Steam & Oak Gas Barrel Sauna 1.8m (Electric Option)

NEW: First UK barrel sauna available with gas heat — Steam & Oak × FinSteam

Pick "+ FinSteam Aurora 81 R11S Gas Heater" at checkout and your barrel ships with engineered ventilation built for gas + a bundled FinSteam Aurora 81 R11S gas heater package — ready to light on a UK propane bottle the day it lands. Steam & Oak is the only UK retailer offering this. No electrician, no chimney, no fire to tend. Hot in 15 minutes, turn a dial. The Aurora 81 is the only CE-marked electricity-free sauna gas heater on the European market (FinSteam's stated claim) and the heater that powers the FinSteam NOIR Signature packages.

Why gas changes the equation

The real cost to your first sauna — gas vs electric

An electric sauna's shelf price isn't the price to your first löyly. A 6.8–9 kW electric heater needs its own dedicated circuit, wired by a qualified electrician and signed off under Part P — typically £800–£1,500, plus the wait to get one booked. The FinSteam gas heater connects to a UK propane bottle outside, like a patio heater: no dedicated circuit, no electrician for portable use, and it's hot on the day it arrives.

The ~£2,000 gap on the shelf narrows to roughly £400–£1,100 once the electrician is in the sum — and the gas sauna doesn't wait on a sparky's diary. (Portable use needs no Gas Safe engineer; a fixed install does. A standard UK 13 kg Calor propane bottle runs the heater for a dozen-plus sessions.)

What "gas-ready" means — engineered vents built into the cabin

The gas variant ships with wooden louvre vents at the FinSteam-specified sizes built into the cabin: intake ≥350 cm² low next to the heater (drawing fresh air directly from outside), exhaust ≥250 cm² high in the opposite corner (discharged directly to outside). FinSteam explicitly exclude plastic disc / twist valves — the gas variant doesn't ship with those. The vent configuration and the FinSteam heater are certified together under EU Gas Appliance Regulation 2016/426. Pick the electric variant instead and the sauna ships with the standard vent set for an electric heater — pick the heater at checkout and the build matches.

What's in the gas variant package

• The barrel shell + alder bench + 8mm tempered glass — same build as the electric variants of this model.
• Engineered gas-ready ventilation built in (wooden louvres, FinSteam-spec sizes).
• FinSteam Aurora 81 R11S gas heater — 8.1 kW, EU Type-Examination Certificate, AENOR-tested under Reg 2016/426. ODS oxygen-depletion auto-shutoff + flame monitoring. Configuration includes Orbis 11 stone cage + Halo safety rail + Njord heat shield as standard.
• UK propane regulator + 1.2 m CE-marked gas hose (I3P 37 mbar, 27 mm clip-on for standard Calor 13 kg propane bottles).
• 40 kg pre-washed FinSteam sauna stones, sized for the cage.

The Aurora 81 R11S retails standalone for £2,295 — the gas variant bundles it with the engineered cabin build at a single price (£6,190 inc VAT). Zero warranty returns on the FinSteam heater in the last 12 months. More on the Aurora 81.

What you'll need to source locally

• A standard UK 13 kg Calor propane bottle — bought locally (BBQ / camping / petrol-station retailers). The included regulator + hose connects to one.
• A Gas Safe registered engineer for the gas connection on a fixed install (most outdoor saunas are). Required by UK regulation for fixed gas connections.

Steam & Oak Barrel Sauna 1.8m — pick your heater at checkout

The choice (heater options)

• ★ + FinSteam Aurora 81 R11S Gas Heater (UK first) — the new gas option. See full details above.
• Shell only — buy the cabin, source your own heater.
• + Electric Harvia PC70 6.8kW — sized for the interior, single-phase ~25A circuit.
• + Electric Harvia PC90 9kW — for faster heat-up.

Wood-fired isn't available on the 1.8m size — the ~4.5m³ interior is too small for our supplier's stocked wood-fired stove. For wood-fired, see the 2.4m and larger models.

