Most sauna accessory advice assumes a traditional heater. Buckets, ladles, stone guards and thermometers all revolve around hot rocks and steam. An infrared cabin has none of that.
That changes the shopping list. Some accessories become useless, some become more important, and the cabin often includes things you would otherwise buy. This article sorts the list. For the full picture, start with the sauna accessories guide.
Short answer: in an infrared cabin you need a large towel and a timer. A hook and a backrest are optional. Skip the bucket, ladle and heater guard, which are built for stones and traditional heaters.
Which accessories are for traditional heaters only?
Three items in our data exist because of rocks and open heat.
The Dundalk cedar bucket and ladle costs $119. Its product page says it is relevant only for traditional heaters with a rock bed and is not usable with infrared cabins. It also warns never to pour water on infrared panels.
The Harvia Spirit safety rail costs $233 and fits only Harvia Spirit SP60/90 electric heaters. An infrared cabin has no such heater.
The Harvia stainless kit costs $324 and bundles a bucket, ladle and thermo-hygrometer. Two of its three pieces are for stones.
Run the numbers: those three items total $676 ($119 + $233 + $324). That is money an infrared owner does not need to spend.
Which accessories work in any cabin?
A towel, a timer and a hook do not care how the heat is made. Here is what our data says about each.
| Accessory | Price | Key facts from the listing |
|---|---|---|
| Harvia cotton towel | $56.80 | 100% cotton, 600 GSM, 90 x 170cm |
| Harvia sand timer | $22.70 | 15-minute countdown, wood and glass |
| Almost Heaven sand timer | $54 | Wall-mountable, duration not stated |
| Almost Heaven robe hook | $41 | Red cedar, mounts inside or outside |
| Almost Heaven backrest | $149 | Cedar, listed for traditional and infrared benches |
Prices are from the product listings in our data. Harvia’s timer is the better deal on paper: it costs $31.30 less than the Almost Heaven one ($54 - $22.70) and states its duration. The Almost Heaven timer does not.
What does the cabin already include?
Check this before you buy a thing. Several infrared cabins in our data come with extras that replace accessories.
| Cabin | Price | Listed extras |
|---|---|---|
| Durasage 2-person carbon | $3,295 | Ceiling speakers (wireless, FM, USB), chromotherapy lighting |
| Dynamic Barcelona | $3,499 | Built-in speakers, Bluetooth and MP3 input, chromotherapy lighting |
| Sunlighten Signature I | $4,999 | Bluetooth sound system, chromotherapy lighting |
| Clearlight Sanctuary 2 | Not compared here | Smartphone and tablet app control |
If the cabin has speakers, you do not need a speaker accessory. If it has an app, you may already have a timer on your phone. Here’s what the spec sheet won’t tell you: whether the app keeps a session timer. Our data does not say, so ask the seller.
Why a timer still matters
Cleveland Clinic suggests starting at 5 minutes and keeping sessions to 15 to 20 minutes. Its advice covers saunas in general, not one heat type.
Infrared heat is gentler on the air, so it is easy to lose track of time. A 15-minute sand timer stays inside the cabin and needs no battery. My rule of thumb: put the timer where you can see it from the bench, and start it when you sit down, not when the cabin reaches temperature.
If you have any medical condition, ask your doctor before using a sauna. Cleveland Clinic says to leave if you feel unwell, dizzy or weak.
Why a towel comes first
Harvia’s heater manual says each bather should sit or lie on a towel, which “will prolong bench life.” That advice is written for traditional saunas, but sweat reaches an infrared bench the same way. A 90 x 170cm towel (about 35 x 67 inches) covers a bench and has room left to wrap in afterward.
At $56.80, the Harvia towel is the largest single item in the starter set.
What does a starter set cost?
Here is my arithmetic from the prices above.
- Towel, Harvia timer and robe hook: $56.80 + $22.70 + $41 = $120.50
- Add the backrest: $120.50 + $149 = $269.50
Against a $3,295 Durasage, the $120.50 set is 3.7% of the cabin price ($120.50 / $3,295). With the backrest it is 8.2% ($269.50 / $3,295). Compare that with the $676 of stone-heater gear above, which would be 20.5% of the same cabin.
My view: buy the towel and timer first, which comes to $79.50. Live with the cabin for a few weeks, then decide on a hook and a backrest.
What should you check before ordering?
- Bench fit. The backrest listing gives no width, height or mounting method. Measure first.
- Panel clearance. A backrest or hook should not cover a heater panel.
- Timer duration. Only the Harvia timer states 15 minutes.
- Cabin extras. List what comes in the box so you do not double up.
Bottom line: an infrared cabin needs fewer accessories than a traditional sauna. Buy a towel and a timer, check the box contents, and keep the stone-heater gear off your list. For choosing the cabin itself, see the infrared sauna buying guide.
Sources
- Harvia, KIP electric sauna heater owner’s/operator’s manual (North America), September 17, 2015: almostheaven.net
- Cleveland Clinic, “Get Your Sweat On: The Benefits of a Sauna,” August 12, 2024: health.clevelandclinic.org
- Prices and specifications: Select Saunas, The Sauna Place and manufacturer listings, checked September and October 2026