Sauna towels for your home sauna: towel rules, protecting the wood and how many you need
Whether in the basement, in the bathroom or as a barrel or garden sauna: more and more people are taking saunas at home. At first glance, a sauna towel for your home sauna seems like a minor detail – after all, nobody sees you. In fact, it's even more important at home than in a public sauna: here you are responsible for the wood yourself, and every stain on the bench is your stain. In this guide you will learn which towel rules make sense at home, how many towels you need and which ones work well.
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We have been running the Meri Sauna at Lake Kulkwitz for more than 18 years. Many rules from running a sauna can be applied directly to your own sauna.
Why a sauna towel is a must in a home sauna
The benches in your home sauna are – as in every sauna – made of untreated wood. Without a towel, sweat, skin oil and shower gel residue soak straight in. Over time, dark marks appear exactly where you always sit. In a public sauna, the operator takes care of that. At home it means: sanding, cleaning it yourself or eventually new bench boards. A sauna towel saves you this work. We explain in detail why sweat and wood don't mix in our article on sauna wood.
Sauna towel in a home sauna: rules for home
Even without house rules, it's worth introducing a few fixed rules – especially if several family members or guests use the sauna:
- Everyone has their own towel: different colours prevent mix-ups, even with children and visitors.
- Fully on the towel: bottom, back and feet lie completely on fabric – even if it's "only" your own sauna.
- Shower first: going into the cabin freshly showered puts much less strain on the towel and the wood.
- Towel out after each round: wet towels don't stay on the bench and aren't hung up in the cabin to dry.
- Ventilate after the sauna evening: leave the door and vents open so the wood and the room can dry.
What's different at home compared to a thermal spa
- No carrying: weight and pack size don't matter. You can use a heavy, dense towel you would never pack in a sauna bag.
- Your own washing machine: towels are clean again quickly, so you need fewer spares than for a day at a thermal spa.
- Shorter benches: home saunas often have more compact lounging surfaces. Measure the bench before buying very long towels.
- Different routes: with a garden sauna there's often a stretch of garden between cabin, shower and house – in winter you need something warm for the way.
How many sauna towels do you need for a home sauna?
At home you need less than for a day at a thermal spa because you can wash straight away. As a rule of thumb for a sauna evening with two to three rounds:
| Purpose | Per person per evening | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Towel to lie on the bench | 1 | can be used for all rounds if it hangs outside the cabin in between |
| Towel for drying off | 1 | after the shower or plunge pool; a light towel dries by the next round |
| For the break | optional | bathrobe or a second large towel to wrap up in |
| Spares in the cupboard | 2–3 sets | so there's always a dry set ready while one is in the wash |
For a family of four who use the sauna once a week, that means about eight towels in use and the same again in rotation. General rules of thumb for the whole household can be found in our article "How many sauna towels do you need?".
Which sauna towel works well in a home sauna
A dense towel for the bench
Since you don't have to carry anything, your sauna towel in a home sauna can be heavy and dense. The DOTWAVE Sauna Towel XL measures 175 × 90 cm, weighs approx. 900–950 g and is made of 100 % cotton, woven on old looms. It absorbs a lot of moisture before anything soaks through and can go in the tumble dryer on low heat – handy if you use the sauna several times a week.
An uncomplicated towel for everyday use
The HOMELEVEL sauna towel (180 × 100 cm, 100 % cotton) can be washed at 40 °C and is a solid everyday towel for the bench and for wrapping up in.
A light towel for drying off
After cooling down – under the garden shower, in the plunge tub or simply in the fresh air – a light hammam towel Ocean is practical. It dries quickly and is ready for the next round. In our experience at the Meri Sauna, a hammam towel takes about 60 minutes indoors and about 30 minutes in the sun.
For the lounger in the relaxation area
If you have a lounger with a backrest next to your sauna, an ordinary towel quickly slides off. The Hammam towel Ocean StayOn (200 × 70 cm) has a sewn-in pocket that slips over the backrest – so it stays put.
Drying between rounds
Drying the sauna towel properly in a home sauna is where most things go wrong at home. After use, the cabin is warm and seems ideal – but it isn't. A cooling cabin holds on to moisture, and wet towels release even more of it onto the wood.
- Hooks outside the cabin: one or two hooks next to the sauna door where the towels hang between rounds.
- Towel rail in the changing area: wide enough for a large towel to hang spread out.
- Garden sauna: in dry weather outside under the canopy – in rain or frost, better indoors.
- After the evening: spread the towels out or wash them straight away, never leave them crumpled up.
Garden sauna in winter: the way back to the house
If you have a barrel or garden sauna, you know the feeling: after the last round you walk back through the cold to the house. A large towel to wrap up in is enough in summer; in winter a bathrobe is much more pleasant. You can find light cotton models in our bathrobes collection. Sturdy bathing shoes for walking over wet stones or grass also belong by the sauna door. And if you want to rest outside a little after the last round, it's best to have a dry spare towel ready in the house so you don't cool down in a damp towel.
Related reading: Sauna wood: why sweat must not get onto the wood and how your sauna towel protects the bench · How Many Sauna Towels Do You Need? For the Sauna Day and the Household · Recognising your sauna towel: how it never gets mixed up again
Conclusion
Even in your own sauna, a towel belongs under every part of your body – if only to protect the wood that you would otherwise have to sand yourself. At home, it can be a heavy, dense sauna towel for the bench, complemented by a light towel for drying off. With two to three sets per person, fixed hooks outside the cabin and consistent ventilation, towels and sauna wood stay fresh for a long time. That way, the sauna towel in your home sauna goes from a tiresome obligation to a natural part of your sauna evening.
Frequently asked questions
Do I really need a sauna towel in a home sauna?
Yes. The benches are made of untreated wood and absorb sweat directly. Without a towel, dark stains appear that you'll later have to sand off yourself.
How many sauna towels do I need for a home sauna?
About two per person per sauna evening: one for the bench, one for drying off. Two to three such sets per person should be ready in the cupboard so one is always dry.
Can I dry the sauna towel in the cabin?
Better not. A cooling cabin holds on to moisture, and the wet towel releases even more onto the wood. Hang it outside the cabin.
What size should a sauna towel for a home sauna be?
As long as you are, so your head and feet lie on the towel – usually 175 × 90 cm or 180 × 100 cm. Measure the length of your bench first, as home saunas often have shorter lounging surfaces.
Is a thick or a thin sauna towel better in a home sauna?
For the bench, a dense towel is ideal at home because weight doesn't matter. For drying off between rounds, a light hammam towel is more practical because it dries faster.
Sauna towels for your home sauna
Personally written by Martin – founder of BeachAndSteam and sauna operator at Lake Kulkwitz for more than 18 years.