Whether you're a seasoned sauna enthusiast or stepping into a hot room for the first time, one of the most common questions people have is simple: what should I actually bring with me, and what needs to stay outside?
It might seem straightforward, but the extreme heat and humidity inside a sauna create a unique environment where everyday items can become safety hazards, hygiene concerns, or just plain uncomfortable. Bringing the wrong things can damage your belongings, irritate your skin, ruin the sauna's wood interior, or even put you and others at risk.
This guide covers everything you should bring into a sauna for a comfortable, safe session — and everything you should leave behind. Whether you're using a traditional Finnish sauna, an infrared sauna, or a hybrid sauna, these guidelines apply across the board.
What You Can (and Should) Bring Inside a Sauna
The items on this list are sauna-friendly, safe in high heat, and will make your sessions more comfortable and effective. Many of them are considered essentials in Finnish sauna culture, where bathing traditions have been refined over thousands of years.
Towels
A towel is the single most important thing to bring into any sauna. In fact, most public saunas and gyms require you to sit on one. Towels serve multiple purposes: they absorb sweat so it doesn't soak into the wooden benches, they create a hygienic barrier between your body and the seating surface, and they help you wipe down during or after your session.
Bring at least two towels — one to sit or lie on and a second to wipe sweat from your face and body. Choose towels made from 100% cotton or linen, as these natural fibers handle heat well and won't off-gas or degrade in high temperatures the way synthetic materials can. If you use your home sauna regularly, it's worth keeping a dedicated set of sauna towels that you wash after every session.
Water (in a Sauna-Safe Bottle)
Hydration is critical during any sauna session. You can lose up to a pint of sweat in just 15 to 20 minutes, and that fluid needs to be replaced. Bring water into the sauna with you so you can sip throughout your session rather than waiting until you step out.
The bottle matters, though. Avoid glass bottles — they can shatter if knocked over on a hot bench or hard floor, creating a dangerous situation. Standard single-wall metal bottles can heat up quickly and burn your hands or lips. Your best options are insulated stainless steel tumblers (like a Yeti or similar double-walled design) or BPA-free silicone bottles. These keep your water cool and are safe to handle even after sitting in the heat for a while. Some sauna users also bring electrolyte drinks or coconut water to help replenish minerals lost through sweat.
A Sauna Hat
Sauna hats might look unusual if you've never seen one, but they're a staple in Russian, Finnish, and Baltic sauna traditions for good reason. Made from thick wool felt, a sauna hat insulates your head from the most intense heat near the ceiling of the sauna. Since hot air rises, the top of your head, ears, and hair are exposed to the highest temperatures in the room.
Wearing a sauna hat allows you to stay in the sauna longer and more comfortably because your head stays cooler while your body absorbs the heat. It also protects your hair from becoming excessively dry and brittle from repeated high-heat exposure. If you have color-treated hair, a sauna hat is especially useful for preserving your color.
A Bathrobe or Sarong
A cotton bathrobe or linen sarong is ideal for the time between sauna sessions — when you step out to cool down, take a cold plunge, or shower. It provides coverage and warmth as your body transitions between temperatures. In contrast therapy routines where you alternate between a hot sauna and a cold plunge tub, having a robe nearby makes the transitions much more comfortable.
Choose natural fabrics only. Cotton terry cloth is the most popular option because it's absorbent and breathable. Avoid synthetic robes made from polyester or nylon, as these don't breathe well and can feel clammy against damp skin.
Flip-Flops or Shower Sandals
Slip-on sandals or flip-flops are essential for walking to and from the sauna, especially in public or commercial settings where shared floors can harbor bacteria and fungi. Most saunas require you to remove all footwear before stepping inside, so choose something easy to slip on and off at the door.
For home sauna owners, sandals are still useful for walking between your sauna and the house, particularly if your outdoor sauna is in the backyard and you're crossing a deck, patio, or grass. Rubber or EVA sandals are ideal because they dry quickly and won't absorb moisture.
