Saunas have moved out of the gym and into the garden. This is how to design one so it feels like part of a Sydney garden rather than a box in the corner, and how to pair it with a cold plunge so you actually use it.

Key takeaways

• The home sauna has moved from a gym extra to a feature people want designed into the garden, often paired with a cold plunge, pool, spa, outdoor shower or yoga area.
• The main choices are indoor or outdoor, a barrel, a cabin or a custom built-in sauna, and traditional heat or infrared.
• A sauna that relates to the pool, the garden and its outlook makes it part of the place. One dropped in a corner does not.
• Power, ventilation and the surface it sits on all need planning before it arrives.
• A sauna is a feature you use most when it is easy to access and pleasant to sit in which is a design decision, not an afterthought.

The outdoor sauna has become one of the more requested features in high-end gardens, and not as a novelty. People are building heat and cold exposure into their home routine, and the garden is where it makes the most sense, especially next to a pool that can double as the cold side of the ritual.

An outdoor sauna is a heated timber room built in the garden, used for the health and relaxation benefits of regular heat exposure. Where it goes and how it sits with the rest of the garden is what separates a real feature from a box in the yard.

Why outdoor saunas have taken off

Two things have driven this. The first is a broader interest in heat and cold therapy for recovery and sleep, which has moved from athletes to ordinary households. The second is that a sauna suits the Australian way of using the garden: it pairs naturally with a pool, an outdoor shower or a plunge, so the whole sequence happens outside rather than in a cramped indoor room.

For a Sydney garden, the cool months are exactly when a sauna comes into its own, which makes it a good companion to the firepit as a feature that keeps the garden in use when the pool cannot.

Barrel, cabin or custom built-in

There are three broad ways to go, and they sit at different points on cost and integration.

A barrel sauna is the round, prefabricated timber unit you have probably seen. It is the quickest and most affordable way in, it arrives largely built, and it works well. The look is distinctive, which suits some gardens and fights others.

A cabin sauna is a squared-off prefabricated or kit room. It blends into a garden more easily than a barrel and gives you a more conventional interior, usually for a similar outlay.

A custom built-in sauna is designed and constructed as part of the garden, clad to match the architecture and the landscaping, sized and shaped for the space. It is the most expensive route and the one that looks like it belongs, because it was built for that spot rather than chosen from a catalogue.

Traditional or infrared

The other decision is the type of heat.

A traditional sauna heats the air to a high temperature with a heater and stones, and you can throw water on the stones for steam. It is the classic, intense experience, it gets very hot, and it draws more power.

An infrared sauna warms your body directly rather than heating the air, so it runs cooler and uses less energy. The experience is gentler and some people prefer it, while purists find it a poor substitute for the real thing. Neither is wrong; they are different experiences, and it is worth trying both before you decide.

“The mistake we see is people choosing the sauna first and thinking about where it goes second. Get it the wrong distance from the pool or the shower and you’ve broken the whole routine before you’ve started. The sauna, the cold plunge and the path between them are one piece of design, not three things you buy separately.” Matt Leacy, Landart founder and principal

My advice is always to design the cold side of the experience at the same time as the hot one. A sauna with the pool or a plunge a few steps away gets used far more than a sauna sitting on its own.

Designing the sauna into the garden

Placement is everything. A sauna wants to be close to the cold plunge or pool and to an outdoor shower, sheltered enough to be pleasant to walk to in winter, and private enough to use without feeling on display. The path between the hot and the cold should be short and considered, because that short walk is part of the experience. Often people like to wash off the sweat before jumping in their cold plunge so consider an outdoor shower in the vicinity of the sauna.

Materials tie it to the garden. The cladding can be chosen to match the home and the landscaping rather than left as raw kit timber, and the surrounding deck, screening and planting settle the sauna into the space. Screening and planting also give privacy and shelter, which is what makes a sauna usable rather than just present.

Done well, the sauna, the plunge, the shower and the planting around them read as one designed area of the garden, a small retreat rather than an appliance parked outside.

The practical side: power, ventilation and approvals

A sauna needs planning before it lands. Traditional electric heaters often need a dedicated electrical circuit run by a licensed electrician, so the power has to be designed in. The unit needs a level, durable base, usually a concrete pad or a properly built deck, prepared before it arrives. Ventilation matters for the timber and for comfort, and the position should allow it.

Most freestanding garden saunas do not need council approval, but it depends on the size, the structure and where it sits, so check for your site. A built-in sauna that forms part of a larger structure is more likely to need approval. As with any feature like this, planning it into the garden design means the power, the base and any approvals are handled as part of the project rather than chased afterwards.

If a sauna is on your wish list, the time to plan it is alongside the pool and the wider garden, so the hot and cold sides of the experience are designed together. Talk to the team about your garden design and we will plan it in properly.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an outdoor sauna cost in Australia?

A prefabricated barrel or cabin sauna typically costs from around $6,000 to $14,000 installed, once you allow for the unit, a base and the electrical work. A custom built-in sauna designed and clad to match the garden costs more, commonly from the high teens into the $30,000s or beyond, depending on size, materials and how it integrates with the rest of the build.

Is an infrared or traditional sauna better?

They are different experiences. Traditional saunas get hotter, let you use steam and feel more intense; infrared saunas run cooler, use less power and feel gentler. Try both if you can before deciding, since it comes down to the experience you prefer.

Do I need council approval for a backyard sauna?

Most freestanding garden saunas do not, but it depends on the size, the structure and where it sits on your block. A built-in sauna that is part of a larger structure is more likely to need approval. Confirm the rules for your site before building.

What do I need to install an outdoor sauna?

A level, durable base such as a concrete pad or a properly built deck, and usually a dedicated electrical circuit installed by a licensed electrician. Good ventilation and a sensible position complete the picture.

Should the sauna go near the pool?

Ideally, yes. A sauna used with a cold plunge, pool or outdoor shower a few steps away gets used far more than a standalone one. Designing the hot and cold sides together is what makes the feature work.

For more on building a garden you use all year, read Creating a Year-Round Garden Oasis, Resort Poolscapes: Blending Pools and Landscapes into an Oasis and Turning City Homes into Private Sanctuaries with Luxury Landscaping. When you are ready to plan yours, get in touch with Landart.