The genuine sauna essentials are few: a bucket and ladle for löyly (water on the stones), a thermometer (and often a hygrometer) to read the conditions, towels to sit on and dry with, and a timer or clock if you like. Useful extras include a backrest and headrest for comfort, a sand timer, a wooden bucket liner, and a scent product made for saunas. In a cold climate, good lighting and safe footing to any cold plunge matter too. Beyond a handful of practical items, most 'accessories' are optional — a sauna needs very little to be enjoyable, so start with the essentials and add only what you'll use.
Search for “sauna accessories” and you’ll find endless gadgets — but the truth is a sauna needs very little to be thoroughly enjoyable. A handful of practical items cover the essentials; a few comfort extras are nice; and most of the rest is optional. This guide sorts the genuinely useful from the skippable, so you spend on what you’ll actually use every session.
The essentials
These few items earn their place:
| Essential | What it's for |
|---|---|
| Bucket & ladle | Holding water and making löyly |
| Thermometer (+ hygrometer) | Reading temperature and humidity |
| Towels | Sitting on and drying off |
| Timer / clock | Pacing rounds, if you like |
The bucket and ladle are the most essential — clean water ladled onto the hot stones for löyly. Wooden or heat-suitable ones made for saunas are the norm.
The thermometer (and hygrometer)
A thermometer lets you read the heat so you can warm to a comfortable level — and many come with a hygrometer for humidity. It’s not strictly essential (comfort is the real guide), but most people find it genuinely useful and inexpensive. Mount it where it reads the bathing area. See the temperature guide.
Towels
Simple but important: towels to sit on (good etiquette and bench care) and to dry off. Quality towels are a worthwhile, everyday item.
Comfort extras worth considering
Nice-to-haves that add real comfort:
- A wooden backrest and headrest.
- A sand timer for pacing rounds.
- A sauna-safe scent product, used sparingly (below).
Cold-climate additions
For an outdoor sauna in the cold, two practical things matter beyond the hot room:
- Good lighting for dark winter evenings.
- Safe, non-slip footing to any cold plunge.
These aren’t “accessories” so much as essentials of safe winter use.
Scents: sauna-safe only
What to skip
Most decorative or gimmicky items add nothing to comfort, safety or the ritual. Be wary, too, of non-sauna items that heat and humidity could damage or that give off fumes. Start minimal, use the sauna, and add only accessories that solve a real want — simplicity suits the sauna.
Common mistakes
- Buying gadgets before the essentials.
- Non-sauna oils or items that can’t handle heat and humidity.
- Skipping the thermometer or a decent bucket and ladle.
- Forgetting winter lighting and footing — the real essentials outdoors.
- Cluttering a space that thrives on simplicity.
Next steps
Kit out your sauna with the few things that matter: a good bucket and ladle, a thermometer, towels, and — for the cold — lighting and safe footing. Add comfort extras if you’ll use them, use only sauna-safe scents, and skip the rest. A well-used sauna needs remarkably little — see how to use a sauna.
Frequently asked questions
What accessories do you need for a sauna?
Very few are truly essential: a bucket and ladle for löyly, a thermometer (often with a hygrometer) to read the heat and humidity, and towels to sit on and dry with. A timer or clock is handy if you like to pace rounds. Beyond these, most accessories are optional comforts. A sauna needs little to be enjoyable, so start with the bucket and ladle, thermometer and towels, and add extras only if you'll actually use them.
Do I need a thermometer in a sauna?
A thermometer is one of the genuinely useful accessories — it lets you read the temperature so you can heat to a comfortable level, and many come combined with a hygrometer to show humidity too. It's not strictly essential, since comfort is the real guide, but most people find a thermometer helpful for knowing where the sauna is at. It's an inexpensive, worthwhile addition rather than a luxury. Mount it where it reads the bathing area, per general guidance.
What is the bucket and ladle for in a sauna?
The bucket holds clean water and the ladle is used to pour it over the hot stones to make löyly — the steam and burst of heat central to sauna bathing. Together they're the most essential sauna accessory, letting you add humidity to taste. Wooden or heat-suitable buckets and ladles made for saunas are the norm. Keep clean water in the bucket, ladle it modestly onto the stones, and you have everything you need for good löyly.
What sauna accessories are worth the money?
The practical ones: a good bucket and ladle, a thermometer and hygrometer, and quality towels — plus, for comfort, a wooden backrest and headrest, and for a cold climate, good lighting and safe footing to any cold plunge. A sauna-safe scent product can be a nice extra used sparingly. What's rarely worth it is gimmicky or decorative items that add nothing to comfort or use. Spend on the few things you'll use every session, not novelties.
What sauna accessories can I skip?
Most decorative or gimmicky items — a sauna needs very little to be enjoyable, so beyond the bucket and ladle, thermometer, towels and a few comfort extras, much of what's marketed is optional. Skip anything that doesn't add to comfort, safety or the ritual, and be wary of non-sauna items that could be damaged by heat and humidity or give off fumes. Start minimal, use the sauna, and add only accessories that solve a real want. Simplicity suits the sauna.
Are essential oils a good sauna accessory?
Only sauna-safe scent or essential-oil products made specifically for sauna use, used sparingly and per their instructions — often added to the löyly water or a dedicated vessel rather than neat on the heater. Ordinary oils, household products or anything not intended for saunas should be avoided, as they can damage equipment or produce unpleasant or unsafe fumes. If you want scent, buy a product designed and approved for saunas; otherwise, plain clean water gives wonderful löyly on its own.
