Harvia Virta Electric Sauna Heater | HL60E HL80E HL90E HL110E

Harvia Virta Electric Sauna Heater: the stone column that makes electric heat behave like wood

Electric heaters usually give a fast, thin burst of steam that dies before the second ladle. The Harvia Virta answers that with mass. It is a floor-standing, graphite black electric sauna heater built around a tall stone column, made in Finland, and sold here in four outputs: the HL60E at 6kW, the HL80E at 8kW, the HL90E at 9kW and the HL110E at 10.5kW. Between them they cover rooms from 177 to 635 cubic feet. The HL110E is stocked in two supplies, 240V single phase for homes and 208V three phase for commercial rooms.

Why the stone column matters

The Virta holds 110 lbs of stones on the HL60E, HL80E and HL90E, and 154 lbs on the HL110E. The minimum you have to buy is lower than the capacity: 100 lbs, three boxes, on the smaller three and 150 lbs, four boxes, on the HL110E. That is roughly double what a comparable wall heater carries. Stone mass is thermal storage: the elements charge the column, and the column gives the heat back slowly through the session. You get steam that holds through four or five ladles rather than one sharp hit. Water poured on the top layer runs down through the stack and meets hot rock the whole way, which is the same mechanism a wood stove uses.

Which model fits your room

Size by room volume, not by floor area, because ceiling height drives the load. Measure width by depth by height in feet and multiply. The HL60E covers 177 to 294 cubic feet, the HL80E 177 to 431, the HL90E 177 to 494 and the HL110E 177 to 635. If you land between two, take the larger. An undersized heater runs flat out and never reaches temperature.

Benefits and Features

• Floor mount, sidewall or corner placement, so it does not compete with bench space
• Holds 110 lbs of stone on the HL60E, HL80E and HL90E and 154 lbs on the HL110E
• Requires a minimum of 100 lbs, three boxes, or 150 lbs, four boxes, on the HL110E
• Graphite black steel body with stainless heating elements
• Direct rock to element contact, so water meets hot stone rather than a shroud
• Industrial grade elements that are serviceable rather than sealed
• Rooms from 177 to 635 cubic feet across the range
• ETL listed, designed and made in Finland
• HL110E available in 240V single phase and 208V three phase

Clearances and install

Harvia publishes a 2 inch safety distance to combustible material at the front, back and both sides, a 42 inch distance to the ceiling, and a minimum room height of 75 inches. Check the ceiling figure first, because it is the one that most often rules a room out. The heater is rated IPX4. One thing to settle with your electrician before ordering: Harvia wires the 240V single phase models either as one group or as two, and the current draw and the minimum wire gauge differ between the two schemes. The 208V three phase HL110E is one group only.

Swipe to see the full table

Also Consider

If you want steam and dry heat from one unit, the Virta Combi adds a 5 litre water reservoir and a fragrance cup to the same cabinet. If your room is larger than 635 cubic feet, step up to the Virta Pro HL160E or HL200E. If floor space is the constraint rather than steam quality, a wall-mounted heater suits you better.

Why buy this from RecovAthlete

Questions buyers ask