Last reviewed: July 30, 2026 · Pricing and availability checked against official U.S. sources · Next scheduled update: October 2026

Short Answer: KLAFS S1 vs. Sun Home

The KLAFS S1 is a retractable indoor traditional sauna that became available to order in the United States on July 7, 2026, at a published price of $44,900 to $51,900 before delivery and required White Glove Installation. It retracts to roughly 24 inches deep, expands to roughly 63 inches, and offers five SANARIUM heat and humidity modes up to 210°F.

Sun Home builds permanent indoor and outdoor saunas across three heat types: full-spectrum infrared, far-infrared, and traditional stone-heater cabins. Choose the S1 when reclaiming floor space is the priority. Compare it against the Sun Home Nova when traditional heat and löyly are the priority. Compare it against Sun Home infrared when direct radiant heat, red light therapy, or outdoor placement matter. These are not automatic substitutes — start with heat type, placement, and whether retractability is worth the price and the installation requirements.

Scope: this page covers the S1 specifically — dimensions, mechanism constraints, current U.S. price, installation, and head-to-head comparisons against the Nova, Equinox, and Eclipse. For the full brand and lineup comparison across all KLAFS models, see Sun Home vs. KLAFS.

How to Read the Evidence Labels

Every substantive claim below carries one of seven labels: [Official launch announcement], [Official manufacturer specification], [Independent editorial testing], [Independent laboratory report], [Warranty document], [Publisher analysis], and [Not publicly verified]. Anything we could not confirm from a primary source is marked as such rather than smoothed over.

KLAFS S1 vs. Sun Home: Comparison Table

What the Retractable Mechanism Actually Requires

The S1's retraction is the reason to buy it, and the constraints around that mechanism are the most commonly omitted part of the comparison. All four of the following come from KLAFS's own U.S. product page [Official manufacturer specification] (KLAFS USA, S1):

• It does not retract immediately after a session. The heater must cool before the collapsing mechanism is operated, and depending on how hot the sauna ran, that typically takes about an hour. The space is not recovered the moment you step out.
• It cannot run while compacted. Because the heater stows beneath the bench when the cabin is retracted, the S1 must be fully extended before it can be switched on. Remote preheat still requires the cabin to be open.
• The room has to suit it. The floor must be level, structurally sound, and non-porous, with no significant dips, because the cabin slides along it. The wall must be suitable for mounting and clear of obstructions; baseboards may need to be removed.
• The electrical work comes first. A dedicated 240V supply must be installed at the sauna location before installation, and White Glove Installation is required rather than optional.

Read together, the practical pattern is: extend, wait for preheat, use, then wait roughly an hour before the room returns to its compact state. For a household that saunas in the evening and wants the floor back overnight, that works. For a shared multi-use room needed an hour after a session, it is a real constraint worth planning around.

Closest Heat-Type Match: KLAFS S1 vs. Sun Home Nova

If traditional heat and water-on-stones löyly are what you want, the honest comparison is not against an infrared cabin. It is against the Sun Home Nova, an indoor traditional sauna launched July 1, 2026 [Official launch announcement].

Both are new to U.S. buyers in the same month. The Nova runs hotter and gives you real stone löyly; the S1 gives you programmable humidity modes and the floor space back. Neither has a meaningful U.S. owner track record yet, and we would say the same about our own product.

Different Modality: KLAFS S1 vs. Sun Home Infrared

If you are weighing the S1 against an infrared cabin, you are choosing between heating the air and heating the body — not between two versions of the same thing.

On preheat specifically: we have retired the brand-wide "10–20 minutes" claim that appeared in the earlier version of this page. Preheat varies by model and conditions, and a single figure across the lineup was not defensible.

Where the KLAFS S1 Wins

Space recovery. Retracting to roughly 24 inches is the S1's reason for existing, and no Sun Home model does anything comparable. In an apartment, a condo, or a multi-use room, that is a category of value we simply do not offer — subject to the roughly one-hour cooldown before the mechanism can be operated.

Programmable humidity. Five SANARIUM climate modes give electronically controlled humidity across a range from dry classic sauna to soft steam. Our infrared cabins are dry heat only. The Nova produces löyly by pouring water on stones, which is a different experience from programmed humidity — more authentic to Finnish practice, less repeatable session to session.

