Every sauna brand sells a long accessory list. It’s easy to buy all of it before you know what you’ll use.
This article puts the accessories in a buying order. For what to check within each type, start with the sauna accessories buying guide.
Short answer: buy a bucket, a ladle, and a thermometer for a traditional sauna, plus a towel and a timer. Wait on the backrest and hooks. Skip anything that’s only decoration.
The order I’d buy in
| Priority | Accessory | Example and price | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bucket and ladle | Dundalk cedar set, $119 | Needed to make steam on a traditional heater |
| 1 | Thermometer | Harvia Thermo-Hygrometer, $38.88 | Tells you the room temperature |
| 2 | Towel | Harvia cotton towel, $56.80 | Hygiene, and it protects the bench |
| 2 | Timer | Harvia 15-minute sand timer, $22.70 | Keeps sessions in a safe range |
| 3 | Backrest | Almost Heaven cedar backrest, $149 | Comfort on a flat bench |
| 3 | Robe hook | Almost Heaven robe hook, $41 | Somewhere to hang a towel |
Prices from Select Saunas, The Sauna Place, and Almost Heaven listings, checked September and October 2026.
Priority 1: what the manual calls essential
Harvia’s KIP heater manual is blunt: “bucket, dipper and thermometer are essential.” That’s for a traditional heater with stones.
Infrared owners can drop the bucket and ladle. There are no stones to pour on.
Almost Heaven sells all three in one red cedar set on Amazon. Its listing doesn’t give the bucket’s capacity or the thermometer’s range. When the stones themselves start to crumble, replacement diabase stones are a separate buy; match the size to your heater’s manual.
Priority 2: towel and timer
The same manual says each bather should sit or lie on a towel, and warns against staying in for more than 30 minutes at a time. Cleveland Clinic suggests around 15 to 20 minutes.
You get both covered for $79.50 with the Harvia towel and sand timer. A towel you already own and a clock visible through the door glass cost nothing.
Priority 3: comfort
You get a more comfortable seat with a backrest and a tidier room with a hook. You give up $190 for the two examples above.
My rule of thumb: use the sauna for a month first. If you lean against the wall every session, buy the backrest. If your towel keeps ending up on the floor, buy the hook. If your bench is long enough to lie on, Almost Heaven’s headrest and leg rest come next.
What a starter kit costs
Run the numbers before you fall for the photos.
- Dundalk cedar bucket and ladle: $119
- Harvia 15-minute sand timer: $22.70
- Harvia cotton towel: $56.80
- Total: $198.50, plus a thermometer
Add the backrest and hook and you’re at $388.50.
What to skip
Skip the heater rail unless it fits your heater. The Harvia Spirit Safety Rail is made for the Spirit SP60/90 only. Skip a second timer or a second bucket. And check what shipped with your cabin before you order anything, because some saunas include a bucket, ladle, and thermometer.
Bottom line: three essentials for a traditional sauna, then a towel and a timer. Buy the comfort items once you know you need them.
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: Select Saunas, The Sauna Place, and Almost Heaven listings, checked September and October 2026