level, load-bearing base built to the specification for your model. An outdoor sauna building is heavy, and existing patios are frequently not suitable — this is the single most common cause of a delayed project.
Alongside the base, confirm three things before you order:
- Access. Measure the narrowest point between the road and the final position: side gates, alleyways, steps, overhanging branches. Put the measurement on your enquiry.
- Drainage. A Connect includes a shower, so waste water needs somewhere to go.
- Orientation. Face the glazing at the view and away from neighbours' windows, and check where the low winter sun falls — that is when you will use it most.
What electrical supply does an outdoor sauna need?
A sauna heater is a substantial electrical load and generally needs a dedicated circuit run from the consumer unit, installed and certified by a qualified electrician. This is normally the buyer's responsibility rather than the supplier's, and it should be priced early — a long cable run down a garden is not a trivial cost.
Send your electrician the heater specification from your quotation as soon as you have it. Wellness One publishes its electrical requirements on the site so the circuit can be designed before the building arrives.
Do I need planning permission for a garden sauna in the UK?
Often not — many garden saunas fall under permitted development — but it depends on the building's height, how close it sits to a boundary, and whether the property is listed or in a conservation area, National Park or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. A flue for a wood-fired stove makes permission more likely to be needed.
Confirm with your local planning authority rather than assuming. It costs nothing to ask and it is far cheaper than moving a building.
What does "installation included" actually cover?
With Wellness One, UK mainland delivery and installation are included with Lifestyle, Connect and Therma unless the quotation says otherwise. Standard installation runs 3 to 5 days, from delivery through to commissioning.
When comparing any suppliers, ask specifically what is in the price: delivery to the property or to the final position, craning if access requires it, assembly, commissioning, and removal of packaging. A flat-pack cabin delivered on a pallet to the kerb is a different product and a different weekend.
How much does an outdoor sauna cost to run in the UK?
Running cost is driven by four things: insulation quality, heater size, how long you preheat, and your electricity tariff. A well-insulated cabin that reaches temperature and settles there costs less to run than a thin one that never quite holds.
This is why insulation depth is a running-cost question as much as a comfort question. Ask any supplier for a realistic figure at UK ambient temperatures, based on a typical session length, rather than a headline number.
Lifestyle vs Connect vs Therma: which Wellness One sauna is right?
| Lifestyle | Connect | Therma | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Dedicated outdoor sauna | The same sauna with shower and changing room in one building | Mid-range outdoor sauna |
| Sizes | Model range — sit people on the drawing | Model range — sit people on the drawing | S, M and L, in Base and Therma finishes |
| Construction | 200mm walls, 100mm insulation | 200mm walls, 100mm insulation | Outdoor sauna construction, electric heater included, no flue |
| Timber | Thermo wood exterior, thermo aspen interior | Thermo wood exterior, thermo aspen interior | Base and Therma finishes, confirmed on quotation |
| Cover | 5-year structural guarantee | 5-year structural guarantee | 2-year warranty |
| Price | Lifestyle 4 from £23,400 + VAT (£28,080 inc VAT) | Connect 4 from £27,170 + VAT (£32,604 inc VAT) | Personalised quotation |
| Delivery and installation | Included, UK mainland, unless the quotation says otherwise | Included | Included |
Choose Lifestyle if you want the sauna and nothing else, and the house is a few steps away.
Choose Connect if you want the full sequence — undress, shower, sauna, shower, dress — without going outside. This is the right answer for exposed gardens and for saunas sited a long way from the back door.
Choose Therma if you want a properly built outdoor sauna at a lower entry point, in a defined size.
Should I add a cold plunge at the same time?
Yes, if there is any chance you will want one. Most people who buy a sauna want cold water within the first year, and it is significantly cheaper to run drainage and electrical supply once than to dig the garden twice.
Wellness One makes two cold products: HydroChill, a managed 10–15°C plunge with moving water that holds the temperature you set, from £14,750 + VAT (£17,700 inc VAT); and the Ice Bath, a single-user cold plunge for home, at £6,800 + VAT (£8,160 inc VAT). Even if you are not buying now, mark the position on the drawing and ask your electrician to allow for it.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a Wellness One sauna installation take?
Three to five days as standard, from delivery through to commissioning. The exact sequence is confirmed for your product and site.
What is the difference between the Lifestyle and Connect ranges?
Lifestyle is the dedicated sauna. Connect is that same sauna with a shower and a changing room in the same building, so you can complete the whole routine without stepping outside.
Is Therma built to the same specification as Lifestyle and Connect?
No. The 200mm wall with 100mm insulation applies to Lifestyle and Connect only. Therma is a mid-range outdoor sauna with an electric heater included and a two-year warranty.
Can I put an outdoor sauna on my existing patio?
Sometimes, but frequently not. The base must be level and load-bearing to the specification for your model. Confirm it before you order.
What guarantee comes with a Wellness One sauna?
Lifestyle and Connect carry a five-year structural guarantee. Therma carries a two-year warranty. Heaters, controls and glazing are typically covered separately by their component manufacturers — ask for the terms in writing.
Are prices on the website the final price?
Lifestyle 4 and Connect 4 are priced on the product page and can be bought online. The written quotation confirms the price, VAT position and inclusions for your specific site.
Who installs the sauna?
Wellness One delivers, installs and commissions. You do not need to appoint a separate contractor for the building itself. The dedicated electrical circuit is arranged by your own qualified electrician.
About Wellness One
Wellness One is a UK outdoor wellness manufacturer and supplier based at 56 London Road, Alderley Edge, Cheshire SK9 7DZ. Lifestyle and Connect outdoor saunas are manufactured by Wellness One in the UK; Therma models are imported from the Baltics. The company supplies outdoor saunas (Lifestyle, Connect and Therma), cold water systems (HydroChill and the Ice Bath), spa pools and swim spas to homes, gyms, hotels and spas across the UK, with delivery, installation and commissioning included for UK mainland addresses unless the quotation says otherwise.
Speak to the team on +44 1625 838380 or send an enquiry with your postcode and garden dimensions; enquiries are answered within 24 hours.
Shop saunas · Lifestyle · Connect · Therma · Installation guide · Electrical requirements · Cold water therapy
Related: Best Cold Plunge UK — How to Choose · Commercial wellness