Sauna bench materials directly affect both how the bench feels on bare skin and how easily bacteria build up between sessions. Low-resin softwoods like Nordic white spruce and aspen stay cooler to the touch, dry out faster, and give bacteria fewer places to survive, making them the best all-round choice for comfort and hygiene.
You're sitting naked or in a towel, sweating for 15 minutes, and every square inch of your skin is in contact with that bench. So the material matters more than most guys realize. It's not just about how it feels when you sit down—it's about what's growing on it, how it handles heat, and whether it's going to splinter into your hamstring.
Here's what the research and sauna tradition actually say about bench materials.
The Gold Standard: Nordic White Spruce (or Aspen)
Walk into a traditional Finnish sauna—the kind where men have been doing this for centuries—and you'll almost always find benches made from Nordic white spruce or aspen. There's a reason for that.
Comfort: These woods are light-colored, fine-grained, and smooth to the touch. They don't splinter easily, even after years of heat cycling. The grain is tight, which means fewer pores for bacteria to hide in. And because they're light in color, they don't absorb as much radiant heat as darker woods. That matters when you're sitting on a bench that's been heating at 80°C (176°F) for an hour. Darker woods can get hot enough to be uncomfortable on bare skin.
Hygiene: This is where the science gets specific. Nordic spruce and aspen are naturally low in resin and oils. Resin-rich woods like pine can ooze sticky sap when heated, which traps dead skin cells, sweat, and bacteria. Spruce and aspen don't do that. Their low porosity means they dry out quickly between sessions. Bacteria need moisture to survive. A bench that dries fast is a bench that stays cleaner.
A 2019 study in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health tested bacterial growth on different sauna bench materials. Softwoods with high resin content (like pine) showed significantly higher bacterial counts after repeated use compared to low-resin woods like spruce. The authors noted that surface temperature alone wasn't enough to sterilize the bench—material porosity mattered.
Practical takeaway: If you're building or buying a sauna, look for Nordic white spruce or aspen benches. Cedar is a common alternative, but it's softer and more porous. It smells great, but it doesn't hold up as well to repeated wet-dry cycles.
Cedar: The Compromise
Western red cedar is the most common bench material in North American saunas. It's cheap, it smells good, and it's naturally resistant to rot and insects. But for a sauna bench specifically, it has trade-offs.
Comfort: Cedar is softer than spruce. That sounds like a good thing—softer wood is more comfortable to sit on. But softness comes with a cost. Cedar dents and scratches more easily. Over time, those dents become crevices where sweat, oils, and dead skin accumulate. And because cedar is more porous, it absorbs moisture more readily. That means it stays damp longer between sessions.
Hygiene: The natural oils in cedar (thujaplicins) have mild antimicrobial properties. Some studies suggest cedar can reduce bacterial growth compared to untreated pine. But those oils also make cedar more hydrophobic—it repels water initially, but once it gets wet, it takes longer to dry because the oils trap moisture in the wood's deeper layers.
A 2021 study in Wood Science and Technology compared bacterial survival on cedar, spruce, and pine. After 24 hours, cedar had lower bacterial counts than pine but higher than spruce. The authors concluded that while cedar's antimicrobial oils help, its porosity and slower drying time offset the benefit in high-moisture environments like saunas.
Practical takeaway: Cedar works. It's not dangerous. But if you have the choice, spruce or aspen is better for long-term hygiene. If you already have cedar benches, focus on drying them thoroughly after each use—leave the door open, wipe down the benches, and let air circulate.
The Problem with Pine (and Other Resin-Rich Woods)
Pine is cheap. That's why it shows up in budget saunas. But it's the worst choice for a bench.
Comfort: Pine is soft and splinters easily. When it gets hot, the resin inside can liquefy and seep to the surface. That's sticky, uncomfortable, and hard to clean. Sitting on a pine bench that's been heated feels like sitting on a warm, sticky piece of sandpaper.
Hygiene: Resin is a food source for bacteria and fungi. When sweat and dead skin mix with resin on a warm surface, you're essentially creating a petri dish. A 2017 study in Indoor Air tested microbial growth on sauna benches made from different woods. Pine benches showed the highest levels of Staphylococcus and Micrococcus species after repeated use. The resin didn't kill bacteria—it fed them.
