Best Sauna Accessories UK 2026: What to Buy

Three things are genuinely essential. First, a bucket and ladle to pour water onto the stones for löyly (the burst of soft steam that defines a traditional sauna). Second, a thermometer and hygrometer so you can read both temperature and humidity. Third, a sand timer to pace your sessions safely. Everything else - backrests, lighting, aroma oils, hats and towels - is a comfort upgrade, not a requirement.

If you are still choosing the heater itself, start with our best sauna heaters guide and come back for the accessories once the room is specified.

You have two good options. Stainless steel (often with a non-heating wooden handle) shrugs off the constant humidity swings, never leaks, and wipes clean - the most durable choice. Thermo-treated wood looks more traditional and feels warmer to the touch, but needs occasional oiling and will eventually dry out if stored somewhere arid.

Whichever you pick, the ladle handle matters more than people expect: aim for 35-45 cm so your hand stays well clear of the steam plume when you pour. Harvia (the Finnish heater and accessory maker) sells a popular stainless bucket-ladle-thermometer set through UK stockists such as Aqualine Saunas, and Rento (a Finnish specialist in sauna accessories) makes well-regarded aluminium and recycled-composite buckets.

A thermometer tells you the air temperature - a traditional Finnish sauna runs roughly 70-100°C - while a hygrometer (an instrument that measures relative humidity) tells you how much moisture is in the air. Together they let you dial in the climate: hotter and drier, or cooler and more humid with frequent löyly.

Crucially, the instruments must be rated for sauna conditions. Standard household thermometers are not calibrated for 90°C-plus air and can read inaccurately or crack. Most people mount a combined thermo-hygrometer dial on the wall at upper-bench height. For more on getting the climate right, see our explainer on sauna humidity and löyly.

Backrests and headrests are the single biggest comfort improvement - contoured slatted wood lifts you off the bench timber, which can be uncomfortably hot on bare skin. Low-voltage or fibre-optic lighting rated for high heat and humidity transforms the atmosphere; never fit standard mains fittings inside the hot room. Löyly oils (sauna-specific aroma concentrates) add eucalyptus, birch or pine to the steam - always dilute a few drops in the ladle water and never pour neat oil onto the stones, which is a fire risk.

A wool felt sauna hat keeps your scalp and ears cooler so you can sit longer comfortably, and a couple of bench towels protect the wood and keep things hygienic - essential etiquette in any shared or wild sauna.

For a first sauna, a matched accessory package is usually the smart buy: it works out cheaper than buying each piece separately and everything coordinates in material and style. Most sets bundle a bucket and ladle, a thermo-hygrometer and a sand timer, with some adding a backrest or aroma oil.

Build your own kit if you have a specific aesthetic in mind, or if you want to upgrade one element - say, a premium thermo-wood bucket - while keeping the rest basic. Either way, budget around the heater and stones first; accessories are the inexpensive finishing touch. See our home sauna buying guide for the full build budget, and the sauna stones guide for the one consumable you will replace regularly.