Oct 8, 2020
WiFi-controlled sauna stoves by HUUM are now available in the USA
A new age of sauna steam is arriving stateside — and we’re going on a US roadtrip to let more Americans enjoy it.
Every day, at least one American sauna enthusiast emails us at Estonian Saunas asking when HUUM sauna stoves will be delivered to the US.
That day is today.
The first HUUM stoves and controllers designed specifically for the US have now been built and set sail from Europe this morning. This includes the new WiFi-connected controllers that enable you to control your sauna on your smart device from literally anywhere— like while out exercising or commuting home so the sauna is the perfect temperature when you walk in the door.
And we’ve partnered with a wonderful Minnesota-based sauna builder Cedar & Stone Nordic Sauna to deliver them to saunas across America.
These guys are really passionate about helping more Americans enjoy authentic sauna experiences and have a great track record for both delivering high quality saunas and hosting community sauna events. Our joint investment in distributing HUUM sauna stoves across the US is the next step in this sauna revolution, helping more people build their own saunas with leading stove design and technology.
We’re just putting the finishing touches to our US online store, but you can already enter your email at CedarandStoneSauna.com/HUUM to be notified when you can place your order.
And we’re so excited to introduce American sauna enthusiasts to HUUM that we’re putting the first HUUM stove to arrive into a mobile sauna that will be going on tour across America. More details later this year.
A 21st century sauna stove
HUUM’s wood-fired and electric sauna stoves are designed for sauna enthusiasts by sauna enthusiasts.
They’re made in Tartu, which is the cultural heart of Estonia and home to an ancient Finnic sauna tradition, as well as world leading technology and modern Nordic design.
From here in Tartu, HUUM’s sauna stoves have been rapidly growing in popularity with sauna enthusiasts across Europe.
We’ve already delivered HUUM stoves for all kinds of saunas — from inside small apartments to luxury spas, and even for a top English soccer team. Home saunas are normal in our part of the world, but rapidly growing in popularity elsewhere. So too are mobile saunas.
Why choose HUUM for your sauna
HUUM stoves are popular because they combine ancient sauna building principles with contemporary Nordic design and cutting edge technology — such as the new WiFi connected mobile app.
Most fundamentally, HUUM believes that heated stones should be the heart of the sauna — as they have been for thousands of years.
So forget the boxy, industrial sauna stoves of the last few decades. HUUM has created beautiful stoves with the aim of creating a true successor to the smoke saunas that we’ve loved here since ancient times.
A sauna stove should be a work of art. And it should use minimal metal to hold a maximum number of stones. This not only looks better, but delivers a superior heat and steam.
One of the newest owners of a HUUM stove is the former Finnish NASA engineer and famous sauna enthusiast, Janne Käpylehto. (He once sailed a sauna from Finland to Estonia!) “Oh my gosh, this HUUM stove is gorgeous,” he wrote on Facebook when it was delivered.
In keeping with this design philosophy, HUUM’s two most iconic stoves now available to buy in the US are the Drop and the Hive.
Drop and Hive by HUUM
Inspired by the purest element in nature, a drop of water, the Drop is an elegant wall-mounted electric stove. It’s available in 4.5, 6, and 9 kW in size. And despite using little space, it actually holds more stones than most modern wood-fired stoves.
For larger saunas, the Hive is a curvaceous free-standing stove. It’s available as both an electric and wood-fired stove in sizes ranging from 6 to 18 kW.
Both stoves are filled with a volcanic rock known as olavine diabase, which is collected in Finland then rounded and smoothed. Unlike most online sauna stove retailers, we deliver stoves with all the stones included in the price.
UKU sauna control system by HUUM
To control the electric Drop and Hive sauna stoves, HUUM has designed UKU. It can even be used to control sauna stoves made by other manufacturers.
The UKU sauna control system includes a wall-mounted controller that connects to both the stove and a range of sensors inside the sauna to provide greater convenience. It also has a range of safety features, like a child lock and automatic switch-off in the event of overheating.
In addition to UKU local, there is now also UKU WiFi, which comes with a mobile app that has all the same features as the wall-mounted controller but can be accessed from a smartphone or tablet from anywhere there’s an internet connection. It’s particularly popular with people who have their saunas in separate buildings or for those who like their sauna ready when they come home.
From Estonia to Minnesota to homes across America
In response to US demand, HUUM has spent the past year redesigning Drop, Hive, and UKU so they are now compatible with US wiring and comply with US regulations and certifications.
Lauri Kummel, Chief Sales Officer for HUUM across North America, says:
“We’ve seen phenomenal growth in demand for HUUM stoves across Europe, largely driven by word-of-mouth recommendations between sauna enthusiasts. As a result, we’re investing further in our production and we’re also pleased that Estonian Saunas and Cedar & Stone have joined forces to invest in import, distribution and customer support across America. A considerable amount of work has gone into ensuring our products are US-ready and we look forward to visiting Minnesota as soon as borders reopen to enjoy a sauna there.”