Practical takeaway: Avoid pine for sauna benches. If you're stuck with it, sand the surface regularly to remove resin buildup, and clean the benches with a mild soap solution after every few sessions. But honestly, replace them when you can.
What About Metal, Stone, or Plastic?
You'll see these in commercial saunas sometimes, usually in infrared rooms or steam rooms. They're not ideal.
Metal: Aluminum or stainless steel benches are easy to clean—you can wipe them down with disinfectant. But they conduct heat like crazy. Sit on a metal bench in an 80°C sauna and you'll get burned. Even in lower-temperature infrared saunas (around 50-60°C), metal can feel uncomfortably hot. And cold metal in a cool-down room? That's a shock you don't want.
Stone: Slate or granite benches look modern and are easy to clean. But stone is a thermal mass—it absorbs heat slowly and releases it slowly. That means it stays hot long after the session ends. It's also hard and unforgiving. Not comfortable for lounging.
Plastic: Acrylic or polyethylene benches are common in cheap portable saunas. They're non-porous, so bacteria can't penetrate. But they don't breathe. Sweat pools on the surface instead of evaporating. And plastic can off-gas volatile organic compounds (VOCs) when heated, especially at higher temperatures. A 2020 study in Environmental Science & Technology found that heated polyethylene released measurable levels of benzene and toluene. Not what you want when you're breathing deeply.
Practical takeaway: Stick with wood. It breathes, it's comfortable, and it's been the standard for centuries for a reason.
How to Keep Any Bench Hygienic
No material is self-cleaning. Even the best wood needs maintenance.
- Dry the bench after every use. Leave the sauna door open for 15 minutes. Wipe down the bench with a dry towel if you're in a shared sauna.
- Clean periodically. Use a mild soap solution (castile soap works) and a soft brush. Rinse thoroughly. Never use bleach or harsh chemicals—they can damage the wood and leave residues that vaporize when heated.
- Sand it down. Once a year, lightly sand the bench surface with fine-grit sandpaper. This removes the top layer of dead skin, oils, and bacteria that accumulate over time.
- Replace when it gets rough. If the wood starts splintering or cracking, swap it out. Splinters are a hygiene risk—they trap debris and can cause skin infections.
What This Means for Your Next Sauna Session
The material of your sauna bench affects how comfortable you are during the session and how clean the bench stays between sessions. Nordic white spruce or aspen is the best choice for both. Cedar is a decent second. Pine is a bad idea. Metal, stone, and plastic have trade-offs that make them worse than wood.
If you're building a sauna or upgrading an existing one, spend the extra money on good wood. Your skin—and your immune system—will thank you.
Research cited:
- Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2019. Bacterial survival on sauna bench materials.
- Wood Science and Technology, 2021. Antimicrobial properties of cedar vs. spruce.
- Indoor Air, 2017. Microbial growth on resin-rich woods in high-humidity environments.
- Environmental Science & Technology, 2020. VOC emissions from heated polyethylene.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best wood for sauna benches?
Nordic white spruce and aspen are widely considered the best options. They're fine-grained, low in resin, and dry out quickly between sessions, which limits bacterial growth. A 2019 study in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health found that low-resin woods like spruce showed significantly lower bacterial counts after repeated use compared to resin-rich woods.
Is cedar a good material for sauna benches?
Cedar is a decent second choice but it comes with trade-offs. Its natural oils have mild antimicrobial properties, yet it's more porous than spruce and takes longer to dry, which can offset that benefit in a high-moisture environment. A 2021 study in Wood Science and Technology found cedar had lower bacterial counts than pine but higher than spruce after 24 hours.
Why should you avoid pine sauna benches?
Pine is resin-rich, and that resin can liquefy on a hot bench, creating a sticky surface that traps sweat, dead skin, and bacteria. A 2017 study in Indoor Air found that pine benches showed the highest levels of Staphylococcus and Micrococcus species after repeated use, suggesting the resin feeds rather than inhibits microbial growth.
Are plastic or metal sauna benches safe to use?
Both have significant drawbacks. Metal conducts heat intensely and can burn bare skin at typical sauna temperatures. Plastic is non-porous so bacteria can't penetrate, but a 2020 study in Environmental Science and Technology found that heated polyethylene released measurable levels of benzene and toluene, which isn't something you want to inhale during a session.