A Backrest or Headrest
If you plan on lying down or leaning back during your sauna session, a dedicated sauna backrest or headrest makes a significant difference in comfort. These are typically made from untreated wood (like cedar, aspen, or abachi) or heat-resistant felt, and they're designed to withstand repeated exposure to high temperatures without warping or degrading.
A backrest supports your spine and lets you sit comfortably for longer sessions, while a headrest provides cushioning if you prefer to lie flat on the upper bench. Some sauna owners also use sauna cushions made from heat-tolerant materials for additional comfort.
A Sand Timer
Keeping track of time is important in the sauna, especially for beginners who are still building heat tolerance. The recommended session length for most adults is 15 to 20 minutes, and exceeding this can lead to dehydration, dizziness, or overheating.
A sand timer is the ideal sauna timekeeper because it has no electronic components, no batteries, and nothing that can be damaged by heat or moisture. Most sauna timers are built with heat-resistant glass and a wooden frame, and the standard 15-minute duration is perfect for a typical session. Wall-mounted timers are a popular choice for home saunas so you always have one available without needing to carry it in.
A Thermometer and Hygrometer
For home sauna owners, a sauna thermometer and hygrometer mounted on the wall is an important tool for monitoring conditions inside the room. The thermometer tells you the air temperature, while the hygrometer measures relative humidity — both of which affect how the heat feels on your body and how safe your session is.
A well-known guideline in sauna culture is the Rule of 200: the sum of the temperature (in Fahrenheit) and relative humidity (as a percentage) should not exceed 200. For example, if your sauna is at 170°F, the humidity should stay around 30%. This balance keeps the environment comfortable and effective without becoming dangerous.
A Book or Magazine
Reading in the sauna is a perfectly fine way to pass the time, and many regular sauna users swear by it. Paper books and magazines hold up reasonably well in the heat, though they may absorb some moisture and eventually warp if you bring the same book in repeatedly.
A few practical tips: choose a book you don't mind getting a little worn, avoid hardcovers with dust jackets (they tend to slip off when your hands are damp), and keep the book on the lower bench when you're not reading to reduce heat exposure. Do not bring e-readers, tablets, or any electronic reading devices — the heat and humidity will damage them quickly.
A Sauna Bucket and Ladle (Kiulu and Kauha)
If you're using a traditional sauna with a heater and stones, a sauna bucket and ladle are essential for creating löyly — the burst of steam that rises when you pour water over hot sauna stones. Löyly is central to the Finnish sauna experience and dramatically increases the perceived heat and humidity in the room.
Sauna buckets are made from wood (cedar, pine, or aspen) or aluminum with wooden accents, and they're specifically designed to handle the sauna's environment. Fill the bucket with clean water before your session and keep it within easy reach of the heater. The ladle should have a long handle so you can pour water from a safe distance.
Essential Oils (Used Correctly)
Aromatherapy can enhance the sauna experience when done properly. Essential oils like eucalyptus, birch, pine, and lavender are popular choices in Finnish and Nordic sauna traditions. The key is to never apply essential oils directly to the sauna stones, the heater, or your skin before entering the sauna.
Instead, add a few drops to your bucket of water before ladling it onto the stones. The steam will carry the scent throughout the room. Alternatively, you can use a dedicated sauna aromatherapy diffuser designed to disperse scent safely in high-heat environments. If you're in a shared or public sauna, always ask others before introducing any scent — some people are sensitive to fragrances, and strong scents can be overwhelming in an enclosed space.
A Sauna Whisk (Vihta or Venik)
A sauna whisk — called a vihta in Finnish or venik in Russian — is a bundle of leafy birch branches used to gently pat and brush the skin during a sauna session. This practice, known as whisking, has been part of sauna culture for centuries. The gentle beating action stimulates blood circulation, exfoliates the skin, and releases a pleasant, earthy aroma from the birch leaves.
