Sauna benches: layout, height and wood

Heat rises and settles near the ceiling of a sauna, so the air a foot above a bench can feel noticeably different from the air near the floor, even though it is the same room and the same heater. A two-tier bench layout takes advantage of that natural stratification: a lower bench sits in milder air, and a higher bench sits in the hottest part of the room.

That gives everyone in the sauna a way to dial in their own intensity without touching the heater at all. Someone newer to sauna use, or anyone who wants a gentler session, can stay on the lower level the whole time. Someone chasing a more intense sit can move up. Both are having a legitimate sauna experience in the same room at the same time, which is exactly the point of the layout.

This is also one of the more practical reasons two-tier benches are the standard in traditional and commercial saunas rather than just tradition for its own sake — it solves a real problem of one heat setting needing to work for very different comfort levels.

There is no universal correct bench height, because it depends on the room’s overall size, where the heater sits, and who is actually going to use the sauna. What matters is working through the layout deliberately rather than defaulting to whatever a plan or kit manual shows without checking it against your own space.

• The lower bench should be comfortable to sit on with feet resting flat, at a height that does not feel like a stool and does not feel like a low step.
• The upper bench should sit clearly higher, enough to feel a real difference in heat, while leaving enough headroom below it that someone sitting on the lower bench does not feel boxed in.
• Anyone sitting on the upper bench needs enough clearance above their head to sit upright without ducking, and enough distance from the heater and rocks to be safe and comfortable.
• If you want to lie down, check that the bench run is long enough for that on at least one tier before finalizing the layout.

The most reliable way to get all of this right is to mock the layout up before committing — sit and lie in the rough space with temporary supports or even just marked heights on the wall, and adjust before cutting the finished bench wood.

The bench is the one surface in a sauna that bare skin sits and lies against for the length of a session, which makes wood choice matter here more than almost anywhere else in the build. The main quality to look for is low resin content — a resin-heavy wood can soften and feel sticky or uncomfortably warm against skin once heated repeatedly, which is the last thing you want directly under you.

Basswood and aspen are popular bench choices specifically because they are naturally low in resin, pale and smooth-grained. Cedar is also commonly used for benches and brings its familiar scent along with generally low resin, though it sits at a higher price point than basswood or aspen. Our best wood for a sauna guide compares these options in more depth if you are choosing wood for the whole build at once.

Whatever wood you choose, a smooth, splinter-free finish matters as much as the species itself — bench boards should be sanded well and checked over before installation, since this is not a surface where a rough edge is just cosmetic.

Beyond height and wood, a few construction choices affect how a bench holds up and feels over time. Boards are typically spaced with small gaps between them rather than butted tight, which lets air circulate underneath, helps the wood dry between sessions, and gives sweat somewhere to go instead of pooling on a solid surface.

Fasteners matter too — metal screws or nails can heat up and become uncomfortable or even a minor burn risk if a bare hand or leg rests directly on one, so many builders countersink fasteners and cover them, or use wood joinery methods that avoid exposed metal on the sitting surface entirely.

Support structure underneath should be solid enough to handle real weight without flex, since a bench that feels unstable undermines confidence in the whole build even if everything else is done well. This is one area where it is worth over-building slightly rather than cutting it close.

Barrel saunas present their own version of this problem, since the curved wall shapes how benches can run along the interior. Most barrel sauna kits come with bench layout and height already engineered for the curve, which takes a lot of the guesswork out compared with a square custom build — one more reason a kit appeals to people who want the two-tier experience without designing it from scratch.

If you are assembling one, our barrel sauna assembly guide walks through what that process actually involves, benches included. And if you are still deciding between a kit and building custom benches and everything else from raw lumber, the kit vs custom build guide lays out that trade-off honestly.