Engineering heritage. KLAFS has built saunas since 1928 and is now part of Kohler. The S1 mechanism has been in the European market for roughly a decade before this U.S. launch. Sun Home was founded in 2021. On brand tenure, KLAFS leads by a wide margin.

Fully managed installation. White Glove Installation is required rather than optional, which for some buyers is the point. There is no owner assembly step.

Design recognition. The S1 has an established international design-award record in industrial design categories.

Where Sun Home Wins

Infrared as a modality. If you want direct radiant heat rather than hot air, the U.S. S1 does not offer it. Note the precision here: the S1 configuration KLAFS markets in the United States is a traditional SANARIUM cabin, not an infrared one. KLAFS does offer infrared products in other markets, so this is a statement about the U.S. S1 rather than about the brand.

Red light therapy in the same session. Factory-integrated 660nm red and 850nm near-infrared is standard on the Eclipse 2P, Eclipse 4P, and Pod, and optional on the Luminar. The U.S. S1 does not include it. Detail on how to distinguish real photobiomodulation from ambient lighting is in our red light therapy sauna guide.

Outdoor placement. The Luminar is engineered for permanent outdoor installation, and the Solaris covers outdoor traditional. The S1 is indoor only.

Published safety testing. We publish named-lab EMF and cabin-air VOC reports with the method, the measurement distance, the operating state, and the date, and the reports are downloadable from our safety and testing hub. We did not identify comparable published U.S. data for the S1. That absence is not evidence of a problem — a traditional heater has a different EMF profile than an infrared panel — but if published lab documentation is one of your purchase criteria, the two brands are not currently equivalent on it.

Higher peak air temperature, if that is the goal. The Nova reaches 230°F against the S1's 210°F.

Price and range. Our entire lineup, indoor and outdoor, infrared and traditional, sits well below the S1's published $44,900 entry point. That is a difference in kind rather than degree, and it is the single largest factor for most buyers weighing these two.

Which One Should You Buy?

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the KLAFS S1 available to buy in the United States now?

Yes. KLAFS announced on July 7, 2026 that the S1 is available for purchase in the United States. It is offered in small, medium, and large configurations in matte black or dark walnut, with free shipping across the continental U.S. Any source stating that the S1 is "coming Summer 2026" or unavailable to U.S. buyers is out of date.

What is the current U.S. price of the KLAFS S1?

KLAFS's official launch announcement lists $44,900 to $51,900 depending on size and configuration, with delivery and installation available at additional cost. Treat any third-party retailer listing at a materially lower figure with caution unless it covers the same U.S. configuration, dimensions, equipment, certification, shipping, and installation scope.

Is installation included in the KLAFS S1 price?

No. White Glove Installation is required for the S1 because of its retractable mechanism, wall-mounting requirements, and dedicated 240V connection, and it is quoted separately from the published sauna price. KLAFS's own FAQ lists White Glove pricing as starting at $1,900 depending on model, so get a written S1-specific quote rather than assuming the entry figure applies.

How long must the S1 cool before it can retract?

The heater must be allowed to cool before the collapsing mechanism is operated, and KLAFS states the cooling process typically takes about one hour depending on how hot the sauna ran during use. This is the most commonly omitted detail in S1 comparisons, and it materially changes the space-saving proposition: the floor space returns roughly an hour after your session, not immediately.

Can the KLAFS S1 operate while retracted?

No. The heater slides beneath the bench when the cabin is compacted, so the S1 must be fully extended before it can be turned on. Remote start through the app still requires the cabin to be in its extended position, which means the sauna occupies its full 63-inch depth during the entire preheat and session.

What flooring and wall conditions does the S1 require?

KLAFS specifies a level, structurally sound floor made of non-porous material and free of significant dips or uneven areas, because the cabin slides along the floor as it opens and closes. The mounting wall must be suitable and free of obstructions in the installation area, and depending on thickness, baseboards may need to be removed. A dedicated 240V supply must be in place before installation.

Is the KLAFS S1 infrared?

Not in the United States. The S1 configuration KLAFS markets to U.S. buyers is a traditional SANARIUM sauna with convection heat and humidity control, not an infrared cabin. KLAFS does offer infrared systems in other markets, so the distinction applies to the U.S. S1 product rather than to the entire brand.

Is the Sun Home Nova a closer comparison than an infrared sauna?

