Hybrid Sauna Guide: Infrared Benefits & More

A hybrid sauna is one room with two kinds of heat. A traditional stove with stones gives you a hot, steamy sauna. Infrared heaters warm the body directly for a gentler warm-up at a lower ambient temperature, the way an infrared sauna does. A switch or control picks between the two heat systems, and some models run both at once, so you get two heat experiences in one unit.

Two kinds of heat in one room

The traditional heater is a Harvia sauna heater that heats the air and the sauna stones, and water ladled onto the stones makes traditional steam. Golden Designs rooms run at 170 to 185 degrees, with a 190 degree ceiling. Finnmark stoves take their rooms to 190 degrees.

Wall-mounted infrared panels give off infrared heat that warms your body directly at a lower air temperature. Golden Designs rooms run at 118 to 132 degrees, and the manual says not to exceed 140. Finnmark rooms reach 170 in infrared mode.

Golden Designs calls its set full-spectrum infrared: two carbon panels give gentle warmth all over, alongside near-infrared heating elements. The 2-person room has six infrared emitters, and the three-person rooms have eight. Finnmark combines long wave carbon panels with short wave Spectrum Plus heaters. Its manual says the Spectrum Plus heaters tolerate steam from a stone heater, unlike plain carbon panels.

Compare our traditional saunas and infrared saunas. For related reading, see our infrared sauna benefits post and sauna benefits overview.

One mode at a time, or both at once

Every Golden Designs room has a main switch selecting the stove or infrared heaters, never both. The 0 position cuts power to both. The Finnmark FD-4 and the Finnmark FD-5 let you run both together or either alone. You can heat the sauna with the stove, add steam and keep the infrared running, or use infrared alone or traditional heat alone.

Golden Designs recommends infrared when it is 45 degrees or warmer outside. The stove works in any weather, making it the winter mode.

Who a hybrid suits

A hybrid sauna suits a household with different heat preferences. One person can enjoy hot Finnish steam while another chooses a gentle warm-up. It also suits a short infrared sauna session at lower temperatures on a weeknight and the full stove on the weekend, all with space for one sauna.

If you are still deciding, read our infrared vs traditional sauna comparison. The trade-offs are the electrical requirements and, with Golden Designs, one mode at a time. Browse all nine rooms in our hybrid collection.

The outdoor rooms: Golden Designs

Each of these outdoor models has a Harvia stove, infrared heaters and an all-weather exterior built to sit in rain and sun, which is what makes them outdoor saunas. The seven rooms seat two to six. All include a glass door, tall window, color lighting, FM radio, Bluetooth, speakers, sandglass timer, bucket and scoop.

The stove ratings below are in kilowatts (kW), the heater size.

• The Golden Designs Nora seats two in a dark espresso cube with Canadian red cedar inside. It has a 6 kW stove and six emitters, takes about 59 by 71 inches of patio and weighs 925 pounds assembled.
• The Golden Designs Visby seats three, measures about 79 by 71 inches and has an 8 kW stove.
• The Golden Designs Karlstad seats six on two bench rows with an 8 kW stove.
• The barn-style Golden Designs Loviisa seats three in about 69 by 68 inches. The Golden Designs Kaskinen seats six in about 69 by 84 inches, plus roof overhang. Both have bronze-tinted glass doors.
• The Golden Designs Carinthia seats three in about 84 by 74 inches. The Golden Designs Gargellen seats five on two bench rows. Both use Canadian hemlock, waterproof clear stain and shingled roof panels.

Pre-built panels arrive on a pallet by curbside freight. Manuals specify two adults for the Nora or three for the Carinthia, using a Phillips or battery screwdriver. An electrician handles stove wiring. On bare ground, support cradles rest on blocks to prevent settling. The wood changes color over time.

Explore Golden Designs rooms, our sauna kits and outdoor infrared saunas.

The indoor rooms: Finnmark FD-4 and FD-5

The Finnmark FD-4 seats two with two bench tiers. Its exterior measures 48 inches wide, 48 deep and 83 tall. Allow about 49 by 49 inches of floor. Its interior is about 86 cubic feet. It includes a Harvia Vega Compact 1.9 kW stove and one box of stones.

