KOHLER C2 Traditional Outdoor Sauna, Weathered Grey Spruce — 3, 5 or 6 Person

The C2 is Kohler's outdoor sauna: a permanent freestanding structure built around a freestanding FERO 9 kW electric heater and natural stones, so water ladled over the stones releases löyly — the burst of soft steam that separates a real Finnish sauna from a cabinet that only radiates dry heat. It comes in three-, five- and six-person cabins, all with the floor included.

Weathered Grey Spruce is the architectural option in the range. The cladding runs as vertical board rather than horizontal lap, in a grey-weathered spruce finish, which reads as a considered piece of garden architecture rather than a timber cabin — closer to a modern outbuilding than to a log structure. Interiors are Scandinavian spruce in both finishes; the difference is entirely on the outside, and it is a difference of form as much as color.

What separates an outdoor sauna from an indoor one is everything wrapped around the hot room, and that is where the C2 spends its engineering. The roof is triple-insulated — two layers of mineral wool with an air gap between them, finished with a waterproof EPDM membrane, the material used on commercial flat roofs. Walls carry 2-1/8" (54 mm) of mineral wool. Windows are double-pane insulated units rather than single glass. Roof eaves overhang the walls by roughly 7" on every side, shading the cladding and keeping rain off it. Those are the details that decide whether the sauna holds temperature in February and whether the exterior still looks right in year ten.

Inside, the cabin is lined in Scandinavian spruce with a 22-7/8" (580 mm) deep solid obeche bench and matching backrest, headrest and stool. Obeche is the traditional choice for contact surfaces because it conducts heat poorly and stays comfortable at full temperature. The FERO heater stands free on the floor behind an obeche railing. A wall-mounted thermometer and a beech wood 20-minute hourglass sand timer sit inside — analog instruments that need no power and don't fail in the heat.

Climate is held by a dual thermostat arrangement and Aerotherm ventilation, which maintains air exchange inside the cabin during a session. The digital control panel mounts externally on the front; its cover locks, keeping weather out and preventing the sauna being switched on by anyone who shouldn't. The front door locks as well when the sauna isn't in use — worth having on a structure that sits unattended in a garden.

The entry door is 5/16" (8 mm) tempered glass on matte aluminum hinges with a rubber seal, with a 10-5/8" (270 mm) beech handle inside that stays cool to the touch and a stainless steel handle outside. Interior lighting is indirect 2700K warm white behind the backrest; a separate run of exterior lighting wraps the cabin. Walls, floor and roof are joined tongue-and-groove.

Certified to UL 875 and CSA C22.2 No. 164. Freestanding installation only.

Included: complete sauna cabin with heater and stones, digital control panel, benches, backrest, backrest lighting, headrest, stool, thermometer, sand timer and installation hardware.

Specifications by size — Weathered Grey Spruce

† The K-40045 drawing labels its cabin 86-1/8" wide × 94" deep, which would make it deeper than wide while its roof plan is wider than deep — and would put the eave overhang at 11-3/8" on one axis and 3-1/2" on the other, against ~7-3/8" on every other C2. The labels look transposed. Plan from the roof footprint, which is consistent across the range, and ask Kohler to confirm the cabin figures.

Common to all sizes: one dedicated circuit with Class A GFCI (an RCD outside North America) · 22-7/8" (580 mm) obeche bench, backrest, headrest and stool · 2-1/8" (54 mm) mineral wool wall insulation · triple-insulated roof, two mineral wool layers plus air gap, waterproof EPDM membrane · double-pane insulated windows · 5/16" (8 mm) tempered glass door with rubber seal · locking front door · locking control panel cover · 10-5/8" (270 mm) beech interior handle, stainless steel exterior handle · 2700K warm white indirect interior lighting plus exterior perimeter lighting · Aerotherm ventilation · dual thermostatic control · tongue-and-groove walls, floor and roof · Scandinavian spruce, obeche and beech construction · matte aluminum door hinges · UL 875 and CSA C22.2 No. 164 · freestanding only.

Site preparation — read before ordering

• A qualified structural engineer or the local authority must verify structural integrity, static loads, local code compliance and load-bearing capacity including snow and wind loads. Kohler states this as a requirement.
• The C2 bears on four posts. Minimum loading per post is 400.9 lbs/ft² (3-person), 572 lbs/ft² (5-person) or 765.5 lbs/ft² (6-person). Maximum static load 57.35 lb/ft².
• Electrical: a NEMA 14-50R receptacle and appropriate supply must be installed at the site before delivery, on a dedicated Class A GFCI circuit at 220–240 V, 50 A.
• No power cable is supplied. The sauna ships with a weatherproof plug box containing a NEMA SS2-50P male plug. A certified electrician must source a lockable extension cord of the right length, NEMA 14-50P at one end and NEMA SS2-50R at the other. This is a specialty cord, not a shelf item.
• The exhaust vent is on the rear of the cabin — keep that area unobstructed.
• Deliver to a dry, level location with room to unpack; establish a clear perimeter for delivery and assembly.

Safety and care

Use only KOHLER aromatic extracts, approximately 10 drops per liter (0.26 gal) of water. Do not operate where aerosol products are in use or where oxygen is being administered. Use a towel or mat on the bench. The front door lock is for securing the sauna when it is not in use — it must not be locked from outside while anyone is inside.

⚠ WARNING: Drilling, sawing, sanding or machining wood products can expose you to wood dust, a substance known to the State of California to cause cancer. Avoid inhaling wood dust or use a dust mask or other safeguards for personal protection. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/wood

Warranty

Covered by the KOHLER Sauna Limited Warranty: five years on the sauna against defects in material and workmanship under normal residential use, from date of purchase or delivery, for the original purchaser, in the United States and Canada. Accessories carry a one-year limited warranty. The warranty is void if the product is installed in a commercial application. Heater stones and electrician costs are not covered. Original sales receipt required.

Accessories

Aromatic extracts: 39814-A4 Recharge · 39814-A1 Sleep · 39814-A2 Breathe · 39814-A6 Relax