Guide

Wood-fired garden saunas and smoke control areas

Where you can burn wood in a sauna stove, what Defra exempt appliances are, and the fines.

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Most towns and cities in England are . There, you can only burn wood in a stove the government (Defra) has approved, called an exempt appliance. Most sauna stoves are not approved. Check your council's map before choosing wood-fired.

GOV.UK says you can be fined up to £300 in England if smoke comes from your chimney in a smoke control area. Source: GOV.UK smoke control area rules.

Look up whether your address is in a smoke control area on your council's website.
If it is, ask the seller whether the sauna stove is on Defra's exempt appliance list, and get the answer in writing.
If it isn't, choose an electric heater, or check the stove model before ordering.
Think about your neighbours either way: a chimney close to a fence sends smoke into their garden.

Many saunas in our list take either a wood stove or an electric heater. The wood-fired list shows them.

Common worries

"What will the neighbours say?"

An electric sauna is quiet and makes no smoke. A wood stove does smoke, and in a you may only burn wood in an exempt stove. Put the door and chimney away from the fence and most neighbours never notice. Wood stoves and the smoke rules →

"Is it safe for the family?"

Supervise children, keep a timer on the wall, and follow the heater maker's advice on age and how long to stay in. If anyone has a heart or blood-pressure condition, or is pregnant, ask your GP first. We don't give health advice. Garden sauna safety →

All ten sauna worries