As the portable sauna craze gains momentum, our resident sauna expert shares his top thoughts on whether steam tents compare to real saunas
With the recent rise in popularity of saunas and the rediscovery of the therapeutic benefits of thermal baths, more and more people are looking for ways to just sit and sweat, including me. Building a home sauna kit completely changed my life, and before I knew it, my wellness routine had become a ritual of reconnection and relaxation.
But here’s what no one tells you about becoming addicted to saunas: After a while, you can’t help but want to go to saunas everywhere; different places, different types of saunas. While some people are crazy about the sauna blanket and infrared heating craze, for me, the holy grail of saunas is a hot tub in the wild with easy access to a wild pool to soak in between sessions. Portable sauna tents have emerged as a new, affordable subcategory, allowing users to enjoy a sauna anywhere, anytime, and providing a practical, portable alternative to a permanent backyard sauna for those on a budget or with limited space.
So I decided to test one of the most popular portable sauna tents out there, the Sweat Tent, which is marketed as the best outdoor sauna tent. Unsurprisingly, I had a specific idea of ​​the sauna I wanted to try out on the lakefront property in Maine that my family has owned for decades. Here’s what I did.
In this article, I will tell you about my experience testing a steam tent, covering all the steps from delivery to assembly and operation. This steam tent review was done with the help of my husband and some basic tools.
First, the health benefits of hyperthermia are well-established. Traditional saunas increase body temperature, which increases circulation and heart rate, improves cardiovascular function, relieves muscle tension, and lowers blood pressure. All of this can inadvertently boost immunity and help detoxify the body.
Like any healthy sweat, sweat can deeply cleanse the skin, giving those who regularly use home spas and steam saunas a healthy glow. It is recommended to have several sauna therapy sessions, taking a 10-minute break in between to drink water, cool down, take a shower or even a cold bath before the next session.
One of the best reasons to buy a sauna tent is that you can enjoy all the health benefits without spending thousands of dollars to build a permanent outdoor sauna. The steam tent is made of durable synthetic materials like 210d insulated ripstop oxford nylon that retains heat and lightweight fiberglass poles for easy portability. Designed for temporary use and transport, these tents fold up like a camping tent or ice fishing tent.
Portable sauna tents are popular due to their low cost, low environmental impact, and portability, making them ideal for renters or people who don’t have land but want to have their own sauna.
One of the main attractions and main advantages of tent saunas is the quick and easy setup. While my personal experience was not exactly “easy,” after some practice I found that the setup and takedown process can be quite quick. But beginners will definitely need to spend some time learning. Read on for more information.
The Classic Steam Tent costs $1,599 (large sizes available) and comes with the following:
This does not include buckets and shovels, lighters, wooden stools, or sauna caps, which can be purchased separately on their website along with some other sauna accessories.
Saunas are shipped in 5 boxes, so expect to receive several separate shipments, each containing 1-3 boxes. Unlike receiving a home sauna kit, you do not need to arrange for delivery or sign for it in person.
Sweat Tent recommends setting up the sauna outdoors on a flat surface, such as dirt, grass, concrete, tile, ice, or unpainted wood. As I said, the location I chose was a beach by a lake.
Since the sauna is heated by a wood stove, please be aware of local fire bans and only set up your sauna tent where fires are allowed (check with your local fire department for local rules and regulations). If you are setting up your sauna tent in a public place, like a beach or park, you may need a fire permit. This can be tricky, but it can also be quick! In coastal Maine, where I live, some local beaches approve permits within a day. A sauna by the sea sounds great, right?
I also recommend choosing a relatively secluded and private location. If you are heading to a public outdoor location, do all the pre-assembly and reassembly of the parts in advance to avoid attracting unnecessary attention and ensure smooth installation and operation of the sauna.
The Sweat Tent Portable Stainless Steel Wood Stove is a small but useful feature that I love and enjoy using. My personal sauna uses an electric stove as the heat source, so I was happy to be outdoors and enjoying quality wood heating. The stove itself comes fully assembled, you just need to unfold the folding legs, connect the chimney pieces together, and then attach them to the stove. The instructions said that the sauna rock basket only required simple assembly, which turned out to be absolutely true, and within five minutes the stove was assembled and ready to use.
A small wood stove needs to be fired separately before being installed in the sauna tent, which will add about an hour to the initial setup time. This is essentially a hacking method where all the chemicals created during the manufacturing process are burned outside the tent rather than inhaled during the sauna, and all the components are heated, cooled, and secured in place.
The Sweat Tent customer service team highly recommends not skipping this step, and while it is a bit tedious and time-consuming, it is still easy to do. Add 2-3 small pieces of wood, burn for 15 minutes, and then repeat the process again.
