Why You Need a Sauna Bench Towel: A Must Have for Every Session

For many of us, sauna time is more than just a way to sweat, it’s a ritual for relaxation, recovery, and mental clarity (quiet time away from the kids...).

But there’s one simple accessory that can take your sauna experience to the next level by keeping things cleaner and more comfortable: the sauna bench towel. It might seem like a small detail, but trust me, once you start using one, you'll wonder how you ever went without. In Finland, using a bench towel (or laudeliina) is just standard practice—whether at home or in public saunas. The main purpose is hygiene, but there are other benefits that come with it.

Benefits of Using a Sauna Bench Towel

• Hygienic: Keeps shared saunas sanitary when multiple people are using the space.
• Cleaner Sauna: Traps sweat and oils, reducing buildup on benches and floors.
• Protects Your Sauna: Helps prevents stains, odors, and water damage to wooden benches.
• More Comfort: Protects your butt from hot wood and provides a soft cushion.
• Easy Cleanup: Use it to wipe down surfaces after your session, especially after tossing löyly.

Let’s be real, saunas get messy

When you’re sweating buckets, that sweat doesn’t just evaporate—it soaks onto the benches and floor, mixing with dirt and anything else tracked in. If you’re hosting friends or sharing a public sauna, it’s even worse. Without a quick rinse between sessions (which, let’s face it, doesn’t always happen), you’re sitting in everyone’s sweat. Gross, right?

A sauna bench towel acts as a barrier, soaking up sweat and oils to keep things hygienic and the benches cleaner. Beyond keeping things clean, there's a real comfort factor too. Sitting directly on hot wood can sometimes be a bit much. Of course, a splash of water can cool things off, but a soft towel provides a nice cushion and protects your butt from hot benches. Another benefit, when you're done, you can use it to quickly wipe down the benches and clean up any standing water from throwing löyly. In my experience, the deepest staining on benches comes from standing water so this really helps to keep things looking nice.

The Best Material for Sauna Bench Towels

When you're choosing a bench towel, remember that natural fibers are the way to go. You really want 100% cotton or linen, no synthetics. These materials are highly absorbent, breathable, and can handle the heat.

• 100% Cotton Sauna Towels: A classic choice, cotton is soft, highly absorbent, and you probably already have an old one in the closet.
• Linen Sauna Towels: made from flax fibers, is a step up in durability and absorbency. These towels dry faster than cotton, resist odors, and have a slightly textured feel that adds a touch of luxury. They’re pricier but last longer, even with frequent use in high-heat environments.
• Peshtemal (Turkish Cotton Towels): These lightweight, flat-woven towels are incredibly popular for sauna use. Peshtemal are commonly used because they are highly absorbent, dry fast, and take up minimal space, making them ideal for portability and frequent use.

Sauna Towel Size

While any size towel can be used for sitting on, it is nice to have it match your bench size. Typically, a single towel would be around 20”x40” (50cmx100cm) while a whole bench towel would be approximately 20”x60” (50cmx150cm). Overall, try to avoid oversized towels that will be folded, having breathability is key.

Note on Safety

Whether you have a wood fired or electric sauna, it important to keep safety in mind. Never place a towel close to the sauna stove and always remove towels or any other clothing from the sauna when you are done. Do not hang towels or clothing in the sauna to dry, this is one of the most common ways sauna fires start!

Final Thoughts

Whichever towel you decided to use, next time you head to the sauna, grab yourself a bench towel. It's a simple addition that makes your sauna session even more comfortable and clean.