We installed the Backyard Discovery Paxton 4-Person Sauna this winter, and living in the Midwest, it has been one of the best additions to our home. When the temperatures drop and the snow starts piling up, stepping into the warmth of this sauna feels like pure luxury. What I love most is how it brings a bit of Finnish culture into our backyard. The ritual of heating up the sauna, sitting in the deep, dry heat, and then stepping outside into the cold air feels both invigorating and grounding—exactly the way sauna was meant to be experienced. There’s something incredibly satisfying about going from a 180° sauna into crisp Midwestern winter air. The Paxton sauna is the perfect size for our family or a small group of friends. Four adults can sit comfortably, and the layout makes it easy to relax without feeling cramped. The wood interior gives it that authentic sauna feel and smell, which really adds to the experience. It also holds heat impressively well—even on the coldest Midwest days. Once it’s warmed up, the temperature stays consistent and creates that deep, enveloping heat that sauna lovers appreciate. Assembly took some time, but the instructions were clear and the quality of the materials was solid. Once it was up and running, it quickly became part of our winter routine. If you live somewhere with real winters and appreciate the Finnish tradition of sauna culture, the Backyard Discovery Paxton sauna is absolutely worth it. It turns even the coldest days into something to look forward to.

When I bought this unit back in mid-December of 2025, there were no reviews yet, so I decided to take a chance and buy it and have not regretted it for one second. I like to use a product for a few months before giving it an honest review so here goes. When I started researching Sauna’s a few months ago, there were several things that drew me to this unit. First of all, I loved the look and feel of the Barrel Saunas. I liked that it was a Dry Sauna with the ability to pour water over the lava rocks and create a more humid and steamier environment. I liked the fact that it has the 9KW Heater (which is larger than most of its competitors) and holds 4 people even though it’s just my wife and me. I felt that this unit would be more efficient and hold the heat better due to its barrel design. And last but not least it was the best price comparatively that I had found. Between the Installation Manual and the Provided Videos, the assembly was very straight forward and accurate. All parts were there, with the exception of one pack of screws that were mailed to me promptly, and everything was in great shape. I am an Electrician so getting it hooked up was not an issue. Upon completion, I fired up this unit and was immediately impressed at how quickly it came up to temperature and its ability to hold the heat. I love the different light scenarios as well as the ability to control the unit locally or remotely. My wife and I have used this Sauna almost daily since install and I have to say that I see nothing else out there that I would rather have. This thing is awesome! I would highly recommend this Sauna to anyone, and the Health Benefits are amazing.

Unparalleled value for money. I am writing this review after my sensor went out, I called backyard discovery and they had everything referenced from my order and shipped it to arrive this week so I could keep my sauna going, free under warranty! They even registered it for me and didn't hassle me about failing to do that step. I cant believe in this day and age there are still both great values and unbelievable service. You get more than you pay for with this sauna! It does have a hard time getting to the ultra hot temps, but it's plenty warm. I use for heat training / heat acclimation post run for plasma volume increase amongst the litany of literature that points to heat exposure being beneficial with heat shock protein generation and general longevity and health. it took a total of two people 8 hours to build with the right tools and a motivation to sweat.

My wife and I have thoroughly enjoyed this sauna. It provides good health benefits but has also given us quality time together while visiting. We have had it for about two and a half months. Everything is working well. The value for the money is outstanding. Thank you Backyard Discovery!

We chose paxton over other saunas because of the reviews and they were accurate. It looks amazing and works very good so far. Building it would have been a little difficult if you don't have any construction skills.

I received this sauna as a Christmas gift and absolutely love it. I use it all the time. I usually set it to 180°F and it reaches about 140°F in roughly 15 minutes, then climbs to 180°F fairly quickly. It seems to connect more reliably through the phone app than the manual controller, which is the only reason I removed one star. Other than that, I’m extremely happy with it and really enjoying it.

Got it all assembled yesterday. With 1 person, not taking breaks, good mechanical know-how, a nice surface and organization, it took about 8 to 9 hours to assemble. Sometimes I got deterred that there are so many screws to hold a small piece together, but that speaks to the quality feel when assembled and some ober engineering that leads to longevity. Instructions were great and easy to anticipate/know where to look after the 1st few steps. Only tiff is the manual screen is a little dim and LCD so it takes a little to get used to being that we'reall used to our phone screens, but not problem connecting with my phone. Heated up quickly, smells and looks amazing. Perfect size for our deck and our HOA approved it because of the aesthetics. And their rules say "saunas not allowed". Very happy with the purchase and now I have to wait until tomorrow morning to try it out!

DIY here. Assembly instructions were straight forward. A couple of the boards were warped but I managed to straighten them out with a bit of force. The sauna heated up quicker than I thought (in the Spring). I would have given this a five-star rating however the control panel is a bit clunky to use. There's definitely room for improvement with the functionality within the control panel. I highly recommend using the app to bypass the control panel all together.

I love the look of it, and inside layout. However... I have had it for just a month and it is growing mold inside and out. Even keeping it clean, and following the after use instructions. The control panel touchscreen doesn't work consistently.

Overall a good sauna. The only caveats are the wifi/Bluetooth module is inside a farday cage metal box on the outside of the unit. Couldn't get it to work at all more than 5ft away from it. And the LED light, you can't hardwire to the main board even though it has an option for light terminals. You need to install an outlet next to it to use the light. This is an extreme annoyance and overlooked completely by the engineering team. Seems rushed to market in a way.