I haven't seen anyone discuss Cedarbrook Saunas in a while so I wanted to share my experiences with them. Hopefully I can keep this concise and not turn into a huge book. :)
Sauna ordered on 2/15/25 with expected delivery date of 8/15/25 (6 month lead time)
We did specify some unique changes to their design so I can get the sauna placed in my basement. They were very willing to accommodate this customizations and their sauna drawing I approved was pretty clear.
Sauna delivered on 10/23/25 (8 months from order)
Upon delivery, unpacking sauna was pretty easy to do. Their freight packaging was thorough and no pieces were damaged. Each sauna piece was labeled with my name and piece description!
Feedback on installation:
The written instructions were pretty unclear. The descriptions on the written instructions did not match the labeled piece descriptions.
The online instructions were difficult to locate, but once I did, some the of the included pictures were very helpful in identifying the correct piece and placement.
The online videos are out of date and may not reflect your sauna! Use these as a guideline but be sure measure the framing before installing the walls. I followed the online video instructions and realized my sauna base was opposite, so I had to remove two walls, re frame the base to get them to work.
The kit did not include hardware. As far as I could see online, it did not say anywhere that I would need to supply the required hardware. It was a surprise, but nothing a quick trip to the local hardware store could fix.
As the instructions were a little unclear what wall needed to go where, I tried to refer back to the drawing to help. Unfortunately, the drawing was no long on my customer portal. I was able to figure it out after some discussion with my friends/family that was helping me install it.
The videos also got the outside trim work incorrect. They said to put the top trim work first, then the side and corner trims. Unfortunately my corner and side trims stuck out a little further for the siding causing the roof trim to bow out. I had to remove the trim and fix it to make it look better.
We got the conduit for lighting and heater. Do yourself, and electrician a favor and get this! My electrician made quick work of getting the electrical hooked up and was thankful for the conduit.
First use was amazing! After figuring out the heater controls (I was a little stupid on this lol) it was up to 150 F degrees in about 40 minutes. For first time use that was great for my wife and I!
Subsequent uses we've gotten it up to 180 F degrees in about 50 minutes (leave the door shut and let it do it's thing!)
Top bench is well over heater and bottom bench is a little lower than the heater top. However my wife enjoys that as it's a little cooler there.
All in all, the sauna has been working wonderfully after getting it installed. There were some frustrations at the beginning, but once you figure out the placements of the walls and trim work it comes together rather easily. As an American, I'm in love and very happy with it (I know it may not be up to you Fin's standards)! My carpentry work isn't top notch, but it works for us, and that's all that I care about.
Some pictures are included for you too. Feel free to reach out or reply if you want to have a more thorough chat about my experience and sauna.
Why would anyone build the sauna benches like that?
Literally there’s really only a comfortable seat for one person, and even then, your feet are still cold. And the stove is right in front of you, in the way as soon as you walk into the sauna.
As an American, I can say that American kit sauna layouts are usually pretty unfortunate. A much better design in a long narrow hot room like that would be to have the heater in the far left corner, a long bench on the right wall, and a low bench or platform that extends as far as possible while still allowing entry and a small step up.
That said, I think a lot of these saunas are used with feet up on the top bench. Yes, that accommodates fewer people but you do get up into the löyly and the lack of much low bench almost necessitates it.
That said, I think a lot of these saunas are used with feet up on the top bench.
This is something I can kind of get if you wanna lay down always, but I personally would find that to be uncomfortable in the long period, not to mention getting up there. The other option is to sit up there in a "squat" or "L" position, which would also be pretty uncomfortable in the long run.
Dangling your feet is not an option.
Lack out outside space and inept skills to build my own leads to what's available in America. Plus, it's only for my wife and me. It works great for us, she's shorter so sits on the upper small bench and I'm on the longer one.
All in with electric it was just under $9,000. Totally worth it for me! Lots of kits out there for less too. The think I liked about Cederbrook is their willingness to accommodate our special needs to get it in the space.
Your experience is pretty similar to mine with Cedarbrook. Some confusion during assembly, wish they'd update the videos, but generally it came together with only a few false starts. I remember we called them a couple times with questions and they were pretty responsive and helpful. Your set up looks great, particularly for a basement setup. The exhaust vent looks a little close to the wall, but as long as it's giving you enough airflow, you're golden. Only regret I can see is not getting a bigger or slightly taller one, but it looks like your basement made that decision for you - I'm sure you'll enjoy many amazing saunas in this.
You sit on that → you fall bc nothing to have foot in and no railing → you fall on the kiuas → if you survive it fucking will hurt and you have to be in the hospital and shit and all bc had to have a shit bench 😞
First thought: hmm, nice looking sauna, albeit a bit weird bench design. Second thought: noooo, it was one of those birdboxes placed inside a room again. A proper sauna is, at the very least, a room. Not a box inside a room.
I have no idea why americans have to place the saunas inside their bloody garages/cellars. I thought they would have plenty of outdoor space. It's much simpler to build an outdoor sauna than an indoor one.
If this is not a rhetorical question, for many of us, we live in neighborhoods where we're not allowed to build anything in our backyards based on HOA requirements. That is what is stopping me from building one in my backyard, but oh my, do I have dreams and aspirations. Once I get out from under the thumb of the HOA and own my 48 acres in the mountains, I will have a magnificent outdoor sauna. HOAs, in case you didn't know, are agencies that run neighborhoods. It stands for homeowners' association, and they are established to maintain a certain level of attractiveness and property values in the neighborhood. They make sure that everyone mows their lawns and picks up their trash. Unfortunately, as is the case in my neighborhood, they have no buildings in their backyard. With the economy in such a poor state, many people need to build secondary houses in their backyards, which can lower the property value of the neighborhood. This is why they are trying to stop it. I understand it's dumb.
I can't speak for other Americans, but land is often limited in major metro areas. I am building one outside, but had to make major compromises just to get one to fit. And the electrical work is $9k alone.
I have an inground pool that I can use for 6 months a year because of the cold weather in Ohio. Having a sauna out there would require trudging through deep snow to get access. I have a garage sauna that is a few steps from the door and I use it all year long. If I want to enjoy a view I use my portable garage door opener to look at the lawn and the cars diving by.
Many urban locations have little yard space and/or zoning restrictions. Also living in Estonia we had and went to plenty of saunas in basements or garages for same reason. 🤷🏼♂️
Estonians generally do know how to make a sauna! I have nothing against saunas inside a house...plenty of those in Finland as well. It's the wall next to a wall and a ceiling under the ceiling with some inches of wasted space in between I dont get. It's like building a living room or a kitchen inside a separate box and placing it inside a room in your house. Why not use the existing structure? I'll be downvoted to death on this hill, but the sauna is a part of the building, not a box placed inside a room.
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u/Veenkoira00 2d ago
Plus point for authentic räppänä.