The very first of these new American HUUM stoves have now been packed up in Tartu and are currently travelling across the Atlantic. They will soon arrive in Duluth, Minnesota, alongside the shore of Lake Superior, which is where Cedar & Stone is based here below. The Great Lakes region here has been home to a thriving sauna culture ever since the Great Migration of Finnish people there in the 19th century.
Cedar & Stone Nordic Sauna believes in high quality sauna experiences just like us at Estonian Saunas. It is truly exciting to find a shared vision for guiding people through the cultural and wellness experience of sauna, and we are proud to partner with them to export Estonian design and innovation all the way to the US of A.
Cedar & Stone has an impressive resume of work including:
- Heirloom quality custom built saunas.
- Owning and operating a community sauna and spa in Duluth, MN.
- Premium mobile saunas built for any size.
- and now becoming our HUUM distribution partner in the USA.
The team are also now dear friends who we are excited to introduce you to:
Justin Juntunen, Founder & CEO, Cedar and Stone Nordic Sauna.
In a world dominated by stress and anxiety, Justin invites people to a life marked by joy, calm, and centeredness through sauna. Literally growing up in the sauna as a Finnish-American, Justin has enjoyed and built saunas throughout his life. Engineering Cedar & Stone Nordic Sauna into one of North America’s most innovative sauna brands, while adhering to the highest principles of authenticity, design, and quality heat, Justin is guaranteeing Duluth’s legacy as Sauna Capital of North America.
Teke O’Reilly, Communication Director and HUUM Ambassador, Cedar and Stone Nordic Sauna.
Teke has been instrumental in the urban sauna revival in North America as Cofounder of the 612 Sauna Society, part of the team behind Sauna Village, and as independent media consultant for various Sauna brands. Overseeing communication and HUUM support for Cedar & Stone, Teke is living out his motto “Sauna to the people” each and every day.
And, for those that don’t know us in America, this is us:
Anni Oviir and Adam Rang, founders of Estonian Saunas
Anni is a leading green building expert in Estonia, while Adam is entrepreneur who previously worked for the Estonian government to help develop its open and transparent business environment, which he continues to campaign for. Together, we export Estonian sauna design, technology, and traditions so more people can enjoy good leil (that’s löyly in Finnish or sauna steam in English). And when not doing that, we are creating and enjoying our own saunas, which have been featured in media coverage around the world. You can even check us out in Netflix’s new science show, Connected, hosted by Connected, hosted by Latif Nasser. In episode 5, we discuss Estonia’s rise as a high tech nation — while enjoying a very low tech sauna. Afterall, we believe the best designed technology is invisible and simply allows us to spend more time doing what we enjoy — like enjoying a sauna with family and friends.
We especially love our home saunas and we also have a mobile sauna, which has been built inside an old Soviet Army truck. Well, those guys aren’t using it anymore and the world needs more saunas!
So there is a team in the USA ready to support you and your sauna every step of the way — from finding the right stove to getting it installed.
Global demand for HUUM
HUUM sales in 2020 are nearly double (95% higher) than last year, partly in response to the pandemic as more people invest in home saunas.
During the first wave of lockdowns across Europe in March, sales surged nearly 3 times (221% higher) compared with the same month last year. However, the main season for building home saunas is usually between fall and winter. As this is likely to coincide with increased pandemic-related restrictions, we expect significantly increased demand in both the US and Europe to continue towards the end of 2020 and beyond. While home saunas steadily rise in interest, mobile saunas are an even faster growing niche.
Alvar Soosaar, Director of US Investment and Trade at Estonia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, says:
“There is growing interest in Estonian design and technology in the US, but what’s more important is having products on the ground here to meet that demand and help raise interest even higher. Sauna stoves are not easy to transport on a small scale so I’m pleased to hear Estonian Saunas has decided to go big with a local partner, Cedar & Stone Nordic Sauna, and invest together in larger scale warehousing and distribution.
That will help more American sauna enthusiasts enjoy quality Nordic design from Estonia for the first time. There is already excitement in the American sauna community about the arrival of these HUUM stoves and the feeling is mutual here at the Estonian Embassy in Washington DC, which is ready to help introduce more Americans to the joy of leil in any way we can.”
How to order a HUUM sauna stove in the US
Visit CedarandStoneSauna.com/HUUM. As mentioned, we’re just putting the finishing touches to the online store but you can already enter your email to be notified when it is live.
If you have any questions, you can email us at sales@cedarandstonesauna.com or tere@estoniansaunas.com. You can also learn more about HUUM on their new US website at huumsauna.com.
You can also stay updated by following:
- Estonian Saunas on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube
- Cedar & Stone on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube
- HUUM on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Pinterest
Finally, here’s a video we made about the first US HUUM sauna stoves (and a quick introduction to Tartu):
