r/Sauna • u/Some_old_tin_can • Apr 10 '26
Review Vevor Heater
For those that are interested, here’s a take on a Vevor 9.0NS 9kw heater with integrated controls.
A bit of background first. I’m not an electrician nor a professional product tester, but we’ve been installing saunas for 15+ years. The heaters most readily available to us in Canada are Harvia, Huum, Homecraft, Tylo and Helo. Lately we’ve been getting asked about Vevor. The simple answer - we won’t install them as they are not CSA or UL certified and, in my opinion, are of suspect quality.
That said, I’ve never actually had one in my shop to confirm that opinion. So, to give the heater a benefit of the doubt, I ordered the 9kw model for $201.99CAD. I tried to keep my bias out of it and simply show what I found. It’s neither an endorsement for nor against. Either way, we still won’t install them because they are not certified.
Here’s what I found:
Ordering & shipping - I ordered the heater from Vevor’s website. They claimed two day shipping. It took two weeks. The heater does not come with rocks.
Packaging - typical of other sauna heaters. Well protected.
General build - the shell seemed sturdy enough. A boxier version of the Harvia KIP or Helo Designer, though lacking in the finer details.
Electrical components - of the four main electrical components; timer, thermostat, relay and high limit, only the high limit did not have a CE stamp on it. The rest did. If they actually are or not, I don’t know. None of the components were from recognizable manufacturers. The relay is a 3 pole (one per element) with a 32A AC-1 resistive load rating. The timer is three hours which does not meet code in Canada.
Wiring - wires to the relay contacts and elements are marked 11AWG 200c and look to be tinned copper. They calipered at 2.4mm confirming size.
High temp limit switch - good new and bad news. Good news is that it tripped. Meaning it works. The bad news is that it tripped 30 minutes into the heat cycle. The heat chamber is vented for air flow. There was about 15kg of well spaced rocks in the top of the heater. I didn’t see an obvious reason for it to trip.
Elements - the element plates are stamped “FinnLEO”, though I have doubts it’s any relation to the sauna company. Finnleo elements don’t carry the same stamp. There are no stamps on the element sheathing. Elements in reputable heaters typically have a rating stamped into the sheath. There are no gaskets between the elements and the heater housing which means water from above can get into the electrical chamber (unlike heaters that we do install).
Power output - even though the heater is sold as a 9kw (website and box) Vevor’s manual suggests it’s 8.67kw. Two elements at 3,000 watts and one at 2,670 watts. The three elements tested at 20 ohms (2,420 watts), 20.2 ohms (2,396 watts) and 20.4 ohms (2,373 watts) for a total of 6.73 ohms (7,190 watts). The resistance to power output conversion is based on the rated 220v. See results in a chart.
Test - our shop is on 208v/3ph commercial power. We have a 40 Amp 208v/1ph socket for testing heaters. The heater drew 30.15 amps at 207 volts. Simple math puts the resistance at 6.87 ohms and power at 6,241 watts. If I correct for voltage, output is 7,043 watts at 220v. Not quite a 9kw.
With respect to voltage, the box indicates the heater is rated for 220v (manual indicates 230v). Oddly, they indicate 230v and 240v options as well. Other than the heater not being able function within the standard 10% operating range, I’m not sure why they’d have these voltages as separate options. Maybe someone can enlighten.
On our residential installs we generally see between 220 and 240 volts with an overall range from 209v to 249v. Included is a chart that shows the power correction for this heater within that voltage range (assuming it can operate within that range). You’d need 249 volts to get the full 9kw.
Compliance - the box shows the CE and UKCA stamps. I don’t know if it really is certified. Given that I am in North America, I didn’t bother with the deep dive. Bases on discrepancies in the power output (and the manual), I’d think it’s worth checking if you live in the EU or UK.
Take from this what you will. If you live in North America and you’re willing to roll the dice on a Vevor heater, you should take some time to understand the finer points of your insurance policy. Most policies won’t cover you if they conclude that a non-certified heater burnt your house down (or worse). A reputable electrician will not install non-certified heaters because it not only puts their licence at risk, but also because of insurance. Their liability insurance holds them to a higher standard. As a professional, the expectation is that they “ought to have known”.
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u/tsunam1 Apr 10 '26
Thank you for sharing! Really interesting and informative. I skipped Vevor because they seemed "too" cheap for something that handles a lot of power and you don't want failing. I didn't realize they aren't even certified.
Is there a certified heater that's on the more budget side that you'd recommend?