While there are plenty of modern muscle recovery tools on the market today, saunas have been used for thousands of years and remain among the most popular recovery tools for health and wellness enthusiasts.
Available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, saunas have been shown1 to provide a range of health benefits, including improved cardiovascular health, decreased inflammation, better recovery from workouts, and more.
However, we know that saunas can be a significant financial investment, so it’s important to make sure you’re investing in the right one for your needs and goals. In this Almost Heaven Morgan Barrel review, we’ll be taking a detailed look at this sleek, barrel-shaped dry sauna with room for four people. You’ll learn everything you need to decide whether this is the proper sauna for your goals and preferences.
Tested by Strength and Recovery Experts
Here at Garage Gym Reviews, we’re continually researching the best saunas, and each of our reviews is based on extensive, hands-on testing from our team of experts. We’ve tested over 30 saunas to help our readers find the perfect sauna for their wellness needs.
For this review, our testers were two strength and recovery experts: USA Weightlifting Junior National Team Coach Sean Rigsby, CSCS, and GGR Senior Staff Writer Caine Wilkes, OLY, CNC, USAW-L1. Both Sean and Caine have extensive experience in using recovery products, and understand what makes a good vs. a bad sauna.
Sean has had this Morgan Barrel in his gym for several years, where both he and Caine have regularly used it for their respective sauna sessions. Caine provided detailed testing notes and insight from his experiences with this barreled profile based on our sauna testing methodology. This methodology assigns a rating of 1 to 5 across a variety of important categories, including:
- Durability and Construction: This rates the quality of the materials used, as well as the overall construction. To get at least a 3 out of 5, there must be no obvious defects, and the wood used must be suitable for the environment the sauna is intended for.
- Footprint and Portability: Saunas can vary significantly in size, so we use this score to help potential buyers decide if this is a good fit for their needs. This score considers both the overall footprint and its intended use. For example, can a four-person sauna comfortably fit four people?
- Performance: How fast does the sauna heat up? Does it maintain its heat efficiently? What is the maximum temperature? For a sauna to earn at least a 3 out of 5, it must get up to its highest setting in about 35 minutes, though other types of saunas, like infrared saunas, heat up faster and may receive higher scores.
- Features: For features, we expect to see at least a digital control panel, but also consider factors like Bluetooth speakers, chromotherapy lighting, and more.
- Value: Let’s face it, saunas are expensive. For value, we consider what you’re getting for the money, carefully analyzing the materials used and features to ensure the price is fair compared to average sauna costs.
The Almost Heaven Morgan 4-Person Barrel Sauna is a barrel-shaped sauna to help circulate heat throughout the sauna evenly. This helps keep the temperature more uniform no matter how close or far you are from the Harvia heater. A more affordable option, this barrel sauna is suitable for both outdoor and indoor use, as well as steam or dry heat.
What our tester says:
“It works great; I’ll usually turn it on about half an hour before my athletes are ready to use it, and it’ll be around 190 degrees by the time they hop in.”
A Quick Look at the Almost Heaven Morgan Barrel
Almost Heaven, part of the Harvia sauna family, has been manufacturing wood saunas since 1977, and they’ve continued to respect the history of saunas by taking inspiration from Finnish sauna traditions. The company offers a wide range of structures, including both indoor saunas and outdoor saunas, cube saunas, steam saunas, infrared saunas, and more.
The Morgan Barrel, which may also be marketed as the “Pinnacle,” is a four-person barrel sauna and one of Almost Heaven’s best-selling electric saunas. When you order your sauna, you can also customize many of the features to your preferences—a unique capability that we love to see.
Customization options include the wood type (Rustic Red Cedar or Onyx), the door shape, added windows, and what type of electric heater you want. However, it’s worth pointing out that this particular model can’t be used with a wood-burning heater.
It holds a spot on our guide to the best home saunas for a good reason. The barrel design has a sleek aesthetic, in our opinion, and with so many customization options, you can get the exact finish and components you’re looking for. It’s not cheap, but it’s a high-quality sauna protected by a limited lifetime warranty, so you can feel confident in your investment.
Before You Buy
- This four-person sauna is very spacious, but assembly can be a little tricky.
- Even though it’s expensive, it’s protected by one of the best warranties we’ve seen in any sauna.
- Our testers report that this sauna heats up fast and is very durable, making it a solid investment for both home and commercial use.
Is the Almost Heaven Morgan Barrel Worth It?
With a price tag that can range from $6,000 to $9,000, depending on the components you choose and any sales, this sauna isn’t exactly a cheap purchase. We think it’s a worthwhile investment for the right person, though, so here’s who we think should and shouldn’t consider this outdoor barrel sauna.