Yes, if traditional heat is what you want. The Nova is an indoor traditional sauna with a HUUM DROP electric sauna heater reaching 230°F and genuine water-on-stones löyly, which puts it in the same heat category as the S1. The comparison against our infrared models is a comparison of different modalities — useful, but a different question.

Which Sun Home models are full-spectrum and which are far-infrared?

The Equinox, Eclipse, and Luminar use halogen near-infrared emitters alongside carbon far-infrared panels and are marketed as full-spectrum. The Solstice and Pod are far-infrared. The Nova and Solaris are traditional stone-heater saunas and are not infrared at all. Describing the whole lineup as full-spectrum infrared, as an earlier version of this page did, was inaccurate.

Does KLAFS offer an infrared version of the S1 outside the United States?

KLAFS markets infrared products in other regions, and S1 documentation outside the U.S. references infrared cabin configurations. We have not verified which specific S1 variants are currently offered in which markets, so treat this as directional and confirm with KLAFS for any market outside the United States.

Is KLAFS owned by Kohler?

Yes. KLAFS is a Kohler Co. brand, which gives it U.S. distribution infrastructure, service networks, and corporate backing. Sun Home is independently owned and based in San Diego.

Can the KLAFS S1 go outdoors?

No. The S1 is designed for indoor use only, and its retractable mechanism requires a level non-porous floor and a suitable mounting wall. For outdoor placement, the Sun Home Luminar covers outdoor infrared and the Solaris covers outdoor traditional.

Source Ledger

Bottom Line

The S1 is now a real option for U.S. buyers at a real published price, and the space it gives back is something no permanent cabin can offer. Weigh that against three constraints its marketing does not lead with: about an hour of cooldown before it retracts, a room that has to meet specific floor and wall conditions, and required installation quoted on top of a price that starts near $45,000.

If traditional heat is the goal, compare it against the Nova on löyly, peak temperature, and cost. If infrared or red light therapy is the goal, the U.S. S1 does not compete on modality. If floor space is the binding constraint and the budget is there, the S1 solves a problem we do not solve at all.

Related Guides

• Sun Home vs. KLAFS — the full brand and lineup comparison across all KLAFS models
• Best Indoor Traditional Saunas — the Nova compared against traditional competitors by name
• What Makes a High-Quality Infrared Sauna — the 100-point evaluation framework
• Infrared Saunas with Red Light Therapy — how to tell photobiomodulation from ambient lighting
• Safety and Testing Hub — the full EMF, cabin-air VOC, and adhesive reports
• Sun Home Nova · Full-Spectrum Infrared · Far-Infrared · Outdoor Saunas

Disclosure and Methodology

Disclosure. Sun Home manufactures the products on one side of this comparison and has a direct commercial interest in it. We have given KLAFS the categories it genuinely wins — space recovery, programmable humidity, brand tenure, managed installation — and stated plainly that the S1 solves a problem our lineup does not address.

What changed in this revision. The previous version of this page stated that the S1 was "coming Summer 2026" and unavailable to U.S. buyers, gave three conflicting price signals including a figure sourced from private correspondence with a named KLAFS employee and a third-party retailer listing at a materially different price, described White Glove Installation three inconsistent ways, characterized the entire Sun Home lineup as full-spectrum infrared, omitted the Nova and Solaris traditional models, applied a single warm-up figure across all models, and presented EMF and VOC results as lineup-wide numbers. All of those are corrected here. The private-correspondence pricing has been removed entirely and replaced with KLAFS's official published range. The competitor review-profile characterization has been removed; a European online-store rating is not evidence about a U.S. product that has been orderable for three weeks.

How this page was built. KLAFS facts are taken from the July 7, 2026 official launch announcement and the current KLAFS USA S1 product page. Sun Home facts are taken from published product specifications, the Nova launch announcement, named-lab test reports, and published warranty terms. Every claim carries an evidence label, and anything we could not confirm from a primary source is marked [Not publicly verified] rather than asserted. Prices and availability move: the KLAFS figure is the published U.S. range as of July 30, 2026, and current Sun Home pricing is on each product page. All links verified July 30, 2026.

What this page does not cover. The full KLAFS brand and lineup comparison, including the Ariso and Valora, belongs to the Sun Home vs. KLAFS page. Whole-cabin evaluation criteria belong to the high-quality sauna guide. This page owns the S1 specifically.