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Best Sauna Accessories
Getting a new sauna is an exciting experience, but before getting started, you should consider a few things that you can add to make your experience even better.
The top accessories you should get are ones that enhance comfort and the sauna experience. These can include a backrest, a cushion, or even a Bluetooth speaker.
You can also get tools like a thermometer, which you can use to monitor the temperature.
If you’re setting up a sauna and want the best experience, these are some of the best accessories you should add to your list of essentials.
A Sauna Hat
While these sauna accessories may sound strange, and often look strange, they’re a staple in Finland.
Many people are embracing sauna hats and agree it’s a great addition to their sauna experience. These bell-shaped accessories serve an important function.
The head is the most exposed part of your body to the heat in your sauna, so it requires some kind of protection.
Wearing the sauna hat protects your head, as it keeps it cool and prevents overheating, which allows you to enjoy longer sauna sessions.
If you’re looking to enjoy the full benefits of a sauna and engage in longer sessions, a sauna hat will be a fitting accessory.
Doing longer sessions in higher frequencies leads to positive physiological benefits, including a decreased risk of respiratory diseases.
Also, a good sauna session can lower the risk of developing high blood pressure, and you also have a lower risk of death from heart disease.
A sauna hat also provides protection against hair loss or damage, especially if you’re a regular goer to the sauna.
When shopping for a sauna hat, it’s recommended to prioritize one made of line-cotton blends, which are some of the best fabrics because of their ability to provide insulation and comfort.
Before wearing the hat, you should soak it in water. As the water evaporates, it cools your head and simultaneously refreshes you.
A Sauna Towel or Seat Cover
A towel is among must-have sauna accessories, whether you do frequent or infrequent sauna sessions.
Both the towel and seat covers serve important functions, including maintaining hygiene and preventing bodily fluids from soaking onto the sauna bench.
These accessories protect your skin against the heat of the bench surface and also provide a soft surface on which you can relax.
High-quality sauna towels or seat covers are designed for the intended purpose.
There are companies specializing in designing sauna products. These products are made from linen and cotton, so they’re absorbent and provide excellent insulation.
Also, the towel and sauna seat cover creates a luxurious feel. You can find good fabrics, which offer the added advantage of getting softer over time while also being hypoallergenic.
But despite the overlapping uses, sauna towels and seat covers have distinctions. A sauna towel is often thicker and softer, and it helps to remove excess sweat during or after a sauna session.
On the other hand, sauna seat covers are placed on the bench and create a pleasing aesthetic extra, which personalizes and softens the room.
Sauna Whisks, Brushes, and Scrubbers
Among the recognized benefits of a sauna is enhancing your skin circulation and health. To enhance these benefits, a sauna whisk can come in handy.
Whisks have been an accessory for saunas for hundreds of years. Today, these whisks are replaced by scrubbers and brushes, and all are an excellent addition to your sauna experience if used correctly.
One of the key purposes of a sauna is to stimulate your oil-producing glands and pores to open up. It also removes dead skin to leave you with glowing skin.
Overall, this will improve the appearance and health of your skin and leads to a smoother, brighter appearance.
But before getting these accessories, you need to understand their separate functions. Scrubbers and brushes in the sauna help the lymphatic system, which is how infection-fighting cells move throughout the body.
However, the system relies on joint and muscle movements. Strong strokes against your skin towards your heart with a scrubber or brush move the lymph throughout. This increases its circulation throughout the body.
On the other hand, a sauna whisk is an excellent traditional solution if you want to refresh and cleanse your skin.
The whisk is normally made from birch because of its healing properties, which contains the right blend of tannins and saponins to create a natural soap.
A Thermometer
Regardless of the kind of sauna you have, it’s essential to monitor the temperature inside the sauna. A thermometer, in this case, is among indispensable sauna accessories.
You should get one that can keep working reliably even in high temperatures and high humidity. Sauna thermometers have a wooden surround, which is ideal for blending in with the traditional interior.
But if you want the more contemporary option, you can get round gauges built with a metallic rim.
For a two-in-one solution, you can find a thermometer attached with a hygrometer. This is suitable for people who want to maintain a minimalistic look.
Also, there are free-standing thermometers. You can also find a thermometer designed to mount on the wall. For a multi-user sauna, the wall-mounted version is better.
Backrest
While sitting in the sauna, you may need support for your back. So, a backrest is recommended, especially for people with back issues.
