Best Sauna Towels and Wraps

Which towel for which job

Traditional sauna: sit on a towel long enough to cover the bench where your body touches it, including under your feet if you lie down. A bath sheet of 60 inches or more does this. Infrared cabin: the same, plus a small towel for sweat. Sauna blanket: a liner sized to the blanket keeps sweat off an inner surface that is hard to clean. Shared or gym sauna: a wrap with a closure and a pocket.

Cotton, waffle or microfiber

Cotton terry is the most absorbent and the softest, but it is heavy and slow to dry. Waffle weave cotton is lighter and dries faster. Microfiber is the lightest and dries fastest, but it is synthetic. We read 20 listings for sauna towels: none states a warranty, and most are general bath or gym towels with sauna named as one of many uses.

Keeping them fresh

A sauna towel soaks up a session’s worth of sweat. Hang it to dry fully right after use, and wash it often, following the care label. Do not leave damp towels in a closed sauna, where heat and moisture encourage odor and mildew on the benches.

Score notes

The Chill Score weighs performance 35, build 25, value 25, safety certifications 10 where it applies and warranty 5. Here, performance covers size and fit for the job, fabric and closure. Safety certifications do not apply to a towel, and no listing states a warranty, so all score zero on both.

Scores run from 9.2 to 9.8: each product’s point total is placed on that range, so more points always means a higher score. Safety counts only for powered gear or where the listing states safety features; where it does not apply, the score is taken over the remaining 90 points.

Turkish Linen’s men’s wrap and Boca Terry’s wrap lead for wearing. For sitting, the PÜSKÜL sheet covers a bench and the S&T towels are cheap and plentiful.

Who should not buy one

If you already have large cotton bath sheets, they do the job of a sauna towel; you do not need a product labeled for saunas. Buy a wrap only if you walk between rooms or use a shared sauna.

For other accessories, see sauna hats, sauna buckets and ladles and sauna thermometers. Using a blanket? See infrared sauna blankets.

Common questions

Why sit on a towel in a sauna?

It keeps sweat off the wood, which helps the benches last and stay clean, and it is expected in shared saunas.

Is microfiber OK in a sauna?

It works for sitting on and wiping sweat. Some people prefer cotton against the skin in high heat; it is a matter of comfort.

How big should a sauna towel be?

For a bench, long enough to cover where you sit or lie, often 60 inches or more. For a wrap, check the brand’s size chart.

Related gift guide: buying for someone else? See our gifts for sauna lovers.

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