By David Dragseth, CEO of Superior Sauna & Steam
How We Evolve to Meet This Moment
Every few months, someone asks me the same question:
“How is Superior evolving to meet this moment for sauna in America?”
It’s the right question. Sauna is exploding in popularity in this country — and with that growth comes possibility, joy, and connection. But it also brings challenges. And as CEO, I find myself returning to one central concern:
Sauna in America is in danger of becoming something only the elite can access.
Walk through many cities today and you’ll see it: high-end spa environments with high ticket prices and limited access. Beautiful spaces, yes — but closed off to many people who could benefit most from the simple, human ritual of heat.
That’s not the sauna culture I grew up with.
And it’s not the sauna culture we are building at Superior.
Sauna Was Never Meant to Be Exclusive
Our roots run deep in northern Wisconsin, the Upper Peninsula, and northern Minnesota — places where people didn’t buy saunas, they built them.
They cut cedar from land passed down through generations.
They gathered neighbors to help shape the benches.
They understood airflow not from a manual, but from memory and the wind.
That DIY spirit shaped us. It still does.
Quality sauna is for everyone.
Not just for those who can afford a high-end spa membership.
And whether someone wants to build their sauna from scratch or purchase a prefab model ready for their backyard, our responsibility is the same:
Provide the best materials, the best design guidance, and the best long-term care we can possibly offer.
If you want to build it with your own hands, we’ll get you the best wood in the market.
If you need design help, we’ll guide you toward perfect airflow and bench layout.
And if you want something prefab, we’re not selling a click-and-buy commodity.
We’re offering relationship.
Quality Isn’t Optional — It’s the Heart of What We Do
In a recent conversation with sauna designer and friend Walker Trumkin, he shared a concern that I’ve been carrying myself:
“Bad quality and bad design — people selling things to make a buck — could bring down the sauna market.”
He’s right. And we see it happening: cheaply built, poorly ventilated, short-lived products flooding the U.S. market with no accountability and no relationship after the sale.
That isn’t who Superior is.
It never has been.
If you want a prefab sauna from us, we’ll make sure:
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It’s beautifully built
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Designed with perfect airflow and heat distribution
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Crafted from premium materials
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And selected in real conversation with our design team
Most importantly, we will walk with you for the life of your sauna.
If something goes wrong — five, ten, even fifteen years in — you’ll hear the same words every time:
“We’ll take care of you.”
We’ve replaced parts at our cost.
We’ve fixed design issues we discovered after the fact.
We’ve shipped new materials overnight to people in a pinch.
We stand by our quality — because we stand by you.
Economic Justice and How We Price
Before selling saunas, I spent my entire career as a pastor in the Lutheran church — advocating for fair wages, sustainable economics, and a more humane society.
That calling didn’t disappear when I stepped into business leadership.
In fact, it’s shaped every decision I make at Superior.
Here is what that looks like:
1. Fair wages across the entire company
In most American corporations, CEOs earn 300x more than the lowest-paid worker. In some, it's 1000x.
At Superior?
Our gap is closer to 5x.
We’re a family.
And families take care of each other.
2. We refuse to pass tariffs directly to customers
When tariffs rise — and they have — we don’t simply tack the cost onto your invoice.
Often, we split them with you.
Other times, we absorb them entirely.
It lowers our margin.
But it protects your ability to afford the sauna you deserve.
3. Customer satisfaction for the life of your sauna
If we sell you something that doesn’t meet our standards — or yours — we replace it.
No arguing.
No hiding behind fine print.
No disappearing acts.
This is not only ethical business — it is good business.
It builds trust, loyalty, and a culture of long-term care.
What Inspires Me About Sauna in America Right Now
Let me shift to the positive, because this moment is full of hope.
Public sauna events are transforming the country.
And I don’t just mean beautiful spas — though we help build those.
I’m talking about open-air, accessible, sometimes free public gatherings where people can move in and out of heat and cold:
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Ten or fifteen saunas
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Cold buckets and plunges
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Gathering spaces
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Music and poetry
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Design-forward community energy
In November, we hosted a massive public sauna festival in Washington, D.C., in partnership with Therma Group.
Many attendees had never been in a sauna in their life.
Many didn’t think sauna was “for them.”
The joy, the curiosity, the connection — I still think about it.
And we’re just getting started.
We’re currently designing a huge event sauna that may hold 70 to 80 people at once.
That’s the future.
Accessible.
Communal.
Human.
What Worries Me About Sauna Culture
Even as the culture grows, I see two troubling trends.
1. Bro culture + performance metrics
Listen — I’m an athlete.
I’ve raced nationally in rowing.
I ski the Birkie every year.
I’m competitive by nature.
But sauna is not about improving your race splits or your VO2 max.
Sauna is about coming back to yourself once the competition is over.
It’s the place I used to go to become human again after pushing myself on the trail, the river, or the race course. The heat grounds us, opens us, softens us.
Marketing sauna purely as a performance booster risks stripping away its humanity.
2. Commodification: the point-and-click problem
Many companies today are selling saunas the way they sell headphones:
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No relationship
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No guidance
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No long-term service
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No cultural understanding
Just a sale — and then silence when something breaks.
That is the opposite of how sauna works.
And it’s the opposite of how Superior works.
Relationship Is Our Business Model
At Superior, sauna is not a transaction — it’s a relationship.
We learn your story.
We design with you.
We listen when something isn’t working.
We stand by you for decades.
This approach isn’t new.
It’s the way sauna has always been.
Human beings caring for one another.
Face to face.
Heat shared.
Time slowed down.
Our Team: The Heart of Our Quality
I need to tell you something personal.
This year, one of our plant managers lost his home in a fire.
Within hours, our team rallied — bringing meals, donating supplies, arranging help, raising funds. No hesitation. No question.
That’s who we are.
When someone at Superior suffers a tragedy, we surround them.
When someone loses a loved one, we help shoulder the grief.
When someone needs time, we give it.
Care isn’t a slogan here — it’s a practice.
And it shapes the quality of what we build.
When people feel cared for, they create extraordinary work:
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better craftsmanship
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more attention to detail
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more pride
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better problem-solving
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more innovation
Care turns into quality.
Quality turns into value.
Value turns into affordability.
This is the real engine behind everything we make.
A New Season for Superior Saunas
This year also brought a personal change: my family and I moved to Minneapolis after my wife, Jessica, received a fantastic job offer.
Our manufacturing headquarters remain in Wisconsin — and always will.
But now I’m face-to-face with our Minneapolis team daily — dreaming, planning, designing for all of you.
And that proximity has unlocked enormous creativity:
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more public festivals
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more accessible sauna programming
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new sauna lines
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more efficient production
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more innovation
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and yes — better pricing
When we care deeply about the relationships inside our company, we create better relationships outside of it.
And in a time of economic turbulence, that matters.
We’re working harder than ever to bring down costs, increase quality, and expand access — because sauna shouldn’t be a luxury item.
Sauna should belong to everyone.
Closing Words
If you read nothing else, hear this:
Sauna helps us become better human beings.
It softens us.
Slows us.
Deepens us.
Brings us back to ourselves and each other.
That is the culture we’re building.
That is the future we’re fighting for.
And that is the promise I make as CEO:
Superior Saunas will stand by you — in quality, in relationship, and in care — for the entire life of your sauna.
Warmly,
David Dragseth
CEO, Superior Sauna & Steam
