SaltSaun Is the Fanciest Use of a Bend Teardrop Trailer, Even Has an Off-Grid Version

The answer to that question depends on who you're asking, but if you direct it to Oregon-based builder Bend Teardrop, the answer is "yes." And that's why they're getting into the mobile sauna business, adding to their lineup of family teardrop trailers. No one would say no to extra wellness and relaxation on the road, right?

Bend Teardrop has been building teardrop trailers since 2015, offering different sizes and features for its range. They'd already been working on variations from the traditional teardrop trailer, like the Double Family we discussed in a previous story from earlier this year, so this must've felt like an organic development.

The sauna trailer is called SaltSaun, and it's offered as a standalone product. That is to say, you're not getting a teardrop trailer with a sauna (duh, where would you fit it?), but just the mobile sauna. Bend Teardrop is using its experience with this type of towable to build a mobile sauna that looks like a small and cute log cabin/Vardo wagon, it is lightweight and easy to use but delivers the benefits you'd get from a standard sauna.

Mobile saunas are not a new idea, and we've even seen them in this form factor, plopped on top of utility trailers. Whether floating or rolling, mobile saunas aim to add that extra touch of comfort and pampering to outings in the great outdoors, and they are essentially luxury products.

Like the other Bend products, SaltSaun is also "a better way to enjoy the great outdoors," with "everything you need [and] nothing you don't." It's downsized luxury, if you will.

Sitting on a standard single-axle square-tube chassis trailer measuring 8 by 8 feet (2.4 by 2.4 meters), rated for highway speeds, and riding on 15-inch wheels, SaltSaun is made with cedar wood sourced locally in the Pacific Northwest.

Bend offers two options for heating it up: electric or the more traditional wood stove, which is also more efficient but requires more maintenance and, of course, wood. Aluminum paneling and corrugated metal roof scaffolding make the SaltSaun suitable for all weather conditions.

A cantilevered section of the roof stretches over two wooden benches at the rear, where you can cool off after your session. It's a small rear porch, in much plainer terms.

The interior is all cedar-lined and can fit 4 to 5 people on the benches. The electric model is of the plug-and-play variety and comes with a 3kW steam-ready heater that can be plugged into a 110V outlet. The wood stove model is the off-grid variant since you only need to bring wood with you to heat it up, and you can use it wherever your travels might take you.

Each option has its pros and cons, which should help future owners decide. The plug-in electric model is easier to use and requires no maintenance and no stockpiling of wood while also being able to maintain a constant temperature for longer. But it's entirely reliant on the grid to work. Meanwhile, the traditional wood-burning stove heats up the space faster and is more efficient in colder temperatures, but it also requires more maintenance before and after each use.

Bend says the mobile sauna can reach temperatures between 100°F/37.7°C and 200°F/93.3°C and helpfully lists all the touted health and wellness benefits of frequent sauna use. Our guess is that, if you're reading this, you probably know all of them firsthand, from the stress and pain relief to the weight loss benefits and improved circulation.

Either model of the SaltSaun comes with a deep-cycle battery and a roof-mounted 100W solar cell to run the LED mood lights. Both models also come with a stone basket for steam therapy and are packed with Himalayan salt, which the maker says brings extra wellness benefits in being able to lower the body's pH levels while helping with digestion, hydration, and detoxification.

The SaltSauna weighs between 1,100 lbs and 1,660 lbs (499 kg and 753 kg), depending on which variant you choose, and can be towed with the daily driver. Either model can also be easily moved into position by hand and is touted as "offroad-ready."

Pricing starts at $9,999 for either model, with an estimated lead time of 60 days from the moment the deposit goes through. There's also the option to rent it for $200 a day. Clearly, this is the kind of money with which you could buy a proper, functional teardrop trailer on the second-hand market or even new, but the SaltSaun is a luxury product. It's priced accordingly.