Quick Answer: Thermory is the Estonian thermally-modified-wood giant that also owns Auroom, the glass-walled cabin brand already covered on this site — but Thermory sells its own, separate barrel-sauna line under its own name. The 50 Series runs $5,066-$6,935 for 3 sizes (4-6 person), and the larger 60 Series runs $6,797-$7,492, both built from thermally modified Nordic spruce rather than cedar, shipping from a US warehouse near Buffalo, NY. The honesty-hook: it’s a genuinely different wood (and price tier) than the cedar-box barrels most competitors sell — not just a rebadge.
We’ve already covered Auroom, Thermory’s premium glass-walled sub-brand, and our best barrel sauna roundup compares Dundalk, Almost Heaven, ALEKO, and Redwood Outdoors — but Thermory’s own-name barrel line has never gotten its own page here, despite being a genuinely different product from both. Here’s the lineup, the real spruce-vs-cedar trade-off, and what it costs.
Thermory lineup at a glance
| Series | Capacity | Wood | Price | Notable options |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 Series | 4-6 person (3 sizes: 59", 71", 88" long) | Thermally modified Nordic spruce | $5,066-$6,935 | Optional half-panoramic window |
| 60 Series | Larger, 7+ ft headroom, deeper benches | Thermally modified Nordic spruce | $6,797-$7,492 | Optional porch, full panoramic window |
1. Thermory 50 Series — the entry barrel line
Thermory 50 Series Barrel Sauna
- Three sizes (59", 71", 88" long) built from thermally modified Nordic spruce, not cedar — Thermory's own materials describe the modification as darkening the wood to a color and moisture-resistance closer to Western Red Cedar than raw spruce.
- Every unit ships with a flat floor kit and rain jacket included, and an optional half-panoramic window on the back wall.
- US stock ships from Thermory USA's Buffalo, NY-area warehouse — faster delivery than ordering a cabin kit direct from Estonia, the route Auroom's listings typically run.
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2. Thermory 60 Series — more headroom, porch option
Thermory 60 Series Barrel Sauna
- Larger diameter than the 50 Series gives over 7 feet of headroom on bigger models and deeper benches built for sitting or fully reclining, not just upright sessions.
- Optional porch and full panoramic window turn the barrel's own overhang into a cool-down spot — the same porch-canopy idea covered on the Almost Heaven Audra in our best barrel sauna roundup, at a different price point and in spruce instead of cedar.
- Same thermally-modified-spruce construction and included flat floor kit/rain jacket as the 50 Series, just scaled up.
Spruce vs. cedar — the real trade-off, not a downgrade
This is the honesty-hook worth understanding before you compare Thermory’s price against a cedar barrel: thermally modified spruce isn’t a cheaper substitute pretending to be cedar, it’s a different durability approach. Cedar’s natural oils (thujaplicins) give it rot resistance straight out of the mill — covered in our best cedar sauna guide. Thermory’s spruce starts as a plainer, cheaper softwood and gets its rot and moisture resistance from the thermal-modification process itself: heat-treating the wood without chemical preservatives, the same core technology Thermory supplies to the broader sauna-lumber market (including, per our sauna wood types guide, specialty cedar suppliers’ pricing). One side effect buyers don’t expect: the modification strips out the organic compounds responsible for cedar’s strong scent and for “cedar sensitivity” — skin or respiratory irritation a minority of users get from raw cedar oils — making thermally modified spruce a real option for that specific group, not just a budget pick.
Thermory vs. Auroom — same parent, different product
Both brands trace back to the same Tartu County, Estonia operation, but they aren’t interchangeable:
- Thermory (own name): barrel saunas only, thermally modified spruce, $5,066-$7,492, US-stocked.
- Auroom: glass-walled indoor/outdoor cabins, $7,590-$58,900+, heater priced separately ($1,846-$4,279), shipped as an Estonian-sourced kit.
If the glass-wall look is the draw, Auroom is the brand to shop. If you want a traditional round barrel at a lower price point and don’t need the glass wall, Thermory’s own line is the more direct match — and, unlike most barrel competitors in our best barrel sauna roundup, it’s not cedar.
The bottom line
Thermory built its reputation as the world’s largest thermally-modified-wood producer, and that same technology shows up twice in the sauna aisle: once as the backbone of its premium Auroom glass-wall cabins, and again — more affordably — in Thermory’s own-name barrel saunas. The 50 Series ($5,066-$6,935) and 60 Series ($6,797-$7,492) are genuinely different products from Auroom, built from thermally modified Nordic spruce instead of cedar, with US stock shipping out of the Buffalo, NY area. If “cedar sensitivity” has ruled out a cedar barrel for you, or you just want a straightforward round barrel without Auroom’s glass-wall price premium, Thermory’s own line is worth comparing directly.