Live the moment
“When Heartwood started back in 2017, a sauna was often something that was tucked away in the corner of a room in a gym or leisure centre, usually in quite a dingy and closed-in space. That was something I really wanted to change. I wanted to show people that having a sauna can be much more than that, and I wanted more people to have access to the indescribable feeling of aliveness that comes from sauna bathing in a beautifully designed, expertly crafted space made from durable, thoughtfully chosen materials.
The motivation was to create an outdoor sauna, of the highest quality, designed to last through the UK’s worst weather, and offer my family and friends the health benefits and enjoyment of a sauna right outside our own home.
Jump ahead to today and the sauna-scape has changed hugely. We are not the only company designing and hand-crafting outdoor saunas but we do have almost a decade of experience designing and meticulously hand-crafting saunas for clients in the UK and abroad, with the sole intention of delivering a sauna experience like no other.”
- Olly Davey, Founder
Why Heartwood?
Handcrafted from scratch
Based out of our purpose built workshop on the outer edges of Eryri National Park, our team designs and hand builds each sauna from scratch. The process begins with our in-house design team whose expertise and intricate knowledge of the science of sauna building ensure that each design is meticulously thought through from an aesthetic, practical and experiential point of view. Each sauna is then handcrafted, using only the best quality, locally sourced and sustainable British timber, by our expert team of carpenters.
Having both the design and build processes happening under the same roof, means that we can oversee each stage of a sauna’s development through the workshop, and our relentless attention to detail ensures that quality remains consistently high.
“Stumbled across Heartwood as we were looking for a sauna to complement our south Wales garden/landscape, which at the time seemed an impossibility due to the harsh nature of other exterior designs. Here we found a wonderful balance of carefully painted wood, soft edges and functionality, as well as a large glass window to enjoy the view. The sauna itself functions exactly as we wanted it to, perhaps with the added benefit of being able to control it remotely, set up one off or repeat times to get the sauna fired up etc (the wonders of modern tech). Thx to the Heartwood team - brilliant design and delivery.”
B J, Client
Small Team
Heartwood began as one person’s mission and has grown into a shared purpose for an entire team. While numbers have grown both in the workshop and the office, the team continues to be a close-knit group of individuals motivated to make the best saunas possible and to lead the way in outdoor saunas and wellness experiences. Each member of the team brings a specialist skill or cross-sector expertise which supports our culture of growth and learning and ensures our methods, systems and our brand are always evolving.
“The team provided fantastic support from start to finish, particularly in terms of installation which was very difficult due to an inaccessible sauna location. And the sauna itself is of course fantastic. We couldn’t have made a better decision when deciding which sauna company to go with. A lovely business and a lovely team.”
G Hill, Client
Sauna Specialists
With almost a decade of experience in designing, building and installing saunas, we bring a wealth of individual and collective expertise to each project. From developing brand new sauna design concepts, supporting planning requirements for complex sites, pioneering use of new, sustainable materials, to arranging deliveries to private home gardens via crane or helicopter, our specialist knowledge sets us apart as industry innovators and leaders, offering the best in outdoor saunas, wellness and contrast therapy.
“The ‘Rolls Royce’ of Outdoor Saunas.
Simply amazing.”
K Jørgensen, Client
Locally sourced, superior quality, sustainable materials
All the timber we use is FSC-certified and grown in sustainably managed forests in Wales and the surrounding area in the UK.
As part of our ongoing commitment to sustainability and quality, over the last few years, we have transitioned to using locally sourced thermally modified British wood species for our saunas' interiors as standard. This change reflects our dedication to environmental responsibility and durability, strength and quality in sauna construction.
Our Origins
Heartwood Saunas’ founder and director, Olly Davey, grew up surrounded by a rugged landscape of woodland and mountains in the heart of Wales. Combining his passion for an outdoor lifestyle with his craft, he was inspired to design and hand-build his first sauna.
From experiencing the feeling of a sauna following outdoor activities, like mountain biking and paddle boarding, he wondered why the UK didn’t yet have its own sauna culture. Whether it is cold and frosty, or grey and rainy, the sauna’s warm glow draws you in.
The first Heartwood Sauna was a remodel of a ‘traditional’ sauna design. Traditional saunas were largely timber huts with no glazing, but Olly wanted to invite a deeper connection with nature into the sauna bathing experience, by using glazing elements, to allow people to look out at the countryside, the sea, the mountains or their gardens as they relax and enjoy the benefits of the sauna.
“I was inspired to make something a world away from any sauna I’d ever been to here in the UK - something that at the time, just didn’t exist here.”
