How to make a hot tub in Valheim

A wolf named 'Geralt' is hanging out in the Valheim hot tub.
(Image credit: Iron Gate Studios)

Wondering how to craft a hot tub in Valheim? Vikings and hot tubs generally aren't things you'd find in the same sentence. But thanks to the Hearth and Home update, your Viking can now have a relaxing soak at the end of a busy day.

There's plenty of new stuff to discover in the latest Valheim update, including map sharing via the cartography table or permanently destroying unwanted items with the obliterator. But if you're ready for a bit of downtime, here's what you need to know about the Valheim hot tub, including what you need to craft one and how to use it.

Valheim hot tub: How to craft 

If you're new to Valheim or you haven't progressed into the later biomes, crafting a hot tub might be a little tricky. 

Here are the materials you'll need:

  • Wood x20
  • Tar x6
  • Iron x10
  • Stone x8
  • Workbench

Wood and stone are easy enough to get—you should have plenty of both lying around, or if not, it takes a minute or two to grab some. Iron will require a trip to the Swamp biome. You won't necessarily need the swamp key from the Elder boss if you can find muddy piles outside, but iron is much easier to find inside crypts.

Tar is going to be the trickiest resource to find. It's located in the Plains biome, so you'll be up against some of the toughest enemies in the game. This Valheim tar guide should give you some more pointers.

How to use the hot tub in Valheim 

Using the hot tub is pretty simple—heat it up by adding wood to it and jump on in. But you might want to think about where you place it for a couple of reasons. 

The hot tub will generate smoke as the water needs to be heated to get the full benefits. If you've got your heart set on placing it indoors, make sure it has plenty of ventilation or, ideally, its own chimney.

But if you want to get the most out of it, you want to place the hot tub somewhere that you'll get maximum comfort. The hot tub adds two comfort levels to your rested buff just by being placed (and heated), but you can also sit in the hot tub and keep 'resting'—something you can't normally do with the wet status.

Of course, if you're just using it as a decorative piece and don't care about comfort or heating the water, you can place it anywhere you like.

Sarah James
Guides Writer

Sarah started as a freelance writer in 2018, writing for PCGamesN, TechRadar, GamingBible, Red Bull Gaming and more. In 2021, she was offered a full-time position on the PC Gamer team where she takes every possible opportunity to talk about World of Warcraft and Elden Ring. When not writing guides, most of her spare time is spent in Azeroth—though she's quite partial to JRPGs too. One of her fondest hopes is to one day play through the ending of Final Fantasy X without breaking down into a sobbing heap. She probably has more wolves in Valheim than you.