Great for:
- Families or gym owners who want multiple people to be able to use the sauna at once
- Anyone who’s okay with a non-portable, heavy sauna profile
- Individuals who want to customize multiple design aspects of their sauna
Not recommended for:
- Anyone shopping on a budget
- Individuals who prefer to use an infrared or wood-burning sauna
- People who don’t like the feel of a dry heat sauna
Almost Heaven Morgan Barrel Specs
| Price | $8,165 |
| Dimensions | 72” W x 72” D x 77” H |
| Temperature Range | Up to 190º F |
| Capacity | 4 people |
| Product Weight | 685 lbs |
| Warranty | Limited lifetime warranty on sauna room, 5 years on heater |
Experience Using the Almost Heaven Morgan Barrel
For this review, our testers were Caine Wilkes, OLY, CNC, USAW-L1, a GGR Senior Staff Writer and Olympian, and the owner of the gym he trains at, Sean Rigsby, CSCS. Sean has had this sauna in his gym for several years, which means plenty of athletes have used it, allowing Sean and Caine to truly assess its performance and durability over an extended period of time.
Overall, Caine was impressed with the quality of this Almost Heaven barrel sauna, especially in terms of its durability and performance.
“I’ve used this sauna on and off since it arrived at the gym about three years ago,” says Caine. “It’s nothing fancy, but it performs extremely well and has held up over repeated use by multiple gym members.”
If you’re looking for the latest infrared sauna with the fancy bells and whistles, this isn’t it. However, if you’re looking for a classic dry sauna with a beautiful design that’s sturdy and reliable, this can be an excellent choice.
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Delivery and Setup
Any four-person sauna is going to be bulky, and when it comes to the delivery and setup, we give this one 3 out of 5 stars.
According to Sean Rigsby, who bought and assembled this sauna, it’s a bit of a hassle. Sean notes that the instruction manual isn’t specific to the Morgan Barrel model and is more geared toward generic barrel sauna assembly. It left a lot up to interpretation, and with the number of wood panels used in the assembly, it certainly slowed things down.
Many larger saunas use this DIY assembly approach, but this is something to keep in mind if you’re not very handy with tools. If you’d rather not spend hours in construction, it may be best to opt for a sauna offering professional installation or a lighter, more portable profile requiring minimal assembly.
Construction
The Almost Heaven Morgan Barrel’s construction is impressive, earning 4 out of 5 stars. Of course, you can customize many of the components, so your experience may vary, but we’re impressed with the build quality of our testing sample.
“It uses ball-and-socket lumber held together by stainless steel bands and fasteners,” explains Caine. “It’s been at the gym for a few years now and hasn’t had issues with durability, although the bench does creak as I sit down. Granted, I’m a big guy, but I’ve also sat in saunas that haven’t creaked.”
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Footprint and Portability
Let’s face it—a 685-pound sauna isn’t meant to be portable, so we’re only going to score the footprint of this barreled profile, which earns 4 out of 5 stars.
This four-person sauna has dimensions of 72 inches wide by 72 inches long by 77 inches tall, but more importantly, it’s spacious on the inside, and Sean and Caine report that it comfortably seats four users. We’ve tested other saunas that claim to seat four users but feel very cramped, even with only two or three athletes inside. So, we give this one high marks, docking a single point due to its heavy weight and lack of portability.
Performance
The heating performance is where the Morgan Barrel truly shines, earning a perfect 5-out-of-5 rating in the category.
Caine and Sean report that they only need to give it about 30 minutes to heat up, and the sauna can reach its maximum temp of 190 degrees Fahrenheit with ease thanks to the powerful sauna heater. Caine also noted that if you put water on the stones and wait a bit, it can reach temperatures above 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
As with any sauna, opening the door can let some heat escape, but if you keep it closed, it retains heat exceptionally well, showcasing its impressive insulating qualities.
RELATED: Dry Sauna Benefits
Features
For additional features, we give this 3 out of 5 stars. It’s basic, but it gets the job done well, and after years of regular use, it’s still working effectively. There aren’t any fancy, modern touches like LED lighting or Wi-Fi integration for remote temperature control, but it’s still a great choice for reliable sauna use.
Caine notes that the extra accessories are very basic, saying, “It comes with a bucket and ladle for pouring water over stones, and a thermometer attached to the wall. The sauna also has two holes that can be used to help lower the temperature, if needed, but there aren’t any other fancy features.”
Value
Even though it’s expensive, we feel the value is high given the Morgan Barrel’s continued performance and durability, and we give it 4 out of 5 stars for the category.
It costs over $8,000 if you pay the full retail price, but it’s often marked down to around $5,000, based on our research. Sean also bought his sauna at Costco, where it was even more affordable.
