How UK Homeowners Are Creating Garden Spa & Relaxation Area – The Portable Sauna Revolution

For years, the idea of owning a private garden spa felt like something reserved for luxury hotels or expensive home renovations. That is now changing. Across the UK, homeowners are turning ordinary back gardens into restorative retreats, and at the centre of this quiet wellness revolution sits the portable sauna.

The Rise of the Home Spa Movement

Wellness at home has taken off. The pandemic introduced millions to cold-water dips, outdoor exercise, and mindfulness in nature. That culture never disappeared; it evolved. Now, people want sustainable and affordable ways to recreate that spa-like calm in their own space.

Searches for home spa, garden sauna, and portable sauna UK have surged as more people realise that recovery, relaxation, and connection do not need to happen in commercial spas. With outdoor spaces often underused in the colder months, the garden has become the perfect place for transformation.

Why the Portable Sauna Makes Sense

Traditional saunas are costly to install and often require planning permission, wiring, and ventilation. The PortaSauna, however, is different. It is a wood-fired, portable sauna tent designed and built in the UK for year-round outdoor use.

It heats up in around twenty minutes, can be set up in ten, and packs down small enough to fit in the back of a car. Homeowners love it because it is not only functional but flexible. You can move it, lend it to friends, or take it to the beach for a weekend retreat.

One customer described it best:

“It is like bringing the Scandinavian spa experience to your own back garden without the building work or the price tag.”

How the Garden Sauna Trend Works

Most people start small: a PortaSauna HEX tent, a few timber benches, and maybe a cold plunge tub or outdoor shower. Once it is assembled, all that is needed is wood for the stove and a quiet evening.

What is appealing is not just the heat; it is the ritual. The cycle of warming, cooling, and resting mimics traditional contrast therapy used for centuries to boost recovery and wellbeing. Studies have linked regular sauna use to improved cardiovascular health, reduced stress, and better sleep.

Homeowners are now pairing saunas with outdoor lighting, decking, and cold-plunge tubs to create full-scale garden spas. It has become the modern equivalent of the hot tub boom, but with more purpose and less maintenance.

Designed for the British Climate

Unlike imported models built for mild winters, the PortaSauna is designed for the unpredictable UK weather. Its triple-layer fabric structure provides serious insulation, while the 600D waterproof roof cover keeps the heat in and the rain out.

For renters, it is a dream setup with no planning permission, no permanent installation, and the freedom to take it with you when you move.

The Social Side of Sauna

Wellness is often viewed as a solo activity, but in Nordic culture, sauna is about community. Families, friends, and neighbours gather to talk, rest, and reset. The same thing is happening here.

Across the country, people are starting sauna clubs that meet in local parks, on beaches, or in back gardens to share the experience. PortaSauna’s portability makes that possible.

“It is not just about heat; it is about connection,” says Harry Beardsley, PortaSauna’s Commercial Director. “People come out of the sauna calmer, more open, and more grounded. That is what we are building, community through steam.”

Creating Your Own Garden Spa

Here is how UK homeowners are doing it:

1. Start with the sauna – the HEX (4 to 6 people) or HEXXL (8 to 10 people) are the core.
2. Add contrast therapy – a cold plunge pool or outdoor shower for cooling between rounds.
3. Set the mood – soft lighting, decking, or a simple gravel base for drainage.
4. Invite connection – friends, family, neighbours. A sauna is better shared.

A Sustainable Way to Unwind

Every PortaSauna is built to last, powered by natural wood rather than electricity. There are no chemicals, no heavy water usage, and no large carbon footprint, only fire, steam, and recovery.

The result is a private garden spa that feels authentic, elemental, and deeply human.