To use a sauna whisk, soak it in lukewarm water for at least 30 minutes before your session to soften the leaves. You can then use it to lightly tap your shoulders, back, arms, and legs during the sauna. Fresh birch whisks are seasonal (typically available in late spring and early summer), but dried whisks can be rehydrated and used year-round.
What You Should NOT Bring Inside a Sauna
Just as important as knowing what to bring is understanding what doesn't belong in a sauna. The extreme heat, high humidity, and enclosed space create conditions that can damage certain materials, pose safety risks, or compromise the comfort and hygiene of the sauna environment.
Electronics (Phones, Smartwatches, Earbuds, Tablets)
This is one of the most frequently broken rules, and it's one of the most important. Smartphones, smartwatches, wireless earbuds, tablets, and laptops should never be brought into a sauna. The internal components of these devices are not designed to withstand temperatures of 150°F to 200°F, and the moisture in the air accelerates damage to circuits, batteries, and screens.
Even devices marketed as "water resistant" (like phones with IP68 ratings) are not heat resistant. The adhesives that seal these devices can soften and fail in sustained high temperatures, and lithium-ion batteries can swell, degrade, or in extreme cases become a fire risk when overheated. Beyond the hardware damage, bringing a phone into the sauna also undermines one of the core benefits of sauna bathing — mental disconnection and relaxation. Use a sand timer instead of your phone's clock, and leave the playlist outside.
Food
Eating inside the sauna is not recommended in any sauna tradition and is prohibited in virtually all public and commercial saunas. There are several reasons for this. First, digesting food requires blood flow to your stomach and intestines, but your body is already diverting blood to the skin's surface to cool you through sweating. This competing demand can cause nausea, cramping, and dizziness.
Second, food in a hot, enclosed environment creates hygiene concerns — crumbs attract insects, oils and residues can stain the wood, and strong food odors become amplified in the heat. If you're hungry, eat a light snack 30 to 60 minutes before your session and save any larger meals for after. For more guidance on timing your nutrition around sauna use, read our guide to the best foods and drinks before and after your sauna session.
Glass Containers
Glass has no place inside a sauna. Bottles, jars, drinking glasses, and any other glass containers can shatter if they experience rapid temperature changes or are knocked off a bench onto a hard floor. Broken glass in a sauna is extremely dangerous — people are usually barefoot, visibility is reduced by steam, and finding and cleaning up every shard in a dimly lit, hot room is nearly impossible.
The only exception to glass in a sauna is the tempered glass used in the sauna's own construction (like glass doors and windows), which is specifically engineered and rated for extreme temperature variations. Consumer glassware is not, so always opt for insulated stainless steel or silicone containers instead.
Jewelry and Metal Accessories
Rings, necklaces, bracelets, watches, earrings, and any other metal accessories should be removed before entering the sauna. Metal conducts heat rapidly, and at sauna temperatures it can become hot enough to burn your skin on contact. A ring at 180°F pressed against your finger is going to hurt.
Beyond the burn risk, heat causes your body to swell slightly (a condition known as heat edema), which can make tight rings or bracelets difficult or painful to remove during your session. There's also the issue of tarnishing — repeated exposure to heat and humidity can discolor and degrade metals like silver, copper, and certain gold alloys over time. Remove everything before you go in and put it in a secure spot in the changing area.
Makeup, Perfume, and Heavy Lotions
Enter the sauna with clean, bare skin. Makeup, perfumes, cologne, heavy lotions, and sunscreen should all be washed off before your session. There are practical and health-related reasons for this.
Makeup and heavy creams block your pores, which directly interferes with sweating — the entire point of being in the sauna. When your pores are clogged, your body can't cool itself as efficiently, and the trapped products can melt into your pores and cause breakouts or irritation. Perfumes and colognes evaporate rapidly in high heat, filling the enclosed space with an overwhelming scent that can cause headaches, nausea, or discomfort for other sauna users. Even in a home sauna, it's best practice to shower and rinse off any products before entering. Your skin will sweat more effectively, and your sauna session will be more beneficial for skin health.