The 1.8m barrel sauna is our compact entry point — classic Finnish curved-wall design built for 2-person daily use, stretching to 3-4 for occasional shared sessions. The barrel form drives even heat convection (no hot pockets), sheds rain naturally, and packs proper sauna ritual into a footprint that fits even tight UK gardens.

Running cost + warm-up (the question buyers ask first)

Configured with the FinSteam Aurora 81 R11S gas heater, running cost is approximately £2.00-£2.50 per 60-90 minute session (around 0.6 kg propane per session at a typical £47 / 13 kg Calor refill). Warm-up: 15-20 minutes from cold to 70-75°C.

Configured with a Harvia 6.8kW electric heater, this sauna runs at £1.75–£2.25 per 90-minute session at the 2026 price cap. Warm-up takes around 30 minutes. Configured with a 9kW Harvia, those numbers move to about £2.00–£2.50 per session with faster recovery between löyly throws. See our full running-cost breakdown.

Why a 1.8m barrel for UK gardens

The compact barrel sits in the sweet spot where most buyers actually live: 2-person solo or couples for daily use, with stretch to 3-4 for occasional shared sessions. Simple install — three pallets, two-person carry, level base anywhere there's a clear gate and 2m × 2.5m of footprint.

Build + finish

• Walls: 44mm Scandinavian spruce, kiln-dried to 14% moisture (heat-stable, weather-resistant)
• Benches: Alder, single-level (alder = lowest thermal conductivity of any common sauna wood — benches don't burn at 90°C)
• Door + windows: 8mm tempered glass (safety + thermal-shock spec)
• Roof: Bitumen shingles
• Heater: Choose FinSteam Aurora 81 R11S gas, Harvia 6.8kW or 9kW electric at checkout — or shell-only if you have your own heater

What's included

Sauna shell, base beams, wooden panels (pre-cut + numbered), stainless steel tension bands, alder benches with backrests, 8mm tempered glass door, ventilation valve + grill (vent type matches selected heater), stainless steel floor drainage grid, bitumen roof shingles, fastener kit + assembly manual. Selected heater + stones included with the gas/Harvia variants (shell-only variant ships without a heater for buyers using their own). Comes with 24-month warranty.

Delivery & site preparation

• Standard delivery: Free standard UK delivery on all SKUs
• Estimated transit: 2–10 working days
• Packaging: 3 pallets, 2.4 × 1.2 × 1.0 m each — flat-packed kit for compact transport
• Site preparation: Outdoor saunas need a stable, level base ready before delivery (slabs on sub-base, concrete pad, or engineered deck)
• Access route: measure gates, turns, doorways for 1.2 m wide pallet delivery
• Electrical (Harvia variants): dedicated 32A single-phase or 16A 3-phase supply, fitted by qualified electrician
• Gas (FinSteam variant): standard UK 13 kg Calor propane bottle, sourced locally. Gas Safe registered engineer required for fixed gas connection. No mains supply needed.
• Installation: Self-assembly Lego-style kit — typically 2 people, 4-6 hours over 1–2 days, standard cordless drill + jigsaw all you need

Specifications

• Capacity: 2-4 person (2-person daily use, 3-4 person occasional shared)
• Use: Outdoor only
• External dimensions (L × W × H): 1.85 m × 1.85 m × 2.0 m
• Sauna room depth: 1.75 m
• Anteroom: None
• Wall thickness: 44mm Scandinavian spruce, kiln-dried 14% moisture
• Door + window: 8mm tempered glass
• Bench config: Alder, single-level
• Packaged weight: ~650 kg total
• Warranty: 24-month warranty
• Manufacturer: Czyste Pole sp. z o.o. (Polish-built Steam & Oak commission)

💡 Not sure which configuration? Read our complete UK Sauna Buying Guide — gas vs electric vs wood-fired, indoor vs outdoor, real running costs, install requirements. Written by founder Sarb Gill.

Want more interior space + a porch? See the Outdoor Barrel Sauna 2.4m with Porch or 3m with Anteroom. Prefer the modern cube look? See the 1.8m Cube Sauna at the same capacity.