Mr. Steam

Five Mr. Steam packages, $3,500 to $13,800, median $10,700. These are control-and-generator packages for a shower enclosure you already have or are building, not standalone cabins.

Residential or commercial

Four are residential control packages. The CX generator package at $13,800 runs 30kW to 120kW and is a commercial specification — it is not a larger version of the others, it is a different class of equipment for a different building. If you are fitting a home bathroom, the $3,500 ButlerFlex is the entry point and the CX is not on your list.

Size to the enclosure, not the room

A steam generator is matched to the cubic volume of the sealed enclosure. Ceiling height counts, and so does the surface: tile over cement board holds heat where glass and stone lose it, so an identical footprint can need more kilowatts. Get the cubic footage before you shortlist. See steam showers for the wider range including ThermaSol and Delta.

What has to be there already

A sealed enclosure with a vapour-proof door, a water supply, a drain, and a dedicated circuit. The generator usually sits remote — vanity, closet or basement — within a set pipe run of the head. If that space does not exist, the cost is a wall rather than a wire.

Delivery

Free shipping to the lower 48, no minimum, and it stops at the curb — the crate is left at the end of your driveway. Getting it inside is a $600 white-glove upgrade. Getting it inside and assembled is $1,800, which covers everything except electrical work: we recommend you hire a local electrician for that, because the wiring has to meet your local code and pass local inspection. Service fees are non-refundable: if the sauna goes back, the installation does not.