Weekly Roundup: Five Stories That Shaped the Sauna World This Week
Tariff developments, a major acquisition, outdoor sauna growth data, and more from a busy week in the industry.
It was one of the busiest weeks in recent sauna industry memory. Here are the five stories that mattered most.
1. Harvia Posts Record Q1 Revenue
Harvia reported Q1 2025 revenue of EUR 52 million, up 22.7% year-over-year, its strongest quarterly growth since the post-pandemic surge. The ThermaSol steam technology acquisition (closed July 2024) is the primary growth driver. See the full earnings timeline and stock chart in our Harvia News hub.
2. U.S. Tariff Pressure on European Sauna Imports
Broad EU tariffs and Section 232 timber duties are raising costs on Finnish and Baltic sauna products entering the U.S. market. Distributors are recalculating pricing models as cumulative duties increase landed costs across heaters, controls, and thermally modified wood.
3. Outdoor Sauna Demand Keeps Climbing
Barrel saunas, cabin saunas, and custom outdoor builds continue to be the fastest-growing segment of the North American residential market, driven by post-pandemic outdoor living investment and social media visibility.
4. HUUM Standardizes Air Tunnel Across HIVE Line
Estonian manufacturer HUUM has made its internal air tunnel a standard feature across all HIVE models, an engineering upgrade that improves heat-up time and extends element lifespan by shielding elements from direct stone weight.
5. Equinox Expands Thermal Wellness Offerings
The luxury fitness brand is upgrading sauna and cold plunge facilities across multiple flagship locations, signaling that thermal wellness is becoming a core competitive differentiator for premium fitness operators.
Arlene Scott
Senior Wellness Correspondent & Hospitality Consultant
Arlene Scott brings over fifteen years of reporting and consulting experience across energy infrastructure, sustainable design, and thermotherapy-focused hospitality.
Full byline
Arlene Scott is a Senior Wellness Correspondent for SaunaNews.com, bringing over fifteen years of experience at the intersection of energy infrastructure, sustainable design, and thermotherapy. Her work focuses on the physiological benefits of passive heat therapies and the sustainable integration of sauna culture into modern wellness routines.
Arlene's background is rooted in the clean energy transition. She was a founding writer at MicrogridMedia.com, where she covered the technical and economic viability of desalination projects, microgrid deployments, and distributed renewable energy systems. During the mid-2010s, she was a regular contributor to Greentech Media (GTM) during its independent era — prior to the Wood Mackenzie acquisition in 2016 — reporting on the early integration of thermal energy storage and sustainable infrastructure.
Transitioning her focus from macro-energy systems to human-scale wellness, Arlene now applies her technical background to the hospitality sector. She operates as an independent consultant, advising boutique hotels and eco-resorts on the design, energy efficiency, and historical authenticity of commercial sauna and thermal spa installations. Her consulting work ensures that high-end wellness facilities balance traditional Nordic bathing principles with modern sustainable engineering.
Arlene holds a specialized certification in Applied Thermic Wellness from the Nordic Institute of Passive Heat Studies (NIPHS) and is a recognized associate member of the International Sauna Association (ISA). When she isn't reviewing the latest innovations in infrared technology or consulting on a new resort project, Arlene can be found tending to her own traditional wood-fired sauna in the Pacific Northwest. You can read her complete archive of essays on energy, wellness, and sustainable living at www.arlenescott.com.
