This £4,000 Tiny Sauna Could Be the Key to a Longer, Healthier Life - Here’s Why

The big sweat edition

My teeny tiny garden sauna

I’ve just spent £4,000 on what is probably the most indulgent purchase of my life, a garden sauna. It’s the tiniest sauna you’ll ever see, made to order by a company called Zoki, based in the Midlands. They say it’s a two-person sauna, but unless you know the other person very well, sharing this space could be a challenge. It’s snug, and there’s no room to lie down. Still, I love it.

Right now, I can only heat the sauna up to 70 degrees Celsius because the wood needs to adjust to heating and cooling before I can push it beyond 80 degrees, where the real magic happens. But even at 70 degrees, it’s already delivering what I was hoping for, a big sweat, an escape from the world, and an incredibly peaceful 20 minutes of solitude. It calms my thoughts, drains away the my troubles, and gets me ready for deep, restorative sleep. When I’m away, I genuinely miss it.

Just to prove to you that I’m not having a midlife crisis, I’m citing the studies referred to, so you can make up your own mind about the robustness of the research. Honestly though, the evidence behind sauna use is compelling.

The Science-Backed Benefits of Sauna Use

Cardiovascular Health
If you’re concerned about your heart, you might want to think about getting a sauna. A study conducted over 20 years found that men who used a sauna 4-7 times a week had a 50% lower risk of fatal cardiovascular events. That’s because sauna use increases heart rate and improves circulation in a way that mimics moderate exercise (Laukkanen et al., 2015) [1].

Longevity
People who regularly use saunas don’t just feel better, they live longer. Another long-term study revealed that regular sauna use is linked to a 40% reduction in all-cause mortality (Laukkanen et al., 2015) [1]. That’s right, if you want to live longer, this might just be one of the easiest ways to do it.

Mental Health and Relaxation
For me, one of the immediate benefits is mental. The calm I feel after a session in my sauna is beyond description, and research backs that up. Sauna bathing can help reduce anxiety, stress, and even symptoms of depression (Heinonen et al., 2017) [2]. There’s something about the heat and the escape that works on both body and mind.

Cognitive Function
Even more surprising are the studies suggesting that regular sauna use can lower the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. This effect has been attributed to better circulation and reduced inflammation, both key factors in keeping your brain healthy (Laukkanen et al., 2017) [3]. There is still a need for more studies in this area but the signs are good already.

Detoxification
While it’s often said that the liver and kidneys are the body’s primary detoxifiers, sauna-induced sweating can help excrete heavy metals and other toxins. Research has shown that sweating in saunas can remove trace elements of metals like arsenic and lead. (Genuis et al., 2016) [4].

Muscle Recovery
For anyone who exercises (remind me to do that again!), sauna use can also improve muscle recovery and reduce soreness. There’s solid evidence that the increased blood flow helps repair muscles more quickly after a workout, making saunas a great post-exercise ritual (Buroker & Schweder, 2020) [5].

Why I Took the Leap
So, why did I finally press the button after four years of sauna daydreaming? Well, after going down multiple Reddit rabbit holes and joining the British Sauna Society (where the members are even more obsessed than I am), I finally took the plunge. I went with Zoki, one of the cheaper manufacturers of saunas, and I have no regrets.

Zoki used to export saunas to Scandinavia and now cater solely for the British market. They’re not keen on barrel saunas (not many aficionados are), and they’re not big on lots of glass, understandably, as it makes it harder to retain heat. What they do care about is good wood, simple and robust design, and saunas that just work. And let me tell you, mine works a treat. They’re not paying me to say this by the way. They should be paying me though. I’m such an evangelist that friends of mine have also bought one, and report similar results.

So if you’ve been on the fence about getting a sauna, maybe this is the sign you’ve been waiting for. I can’t recommend it enough, not just for the relaxation but for the long-term health benefits too.

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References

1. Laukkanen, T., Kunutsor, S., Kauhanen, J., & Laukkanen, J. A. (2015). Sauna bathing is associated with reduced risk of sudden cardiac death and all-cause mortality in men: A prospective cohort study. JAMA Internal Medicine, 175(4), 542–548.

2. Heinonen, I., Laukkanen, J. A., & Kiviniemi, V. (2017). Sauna bathing and health: What do we know about benefits? American Journal of Medicine, 130(2), 219.e11-219.e16.

3. Laukkanen, J. A., Kunutsor, S. K., Kauhanen, J., & Laukkanen, T. (2017). Sauna bathing is inversely associated with dementia and Alzheimer's disease in middle-aged Finnish men. Age and Ageing, 46(2), 245-249.

4. Genuis, S. J., Birkholz, D., Rodushkin, I., & Beesoon, S. (2016). Human excretion of heavy metals through sweat: A systematic review. Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2016, 5172328.

5. Buroker, N. E., & Schweder, M. M. (2020). Sauna bathing as an adjunctive treatment for muscle recovery: A review of the literature. Journal of Human Kinetics, 73(1), 17-27.