About Barrelsoakguide
Why I Started This Site
I bought my first barrel sauna kit six years ago based on a "Top 10" list written by someone who clearly confused infrared cabins with traditional Finnish saunas. Six months later, the cedar staves warped, the heater was undersized for the volume, and I learned that "stainless steel" hardware actually meant plated zinc that rusted before the first winter. I'd dropped eight grand on a relaxation ritual that turned into a maintenance nightmare.
That's when I realized the problem: most outdoor sauna and hot tub advice online comes from content farms regurgitating Amazon listings or marketing departments that have never stacked firewood in subzero temperatures. You can't fake the expertise that comes from actually building these things, sweating in them through real seasons, and troubleshooting why your wood-fired tub won't hold heat when it's 10 degrees outside.
I built Barrelsoakguide because I was tired of watching friends and clients make the same expensive mistakes. This isn't a dropshipping side hustle. It's where I document what actually works when you're investing in outdoor wellness gear—from barrel saunas that survive freeze-thaw cycles to sauna heaters that don't trip your breaker every Tuesday.
About Erik Lindstrom
I'm a contractor by trade and a sauna obsessive by birthright—my grandfather had a smoke sauna in rural Sweden that predated indoor plumbing. I've spent the last decade building and testing outdoor wellness setups across three climate zones: the humid summers of the Midwest, the freeze-thaw hell of New England winters, and the dry mountain air of Colorado. I've assembled imported barrel saunas that arrived with instructions written in four languages, none of them helpful. I've retrofitted electric heaters into DIY cedar builds. I've rebuilt wood-fired hot tub stoves after realizing the stock design couldn't maintain 104°F when the ambient temperature drops below 20°F.
My testing happens in the field, not in a conference room. When I review a barrel sauna, I've spent three months watching how the silicone holds up when the cedar expands in August humidity versus contracts in January frost. I've dealt with the real-world frustration of sauna benches that sag after six months of heat cycling, and I've learned which thermometer brands actually read accurately at 190°F versus which ones are decorative junk. I've made the expensive errors—like installing a heater with insufficient clearance that nearly torched my shed—so you don't have to.
You should trust my judgment because I don't have patience for gear that fails when you actually need it. I approach every review with a contractor's eye for material quality and a Scandinavian's intolerance for poorly designed heat. If I recommend something, it's because I've soaked in it, sweated in it, or fixed it when it broke.
What We Cover
This site is for anyone who wants to invest in outdoor relaxation gear that lasts longer than the warranty period. Specifically, I focus on:
- Barrel saunas—comparing cedar vs. spruce construction, DIY kits vs. pre-built, and which designs actually hold heat efficiently
- Sauna heaters—electric vs. wood-fired, proper sizing for cubic footage, and models that don't sound like jet engines when heating
- Outdoor hot tubs and wood-fired soaking tubs—insulation realities, stove efficiency, and winter maintenance that won't ruin your weekend
- The accessories that matter—ventilation systems that work, thermometers that don't fog permanently, and bench designs that don't collect mold
- Cold plunge integration—how to pair contrast therapy with your existing setup without buying overpriced branded systems
Whether you're a homeowner planning your backyard wellness retreat or a contractor sourcing reliable heaters for client installs, I write for people who care about durability over marketing fluff.
How We Test & Review
Everything here gets hands-on evaluation or deep investigation into build specs that actually matter. For physical products, minimum testing periods run 30 to 90 days through real weather conditions—not unboxing videos in climate-controlled garages. I evaluate heat-up consistency, wood grain quality, hardware corrosion resistance, assembly frustration factors, and documentation clarity.
When I can't personally test a specific model, I rely on my network of contractor colleagues and verified owner reports, cross-referenced with my experience with similar builds. I disclose manufacturer relationships clearly: some units are purchased outright, some are loaned for review, but neither arrangement influences the scoring. If a sauna has warping issues, a heater has faulty thermostats, or a hot tub's stove design is inefficient, I say so. Affiliate links help keep the site running, but I'd rather lose a commission than lose your trust by recommending garbage.
Get In Touch
Have a specific question about your build, a product you think I should test, or just want to argue about the proper löyly-to-bench-height ratio? Drop me a line at info@barrelsoakguide.com. I read every email, though my response time slows down during peak sauna construction season.
Questions? Reach us at info@barrelsoakguide.com