Brand Review
Almost Heaven sauna review: are the West Virginia barrels worth it?
Yes, if you want a complete kit with the heater in the box. Buy the Pinnacle barrel, and check each model's origin, because the store also sells cabins built in Romania.
An Almost Heaven sauna is worth it if you want a complete kit that arrives with the heater and stones in the box, built in the US. Buy the Pinnacle, a four-person cedar barrel listed at $7,575. The barrel comes out of Renick, West Virginia, heated by a Harvia from Finland, and its cedar grew on both sides of the border. Check the model before you buy. Finland's Harvia has owned the business since 2019, and the same store sells Harvia Collection cabins built in Romania. We read Almost Heaven's product pages, its spec tables and manuals, and compared the five models we list.
The best saunas built in the USA
Five Almost Heaven saunas pass our check
These are the Almost Heaven models whose product pages list the USA as the country of origin and that we carry. Each one comes with its heater and stones, and you'll pay extra for curbside freight and the electrician.
| Model | Type | Seats (maker) | Heater | Circuit | List price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem | Outdoor barrel | 2 | Harvia KIP 6 kW | 240V, 30 A hardwired | $4,485 |
| Pinnacle | Outdoor barrel | 4 | Harvia KIP 6 kW | 240V, 30 A hardwired | $7,575 |
| Blackwater | Outdoor cube | 4–6 | Harvia 9 kW or M3 wood stove | 240V, 45 A hardwired (electric) | $14,085 |
| Auburn | Indoor cabin | 2–3 | Harvia KIP 6 kW | 240V, 30 A hardwired | $4,577 |
| Hinton | Infrared cabin | 2–3 | 5 full-spectrum panels | 120V dedicated (15 or 20 A) | $6,840 |
Almost Heaven's list prices for the base heater, read Oct 10, 2026. The Pinnacle and Blackwater were on sale that day. The Hinton's product page and manual disagree on the outlet's amperage.
The Pinnacle is the Almost Heaven to buy
The Pinnacle seats four on benches a little over five feet long. Everything inside comes in the crate, and you'll need an electrician for the wiring. It runs on a 240V, 30-amp hardwired circuit.
The base heater has dials only. Harvia's Fenix Wi-Fi control adds about $1,000, and it's worth deciding on before you order if you want to start the sauna from the kitchen. Almost Heaven quotes six to eight weeks before it ships.
Where to buy
Almost Heaven Outdoor Saunas
Almost Heaven Pinnacle 4-Person Barrel Sauna
Built in Renick, West Virginia · with imported parts
- Western Red Cedar
- Electric
- 240V Hardwired
Pick the Salem for two or the Blackwater for a crowd
The Salem is the two-person barrel, about $3,000 less than the Pinnacle, with the same heater and circuit.
For four to six people, the Blackwater squares the barrel off into a cube with two tiers of benches. Order it with a 9 kW Harvia on a 45-amp circuit, or with Harvia's M3 wood stove for the same price. It ships in eight to twelve weeks.
Where to buy
Almost Heaven Outdoor Saunas
Almost Heaven Salem 2-Person Barrel Sauna
Built in Renick, West Virginia · with imported parts
- Western Red Cedar
- Electric
- 240V Hardwired
Almost Heaven Outdoor Saunas
Almost Heaven Blackwater 4-6 Person Cube Sauna
Built in Renick, West Virginia · with imported parts
- Western Red Cedar
- Electric
- 240V Hardwired
The Auburn and the Hinton bring Almost Heaven indoors
The Auburn seats two or three in a freestanding room that needs no framing, only a hard, level floor, and it costs $4,577. Almost Heaven says the 6 kW Harvia heats the room to 194°F (90°C). If you'd rather not assemble it, Almost Heaven's installers start at $1,400.
The Hinton is the infrared version of that cabin, with five full-spectrum panels on a 120V dedicated outlet. Its product page asks for 20 amps and its manual for 15, so ask Almost Heaven before your electrician wires it. Almost Heaven doesn't say where the panels are made.
Where to buy
Almost Heaven Indoor Saunas
Almost Heaven Auburn 2-3 Person Indoor Sauna
Built in Renick, West Virginia · with imported parts
- Cedar
- Electric
- 240V Hardwired
Almost Heaven Infrared Saunas
Almost Heaven Hinton 2-3 Person Infrared Sauna
Built in Renick, West Virginia
- Cedar
- Full-Spectrum
- 120V Dedicated Circuit
Renick builds the saunas, and Finland supplies the heat
Almost Heaven builds in Renick, in West Virginia's Greenbrier Valley, and Harvia's 2018 announcement of the purchase names the factory there. Since Almost Heaven joined Harvia, its traditional saunas all ship with Harvia heaters, which it says come from Finland.
Almost Heaven buys its cedar from forests in the Northwestern US and in Canada, it says, and gives no split. Some indoor models aren't cedar at all, and they're lined with Nordic spruce from Estonia.
Read the Country of Origin row on every model
The Almost Heaven store sells more than its own saunas. Its saunas collection filters 34 models as built in the USA, 18 in Romania and a few in Estonia and China. The Harvia Collection Tyrol cabin, for one, is built in Romania from Nordic spruce, and the Patterson indoor room we first considered for our catalog turned out to be Romanian too.
Every Almost Heaven product page has a Country of Origin row in its spec table. Read it before you order, since the photos won't tell you. Our method page explains how we sort a store that builds in one country and sells from several.
How we reviewed Almost Heaven
This review draws on Almost Heaven's product pages, spec tables and manuals for the Salem, Pinnacle, Blackwater, Auburn and Hinton, its art-of-sauna page and saunas collection, and Harvia's 2018 acquisition release, all read Oct 10, 2026. We left owner reviews out of this one.
Common questions
- Is an Almost Heaven sauna worth it?
- Yes, for a buyer who wants a complete kit built in the US with the heater included. The Almost Heaven Pinnacle seats four, ships with a 6 kW Harvia heater and lists at $7,575, and it needs a 240V, 30-amp circuit and curbside delivery planning.
- Where are Almost Heaven saunas made?
- Almost Heaven builds its barrels, cubes and most indoor saunas in Renick, West Virginia. Its store also sells Harvia Collection cabins built in Romania, so check the Country of Origin row on each Almost Heaven product page.
- Who owns Almost Heaven Saunas?
- Harvia, the Finnish sauna heater maker, has owned Almost Heaven's business since 2019. The deal was announced in December 2018.
- What heater comes with an Almost Heaven sauna?
- Almost Heaven traditional saunas ship with Harvia heaters, which Almost Heaven says come from Finland. The Pinnacle and Salem barrels use a 6 kW Harvia KIP, and the Blackwater cube uses a 9 kW Harvia or a Harvia M3 wood stove.
We review from makers’ documentation, owner reports and published research. How we choose products and write reviews.
