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The benches in a garden sauna affect not only the look of the sauna but also its comfort, durability and safety. Because the benches are at the heart of the sauna experience, it's worth taking a little time over the choice.
This guide brings together everything that guides planning and choosing in an easy-to-read form. The pictures help you see how the choices work in practice.
In this article:
Garden sauna benches – how to choose the right bench material
The bench material in a garden sauna affects not only the benches' appearance, but also how they feel in use. Besides the material, it also matters whether the bench is thermally modified wood and how its surface is treated.
Each bench material has its own special characteristics. Benches are usually made of porous wood species that are not very dense. Porous wood doesn't feel hot and is therefore more pleasant in the sauna. Surface treatment can spoil this property, so it's worth investing in the treatment.
Thermally modified wood is popular for benches, as it looks beautiful and doesn't necessarily need any surface treatment.
Aspen benches
- Very pale, knot-free wood with a soft surface.
- Doesn't get hot and feels pleasant against the skin.
- Popular for its looks and good value for money.
- For the benches to stay in good condition for a long time, make sure they dry properly after bathing!
- If you make them yourself: aspen must be left to dry in a stack for as long as several years, or it will warp even after installation.
Thermally modified aspen benches (so-called thermo aspen)
- Slightly darker shade, stylish look.
- Doesn't get hot and feels pleasant against the skin.
- Thanks to the thermal modification, the wood no longer moves in the sauna, and the treatment gives natural protection against mould and bacteria. Thermal modification also gives the wood a pleasant scent.
- Copes well with sauna conditions, i.e. it's less sensitive to moisture than ordinary aspen.
- No separate treatment needed – a natural choice without chemicals.
Alder benches
- Warm brown shade. A beautiful wood species that suits many styles.
- Strong, water-repellent wood that doesn't get hot.
- Also available thermally modified (thermo alder).
Spruce benches
- An affordable, eco-friendly and Finnish-grown option.
- Easy to work with and a good bench material, but some people feel it gets a little hotter than aspen.
- Surface treatment is recommended to protect against moisture and make cleaning easier.
- If the benches aren't surface-treated, drying the sauna carefully after bathing extends their life.
- Also popular as a material for the bench frame and supporting structures.
- Also available thermally modified, which gives it a beautiful look and improves its moisture resistance.
Exotic woods (e.g. Abachi, Cedar, Magnolia)
- Abachi is a darkish wood with a strongly visible grain that conducts heat very poorly, so it certainly won't burn your skin. Being a soft wood, it dents easily. However, it doesn't move at all once worked, so it's easy to make more unusual, modern bench designs from it.
- Cedar has a pleasant scent and resists moisture well. It's one of the more expensive woods, but luxurious and long-lasting.
- Thermally modified magnolia is popular for its lively grain pattern, which varies from dark brown to light brown. The width of the boards adds to the appeal of this luxury material.
Shape matters – the design and surface treatment of the benches complete the style of the sauna
The benches are the most dominant element in a sauna, so their style affects the atmosphere of the whole sauna. The choice of wood sets certain limits for the benches. Even so, garden sauna benches can differ considerably in style, even when exactly the same bench material is chosen.
The style of sauna benches is created above all through design and surface treatment.
Below we present a few popular but very different bench styles that are also used in Ehta's ready-made saunas. They'll give you ideas to help you make your own choices.
Straight-lined spruce plank benches
Sturdy, clean-lined benches made from Finnish spruce work in both modern and traditional saunas. Pale spruce can be treated in the shade of your choice to complete the look.
Ehta's choices:
- Untreated / colourless protective wax
- Tuomenkukka
- Piki
Live-edge aspen benches
A live-edge aspen bench, or aspen slab bench, is a very stylish bench solution whose lively, rugged look delights sauna-goers time and time again.
A live-edge aspen bench gives your sauna a unique look, as every bench becomes one of a kind, its appearance shaped by the natural variety of the material available.
At Ehta, the rough-sawn, unedged aspen plank is debarked and planed to a thickness of approx. 60 mm.
Interested in an easy ready-made sauna?
Mestaripuuseppä designer sauna benches
These high-quality solid wood benches, made by a Finnish carpenter, are crafted from either aspen or exotic wood species.
Master carpenter Tingander combines modern design with traditional methods. The result is stunning, unique Design benches whose shape can be as imaginative as you like.
With an Ehta ready-made sauna order, you can have pre-installed Tingander Monument benches.
Surface treatment of the benches affects the style but also protects them
Garden sauna benches don't have to be treated at all. An untreated wooden surface is beautiful and natural. Treated wood can also feel hotter than untreated, porous wood.
Untreated wood can, however, be harder to keep clean. If the benches aren't dried properly after bathing, untreated wood can also spoil more quickly.
- Especially for pale wood species surface treatment is recommended. A colourless treatment is also an option. Of these, natural wax (e.g. Tikkurila's Supi sauna wax) changes the natural colour of the benches the least.
- Thermally modified wood means that the surface of the wood has been heated so much that it's slightly scorched, as it were. Thermal modification is popular for benches because it's an entirely chemical-free, natural treatment that also beautifully deepens the colour of the bench.
- Other surface treatment options are paraffin oil, sauna wax, semi-transparent stain and protective treatment. Of these, paraffin oil and sauna wax are the most natural options.
The most common bench layouts in garden saunas
The most common bench layout in outdoor saunas is I- or L-shaped. U-shaped benches are also used to some extent, especially in larger saunas. It's best to make the choice based on the needs of the people using the sauna.
Versatile L-shaped bench
- Forms an L-shaped seating area.
- Common in both small and larger saunas.
- Allows more seating in a small space, or lets you lie down on the benches as well.
- Usually the best solution in larger outdoor saunas where you want to leave room below for washing, yet also have plenty of space for sitting.
U-shaped benches
- The benches run along three walls, forming a U shape.
- Suitable for large saunas.
- Especially useful when many people bathe at once or when you also want to enjoy the löyly lying down.
- Often leaves less space below. Worth bearing in mind especially if washing is done in the sauna room.
Straight benches, or I-shaped benches
- A single long seating section running along the wall.
- A clean-lined solution that suits both modern and traditional saunas.
- Works in many situations:
- in small saunas and in narrow, rectangular saunas, or when you want to leave plenty of space below for washing.
- Easy to build and clean.
Other points to consider when designing and choosing benches
Besides the bench layout, the shape and size of the lower bench or steps also affect the end result. The most important things to consider are safety, functionality and appearance.
- Sauna safety rail / foot rail as its name suggests brings two important things to the sauna: it lets you rest your feet while sitting on the benches, and it improves safety when placed between the benches and the sauna heater.
- The lower bench can be quite narrow or, alternatively, reach all the way to the back wall. Families with children in particular prefer a wide lower bench, so that children can bathe safely and comfortably ”a step lower”.
- Sauna stool makes climbing onto the benches more comfortable and safer. The sauna step stool is often freestanding, so that it can be moved under the benches or out of the way when needed, or used as you like while washing.
- Choosing the sauna heater also shapes the bench design to some extent. An electric sauna heater allows more varied bench layouts. On the other hand, a wood-burning heater needs no electrical connection, and nothing beats the atmosphere and soft, moist löyly of a wood-burning heater. Read more about choosing a sauna heater >>
Any questions left, or would you like help designing your sauna?
Book a free remote design session! We are happy to help anyone making their sauna dream come true, whether the need is urgent or plans are just taking shape – with no pressure to buy.
