What sauna accessories do you need first?

For a traditional sauna with rocks: a bucket and ladle, a thermometer, and a timer. In our catalog that starts at $92.58 for a Harvia bucket, thermo-hygrometer, and sand timer, plus a ladle, which the Harvia bucket doesn't include.

What accessories does an infrared sauna need?

Fewer. An infrared cabin has no rocks, so a bucket and ladle have no use. A towel, a timer, and comfort pieces like a backrest or headrest apply to both types.

Is a sauna accessory kit worth it?

Sometimes. Harvia's stainless bucket, ladle, and thermo-hygrometer kit costs $324. A Dundalk cedar bucket and ladle plus a Harvia thermo-hygrometer costs $157.88 for the same three jobs.

Best Sauna Accessories by Price: $22.70 to $324

Sauna accessories are cheap next to the sauna, which makes it easy to buy the wrong ones. Some do a job every session. Some are comfort. One or two only make sense for a specific heater.

This page sorts the accessories in our catalog by price and adds up three starter sets. For what each accessory does and how to choose, start with the sauna accessories buying guide.

Short answer: under $50, the Harvia 15-minute sand timer ($22.70), 4-liter bucket ($31), and thermo-hygrometer ($38.88) cover the basics. From $50 to $150, a Dundalk cedar bucket and ladle ($119) and a Harvia 600 GSM towel ($56.80) are the upgrades. Above $200, buy only for a specific need: Harvia’s $233 safety rail fits only its Spirit heaters.

Under $50

Accessory	Price	What it does
Harvia Sand Timer, 15-minute	$22.70	Times a session without a phone in the heat
Harvia Bucket 4L	$31	Holds water for the rocks; plastic liner inside; ladle sold separately
Harvia Thermo-Hygrometer	$38.88	Shows temperature and humidity in one analog gauge
Almost Heaven Robe Hook	$41	Red cedar hook, mounts inside or outside the cabin

This is where most of the value is. The timer, the gauge, and the bucket each do a job every session.

$50 to $150

Accessory	Price	What it does
Almost Heaven Sand Timer	$54	Wall-mounted timer; duration not stated on the listing
Harvia Cotton Sauna Towel	$56.80	90 x 170 cm, 600 GSM cotton, full-body size
Dundalk Cedar Bucket & Ladle	$119	White Cedar, mortise-and-tenon joints, ladle included
Almost Heaven Cedar Backrest	$149	Cedar backrest for traditional or infrared benches

Here’s what the spec sheet won’t tell you. The Almost Heaven timer costs $31.30 more than Harvia’s, and its listing doesn’t give the duration. If you want a 15-minute timer, the cheaper one tells you that it is.

Above $200

Accessory	Price	What it does
Harvia Spirit Safety Rail	$233	Birch rail for Harvia Spirit SP60/90 heaters only
Harvia Stainless Kit	$324	Stainless bucket and ladle with wood handles, plus thermo-hygrometer

Prices from Select Saunas, The Sauna Place, and Almost Heaven listings, checked September to October 2026.

The rail only fits two Harvia heaters, so check your heater’s model before ordering.

Not priced in our data

Some pieces we list sell through Amazon, where we don’t record a price: Almost Heaven’s red cedar headrest (12” x 12” x 3”), leg rest (12” x 24” x 3.5”), a Bluetooth sauna speaker, a red cedar bucket, ladle, and thermometer set, and a 45 lb box of Northwood diabase sauna stones in 3 to 5 inch sizes. Check the price on the listing.

Three starter sets, added up

Set	Pieces	Total
Lowest cost	Harvia bucket $31 + thermo-hygrometer $38.88 + sand timer $22.70	$92.58, plus a ladle
Cedar	Dundalk bucket and ladle $119 + Harvia thermo-hygrometer $38.88 + sand timer $22.70	$180.58
Stainless	Harvia stainless kit $324 + sand timer $22.70	$346.70

Run the numbers on the kit. The stainless set costs $166.12 more than the cedar set for the same four jobs: water, ladle, gauge, and timer. You pay that for stainless steel and the matched look.

If your sauna is infrared

Skip the bucket, ladle, and stones. They exist to pour water on heater rocks, and an infrared cabin has none. The towel, a timer, the backrest, and the headrest work in either type.

Why the timer is worth $22.70

Cleveland Clinic’s Dr. Amy Zack suggests keeping sauna sessions around 15 to 20 minutes, and starting with about 5 minutes if you’re new. A 15-minute sand timer marks the low end of that range without a phone in the heat.

My rule of thumb: buy the three that do a job every session first, the bucket, gauge, and timer, and add comfort pieces after a month of use.

Bottom line: under $100 covers the essentials for a traditional sauna, $180 gets you cedar, and the $324 kit is a style choice. Infrared owners can skip the bucket and stones.

Sources

Cleveland Clinic, “Get Your Sweat On: The Benefits of a Sauna,” August 12, 2024: health.clevelandclinic.org
Prices, sizes, and materials: Harvia and Almost Heaven (via Select Saunas and The Sauna Place), Dundalk (via Select Saunas), Almost Heaven, and Northwood Sauna listings, checked September to October 2026

Not medical advice.This page is general product information. Heat and cold exposure aren't safe for everyone. Talk to a physician before starting a sauna or cold plunge routine, particularly if you are pregnant or have a heart, blood pressure, or circulation condition. See our Editorial Policy.