MOST POPULAR SAUNA WOOD TYPES EXPLAINED

Historically, Finnish saunas were made of logs, with rocks heated by a central fire — for centuries, it seems wood truly has always been the preferred material!

And for good reason... a lot of sauna woods are good at insulating while only absorbing a little heat, so they’re not uncomfortable to the touch. Plus, most sauna woods contain antiseptic and antibacterial properties, which means they stay more hygienic than other materials. And we can’t neglect to mention, the natural beauty, cottage aesthetic and aromatic properties of all the different sauna wood types!

If you’re shopping around for a sauna you might be wondering which sauna wood type is best — there are several, after all. Let’s dive a little deeper and reveal the benefits and features of the most popular sauna wood types on the market.

6 MOST POPULAR SAUNA WOOD TYPES EXPLAINED

There are many different types of cedar with Western Red Cedar being the most popular choice for saunas, and Eastern White Cedar following close behind.

Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata), as you can imagine, is native to the west coast of North America, its habitat stretching from southern Alaska through Canada to northwestern California, all the way inland to western Montana. It is a beautiful reddish color with very few knots. Because of its reputation for quality, the vast majority of outdoor saunas we offer are crafted using Western Red Cedar.

Eastern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis) is found in eastern Canada and the eastern and central forests of the United States. This species is shorter than Western Red Cedar, but replenishes itself every ~35 years, allowing for sustainable harvesting. The color is pale brown or tan to nearly white. Overtime, when exposed to the elements, unfinished white cedar turns an elegant silver-gray color that looks quite stunning. We don’t have a lot of saunas in “white cedar,” but the ones we do have are gorgeous!

SAUNA WOOD TYPE OVERVIEW: CEDAR

• Deep reddish coloring (Western Red Cedar)

• Light, creamy coloring (Eastern White Cedar)

• Intense signature cedar aroma 

• Very resistant to moisture and is non-toxic and resin-free

• One of the most robust and durable wood types for outdoor saunas

You may also run across Western Hemlock in sauna construction. Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) is native to the west coast of North America. Like Western Red Cedar, you can find them in forests from Alaska all the way to the north of San Francisco, California. In fact, the two make a great sauna pairing and can be quite attractive. We have two indoor saunas that are constructed using clear red cedar for the exterior, and western hemlock benches.

Hemlock Fir, also known as Hem-Fir is another sauna wood type you may come across. Hem-Fir is a species combination of Western Hemlock and firs such as “Noble, California Red, Grand, Pacific Silver and White fir.” Like Western Hemlock, it is a light straw color with a refined appearance, and is most often used for sauna benches, doorways and other detail work.

SAUNA WOOD TYPE OVERVIEW: HEMLOCK

• Uniform texture and elegant light white color

• Little to no scent

• One of the more affordable sauna woods

• Primarily used for indoor saunas and infrared saunas

Since it is a conifer lumber it will have a very, very small amount of pitch (sap) in the lumber that will vary from board to board. Sap seepage is unlikely but also perfectly normal during high heat cycles. It’s also harmless. Once it cools you can simply scrape it from the wood with a razor blade and clean any residue with rubbing alcohol. 

If the Spruce has been thermally treated beforehand, any potential sap seepage is prevented completely. Thermal treatment (as with Thermory Saunas) uses a precise combination of heat and steam to transform wood into a more durable and stable wood with a stronger structure and higher resistance to rot. The best part is that this is a natural, chemical-free and eco-friendly process that just brings out the absolute best that any wood, including Spruce, has to offer. 

To learn more about thermally treated wood, please see our blog post, “Thermally Treated Wood and Your Barrel Sauna.”

SAUNA WOOD TYPE OVERVIEW: SPRUCE

• Creamy white, with a hint of yellow or red

• Scent is subtle, forest scent

• More knots in the wood 

• One of the more affordable sauna woods

• May seep small amounts of sap (unless thermally treated)

SAUNA WOOD TYPE OVERVIEW: ASPEN

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• Luxuriously light tone

• No scent — non-toxic and non-allergenic

• Resin-free and moisture resistant

• Popular for infrared saunas and detox programs

5. DOUGLAS FIR

Douglas fir, or Doug fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), despite its name, is not a true fir, nor a true spruce, hemlock, or true pine, but it is in the pine family. Native to western North America, it’s found in the coast ranges and inland in the Rocky Mountains, and yields more timber than any other species in North America.

Since the 1920s, Douglas fir has been known as the go-to Christmas tree, and is also often used in yards and parks due to its ornamental appearance. As milled lumber (and if kiln-dried as it often is for sauna construction), Doug fir is highly valued for its strength, durability and appearance. It is popular for use in furniture, stairs, homes and of course, indoor and outdoor saunas. Kiln-dried Douglas fir timber also prevents pitch pockets from seeping resin (sap).

Doug Fir has a beautiful uniform appearance with straight grain and a light brown color that can have hints of creamy yellow or red. It has little to no scent.

SAUNA WOOD TYPE OVERVIEW: DOUG FIR

• Light brown color, with a hint of yellow or red

• Little to no scent

• Straight grain, no knots

• Resistant to rot and resin seepage (especially when kiln dried)

6. PINE

In general, pine is one of the cheapest options for sauna construction and is often used in framing due to its low cost. Most pine types are a darker-colored wood that looks similar to spruce, except they tend to have more knots.

Knots aren’t typically a problem, but with some pine species, they tend to be large, loose knots. This combined with high resin content can result in dripping sap and resin emission, which can be unpleasant. It can also bend and warp more than other sauna woods, and therefore isn’t as durable. This is why we haven’t carried saunas made of pine for many years now.

However, like Spruce, if Pine has been thermally treated, it becomes another wood type altogether – stronger and more durable.

SAUNA WOOD TYPE OVERVIEW: PINE

• Dark wood colors

• Pleasant pine scent

• Some species have large, loose knots  

• Most affordable/inexpensive

• More likely to bend or warp over time (if not thermally treated)

• Most likely to seep resin (if not thermally treated)