Buy the Smartmak if you want a barrel that arrives with a genuine Harvia heater and a proven, fixed layout; buy the Benovo if you want to configure your own heater type and a size up to a group-sized tube — and you're confident making those calls yourself. We rank the Smartmak first, because the single most important part of an outdoor barrel is the stove, and the Smartmak ships with a brand-name one. The Benovo is the flexible alternative for a buyer who already knows exactly what they want.
What they share
Start with the common ground, because most of the product is the same. Both are Canadian- hemlock factory-kit barrels built to live outdoors — round, banded staves that shed rain, set on cradles off the ground. Both are meant to sit on a firm, level base rather than bare grass, and both are heater-and-stones saunas, so you can ladle water over hot rocks for loyly, the water-on-stones steam that defines traditional bathing (Finnish Sauna Society). Neither is a US-cedar barrel from a full manufacturer — that is a different, pricier tier, and if it's where you're headed, our best barrel saunasroundup ranks both of these against the premium options. Between these two specifically, the decision isn't the body — it's the heater and how much you want to configure.
Why the Smartmak wins: the heater is the story
The Smartmak's case is one strong fact: it bundles a genuine 6kW Harvia electric heater with the barrel, and Harvia is the reference stove brand in the category (Harvia). On a budget barrel, the stove is usually where corners get cut, so getting a real Harvia — with a rock top for loyly and an easy supply of replacement stones and parts — is the thing that lifts this kit above a generic-emitter competitor. It's a fixed configuration sized for four-to-six people, which is a feature as much as a limit: you aren't left guessing whether the heater matches the room, because the maker already matched them. The honest cons are real, though. The body is hemlock, not cedar, so it has less natural aroma and less built-in rot resistance, and the factory-kit build quality sits a step below a US manufacturer like Almost Heaven. You're paying for a brand-name stove on a value body, not for a premium barrel end to end.
Where the Benovo makes its case: configuration
The Benovo answers a different question: what if you want to choose. It's the configurable barrel — you pick wood-burning or electric, and a size that scales up to eight people, rather than accepting one fixed spec. For a buyer who already knows they want, say, a wood stove and a big group tube, that flexibility is genuinely useful, and it reaches capacities the Smartmak doesn't. The trade-offs are the flip side of the same coin. Configurable means the heater-and-size calls are yours to get right — there's no maker-matched bundle doing that work for you — and if you pick electric, there's no guarantee you land a stove with the pedigree of the Smartmak's Harvia. It's also a newer factory brand with a limited track record, which matters more when you're specifying the important parts yourself. The Benovo is the right buy when its flexibility solves a specific need; it's the wrong one if you'd rather someone competent already made the decisions.
The 240V reality they both share (if you go electric)
Whichever way you lean, be clear about the wiring. The Smartmak is electric, and an electric Benovo is too, which means a dedicated 240V circuit— and that is licensed-electrician work, not a plug-in. For most homes it involves pulling a new circuit from the panel out to the yard, and in most jurisdictions a permit and an inspection on top. Budget for it as a real line item; it's the same job for a cheap barrel as a dear one. The one way to skip the electrician entirely is to configure the Benovo as wood-burning, which needs no wiring at all — but then local fire codes and chimney clearances apply instead. Sort out what your yard can supply before you choose, and if a square cabin is also on your list, our barrel vs cabin sauna comparison covers how the shape itself changes the install.
The verdict
Buy the Smartmak if you want the surest value electric barrel — a real 6kW Harvia on a hemlock body, with the heater decision already made well for you. Buy the Benovoif you specifically want to choose your heater type or need a larger, group-sized tube, and you're comfortable specifying it yourself. If you're actually weighing the Smartmak against a premium US-cedar barrel rather than the Benovo, the Almost Heaven vs Smartmak head-to-head is the one to read, and if capacity for the family is the priority, see our best 4-person barrel saunas.
How to choose between them
Decide whether you want the heater chosen for you
This is the whole decision in one line. The Smartmak comes with a genuine 6kW Harvia already matched to the barrel, so the most important part is handled — you get a proven rock stove and an easy parts supply, no guesswork. The Benovo hands you the choice instead: pick wood or electric to suit your yard. Take the Smartmak if you'd rather someone competent made the stove call; take the Benovo if you want to make it yourself.
Size to who actually shows up
The Smartmak is a fixed four-to-six-person barrel; the Benovo can be configured larger, up to eight. A bigger tube sounds appealing, but it's more wood to bring to temperature every single session and more empty bench most nights. Only size up to the Benovo's larger configurations if you genuinely, regularly host a group — otherwise the Smartmak's layout is plenty, and cheaper to heat.
Factor the install both ways
An electric barrel — the Smartmak, or an electric Benovo — needs a dedicated 240V circuit and a licensed electrician, usually with a permit and inspection. A wood-burning Benovo skips all of that but brings its own rules: a chimney, safe clearances and local fire codes. Neither install is trivial, so decide electric-or-wood before you decide on a barrel, because that one choice changes your whole setup budget.
Weigh brand track record against flexibility
The Smartmak leans on a Harvia stove with a long, well-supported history; the Benovo is a newer factory brand whose appeal is configuration rather than pedigree. If a known-good heater and a settled spec reassure you, that points to the Smartmak. If your buy hinges on a specific heater type or size the Smartmak doesn't offer, the Benovo's flexibility is what earns its place — just go in knowing the calls are yours to get right.
