Sun Home vs Almost Heaven
Sun Home sells a handful of traditional saunas with HUUM heaters and a published 230 °F. Almost Heaven sells dozens of barrels, cubes, cabins and rooms with Harvia heaters, made in the USA. One is a short, premium list; the other is a catalog.
The short version: Sun Home's traditional line is the indoor Nova and the outdoor Solaris — HUUM heaters, 230 °F published, cedar or thermo-alder, the Solaris delivered fully built. Almost Heaven's is a catalog: canopy and classic barrels, cubes, cabins with porches and changing rooms, and indoor rooms, almost all with Harvia heaters, described as USA-made and delivered flat-packed for you to assemble. Sun Home publishes more heat; Almost Heaven offers far more choice and a limited lifetime warranty on its rooms.
What each publishes
| Sun Home | Almost Heaven | |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional range | Nova (indoor, 3 or 6 person); Solaris (outdoor, 4 or 6 person) | Barrels, canopy barrels, cubes, cabins and indoor rooms, 1 to 8 people |
| Heaters | HUUM DROP 6 or 7.5 kW; HUUM HIVE Mini 9 kW | Harvia KIP, Spirit, Virta and Cilindro electric; M3, Legend and Pro 20 wood-burning kits on some models |
| Published heat | 230 °F on every model | 175–194 °F, depending on model and heater |
| Wood | Canadian cedar (Nova); thermo-alder (Solaris) | Rustic red cedar on most barrels; thermally modified Nordic pine on its Harvia Collection barrels; spruce on several cabins |
| Delivery | Nova: one crate, heater shipped separately. Solaris: fully built | Curbside, flat-packed, assembly required |
| Warranty on the room | Nova: limited lifetime on cabinetry. Solaris: 3 years | Limited lifetime on sauna room components |
| Heater warranty | HUUM's terms: 3 years body and controls; elements consumable (Nova) | Harvia: 1 year elements, 5 years other components |
| Where made | Not stated on the pages we read | USA, per its warranty page |
| On Amazon | No listing found | One infrared cabin and accessories |
Sun Home figures from its Nova and Solaris product pages and warranty page; Almost Heaven figures from its catalog, product descriptions, homepage and warranty page; all read on 2026-09-11. Sun Home's warranty page also mentions Muskoka and Barrel traditional saunas, which were not in the catalog we read.
Heat: 230 °F against 175–194 °F
Sun Home publishes 230 °F for every Nova and Solaris. Almost Heaven publishes a figure per model: 180 °F for barrels such as the Vienna, Audra and Princeton, 175–185 °F for the Charleston, 185 °F for the Hillsboro and Sutton indoor rooms, and up to 194 °F in 45–60 minutes for its Salem and Watoga barrel kits with the 6 kW Harvia KIP smart heater. Most people sauna well below either ceiling — our temperature guide covers the usual range — so this is headroom rather than a daily difference.
Range: a short list against a catalog
Almost Heaven's range is its strength. It lists two-, four- and six-person canopy barrels with exterior benches, a barrel with a four-foot changing room, cubes with a wood-burning option, cabins with front porches and changing rooms, indoor rooms from the one-person Logan to the Olympus, which seats five to six, and a Harvia Collection of barrels in thermally modified Nordic pine, two of them with half-moon rear windows (thermowood vs cedar explains the treatment). Sun Home offers two traditional models in two sizes each. If you want a specific shape — a porch, a changing room, a wood stove — Almost Heaven is more likely to have it; our porch barrel page goes further into that format.
Delivery and assembly
Almost Heaven delivers outdoor saunas curbside in flat-pack boxes and says to plan on at least two people for assembly; professional installation is offered. Sun Home delivers the Solaris as a fully built structure — it asks for a level, load-bearing pad and a clear delivery path for 1,700 to 1,900 lb — and the Nova as a crate with the heater shipped separately. A kit saves money and asks for a weekend; a built structure asks for a crane-friendly route.
Warranty
Almost Heaven offers a limited lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects on its sauna room components, with Harvia heater cover of one year on elements and five on other parts; it excludes weathering, wear and tear, improper use or assembly, and weather events, applies in the contiguous United States and does not transfer. Sun Home gives the Nova a limited lifetime warranty on cabinetry, which its terms define as seven years for replacement parts, and the Solaris three years, with heaters under HUUM's terms. We compare the whole category's terms in sauna and cold plunge warranties compared.
Which to choose
- Sun Home, if you want a premium traditional room with a HUUM heater and the highest published heat, and you would rather receive a built outdoor sauna than assemble a kit.
- Almost Heaven, if you want a particular format — a canopy, a porch, a changing room, a wood stove — US manufacture, a limited lifetime warranty on the room, and you are happy to assemble.
Alternatives you can buy today
The first pick is Almost Heaven's own Laurel, a one-person indoor infrared cabin and the one Almost Heaven sauna we found with a live Amazon buy box. The other three are cedar barrels on Amazon with 6 kW heaters, two of them Harvia. Those three are not Sun Home or Almost Heaven products.
