How do you winterize or cover an outdoor sauna?

Published November 5, 2026

Summary

Winter care depends on the model and whether it stays in use. For its outdoor cabins, Almost Heaven describes routine cleaning, checking barrel staves and adding a compatible rain jacket to repel water and snow. Sweat Tent instead calls for its tent and stove to be stored indoors during extreme weather, including heavy snow. A roof cover does not override those instructions. Before winter, decide where a portable sauna will be stored and which cover is approved for a permanent one.

If you keep using it in winter

For an Almost Heaven outdoor sauna that remains in use, its maintenance guidance includes the following jobs. Apply the instructions for your own cabin rather than assuming the same cleaning method suits every outdoor product:

Vacuum the interior.
Wash the exterior periodically with low pressure.
Rinse the interior with water and avoid power washing.
Tighten the staves on a barrel.
Wipe up wet spots.
Run the heater after rainfall.

The same article says to inspect the sauna stones every year and replace any that are cracked. It also says to check them periodically for cracking from heat exposure. It sets a firm limit on finishes: "Never stain or varnish the interior of a sauna."

For snow, Almost Heaven's winterizing article suggests adding a UV-resistant rain jacket "to repel water and snow from the top of the sauna." That accessory does not pair with wood-burning saunas that have chimneys.

Sweat Tent's FAQ says its tent "performs in cold weather," but the same FAQ says year-round setup is not recommended. It also tells owners to avoid setting up in heavy storms, lightning or high winds, and to stake the tent so it is not knocked over.

If you shut it down

Sweat Tent's FAQ says the tent and stove must be stored indoors in extreme weather such as heavy snow, or the warranty may be voided. Its care instructions cover packing away:

Let the tent and stove cool fully before packing.
Wipe the interior with a dry cloth.
Empty the ash pan once it is cool.
Inspect zippers, seams and the chimney jack. The maker says to do this monthly.
Clean the chimney pipe each season.
If the canopy is wet, air dry it fully before packing.
Store everything dry and indoors.

Sweat Tent lists the stove at 65 lbs and the Large tent at 30 lbs. Together that is 30 + 65 = 95 lbs of listed component weight, moved as separate pieces, before any other equipment. Plan a dry indoor storage place and a manageable route before bad weather arrives. A fitted cover does not turn the tent into a permanent building or remove the need to pack it away.

For a fixed sauna that will be unused, ask the cabin and heater makers for the shutdown procedure for the exact equipment. Almost Heaven's routine list includes mildew checks and yearly bench sanding, but those jobs alone are not a complete shutdown procedure for every controller, heater or accessory. A general cover should not be treated as a substitute for model-specific storage instructions.

Covers: when they help

Almost Heaven identifies several reasons to add cover. The decision depends on the site as well as the cabin:

The sauna sits under trees.
It is in an area with high precipitation.
The climate has extreme swings.
You like the look.

Its options differ in how they are used. The fitted jacket is described as suitable during operation; a tarp is for covering the sauna between uses:

A removable Almost Heaven rain jacket, which can stay on while the sauna is on.
A corrugated metal roof.
Roofing shingles.
A physical cover or awning.
A tarp, which must be removed before use.

Sweat Tent's fitted roof cover goes over the frame between sessions. Confirm the coverage for the supplied version, and keep the walls and storage instructions in mind as well. The cover does not change the FAQ's requirement to store the tent indoors in heavy snow.

What the supplies cost

If you have a compatible Almost Heaven electric barrel sauna that needs added roof protection, consider its Barrel Sauna Rain Jacket, listed from $337 on Almost Heaven's store, checked 2026-11-02. Confirm the size and availability for your barrel before ordering. It is not compatible with a wood-burning sauna chimney. Almost Heaven's exterior wood stain was separately listed at $284 per 2.5L bucket on its store, checked 2026-10-23; that is exterior finish, not the price of a roof cover.

Sweat Tent includes the roof cover in the Standard bundle, and we have not confirmed a separate price for it. On the maker's store, checked 2026-10-23, the Large Standard in Black was listed at $1,499 against a regular price of $2,199, and the XL Standard in Black at $1,799 against $2,499. Both were shown as sold out. These are whole-bundle prices, not the cost of winter supplies.

Winter use of the tent also burns firewood. Sweat Tent's FAQ says a typical session uses about 1/5 of a bundle, so one bundle covers about 1 ÷ 1/5 = 5 sessions. The FAQ asks for dry, seasoned hardwood and says to avoid wet or green wood.

Sources

Specifications, prices and installation requirements are as the makers published them on these pages on the date above and can change. Check the current manual and the retailer before you buy.