There are more affordable sauna options on the market, sure, but this one has outstanding performance and durability, along with spacious interior dimensions that can comfortably seat four users.
Almost Heaven Morgan Barrel vs Redwood Outdoors Duo Sauna
The Thermowood Mini-Cube Sauna from Redwood Outdoors is a compact two-person outdoor sauna, made for tight spaces or urban backyards. The Thermowood used is heat-treated Scandinavian softwood made to be resistant to cracking, warping, mildew, and insects.
If you’re in the market for a wooden outdoor sauna, but don’t need a large four-person unit, you may want to consider the Redwood Outdoors Duo Sauna instead.
As the name suggests, it’s built for two users and has both a smaller footprint and a lower price tag.
We’ve used Redwood’s larger outdoor sauna and were extremely impressed with the performance. As such, we expect the smaller Duo sauna to perform similarly. Both the Almost Heaven and Redwood Outdoors saunas provide a dry sauna experience, and unfortunately, both have a rather difficult home assembly process, but once assembled, you’re good to go.
If you’re looking for a well-built, high-performing traditional sauna, you can’t go wrong with either option. The Almost Heaven Morgan Barrel can be best for those who need the additional space, while the Redwood Outdoors Duo Sauna may be more ideal for those who only need room for two.
For more, read our full Redwood Outdoors Sauna review, which takes a closer look at the Duo’s bigger brother, dubbed the “Thermowood Outdoor Cabin Sauna.”
| Almost Heaven Morgan Barrel | Redwood Outdoors Duo Sauna | |
| Price | $8,165 | $5,699 |
| Dimensions | 72” W x 72” D x 77” H | 50.75″ W x 68.75″ D x 81″ H |
| Temperature Range | Up to 190º F | Up to 190º F |
| Capacity | 4 people | 2 people |
| Product Weight | 685 lbs | 910 lbs |
| Warranty | Limited lifetime warranty on sauna room, 5 years on heater | 1-year limited |
Customer Experience
We give the overall customer experience 5 out of 5 stars for this Almost Heaven offering. Customer service is easy to reach via phone, email, or chat. In addition, the Almost Heaven website provides online manuals and guides, instructional videos, and quizzes to help you find the right sauna for your needs.
RELATED: Sauna Maintenance Tips
Warranty, Returns, Financing
Almost Heaven earns an easy 5 out of 5 stars for this category, as well, offering one of the best warranties we’ve seen in a home sauna.
There’s a limited lifetime warranty on the sauna room, a five-year warranty on the heater and components, and one-year support for the heating elements. Almost Heaven also offers free shipping and hassle-free returns, and financing is available for qualified buyers.
Customer Reviews
The Morgan Barrel has an average review score of 4.5 out of 5, reflecting the fact that many customers are happy with their purchase. Most users are satisfied and report an easy assembly process, though some reviews mention missing parts and warped boards.
Final Verdict of Our Almost Heaven Morgan Barrel Review
This sauna isn’t cheap, but it’s one of the best outdoor saunas we’ve tested for the price. It performs well, has outstanding construction, and we have years of testing experience with this unit to see how well it withstands regular use.
For those looking to invest in a sauna that’ll last, it’s hard to think of a better option.
- The sauna is protected by one of the best warranties we’ve seen on any sauna, and is often on sale for far less than the suggested retail price.
- While it’s large and difficult to move, the Morgan Barrel can comfortably seat up to four people.
- The performance is excellent, and it reaches its maximum temperature in about 30 minutes.
Almost Heaven Morgan Barrel Sauna
The Almost Heaven Morgan Barrel is a four-person barrel sauna and one of the brands best-selling electric saunas. When you order your sauna, you can also customize many of the features to your preferences—a unique capability that we love to see.
Product Brand: Almost Heaven
Product Currency: USD
Product Price: 8165
Product In-Stock: InStock
4.2
Almost Heaven Morgan Barrel Review: FAQs
Are Almost Heaven saunas made in China?
No, Almost Heaven saunas are made in the Greenbrier Valley of West Virginia, and have been manufactured there for over 40 years.
How much does an Almost Heaven sauna cost?
The pricing can vary greatly based on the exact sauna you choose, as well as any additional features you wish to purchase. Pricing can range from $4,000 to over $35,000, though the saunas are often on sale.
How long do barrel saunas last?
With proper care and maintenance, barrel saunas can last a lifetime. The Almost Heaven Morgan Barrel is protected by a limited lifetime warranty, which shows how much the company stands by its manufacturing.
References
- Laukkanen, J. A., Laukkanen, T., & Kunutsor, S. K. (2018). Cardiovascular and Other Health Benefits of Sauna Bathing: A Review of the Evidence. Mayo Clinic proceedings, 93(8), 1111–1121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2018.04.008
