Saunum Drops the Air 10 in North America. The Air L Fills the Gap.

Saunum has removed the Air 10 from its North American lineup. The company’s US product page now lists the Air heater in 5kW and 7kW only, both available in stainless steel and black with a closed basket. For rooms that once called for the 10kW model, Saunum is directing buyers to the Air L, a higher-capacity line that starts at 10kW and keeps its rock basket eight inches lower than the discontinued unit.

The change simplifies Saunum’s residential lineup, but it also moves large-room buyers into a heater that is, by at least one important measure, a better match for the company’s signature technology.

Key Facts:

What: Saunum discontinues the Air 10 (10kW) heater in North America

New lineup: Air now available in 5kW and 7kW only; Air L covers 10kW, 13kW, and 15.2kW

Key difference: Air L rock basket top sits at 34 inches vs. the Air 10’s 42 inches

Full packages: Air starts around $2,895; Air L 10kW starts around $6,900 (heater, Leil controller, stones, and shipping included)

Source: us.saunum.com

What Changed in Saunum’s North American Lineup?

The Saunum Air product page now shows two heater sizes. The 5kW model covers rooms from 106 to 212 cubic feet. The 7kW covers 177 to 282 cubic feet. Both come in stainless steel and black, with the closed basket configuration that keeps stones fully enclosed.

The Air 10, which served rooms from 247 to 424 cubic feet, is no longer listed. That leaves a gap in the residential lineup for builders and homeowners designing larger saunas.

The Air L Puts the Rocks Where They Belong

Saunum’s answer for that range is the Air L, a heater built for commercial and large residential applications. The Air L 10kW covers 247 to 494 cubic feet, picking up exactly where the discontinued Air 10 left off and extending well beyond it. The 13kW and 15.2kW models push capacity to 741 cubic feet, serving commercial-scale rooms, spas, and high-volume installations where durability and stone mass matter.

The Air L also brings one structural change that matters for how Saunum heaters actually work. The top of the rock basket sits at 34 inches, compared to 42 inches on the old Air 10. That eight-inch difference is significant for Saunum’s air-blending system.

How Does Saunum’s Air Blending Work?

Every Saunum heater uses a built-in blending module that draws superheated air from the ceiling and mixes it with cooler air near the floor. A conventional electric heater can produce a ceiling-to-floor temperature differential of roughly 146°F. Saunum’s system compresses that gap to around 78°F. The result is heat that feels even from head to toe, rather than scorching near the ceiling and tepid at the ankles.

A lower rock basket positions the heating elements and blending module closer to where bathers actually sit. For a heater that works by moving air, that geometry is a real performance gain.

We have spent considerable time with Saunum heaters, and the air-blending technology genuinely changes how a sauna feels. If you have ever sat in a hot room where your head is burning while your feet stay cold, a Saunum session is a different experience entirely. The company’s air-evening system is one of the few product-level innovations in the heater category that we think fully delivers on its promise. If someone tells you they do not like saunas, sit them in a room running a Saunum. They will likely change their mind.

What Does the Full Package Cost?

Saunum sells complete packages that include the heater, the Leil controller, sauna stones, and shipping from its Chicago warehouse. The Air 5kW package starts around $2,895 and the 7kW around $2,995. The Air L 10kW package starts near $6,900, with the 13kW and 15.2kW running higher.

That price gap is the main consideration for former Air 10 buyers. The Air 10 package sat in the $3,000 to $3,500 range. Moving to the Air L roughly doubles the cost. But the Air L is also a more commercial-grade product: heavier build, 265 pounds of stone capacity (versus the Air’s smaller load), and designed for the kind of repeated use that wears out residential-grade heaters in high-traffic applications.

The Air L also requires more floor support planning and a longer initial heat-up time given the larger stone mass. On the electrical side, both lines run 240V single-phase, so wiring requirements stay consistent.

Where the Air Perfect and Leil Fit In

The Air and Air L are not the only options in Saunum’s North American catalog. The company recently launched the Air Perfect, a self-contained model that handles air equalization entirely inside the heater body rather than through an external chimney-style flue. The Air Perfect is available at 7kW ($4,770) and 10kW ($4,970), positioning it between the Air and Air L on price while offering the simplest installation path of any Saunum heater. For builders who want Saunum’s technology without routing a flue to the ceiling, the Air Perfect is the most straightforward option in the lineup.

Saunum has also continued refining its Leil climate control system with software updates for better temperature automation, fan management, and a smoother in-session user experience. Recent changes across the product line have focused on reducing installation friction and simplifying the setup process for electricians and builders working with Saunum for the first time.

EU Mode and UL Listings: What Owners Should Know

All Saunum heaters sold in North America are UL-listed and ship in US mode, capped at 194°F. In European markets, the same heaters run up to 212°F.

American owners can currently switch their Saunum heaters into EU mode to reach that higher temperature ceiling. But doing so may have implications for the unit’s UL listing, which was tested and certified under US-mode operating parameters. Builders, installers, and homeowners should understand that operating outside the UL-listed configuration could affect warranty coverage, inspection compliance, and insurance. It is a choice some experienced sauna users make, but it is not one to make without understanding the tradeoffs.

The SaunaLife G6: Saunum in a Turnkey Cabin

Buyers looking for a complete sauna rather than a standalone heater have one more path to Saunum’s technology: the company sells its Classic cabin in North America through a partnership with SaunaLife, marketed as the SaunaLife G6. The G6 is a fully assembled outdoor sauna for five to six people, built with alder and spruce in Northern Europe and priced in the $25,000 to $27,000 range. It pairs Saunum’s air-blending heater with a turnkey enclosure.

Prebuilt cabin saunas like the G6 are gaining traction for rooftop terraces at hotels, commercial wellness facilities, and residential properties. A factory-assembled unit typically needs to be craned or forklifted into position, but the tradeoff is build quality: joints, vapor barriers, and interior finishing are done under controlled factory conditions rather than on a job site. For operators adding a sauna to a rooftop or upper-floor amenity deck, a prebuilt cabin paired with Saunum’s climate system is one of the fastest paths from purchase order to open sessions.

Saunum’s decision to retire the Air 10 is a bet that its air-blending technology performs better when the rocks sit lower. For the North American market, that means the most distinctive feature of a Saunum heater just got stronger at the higher-capacity end. Builders and designers specifying for rooms above 250 cubic feet now have fewer options at the residential price point, but a better-performing heater in the Air L and a simpler installation path in the Air Perfect.

The Air 10 is gone in North America, and former 10kW buyers now face a jump to the Air L at roughly double the price. But the Air L is also a structurally better, more commercial-grade heater for the air-blending system that makes Saunum worth choosing. The lower rock basket, broader capacity range, and heavy-duty build make it a genuine upgrade for anyone designing a larger sauna. For rooms under 282 cubic feet, the 5kW and 7kW Air packages remain the most accessible path to Saunum’s technology in a home build, and the Air Perfect offers a middle ground on both price and installation complexity.