Synthetic Clothing
If you choose to wear clothing in the sauna (common in mixed-gender public settings or coed home sessions), stick to natural fibers only. Cotton, linen, and wool are all appropriate choices. What you should absolutely avoid is synthetic fabric — polyester, nylon, spandex, and other man-made materials.
Synthetic fibers don't breathe well in extreme heat, trapping sweat against your skin and making you feel hotter and more uncomfortable. More importantly, some synthetic materials can begin to soften, off-gas, or even melt at sustained temperatures above 150°F. This isn't just uncomfortable — inhaling fumes from degrading synthetic fabric in an enclosed space is a genuine health concern. Gym clothes made from moisture-wicking polyester blends are not sauna-appropriate, even though they're designed for sweat. They're engineered for airflow during physical activity, not for sitting in a 180°F room.
Shoes and Street Footwear
No shoes, sneakers, boots, or street footwear of any kind should be worn inside a sauna. Shoes track in dirt, debris, and bacteria from outside, which contaminate the clean sauna environment. The rubber soles on most shoes can also soften or leave marks on the sauna floor and benches in high heat, potentially damaging the wood.
If the sauna floor feels too hot underfoot (which is rare in a well-built sauna, since floors are typically the coolest part of the room), use a towel to step on. Leave your shoes outside the sauna door and slip them on when you exit.
Alcohol
This one is important for safety. Consuming alcohol before or during a sauna session is genuinely dangerous. Alcohol is a vasodilator, meaning it causes your blood vessels to expand — the same thing that happens naturally in the sauna. The combined effect can cause a significant drop in blood pressure, leading to dizziness, fainting, and in serious cases, cardiac events.
Alcohol also impairs your body's ability to regulate temperature and reduces your awareness of warning signs like overheating and dehydration. Research has shown that alcohol consumption significantly increases the risk of hypotension, arrhythmia, and dehydration during sauna use. Save the beer or wine for well after your session, once you've rehydrated with water and your body has fully cooled down. For more on safe sauna practices, check out our guide on how often you should sauna.
Plastic Items and Containers
While a BPA-free silicone bottle is acceptable, most standard plastic items don't belong in the sauna. Regular plastic water bottles (the disposable kind), plastic bags, plastic containers, and other plastic accessories can warp, soften, or leach chemicals when exposed to sustained high heat. Even "BPA-free" hard plastics can release other potentially harmful compounds at elevated temperatures.
The concern is both health-related (chemical leaching into water or food) and practical (warped or melted plastic can damage sauna surfaces). When in doubt, choose stainless steel, wood, silicone, or natural materials for anything you bring into the sauna.
Razor Blades and Grooming Tools
Shaving, tweezing, clipping nails, or performing any grooming activity inside the sauna is a hard no — especially in shared settings. The heat opens your pores and makes your skin more sensitive, so shaving in the sauna increases the risk of cuts, irritation, and razor burn. Any open wound in a warm, moist environment is also more susceptible to bacterial infection.
Beyond the personal risk, grooming creates mess and hygiene issues for others. Hair clippings, dead skin, and grooming products left behind on benches and floors are unsanitary and unpleasant for the next person. Handle all grooming before or well after your sauna session.
Special Considerations for Different Sauna Types
While the guidelines above apply universally, there are a few additional considerations depending on the type of sauna you're using.
Traditional Finnish Saunas
Traditional saunas heated by electric or wood-burning sauna heaters operate at the highest temperatures (typically 150°F to 200°F) and may include steam from water poured on hot stones. In these saunas, a bucket and ladle are considered essential rather than optional. Sauna stones should only have clean water poured on them — never essential oils directly, beer, or any other liquid that could damage the stones or create harmful fumes.
