Home Sauna Accessories

Sauna supplies for the authentic sauna session

Taking a sauna is always an enveloping sensory experience, but the most authentic sauna can only be enjoyed with the right home sauna accessories. Many of the traditional home sauna accessories used today originated over 1,000 years ago in Finland, where the sauna occupies a respected place in social rituals. Here are the home sauna supplies you need to emulate the classic Finnish sauna experience.

Sauna thermometers

Once the sauna controllers, sauna heaters, and sauna thermostats are installed, monitor their performance with a sauna thermometer. Home sauna thermometers don't control the temperature, (the thermostat attached to the sauna heater handles that job) but they do allow you to keep an eye on the temperature to ensure that it's at a comfortable and safe level.

Most sauna thermometers are circular with a swiveling metal indicator to mark the temperature. They can be made entirely from metal, but usually feature glass encased by a chrome, gold, silver, or pine rim. To get the most accurate results, hang your sauna thermometer about 6 inches from the ceiling directly above the home sauna heater.

Sauna hygrometer

Sauna hygrometers are used to measure the humidity in home saunas. Sauna hygrometers are usually paired with a thermometer rather than sold separately. A home sauna thermometer/hygrometer will cost a bit more than just a thermometer, but since humidity levels are an extremely important part of the home sauna experience, the extra cost is worth paying.

Sauna clocks and sand timers

Yes, home saunas are partially about getting away from time and clock punching, but as sauna accessories, clocks serve a safety function rather than a business function. Sauna clocks permit you to easily time your sauna sessions and avoid heat stress due to excessive exposure.

For those who enjoy traditional sauna accessories, sauna sand timers are best for monitoring sauna session lengths. Most sauna sand timers are made from pine and glass with a swivel base that allows for easy turning. Fifteen minutes per turn is the standard measurement.

Sauna buckets and dippers

Pouring water over hot sauna stones is one of the most distinctive aspects of the sauna experience. The vapor that's created increases humidity levels and perspiration, thus cleansing your body by flushing your pores. Sauna buckets and dippers are the sauna accessories needed for that process.

Sauna buckets, aka sauna pails, are usually made from pine or birch wood, though metal sauna buckets made from copper or stainless steel are also common. Because wood expands and contracts in a sauna environment, replaceable sauna bucket liners are recommended to avoid leakage.

Sauna dippers, aka sauna ladles, are typically made from pine or stainless steel and usually feature a leather strap in the handle for easy hanging when not in use.

Sauna aromas and fragrances

Aromatic home sauna accessories can be used merely to enhance the ambience of your sauna session or as an alternative form of aromatherapy. Bottles of sauna fragrances contain highly concentrated oils. Add six drops or so to the water in the sauna bucket, and when the water is poured over the hot sauna stones, the vapor it releases contains the added scent.

Numerous natural sauna fragrances are available, but the commonest and most traditional fragrance is birch. The reason for this is that in traditional Finnish saunas, birch twigs would be used to gently slap the skin and thereby stimulate the pores.

Sauna fragrances can also be released using sauna aromatic dispensers.

Infrared sauna accessories

Home infrared saunas have become extremely popular in recent years. Because of their modern design, the home sauna accessories used in home infrared saunas vary greatly. They include sauna mirrors, sauna headrests, and molded plastic sauna flooring.

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