It becomes more important the longer you stay in the sauna, as the strain on your back increases. Get a backrest that will withstand humidity and heat.
You can find two types of backrests often used for the sauna. One is for sitting down, and one is designed for lying on the bench.
Not all backrests are designed the same, as some are more straight while others are curved. Before deciding what to get, try out different options to know what suits your needs.
Sauna Chair or Recliner
If your backrest didn’t quite give you the level of comfort you were looking for, then we suggest checking out a sauna chair.
We recently added the Redwood Outdoors Sauna Recliner to our own home sauna and have been loving it. The recliner came in 3 simple pieces you could slot together and then lay on your sauna bench (or install permanently).
I really enjoyed how relaxing it was to get almost into a full lay down position or something similar to laying out by the pool, which I don’t typically get to do in the sauna. It’s now definitely my favorite current accessory and a great addition of the backrest isn’t quite hitting the spot.
Scents and Oils
Using the sauna provides many benefits on its own. But you can take your experience to a new level by introducing aromatherapy, which significantly increases some of the benefits you get from the sauna while making the overall experience more enjoyable and relaxing.
For many years, aromatherapy has been preferred for its medicinal and therapeutic qualities. Several scientific publications demonstrated these benefits, including positive effects on depression and stress, sleep improvement, and physical pain relief.
When you combine this with the advantage of letting the scents and oils to be absorbed dermally, you can increase the overall effectiveness of the therapy.
Unlike essential oils, which vaporize and can cause carcinogenic gas, sauna oils and scents are made for the sauna environment. So, they provide all the benefits without posing any health risks.
Pour the sauna scents into the pail and dilute in water, then pour onto the sauna stones. This creates the therapeutic steam you need. Sauna oils are more concentrated, so you can add the oil into the water after it’s ladled from the pail before throwing it onto stones.
It’s vital to avoid applying the scents and oils directly onto the stones.
An alternative option you could use is sauna oil and scent diffusers.
This creates a steamy release of scent during your sauna bath. The gentle boiling of the water creates a longer-lasting sauna steam and offers a soothing addition to the sauna heater.
Sauna Bucket and Ladle
If you want to enjoy the Finnish sauna experience, you should include ladling water onto hot coals. The sauna is better with the lovely sizzle and blast of heat.
This is why a sauna bucket and ladle are essential in your sauna setup. Just avoid the infrared ones, as the infrared and water should not mix.
Also, avoid using the standard bucket, as the plastic cannot cope with the heat. If it has a metal handle, even a mitten cannot offer enough protection. Instead, find a traditional sauna bucket and ladle, which are made of wood.
The wood does not conduct heat as much as metal, so your hands are safe. Some are designed with rope handles, which is ideal if you have a place to hang it.
When choosing a ladle, consider one with a long handle, as you don’t want to exert yourself too much.
Sauna Timer
Because you should not have a phone in the sauna, you should consider getting a sauna timer, which is helpful, as it allows you to stay in for the right amount of time.
A small digital timer will do the job if it’s designed to function in high heat and humidity.
Also, you can get an alternative timer like an hourglass, a sand timer, or place a clock in the sauna.
Neck Rest
The sauna neck rest features an elegant curved design made with beautiful wood, often red cedar wood. Because it’s curved, it supports the head and neck.
You can lay a towel over the neck rest for extra cushioning and to also ensure excellent sweat absorption.
Sauna Pillow
If you don’t like using the hard, wooden headrests, a sauna pillow provides a good headrest relief. You can find easily washable pillows made of a material that can withstand the rigors of sauna use.
Often, these are made of cotton and linen for comfort and your safety. When looking for a sauna pillow, also consider one that offers waterproofing benefits.
Besides being functional, a sauna pillow can be used to add a decoration element to your room.
Sauna Salt Lamp
The sauna lamp features natural salt crystals, so once it’s lit, the lamp gives off a calming color. This is an ideal option if you want to add a warm glow to your sauna.
Often, the salt is hand mined from the Himalayan Mountains, and once lit, it emits the calming amber glow that also heats the salt.
This is an accessory you can add to your sauna to take your experience a step further.
Final Thoughts
You can enhance your sauna experience with a few accessories. By itself, the sauna offers a therapeutic experience, but you can take it a step further with the right accessories.
Whatever best suits your needs, it’s vital to find products designed to work in high humidity and heat conditions. While some accessories are functional, others are meant to add a bit of fun to the experience.
Also, consider your safety when choosing accessories.