Infrared Saunas
Infrared saunas operate at lower air temperatures (typically 120°F to 150°F) but use infrared wavelengths to heat your body directly. Because the air temperature is lower, some items last slightly longer in an infrared sauna compared to a traditional one — but all the same rules about electronics, jewelry, synthetics, and glass still apply. The infrared panels themselves should not have anything placed directly against them or blocking their surface, as this can damage the emitters and reduce their effectiveness.
Many infrared saunas come equipped with built-in features like chromotherapy lighting, Bluetooth speakers, and red light therapy panels, reducing the need to bring external entertainment or lighting accessories.
Hybrid Saunas
Hybrid saunas combine infrared heating with a traditional electric heater, giving you the option to use one system or both simultaneously. Since these saunas can operate across a wider temperature range, follow the guidelines for whichever heating mode you're using. When running both systems at once, treat the environment like a traditional sauna and err on the side of caution with heat-sensitive items.
Steam Rooms
Steam rooms operate at lower temperatures (110°F to 120°F) but at nearly 100% humidity. The extreme moisture is the primary concern here — paper products (books, magazines) will be ruined almost instantly, and anything that can rust, corrode, or absorb water should stay outside. Towels are still essential, and all the rules about electronics, glass, and metal jewelry apply just as strongly.
What About a Home Sauna?
If you own a home sauna, you have more flexibility than you would in a public setting, but the physics and safety considerations remain the same. Heat, moisture, and your body's physiological response to extreme temperatures don't change just because you're in your own backyard.
The advantage of a home sauna is that you can permanently install items like a thermometer and hygrometer, a sand timer, backrests, and a bucket and ladle so they're always ready when you are. A good sauna accessories package will cover most of these essentials in one purchase.
You should also keep sauna-specific cleaners on hand to wipe down benches and surfaces after each session. Regular cleaning protects the wood, prevents bacteria buildup, and keeps your sauna looking and smelling fresh for years. If you want to protect the wood further, interior sauna wood finish (like paraffin oil) creates a water-repellent layer that makes cleaning easier and extends the life of the lumber.
Quick Reference: Sauna Do's and Don'ts
Bring into the sauna: Cotton or linen towels, water in an insulated stainless steel or silicone bottle, a sauna hat, a bathrobe or sarong (natural fiber), flip-flops for the walk there and back, a wooden backrest or headrest, a sand timer, a thermometer and hygrometer (home saunas), a book or magazine, a bucket and ladle for traditional saunas, essential oils diluted in bucket water, and a sauna whisk.
Leave outside the sauna: Phones, smartwatches, and all electronics, food, glass containers, jewelry and metal accessories, makeup, perfume, and heavy lotions, synthetic clothing, shoes and street footwear, alcohol, standard plastic containers, and razors or grooming tools.
Final Thoughts
A great sauna session comes down to preparation. By bringing the right items — and leaving the wrong ones outside — you set yourself up for a safer, more comfortable, and more effective experience every time. The sauna is one of the few places left in modern life that invites you to slow down, disconnect, and focus on nothing but how your body feels. The less clutter you bring in, the more you'll get out of it.
If you're building your sauna setup from scratch, browse our full collection of sauna accessories to find everything from buckets and ladles to timers, thermometers, and aromatherapy diffusers. And if you're still deciding on the right sauna for your home, explore our complete sauna collection — including indoor saunas, outdoor saunas, barrel saunas, and DIY sauna kits — to find the perfect fit for your space and lifestyle.
For more guidance on getting the most out of your sauna, check out our guides on sauna etiquette, hosting a sauna party, and using a sauna safely with children.
*Haven Of Heat and its affiliates do not provide medical, legal, electrical, building, financial, or professional advice. All content published on this website is for general informational and educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for advice from qualified professionals. Always consult a licensed medical provider regarding health-related questions.
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