Thanks to the recent proliferation of saunas and rediscovery of thermal bathing’s healing power, more people are looking for ways to simply sit and sweat, myself included. Building a home sauna kit completely changed the game for me, and before I realized it, my wellness routine had turned into a sort of ritual of reconnection.
But here’s the thing about getting hooked on saunas that no one tells you: after some time, you can’t help but want to sauna everywhere; in different builds, locations, and even different types of sauna. Yet, the holy grail of saunas is heat bathing in nature where there is easy access to wild water for a dip in between sessions. And because not everyone has the space or budget for a permanent backyard sauna, portable sauna tents have emerged as a new subgenre in this space. So I decided to test one of the most popular, the Sweat Tent.
Not surprisingly, my sauna brain had a crystal clear vision of enjoying a sauna tent here in Maine on a piece of lakefront property that has been in my family for decades, and I was eager to put one of the leading retailers on the market to the test in that very spot.
This article will walk you through my experience using the Sweat Tent, covering everything from delivery, assembly, and how to use it, with the help of my husband and just a few basic tools.
What's Covered in This Article:
- Why Buy a Sauna Tent
- What’s Included With the Sweat Tent
- Shipping and Delivery
- Choosing a Location
- Assembling and Seasoning the Stove
- Assembling the Sweat Tent
- Using the Sauna
Why Buy a Sauna Tent?
A sauna tent is a portable outdoor sauna made with durable synthetic materials such as insulated ripstop nylon to trap heat and lightweight fiberglass poles for ease of portability. Designed to be temporary and transported, these pop up much like a camping tent or ice fishing tent would.
Portable sauna tents have become popular for their lower cost (which are a fraction of the price of many permanent home saunas) and low-impact, portable features that are ideal for renters or anyone who doesn’t own land, but wants to own a personal sauna.
A big draw and major selling point of sauna tents in general is how quick and easy they can be assembled and broken down. I wouldn’t necessarily say that this was my experience with the Sweat Tent, however, after the initial setup and break down, I do see how swift the process can be once you’ve had some practice, but there’s definitely a learning curve for first-timers. Read more about that below.
What’s Included With the Sweat Tent
The basic Sweat Tent costs $1,599 (it's also available in a larger size) and comes with the following:
- Insulated pop up sauna tent and carrying case with handles
- Stainless steel sauna stove
- Sauna rocks and rock basket
- Ergonomic fire poker and heat resistant gloves
- Wood thermometer
- Weatherproof roof cover
- Instruction manual
This does not include the bucket and ladle, torch lighter, wooden bench, or sauna hat, which can all be purchased separately on their website along with some other sauna accessories.
Shipping and Delivery
The sauna is shipped in five boxes, so expect to receive several separate shipments each including 1-3 boxes. Unlike receiving a home sauna kit, you won’t need to schedule any deliveries or be there to sign for them.
Choosing the Right Location
Sweat Tent recommends setting up your sauna outdoors on a level surface like dirt, grass, concrete, tile, ice, or unvarnished wood area. As I mentioned, my chosen spot was on the shores of a lake with a sandy beach. This worked out fine, but there was plenty of sand that got stuck in the nook and crannies of the foldable stove legs during setup and I ended up using a small brush to clean it all out.
Since the sauna is heated by a wood burning stove, you must set up your sauna tent somewhere that allows fire. If this is your backyard or a private slice of land, it’s most likely a non-issue, but check with the local fire department for rules and regulations to be sure. If you’re setting it up in a public space like a beach or park, you’ll need to get a permit to make a fire. This can be tricky, but it can also be quick! In coastal Maine, where I live, some local beaches approve these permits within a day. Oceanfront sauna sounds pretty sweet, huh?
I’d also suggest choosing a location that’s relatively private and secluded. If you’re going to a public outdoor place, do any initial assembly and building of parts beforehand to avoid attracting unwanted attention and to help the sauna set up and use go smoothly.
Assembling and Seasoning the Sauna Stove
Sweat Tent’s stainless steel portable wood burning stove is a tiny but mighty detail that I loved and really enjoyed using. My home sauna is powered by an electric stove, so I was psyched to have some good wood fired heat out in nature. The stove itself comes fully assembled, you simply pop open the foldable legs, connect the chimney pieces together and then to the stove. The instructions explain that the sauna rocks basket only takes some light assembly, which is totally true, and within five minutes I had the stove put together and ready to go.
Before you’re able to heat up the sauna tent, the small wood burning stove needs to be seasoned, which adds about an hour onto the initial setup. This is essentially a way of breaking it in so that any chemicals from the manufacturing process burn off outside the tent, rather than risk you inhaling them during a sauna, and allows all the pieces to heat up, cool off, and settle into place.
