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Electric sauna: the sauna at the push of a button
The electric heater made the sauna part of everyday life – in homes, hotels and gardens. Its story begins in Finland in 1938.
Updated: September 2026 · independent guide, sources linked
How much power does your heater need, and what does the connection cost? It's all in our heater comparison.
Wood or electric heater guide →At a glance
| Since | 1938: first factory-made electric sauna heater (Finland) |
|---|---|
| Connection | usually 400 V, around 9 kW for garden saunas |
| Rule of thumb | about 1 kW per m³ of sauna room |
| Running cost | approx. CHF 2–4 per session (9 kW, depending on electricity price) |
| Where | in Finland mainly in cities |
1938: the first electric sauna heater
According to the Finnish Wikipedia, the company Oy Metalliteos – today Metos – produced what is believed to be the world's first factory-made electric sauna heater in 1938. It was installed in the sauna of an office of the SOK cooperative in Vaasa.
The electric heater needed neither a chimney nor firewood. This allowed saunas to go where a wood fire is difficult: into houses, flats and hotels. In Finland the electric sauna is now most common in cities, the wood-fired sauna more in the countryside.
History at a glance
- Before 1938Saunas are heated with wood – as a smoke sauna or with a chimney stove.
- 1938First factory-made electric sauna heater in Finland (Oy Metalliteos, Vaasa).
- TodayIn Finnish cities the electric sauna is the norm; UNESCO counts it equally as part of sauna culture.
An electric heater for your garden sauna
Most electric heaters for outdoor saunas are around 9 kW and need a 400-volt connection installed by a qualified electrician. Plan the cable from the house to the sauna early – it affects the location and the cost. Some cantons also have energy regulations: in the canton of Bern, for example, larger outdoor saunas with electric heating require a timer with automatic shut-off.
Barrel sauna or sauna cabin: both are available with an electric heater. You'll find the detailed comparison with wood in our guide wood or electric heater.
For a sauna in the garden, each canton handles the building permit differently, for example Obwalden, Uri and Zurich. All 26 cantons: Building permit.
How much power does your heater need, and what does the connection cost? It's all in our heater comparison.
Wood or electric heater guide →More sauna types: Finnish sauna · Smoke sauna · Wood-fired sauna · Barrel sauna · Sauna cabin · Infrared sauna · Bio sauna · Steam room · Kelo sauna · Kota sauna · Mobile sauna
Sweat baths of other cultures: Banya (Eastern Europe) · Roman baths · Hammam · Sweat lodge (North America) · Temazcal (Mesoamerica) · Qargi (Yup'ik & Inuit) · Steppe nomads (Scythians) · Hanjeungmak (Korea) · Mushiburo (Japan) · Sweathouses (Ireland)
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