FAQ
Got questions? We've got answers.
Booking & Visiting
Our saunas hold up to 8 people. Community sessions are shared unless you book the full capacity; for private hire, you have exclusive use.
Session times vary by location and season, including weekend community sessions and full-moon evenings. Check the live schedule on our booking page for what's on near you.
Please arrive 10 minutes before your booking to allow time for a quick briefing and to get changed if necessary, although we recommend arriving in your swimwear.
Bookings can be made online via the Book button on our site. We do not accept bookings via social media. For private hire or events, email hello@saunabox.co.uk.
Yes, as long as it's more than 48 hours before your session. Use the link in your booking confirmation email to manage or reschedule, or email hello@saunabox.co.uk and we'll sort it.
We run wood-fired sauna sessions and pop-ups along the Norfolk and Suffolk coast. The live booking page shows current locations, with exact directions for each session.
We're open all year round in all weathers. In fact we quite like a bit of rain. The only weather that stops play is high winds (above 45mph) or thunder/lightning. We'll contact you to reschedule with as much notice as possible.
Facilities and shelter are fairly limited at our seaside locations. There are public toilets nearby. We do not have changing facilities or storage, so leave valuables at home. The sauna has hooks for robes and towels.
Community sessions are open to all, unless you book the full capacity, you may share with others. Don't worry though. The sauna is a great place to meet people. For privacy, book a private hire or the full capacity.
We will refund or reschedule any booking up to 48 hours before your visit. Refunds are minus a £5 admin fee; rescheduling is free. No-shows or same-day cancellations are not refunded. Email hello@saunabox.co.uk with booking details (Name, Date, Time, Location).
Using the Sauna
Suitable swimwear, two towels (one for sitting on, one for drying), drinking water, flip flops or sliders, and a robe if you have one. We also recommend warm clothing for after the session.
We try to make sauna as inclusive as possible. If you have medical conditions, underlying health problems, use prescription drugs, or are pregnant, consult your GP first. Children aged 7–16 may use saunas during private sessions only, with an adult family member present at all times. Under 7s are not permitted.
Our simple sauna etiquette: sessions of no longer than 20 minutes at a time (5–15 min recommended); sit on a towel; keep swimwear bottoms on; only pour provided sauna water on the rocks; respect other bathers; do not touch the heater.
Rinse → Hot → Cold → Rest. Have a shower before sauna. Get warm (5–15 mins). Take a cold plunge (rinse first if using an ice bath). Rest until your heart rate returns to normal. Then repeat. Follow your body, notice your heart rate throughout.
Buying a Build
Yes, please do. The best way to decide is to sit on a bench in one: almost everyone who visits the workshop ends up owning a sauna. Get in touch via the build enquiry form and we'll arrange a visit, or come to one of our public sessions on the coast first.
We get asked this a lot, and the answer is no: we build outdoor saunas only. Fresh air on your face when you step out is half the experience; even a view of the sky in the middle of a city changes it. However nice an indoor sauna is, that sense of escape is what's missing. Every build we do, covered or not, keeps that connection to the outdoors.
Lead times vary by build type and current workshop capacity. Horsebox and container builds typically take 8–16 weeks from order to delivery. Contact us for a current estimate.
Yes. We deliver across the UK. Delivery costs depend on location. International shipping can be arranged. Contact us to discuss.
All our builds come with a 12-month structural warranty. Heaters are covered by a 1-year manufacturer warranty. We offer ongoing maintenance support and spare parts.
Get in touch via our build enquiry form, or email builds@saunabox.co.uk if you'd rather not fill in a form. We arrange a call to go through your project and send a personalised quote (usually within 7 days). A 50% deposit secures your workshop slot; we send progress photos as we build and confirm a completion date; final payment is taken on completion, along with a handover on using your sauna, and business tips, if relevant. Financing is also available through our finance partner, from around £1,000 a month.
It's a personal choice based on how and where you'll use the sauna, and both let you pour water on the rocks. Wood-fired is the more traditional, romantic option and ideal for off-grid sites. Electric is the more convenient choice, with app control and timers.
Typically 45 to 90 minutes, depending on the sauna design, its size and the heater you choose.
Our saunas are built to last for years, if not decades, when well maintained. Longevity depends a lot on the setting (coastal, woodland, garden) and how it's looked after.
Fairly minimal. Clean with warm soapy water (an eco dish soap) and a microfibre cloth, and bake the sauna dry after each session (heat for around 30 minutes). Depending on use, re-oil the timber and change the stones roughly once a year, review every 3–6 months for commercial use, plus a chimney sweep for wood-fired heaters.
Starting a Sauna Business
Yes, 34 operators have launched sauna businesses with our builds, and it's how Sauna Box itself started: one horsebox on a friend's field. What you earn depends on your hours, your setting and whether you host it yourself. Rather than promise a number, we've built a planner from real operator figures: work through it at Start a sauna business, and we'll talk honestly about where you'd sit.
Honestly? It's the hardest part, harder than choosing the sauna, and every operator we know says the same. Treat it as a numbers game: approach lots of places and follow up. The easiest wins are venues where people already pay to be, padel and tennis centres, gyms, glamping sites, hotels, because you're not asking anyone to change their habits. We help our buyers with site-finding and introductions, and we're happy to share what's worked around the country.
A sensible ceiling is around 10% of your turnover: we wouldn't want to pay much more than that. Remember you bring value too: a sauna pulls people to a site, and some operators pay a small flat fee or nothing at all where the host benefits from the footfall. A percentage of turnover is usually the fairest structure for both sides.
It depends on the land. On public land (a beach car park, a promenade) you will need a licence from the council, and it helps to show them examples of other councils that have already said yes, and we can share those. By the letter of the law, a structure in place for more than 28 days needs planning permission; mobile saunas like a horsebox are treated differently, which is one reason so many operators start mobile. Every site is different, so ask us and we will point you in the right direction.
Here's the honest picture: almost every 'mobile' sauna in the UK actually operates from one regular spot. Towing to a pitch and back adds an hour or more to each end of your day, so a permanent or semi-permanent site gives you that time back and lets you build a regular community. Mobility still earns its keep for events, seasonal moves and simpler planning, but most operators settle into one good site.
It doesn't stop at handover. You get a full walkthrough of running your sauna plus business guidance (pricing, sessions, site tips) and while your build is in the workshop we help set up your launch so you open with customers, not hope. After that, you can always fire questions at us: we've made enough mistakes over the years to help you avoid most of them.
Didn't find your answer?
If your question is less about a session and more about doing this yourself, starting your own, or adding one to your business, that's exactly what we do. Here's where each path begins.
Just want to enjoy one? Explore the builds or book a session.