The Finnish sauna culture builds on a long tradition of craftsmanship and quality products. Developments are now driven by the demand for energy efficiency and eco-friendliness as well as comfort.

Special products for Central Europe

Narvi Greenline is a new product series with technology that utilizes energy more efficiently.

“We’ve been making sauna heaters for six decades, but in the last 10 years, electronics have replaced many mechanical functions in sauna equipment,” says Jari Valtonen at Narvi, a 75-year-old company that started as a blacksmith shop. “Today it’s all about high-tech products.”

He points out that there are differences between the ways Finns and central Europeans take saunas. These differences also affect a sauna's interior.

“In Finland, they throw water on the stove with a scoop to generate steam. Our wide selection includes products suitable for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, where they sometimes prefer automatic evaporators or dry saunas with UV radiators.”

Eco-friendly materials without impregnation

Social aspects are an important part of taking saunas in Finland, while central Europeans prefer an inner relaxation.
 
“People usually sit up in Finland, while in Germany they like to lie down,” says Ole Sten at SpaDealers. “We developed a bench for our sauna that's comfortable whether you’re sitting or lying down."

He started his company on a small scale in 1981 and has worked diligently on product development and design in recent years. The products, including wood-fired hot tubs, luxury whirlpool tubs and small, easy-to-place saunas, are handmade in the factory on the Finnish west coast. Recently, SpaDealers’ products created a sensation at a trade fair in France, partly due to their stylish design. While other tubs are cast in plastic, SpaDealers makes its tubs out of heat-treated pine.

“Wood gives a completely different impression than plastic. We are the only manufacturer of insulated whirlpool tubs in wood. They are also bonded on the inside with a durable, transparent plastic material to maintain the ‘wood feel’."

The quality- and eco-rated heat-treated wood is not impregnated, but it still has a hard, durable surface, according to Sten.

Efficient use of square metres

Porin Puupojat also makes its saunas with a strong tradition of craftsmanship.

“My father is a carpenter and founded the firm, which made panels, strips and furniture at first,” says Marko Lammela, who runs Porin Puupojat with his father in the city of Björneborg on the west coast. “Seven years ago we began making small saunas that can be placed in yards or at summer cottages.”

Porin Puupojat’s Saunakota has received lots of attention. It is a cosy garden sauna that does not take up much space but fits 6-8 people at the same time.

“It’s really easy to put together in your own yard and fits well in various environments.”

Their grill cabin is currently the main export product.

Traditional materials guarantee durable sauna accessories

When it comes to sauna accessories, Saunia has just about everything. Varying temperatures and moisture are hard on materials used in saunas, and for Saunia, the only thing plastic is good for is packaging material.

“Sauna accessories like scoops, thermometers and textiles should be made with care from traditional materials,” says Arttu Korpela, another second-generation sauna businessman who has taken over his father’s company.

Design is a high priority at Saunia, where in-house designers and freelancers veer off the beaten track.
 
“The traditional provincial romanticism of sauna products is disappearing and the products are being adapted to modern city environments. We’ve noticed that demand for products with a more modern edge is always increasing. There are many new sorts of wood to choose from and a trendy new material in the sauna world right now is flat black stainless steel.” /ins

Сaption 1:

Longstanding sauna traditions are now complemented with modern technology and the demand for quality is high for sauna products made in Finland.

Сaption 2:

The sauna is an important part of everyday life for Finns and they demand quality in everything sauna-related.

For more information please contact:

Fidec Oy

Thomas Hernberg
СEO

Tulkinkuja 3
FI-02650 Espoo
FINLAND

Phone:  + 358 9 4730 1260
Fax.      + 358 42 512 2545

E-mail: thomas.hernberg@fidec.fi
www.fidec.fi

Press release images

Langjährige Saunatraditionen werden immer mehr durch moderne Technologie ergänzt. Die Nachfrage nach hochwertigen Saunaprodukten aus Finnland ist groß. © Narvi OY

Die Sauna ist bei den Finnen wichtiger Bestandteil des alltäglichen Lebens, daher erwarten sie auch hohe Qualität bei allen Dingen, die mit der Sauna in Verbindung stehen. © Oy SpaDealers Ab

© Porin Puupojat Oy

© Saunia/Nikkarien Oy