One of the biggest trends we saw in 2023 was the obsession with cold plunges, but this new trend, while bringing similar benefits, is a stark contrast.
While many people love the therapeutic, freezing temperatures, some loathe the idea of losing the feeling of their toes and are instead opting for the warmer temperatures of a sauna.
At an average temperature of around 80oC, saunas bring a host of benefits, including muscle tension relief and increased blood flow.
But until now they tended to only be found in spas and gyms.
If you wanted one at home, it would cost you upwards of £3,000 to install, often with a large amount of space needed.
PortaSauna is a UK-based portable sauna brand, offering wood-fired saunas that can be assembled and used anywhere.
Its founder, Jordan Boon [from Portsmouth] started the business after looking into buying a portable sauna but being disappointed with what was on offer – single person tents with no windows.
He also found that no other portable sauna products allowed for the aspect of sociability.
PortaSauna’s tents come in 3-4 person and 6-8 person sizes.
Jordan said: “I’d seen a trend of saunas on beaches along the South coast and got excited as my wife and I love using saunas but didn’t want to pay every time we wanted to visit for a 30 min session. As well as the time limits, there is also the issue with sharing a sauna and not knowing who you will be sharing with.
“We don’t have the space for a traditional sauna in our garden and the other option is indoor infrared saunas but I saw that most of them only fit one person at a time and honestly seemed like they’d be claustrophobic and boring to use. We wanted something fun and sociable to do with friends and something to make an experience of going to the beach in the winter.”
The sauna is heated by a small wood stove inside the tent, which has an integrated chimney.
The tent and stove take less than five minutes to set up and the stove takes 25 minutes to reach its full temperature 90oC. PortaSauna uses the traditional values of the Finnish sauna in being a wood fired sauna rather than electric, which also is what allows it to be fully portable.
The whole thing can be packed up into around 30 kg and fits easily into the back of most cars.