Almost Heaven's Laurel, and three barrels on Amazon
Almost Heaven Laurel 1-Person Indoor Infrared Sauna, Rustic Cedar, 120 V
Almost Heaven Saunas
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The one Almost Heaven sauna we found with a live Amazon buy box: a one-person cedar infrared cabin, made in West Virginia, on 120 V.
| Capacity | 1 person |
|---|---|
| Heating | Near- and far-infrared panels, per the listing |
| Wood | Western red cedar |
| Electrical | 120 V |
| Size | 36 × 53.25 × 77.63 in |
| Made in | USA (West Virginia), per the listing |
| Extras | Mood light bar, digital control pad |
What works
- A US-made cabin you can buy through Amazon
- Red cedar
- Installs on your existing floor, per the listing
What doesn't
- Wattage and circuit amperage not stated in the listing
- No EMF figure
- One person only
Skip it ifyou want a traditional sauna. This is an infrared cabin.
4-Person Outdoor Barrel Sauna, Canadian Cedar, 6 kW Harvia
Generic Amazon listing
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Cedar shell, named-brand heater, four-person capacity — the three things that actually decide whether a barrel sauna is still good in year five.
| Capacity | 4 person |
|---|---|
| Height | 78" |
| Wood | Canadian cedar |
| Heater | 6 kW Harvia |
| Type | Traditional, vertical barrel |
| Circuit | 240 V — required for a 6 kW heater |
| Roof covering | Not published in the listing |
What works
- A Harvia heater means a published spec sheet and a real parts channel
- Cedar is the correct wood for a structure that lives outside year round
- 6 kW is properly sized for a four-person barrel volume
What doesn't
- A 240 V run to the yard is a real, permitted expense
- Roof covering is not specified, and barrels leak at the top first
- Freight delivery with a curbside drop — you move it yourself
Skip it ifyour yard has no realistic path for a 240 V run. Trenching a circuit to the back of a garden regularly costs more than the sauna, and it is not a corner worth cutting.
AURGOD 4-Person Panoramic Barrel Sauna, Canadian Red Cedar, 6 kW
AURGOD
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A roomier red cedar barrel with a panoramic end and triple waterproofing listed, from a maker whose accessories come in the box.
| Wood | Canadian red cedar |
|---|---|
| Heater | 6 kW Toule, 220–240 V |
| Dimensions | 75" W × 75" D × 71" H |
| Weight | 1,200 lb |
| Seating | Listed as seating up to 6 |
| Included | Bucket and ladle, lighting |
What works
- Red cedar throughout the barrel
- Generous dimensions
- Accessories included
What doesn't
- Titled four-person but specified for six — check what you need
- 1,200 lb needs a real foundation
- A panoramic glass end costs heat
Skip it ifyour site has no room for a 75-inch barrel and a delivery route to match.
ALEKO Liatris Barrel Sauna, 5–6 Person, 6 kW Harvia
ALEKO
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The UL certification on the heater is the detail worth paying for — it is what your insurer and your electrical inspector will ask about.
| Capacity | 5–6 person |
|---|---|
| Wood | Rustic cedar |
| Heater | 6 kW Harvia, UL certified |
| Porch | Front porch canopy |
| Type | Dry and wet steam |
| Circuit | 240 V |
What works
- UL certification stated explicitly, which most listings avoid mentioning
- A front canopy keeps rain off the door — a real longevity feature
- Six-person capacity is unusual in a barrel
What doesn't
- 6 kW is undersized for a genuine six-person volume — expect long warm-ups when full
- Rustic cedar grading means more knots than clear cedar
- A very large footprint for a suburban yard
Skip it ifyou regularly fill it. At 6 kW into a six-person barrel a full house is a 60-minute-plus warm-up; the four-person model with the same heater gets hot far faster.
Our honest position
These brands are built for different buyers: Sun Home for someone who wants one excellent room delivered, Almost Heaven for someone who wants to choose the exact shape and build it. We have used neither and we earn nothing from either. Our Almost Heaven review and Nova vs Solaris go further into each.
Questions people actually ask
Is Sun Home or Almost Heaven better for a traditional sauna?
What heaters do Sun Home and Almost Heaven use?
Are Almost Heaven saunas made in the USA?
Can you buy Sun Home or Almost Heaven on Amazon?
Sources
- Almost Heaven Saunas — warranty terms — checked Sep 11, 2026
- Almost Heaven Saunas — homepage, range and delivery — checked Sep 11, 2026
- Almost Heaven Saunas — Salem 2 Person Barrel Sauna Kit — checked Sep 11, 2026
- Almost Heaven Saunas — Magnus 6 Person Canopy Barrel Sauna — checked Sep 11, 2026
- Sun Home Saunas — Nova 3-Person product page — checked Sep 11, 2026
- Sun Home Saunas — Solaris 4-Person product page — checked Sep 11, 2026
- Sun Home Saunas — warranty information — checked Sep 11, 2026
- Amazon.com — Almost Heaven search, accessories and the Laurel infrared cabin — checked Sep 11, 2026
Read next
Every pick on this page comes from published specifications, not from hardware we own. Read how we pick — including what spec-led ranking cannot tell you.