What accessories do you need for a sauna?

The essentials are a sauna thermometer, ideally with a hygrometer, bench towels and, for a traditional sauna, a bucket and ladle for pouring water on the stones. Backrests and a headrest add comfort, and sandals help with hygiene. Infrared saunas need fewer accessories: a thermometer, towels and backrests that keep skin away from heater panels.

Where should a sauna thermometer be placed?

Mount it on a wall at about head height for someone sitting on the upper bench, away from the heater and not directly above the stove or near the door or vents. That spot reflects the temperature bathers actually feel. A thermometer mounted directly above the heater will read high, while one near the floor or door will read low.

Can you put eucalyptus oil in a sauna?

Yes, if it is a product made for sauna use or a few drops of essential oil diluted in the water bucket. Never pour undiluted oil directly on hot stones or heaters, because essential oils are flammable and can irritate the eyes and airways. Keep oils away from children; Poison Control warns that a teaspoon or less of undiluted eucalyptus oil can be fatal if swallowed.

What kind of lights can go in a sauna?

Use fixtures specifically rated for sauna temperatures and humidity, mounted where the manufacturer allows, usually low on the wall or under benches behind a wooden shade. Ordinary household fixtures and many LED strips are not rated for 80-90°C heat. Steam rooms need sealed fixtures rated for wet locations. Have an electrician wire them.

What are good gifts for sauna lovers?

Popular sauna gifts include a wooden bucket and ladle, a quality thermometer and hygrometer, linen or cotton sauna towels, a cotton sauna robe, a felt sauna hat, sauna scents made for the purpose, an hourglass timer and an ergonomic backrest. Choose wood and natural fibers that tolerate heat, and check whether the recipient has a traditional or infrared sauna.

Sauna Accessories: The Essentials and What Is Worth Adding

Short answer. The sauna accessories that matter most are a thermometer (ideally with a hygrometer), bench towels and, for a traditional stove sauna, a bucket and ladle. Backrests, a headrest, sandals and sauna-rated lighting come next. Scents, robes, timers and decor are worth adding once the basics are in place, as long as every item is made to tolerate high heat.

What accessories does a sauna need?

Sauna accessories fall into three groups: essentials that affect safety and hygiene, comfort upgrades, and extras that improve the experience. The table below ranks the common ones.

Accessory	Traditional sauna	Infrared sauna	Priority	What to look for
Thermometer / hygrometer	Yes	Yes	Essential	Rated for 120 °C (248 °F); °F and °C scale
Bench towels	Yes	Yes	Essential	Cotton or linen; one per bather
Bucket and ladle	Yes	No	Essential	Wood or metal; long ladle handle
Backrest	Yes	Yes	High	Smooth, rounded slats; heat-tolerant wood
Headrest	Yes	Yes	Medium	Contoured wood
Sandals	Yes	Yes	Medium	Rubber or cork, kept by the door
Sauna-rated lights	Yes	Yes	Medium	Rated for sauna heat; wood shade
Hourglass timer	Yes	Yes	Low	15-minute glass, wall-mounted
Sauna scents	Yes	Limited	Low	Products made for sauna use
Robe, hat, decor	Yes	Yes	Low	Natural fibers; heat-tolerant materials

Mars Sauna supplies sauna accessories and parts alongside its cabins, so retailers can bundle a starter kit with each unit.

Sauna thermometer and hygrometer: which is best?

A sauna thermometer shows whether the room is ready and stops you from guessing. A sauna thermometer and hygrometer combination also shows relative humidity, which matters for traditional saunas where ladling water changes how hot the air feels.

Dial (bimetal) gauges are simple, need no batteries and tolerate high heat. Digital sauna thermometers use a sensor in the room and a display outside or on the control panel, which lets you check temperature without opening the door. The best sauna thermometer is one rated well above your operating temperature, readable from the bench, and placed correctly.

Placement steps:

Mount it at about head height for someone on the upper bench.
Keep it away from the heater and out of the rising hot air directly above the stove.
Avoid the door and vents, where readings run low.
Compare it with the control panel reading; a difference of a few degrees is normal because panel sensors sit in a different spot.

For target temperatures, see our sauna temperature guide.

Sauna bucket and ladle

The sauna bucket and ladle are what make löyly, the burst of steam from water poured on hot stones. Finnish guidance is to pour small amounts at a time so you learn what suits you and stay considerate of others (InfoFinland).

A wooden sauna bucket looks traditional and stays cool to the touch; most have a plastic or metal liner to stop leaks. Metal buckets are durable and easy to clean. Choose a ladle long enough, typically 40 cm (16 in) or more, to reach the stones without putting your hand over the heater. Only ladle water onto heaters designed for it, and never onto an infrared heater. Stone quality matters too; see sauna rocks.

