Sisu Sauna Review: The Crew Cabin After 6 Months (Is It Worth It?)

The SISU Cabin Crew Sauna is one of the premium sauna options from SISU—a company known for crafting high-quality, American-made saunas. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill steam box. This is a massive, hand-built wooden cabin sauna meant to hold multiple people and bring the full sauna experience to your backyard.

My good friend Eric Hinman, has had the Cabin Crew SISU Sauna for over 6 months now and has been running people through it every single night. That’s hundreds of sessions, with anywhere from 4 to 10 people smooshed into this thing. If anyone's stress-tested this sauna, it's Eric.

In this article, I'll be using Eric's real life experience to provide a comprehensive review of the cabin crew - covering everything from setup to performance, maintenance, and who this sauna is actually for. Let's get into it.

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Size, Design & Build Quality

The Crew Cabin is the biggest sauna in the SISU lineup. Measuring 7 feet tall, 7 feet wide, and 6 feet deep - this thing is a beast. The entire build is made of North American red cedar, and handcrafted by the Amish. It smells incredible, is built to last and holds up like a champ against weather and moisture.

It comes with a roof kit which prevents water damage and keeps the structure sturdy year-round, a huum drop 9kw heater and 165 lbs of granite rocks to retain and distribute the heat.

The benches are 25 inches deep, which means you can sit comfortably even if you’re tall—or even lie down fully without feeling like you’ll fall off and it has a small door to minimize heat loss.

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Setup Experience

With a beast the size of the Cabin Crew, it's not an easy set up.  According to Eric, setting it up took an entire day with multiple people. Unless you're extremely handy, he highly recommend hiring a small team to get it installed properly.

On the electrical side, you'll need a 240-volt, 50-amp breaker— which is mostly likely going to have to be ran though the ground or wall with the help of an electrician.

Tools you’ll need include:

• Level
• Adjustable wrench
• Rubber mallet
• Hammer
• T-square
• Drill
• ¾ in deep socket
• 15-gauge nail gun
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Performance

I asked Eric about the time it takes to heat up and he said 'on a 90°F summer day, it hits 185°F in about 15–20 minutes and on a 17°F winter morning in Colorado, it took about 1 hour and 20 minutes to hit 180°F'.

The sauna can reach 230°F, which is scalding. But thanks to its insulation and design, even set at 185°F, the cabin feels hotter than a barrel sauna at 205°F.
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How It Works?

The HUUM Drop 9kW uses electricity to heat a large amount of sauna stones. The coils are embedded underneath the stones in the centre to heat the stones evenly. Water is then is poured on the rocks to produce an evenly distributed steam throughout the sauna.

A sensor on the wall of the sauna shuts off the coils when it reaches the desired temperature and then kicks back on again when it reaches the minimum threshold. As most of the heat comes from the rocks instead of raw coils, the sauna has a deep and therapeutic feel to it.

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My Experience

I stayed with Eric for a week and joined the crew in daily sauna sessions. Within 15 minutes of being inside, I was sweating bullets. The intensity is REAL—but in a good way.

Eric and I did a session in his sauna, then tried a Costco-brand model later that day. And the difference was night and day. In the Costco one, we could’ve stayed in for an hour but in the SISU, 15 minutes was definitely enough.

Sauna sessions have a whole host of benefits as well as uses. Some of my favorites are:

• Meditation
• Relaxing solo sessions
• Hang outs with friends
• Meetings with clients

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Cleaning and Maintenance Tips

Surprisingly, maintenance is easy. SISU recommends sweeping out the debris and wiping the benches occasionally.

Eric did notice some light water damage on the wood from sweat, so here's a tip: Mix water with vinegar, wipe it down, and then let the sauna “cook” any leftover moisture. Doing this periodically will extend the life of the wood.

SISU offers a 3-year warranty and a 90-day money-back guarantee. So if you don’t love it or have issues, you'll be able to get your money back.

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Price? Who Should Buy This Sauna?

A premium sauna like this one isn't cheap and costs $11,485 - with an 8 week shipping time.

I'd thoroughly recommend the Cabin Crew for people who want:

• Premium quality
• American-made craftsmanship
• Plenty of space
• A long-term investment in their home or wellness center
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You might want to pass if:

• You live in a temporary space (it’s not meant to be moved)
• You’re on a smaller budget
• You don’t want to deal with installation or electricians
• You’re not interested in a large sauna experience
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Final Verdict: Is the SISU Worth It?

After six months of daily use, hundreds of guests, and lots of sweat, the SISU Cabin Crew Sauna absolutely delivers. The design, heat quality, comfort, and durability make it one of the best sauna options out there.

If you want something premium, powerful, and home-friendly, this is it. It's become a huge part of Eric's life and he swears by it. After seeing it in person - I get it. It's an incredible way to both feel good and connect with people. Something the Fins are doing right and the world needs more of!
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‍For the full video review, click the link here.