The Finnmark FD-5 seats four. Its exterior measures 75 by 64 by 84 inches, with a 71 by 57.5 by 75 inch interior. It includes a wall-mounted 4.5 kW Harvia KIP45B stove and 44 pounds of stones.

Both need 3 inches of clearance above and on all sides. Both have a 5 inch touchscreen with Bluetooth and phone control; the FD-5 includes speakers. Clear grade Western Canadian cedar provides a smooth, mold-resistant interior, with kiln-treated aspen outside. Red light lamps in the ceiling add a warm glow, and the color-changing lighting can be set to suit you.

The Trinity manual lists 50 to 60 minutes to reach the 170 degree infrared maximum. It suggests 15 to 20 minutes of preheat. A built-in timer runs for 90 minutes. For first use, run at maximum for an hour two or three times to burn off factory dust. Buckets and ladles are add-ons.

Plan for an indoor sauna in a basement, a home gym or a large spare room; these are the models for home gyms. Browse our indoor rooms.

Power and installation

Golden Designs uses one 240 volt service: 30 amps for the Nora, 40 amps for larger rooms. A certified electrician wires it. No extension cords or receptacle adapters are allowed.

The FD-4’s infrared side plugs into a standard 120V, 15 amp outlet and draws 1,750 watts. Its stove draws 15.9 amps at 120 volts on a separate 20 amp circuit.

The FD-5 infrared side draws 3,150 watts from a 240 volt, 15 amp outlet. Its stove draws 18.8 amps at 240 volts on a separate circuit with a 20 amp breaker.

Both Finnmark stoves are hardwired, meaning an electrician connects them to house wiring without a plug. Both makers say to give the electrician the Harvia installation manual. See our electric sauna heaters and heater sizing guide.

Using it well

Golden Designs limits a sauna session to 40 minutes, with a cool-down before you go back in, whichever mode you use. Allow an hour off after four hours of continuous use. Finnmark says to wait for the stove’s set temperature before adding small amounts of water. Pooling water means you are pouring too much.

Plan on indoor placement for the FD rooms; Finnmark requires a cover or roof for outdoor placement under its warranty. Golden Designs recommends a rain cover when an outdoor sauna sits idle, and says the wood changes color over time.

Read our sauna temperature guide and saunas and weight loss post. Many owners pair their room with a cold plunge; see our sauna and cold plunge post.

Questions people ask

Can a hybrid sauna run infrared and traditional heat at the same time?

It depends on the room. Golden Designs uses a switch to select the stove or infrared, never both. The Finnmark FD-4 and FD-5 allow both together or either alone. Their Spectrum Plus heaters are built to tolerate steam from the stone heater.

Do hybrid saunas get as hot as traditional saunas?

Yes, in stove mode. Golden Designs rooms run at 170 to 185 degrees with a 190 degree ceiling. Finnmark stoves reach 190. Infrared mode runs cooler: 118 to 132 degrees on the Golden Designs models, with a maximum temperature of 140 in the manual, and up to 170 on the Finnmark models.

Does a hybrid need more electrical capacity?

Yes. Golden Designs needs one 240 volt service, 30 amps for the Nora or 40 for larger rooms. The FD-4 needs a 120 volt outlet plus a separate hardwired 120 volt, 20 amp stove circuit. The FD-5 needs a 240 volt outlet plus a hardwired 240 volt stove circuit with a 20 amp breaker. A licensed electrician handles stove wiring.

Can I add a traditional stove to an infrared sauna I already have?

Choose a room built for both instead of adding a stove to an infrared cabin whose panels, wiring and wood were never rated for steam. The Finnmark Spectrum Plus infrared heaters withstand steam from a stone heater; plain carbon panels cannot. The Finnmark FD-4 and FD-5 can run both together on separate circuits. Their stove requires hardwiring by a licensed electrician, while the infrared heaters use their own outlet. The Golden Designs rooms switch between stove and infrared heat, never running both together. For lower temperatures, you can also use the stove alone, running it briefly or stepping in earlier.

Choose a hybrid sauna around the heat you prefer, the space you have and the electrical service you can run. My Cozy Outdoors is an authorized dealer for Golden Designs and Finnmark Designs with the full manufacturer warranty. Tell us how many people, indoors or out, and the power you have. We will shortlist rooms that fit from our whole sauna collection.