Backrests, headrests and bench comfort

An adjustable sauna backrest is one of the most searched sauna accessories, and with good reason: bare wall slats are uncomfortable for long sessions. Look for:

Smooth, rounded slats in a low-conductivity wood such as cedar, hemlock or thermally modified wood
No exposed metal fasteners on the contact surface
An adjustable angle if several people share the sauna

An infrared sauna backrest has a second job. In many infrared cabins the heater panels sit on the back wall, and a backrest keeps skin from resting against them. Our guide to infrared sauna heaters explains where panels are typically placed.

Sauna towels and robes

Sauna towels serve two purposes: hygiene for the benches and drying off afterward. The best towels for sauna use are cotton or linen; linen dries fast and resists odor, while cotton terry is softer. Sit on a towel every session, including under your feet, so sweat does not soak into the wood.

A cotton sauna robe or bathrobe is useful for cooling breaks, especially with an outdoor sauna. Wool or felt sauna hats, common in Finland, keep the head cooler while the body heats. Wash towels after each use and dry them outside the sauna; towels left inside create damp conditions. EPA advises keeping indoor relative humidity below 60% to limit mold (EPA), which is another reason to ventilate the sauna and the room around it after each session.

Sauna lights and lighting ideas

Sauna lights must handle temperatures that ordinary fixtures cannot. Use only fixtures rated for sauna use, installed where the light and heater manufacturers allow, and wired by a licensed electrician.

Sauna lighting ideas that work well:

Low-mounted wall lights behind a wooden shade, which keep glare out of your eyes
Under-bench strips rated for sauna heat, for a soft glow
Backlit headrests or backrests in high-end builds
Dimmers for evening sessions

Steam room lighting is a different category: a steam room light fixture must be sealed against moisture and rated for wet locations. In infrared cabins, many models include colored chromotherapy lights; treat these as ambiance rather than therapy.

Sauna oils, scents and eucalyptus

Sauna scents are optional but popular, and eucalyptus is the classic. Use them carefully:

Use products made for sauna use, or add a few drops of essential oil to the water bucket, never to dry stones.
Never pour undiluted oil on hot rocks or heaters; essential oils are flammable.
Never use oils in an infrared sauna's heater area.
Store oils away from children. Poison Control warns that "a teaspoonful or less of undiluted eucalyptus oil can be fatal" if swallowed (Poison Control), and Health Canada advises keeping camphor and eucalyptus products out of reach of children (Health Canada).
Skip scents if anyone has asthma or sensitive airways, or ask a doctor first.

Fresh eucalyptus bundles hung away from the heater are a gentler option.

Accessories for outdoor and wood-burning saunas

Outdoor saunas add a few practical items: a weatherproof thermometer readout, a doormat, and robe hooks outside the hot room. Wood-burning stoves need a chimney kit with roof flashing rated for stove pipe, a heat shield where required, a log holder, and a fire extinguisher nearby. Local sauna builders or a qualified installer should handle chimney and flashing work.

Home sauna accessories: what to skip

Not every sauna product earns its place. Skip anything plastic that will sit in the heat, scented candles, and electronics not rated for sauna temperatures. Phones and tablets can overheat in a hot room. Electric sauna heaters and infrared cabins are designed to the safety standard IEC 60335-2-53; add-ons that tap into the sauna's wiring should come from the sauna or heater manufacturer.

Sauna accessories as gifts

Gifts for sauna lovers that are almost always welcome:

Wooden sauna bucket and ladle set
Digital or dial thermometer and hygrometer
Linen bench towels or a cotton robe
Felt sauna hat
Hourglass timer
Ergonomic backrest or headrest
Cleaning brush and wood-safe cleaner; see how to clean a sauna

For retailers, accessory kits are a straightforward add-on. Mars Sauna offers OEM and ODM customization including logo and packaging; contact us to build an accessory bundle around your cabin range.

Key takeaways

Essentials: a thermometer (ideally with a hygrometer), bench towels and, for traditional saunas, a bucket and ladle.
Place the thermometer at upper-bench head height, away from the heater, door and vents.
Backrests improve comfort and, in infrared cabins, keep skin off heater panels.
Use only sauna-rated lights; steam rooms need sealed, wet-location fixtures.
Dilute sauna oils in water, never on hot stones, and keep essential oils away from children.
Choose heat-tolerant wood and natural fibers; skip plastics and electronics not rated for sauna heat.