After the initial heating, fill the stove with wood and let it burn for about 30 minutes until the fire is completely out and the stove is cool enough to work. We used this time to assemble the rest of the sauna.
The sauna stove is too small for most wood ropes, so we used an axe to chop it down to size. Keep this in mind and have everything ready before you start the fire, or you’ll have to back out!
This part of the setup is the most time consuming and confusing. Although this tent claims to be easy to assemble in three minutes, when I first tried to assemble it, I found that to be not the case.
The pop-up tent comes fully assembled and is said to open in one pull. I’m still not sure if the tent was packed incorrectly or if we made a mistake, but it appears the tent was inside out because the handle to open it was on the inside instead of the outside. The instructions and videos didn’t give any additional help or details, but after much effort and a few hard tugs (more than you might think!) the tent walls finally opened and locked into place. I had no further issues with the tent after that, but it was confusing and time-consuming to say the least.
Once the sauna tent was pitched and positioned in the desired location, the rest of the assembly was fairly straightforward, with all the instructions being clear and easy to follow. You will need to place rocks, logs, or sandbags on the edge of the tent to secure it in place, and you can also use stakes and ropes for extra security on windy days.
A super cool feature is the panoramic windows with removable window panels that attach to the outside with Velcro. You can leave the windows open for privacy and insulation to prevent heat loss, or open the windows to enjoy the view. Since the windows had both a lake and mountain view, I chose the latter.
The kit Sweat Tent sent me included a bench, bucket, and shovel, and was easy to assemble. Note that if you don’t order the bench, you’ll need to provide your own seating, such as a folding chair or other camping furniture (note: avoid metal).
The cedar sauna bench is simple but good quality, and although there is no instruction manual, we found that using a power drill made assembly quicker and more secure. All parts are clearly labelled and the instructions are easy to follow. If you have assembled IKEA furniture before, you will have no problem.
Here’s the best part: using the sauna! The stove heats up very quickly, and in less than 30 minutes the tent reached 170 degrees Fahrenheit inside. Inside the tent, 170 degrees Fahrenheit doesn’t feel hot at first, more like a slow burn, and the tent is small inside, so if you need a higher temperature, just wait a little while and it won’t take long to cook (Sweat Tent recommends a maximum temperature of 200 degrees Fahrenheit). Just make sure you have a pile of firewood, fire tongs, and gloves on hand so you can adjust the temperature without leaving the tent. The dry sauna wasn’t too humid, and even splashing a few spoonfuls of water on the heated rocks was just right.
The best thing about the portable Sweattent sauna tent is that you can set up a sauna in a beautiful outdoor location. The Sweat Tent meets this requirement with its compact storage dimensions and panoramic windows. Once set up, the sauna will be a fantastic adventure for you. The stove is easy to use and heats up the tent quickly.
As for the downsides, hanging the thermometer was more fiddly than it looks in the video, and I ended up doing it myself by wrapping the rod with twine. Unfortunately, the lighter in the Sweat Tent didn’t work either, so I had to use my own. The bench provided was a bit low, had no backrest, and I couldn’t get the small sauna heater to heat up above 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Those last two are personal preferences, though.
As I mentioned above, the biggest downside to using a sauna tent is definitely the setup. It wasn’t a big deal – it was all sorted out in about 30 minutes, and my second and third setups went much more smoothly. All those little things are annoying and time-consuming.
Finally, all those annoying stressful moments disappeared when I was able to enjoy a sauna on a beautiful beach. And the cherry on the cake was jumping into the lake right after the sauna. This is really the pinnacle of sauna and cold water immersion, so ultimately none of these details spoiled the overall experience.
Are all saunas the same? Of course not, I wouldn’t say a steam tent is on the same level as my home sauna kit, but it is a relatively affordable option that gives users the ability to enjoy a sauna in a variety of locations without the time and money required to build one, hook up to electricity, etc.
Technical difficulties aside, I was really impressed with the quality, stylish appearance, and portability of the steam tent. If you are looking for an inexpensive traditional sauna with all the health benefits that does not require much construction and allows you to enjoy it outdoors, I recommend the steam tent.
Take a look into the hot world of portable sauna tents to find out how they work and why they’re so popular.
Beginners start here: Our expert guide covers the different types of saunas, heaters, and how to choose a home sauna.
We’ll cover all the ins and outs of dry saunas, including health benefits, optimal temperatures, and what you need to know about setting one up at home.
Experience the healing power of deep heat therapy with our guide to home saunas, including a short list of the best home saunas on the market today.
The British Columbia-based manufacturer draws inspiration from traditional Japanese craftsmanship and the leisurely design aesthetic of Anthony Estevez.
The history, health benefits, and how to use this increasingly popular exercise, plus the eight best cold baths for home use.