The Blisspod Prague is a Canadian red cedar barrel sauna built for the garden rather than the spare room. The back wall is a full pane of tempered glass, so instead of facing a timber wall you are looking out at whatever is behind the sauna. In winter, with snow on the ground, that is most of the appeal.
Two seats sit under a covered porch at the front. They are there for the part of a sauna session that usually gets forgotten: the cooling phase between rounds. Alternating heat and cold is how a Finnish style session is actually meant to work, and having somewhere to sit outside makes that practical instead of theoretical.
Why a barrel shape
A barrel has no corners, so there is nowhere for heat to sit and stagnate. Warm air rises along the curved ceiling and falls back down the far wall, which keeps the temperature more consistent between the bench and the floor than a rectangular cabin of the same volume. The enclosed volume is smaller than a square room with the same bench length, so it also reaches temperature faster and costs less to run.
The cylindrical profile earns its keep outdoors too. Rain and snow run off the curve rather than pooling on a flat roof, and the roof is finished in shingles over the cedar.
The cedar
Canadian red cedar is the usual choice for outdoor saunas for good reason. It resists rot and insects without chemical treatment, stays dimensionally stable through repeated heat and moisture cycles rather than cupping or splitting, and carries very little resin, so it does not weep or smell sharp when hot. It is also naturally low allergen. Left alone it will silver over time; sealed, it holds its colour.
Heating
A Toule 6kW electric heater is included, along with the stones. It runs on 240V and draws 27 amps, which means a dedicated circuit and a licensed electrician. This is not a unit that plugs into an outdoor socket, so factor the electrical work into your budget and timeline before ordering.
Sizes
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2 to 4 person: 180 x 180 x 180 cm
-
4 to 6 person: 180 x 180 x 240 cm
Both are the same diameter. The larger unit is deeper, giving longer benches rather than more headroom.
Specifications
- Exterior: 70.87 in diameter (2 to 4 person model, 70.87 in deep)
- Interior: 67.87 in wide x 67.87 in high x 49.37 in floor width
- Bench: 46.22 in long x 17.72 in high
- Porch: 67.87 in high x 67.87 in wide x 19.69 in deep
- Porch seats: 19.7 in wide x 15.75 in deep x 17.7 in high
- Door: 57.09 in high x 23.62 in wide
- Glazing: 8 mm tempered glass
- Heater: Toule 6000W, 240V, 27A
- Timber: Canadian red cedar
- Roof: shingled
- Warranty: 12 months manufacturer
What's included
- Sauna stones
- Wall lamp
- Hygrothermograph (temperature and humidity gauge)
- Sand timer
- Wooden bucket and ladle
- Wooden mallet
Before you order
The sauna ships as a prefabricated kit and assembles on site, so it can be relocated later rather than being a permanent structure. Two things worth checking first: the door opening is 23.62 in wide, which is narrow for moving anything bulky through, and the site needs to be level and firm enough to carry the loaded weight. Arrange the 240V supply before delivery so the sauna is not sitting unused while you wait on an electrician.