The Sweat Tent team strongly recommends not to skip this step, which might be tempting because it’s a bit tedious and time consuming, but still easy to do. Add 2-3 small pieces of firewood and burn for 15 minutes, and repeat that process once more.
After it’s all burned off, fill the whole stove with firewood and let it burn for about 30 minutes until it’s completely out and cool enough to handle. After stoking the fire, we took that time to assemble the rest of the sauna, and by the time it had gone out, it was already cool enough to handle and move into the tent.
Make sure you have enough firewood and fire starters beforehand. The stove is too small to fit most firewood, so we used a hatchet to get it down to size. Keep that in mind and get everything you need before starting the fire or you’ll have to backtrack!
Assembling the Sauna Tent
Oddly enough, this was the only part of the setup that took the longest and caused some confusion. While the tent is billed as being super easy to assemble within three minutes, that was not the case for me.
The tent comes fully assembled and is described as only needing a good, strong pull to “pop” open just like a camping tent. I’m still not sure if the tent was packed incorrectly or we made a mistake, but the tent seemed to be inside out because the handles you’re intended to pull on to open them up were on the inside, not the outside. The instructions and videos provided no extra help or detail, so we spent a good amount of time rearranging the legs and tent walls, so that the handles were accessible and on the outside of the tent wall.
This did the trick, and after a few really forceful pulls (more than you’d think!), the walls finally popped out and into place. After that, there were no issues with the tent, but it was confusing and time consuming to say the least.
Once the tent is up and in the right spot, the rest of the assembly is pretty straightforward, and all the instructions are clear and easy to follow. You need rocks, logs, or sandbags to place on the tent skirt to keep it in place, with optional stakes and rope for additional security. It was a really calm day and our tent was fine using only four big rocks.
A super cool detail are the panoramic windows that have coverings attached with velcro on the exterior. You can opt to keep them on for privacy and insulation or open it up for a beautiful view. Because I had a lake and mountain view, I chose the latter.
There was no issue moving the stove inside or getting it fired up, which allowed things to keep moving along, but if you have the additional accessories, you’ll need a bit more time for setup.
Sauna Accessories
This set included the bench, bucket and ladle, which also required some assembly. Note that if you don’t order the bench, you won’t have anything to sit on, so prepare for that ahead of time.
The wooden cedar bench is basic but of nice quality, and even though the manual doesn’t say so, we found using a power drill sped up the process and made sure it was very secure. All the parts were clearly labeled and the instructions were easy to follow, but if you don’t have any experience putting something together or using power tools, this could be a little tricky, but not impossible.
It was also not obvious how to hang the thermometer, although the video shows the user quickly hanging it from a pole. I ended up looping some twine over the pole and hanging it DIY style. Unfortunately, the Sweat Tent torch lighter didn’t work, so we had to use our own. Sure, these were all small things, but they were frustrating and added a lot of time to the process. I didn’t love that part of the user experience, but everything did come together in the end in spite of it all.
Using the Sauna
Here’s the best part: getting to use the sauna! The stove heats up extremely fast, and in less than 30 minutes the tent had already reached 170 degrees F. Inside the tent, it didn’t feel that hot at first, but it was more of a slow burn, and the interior is small, so if you’re looking for high heat, give it a little time and you’ll be cooking soon enough. Just make sure to keep a stack of firewood, the fire poker, and gloves nearby so you can adjust the heat without leaving the tent. The sauna never got too humid, even after tossing a few ladles on the sauna rocks, but the heat was just right.
A major perk of the portable sauna tent is being able to sauna in a beautiful outdoor location nearby water. The Sauna Tent totally delivered on that front with its panoramic windows, through which I could take in the lake and mountain scenery, and the crackling wood fire which generated plenty of heat. I felt like it could have been hotter, and at times, there was a little too much airflow from the vent for my taste, but that could just be a personal preference.
Another crucial difference is that the sauna tent only has a bench, so there's no backrest, and it's a bit low to the ground, which felt like I might miss out on some heat, but stoking the fire helped. All of those finer points ended up fading into the background when I got to dive straight into the lake right after my sweat session. This is truly the pinnacle of a sauna and cold plunge, so in the end none of those details took away from the overall experience.
Are all saunas created equal? No, certainly not, and I would not say that the Sweat Tent is on the same level as my home sauna, but it’s a relatively affordable option that offers you the opportunity to sauna in nature by the water, which is just as good. Technical difficulties aside, I was really impressed by the quality, the sleek aesthetic, and portability. If you're looking for a less expensive sauna with all the health benefits, little to no building required, and one that gets you outside, the Sweat Tent is it.
Use code "FIELDMAG100" for $100 off your order
Published 06-04-2024
