Why is a seat cover used in a sauna? – article focuses on the different sauna seat covers. I will also tell you why they are used in the sauna.
In Finland, sauna seat covers are very common. We even have multiple names for them depending on the region, the form of the seat cover and the material. However, they all have the same purpose.
The seat cover is used to protect the benches from sweat, moisture and dirt. Over time, dirt starts to stick to the benches and makes them look and feel nasty. This is also why you must wash and clean your sauna benches regularly.
Read more: How to clean the sauna
The seat cover also protects you from heat. Sometimes the benches can get extremely hot. Seat covers made of plywood are great because they do not transmit heat easily.
In public saunas, the use of a seat cover is advisable for hygienic reasons. You never know if someone was sitting in the exact same spot just a moment earlier.
Smoke sauna users are accustomed to using plywood seat covers.
Sauna bench protection in Germany
The Germans bring two big towels with them when they visit sauna worlds. One towel is for them and the second towel is to protect the sauna benches. The larger towel is placed vertically so that one end of the towel sits under the feet. The middle part goes under the bum and the rest is placed behind the back if there is a wall to lean on.
At first, this seemed strange to me. I used to sit in the German sauna with my little Finnish seat cover. Very soon I noticed that other sauna users did not approve of that. Then I noticed a little sign on the sauna wall that said you are not allowed to sweat on the benches. So, I too began to carry a big towel with me.
I must admit that the benches in German saunas look as good as new. I can no longer laugh at the Germans; their method actually works! Now when I visit Finland, I think that those little covers look a little ridiculous.
Why is a seat cover used in a sauna?
So, we know now that the seat cover protects the benches. However, we (or our bottoms) do not need to be protected from the benches.
I think this is a very common misconception. Even I thought this to be true before I started to get more educated about sauna.
I once listened to a Finnish radio channel about this topic. One of the presenters said that sauna seat covers are used to protect the sauna-goers from bacteria and viruses. This is not true.
A study by the Technical Research Centre of Finland found that bacteria and viruses die at 60 degrees Celsius. So, if you take a sauna at home or in a friend’s house, there is nothing to worry about. However, I understand if going to a public sauna without a seat cover feels uncomfortable. I always take a seat cover with me. Or, if I forget it, I put my swimsuit under my bum. I also had to do that once because someone stole my seat cover whilst I was swimming!
The seat covers can be made of many materials; linen, cotton, wood, plywood, cardboard etc. There are also various disposable versions available. If you want to use disposable ones, make sure they are biodegradable.
Protect the benches
Protecting your sauna benches is definitely worth the effort. Here are four easy ways to do it:
Use a pefletti
Pefletti is maybe the most common Finnish sauna seat cover. It is rather small, for example, 40 × 60 cm, and has enough room for one bum. Peflettis can be made of linen, cotton, cardboard, plywood etc. There are also disposable peflettis available that you can burn or compost safely.
The word pefletti, is a combination of the words “peffa” (bum) and “tabletti” (tablet).
Jokipiin Pellava has some beautiful pefletti designs. For example, Poro has a reindeer, Koivikko a birch forest and Kaiku-pefletti has a Finnish moose on it. Jokipiin Linen products are made in Finland. They are made of cotton linen and bring Finnish nature to your sauna.
Bench covers
There are different sizes of bench covers. They are placed on the sauna benches to cover the whole length of the benches. The normal size is usually 40 × 150 cm. There are companies that also make bench covers to order. The bench covers are made of linen, cotton, and linen cotton.
Jokipiin Pellava’ Liituraita bench covers are made of black fabric, which brings elegance to your sauna.
The pine-patterned bench cover (45cmx160cm) from the Vappu Sauna collection is available in black and white.
The Koivikko series bench cover is 45 x 160 cm and brings an authentic Finnish birch forest to your sauna.
Plywood
You can also get seat covers made of wood, for example, thin plywood. These are nice and comfortable to sit on.
I have also seen some plastic or closed-cell polyethene foam seat covers on the market. I can in no way recommend using them in the sauna, they are not hygienic at all. Also, plastic or plastic derivatives do not belong to the sauna.
Roll towel
I am in love with Jokipii’s Linen Roll Towel! It is the perfect bench cover here in the German sauna world. The roll-towel can fit into a small space but is big enough to use as a seat cover. I have enough fabric to fit my feet, bum and back.
Jokipiin Linen Liituraita Roll towel is available in black. It is 90 x 150 cm in size. Liituraita Roll towel is also available in linen if you want even more naturalness to your sauna experience.
The Pine Roll Towel from the Vappu Sauna collection is black and white and is 80 x 145 cm.
Birch Roll towel “Koivikko” brings the Finnish birch forest to your sauna and is 80 x 145 cm.
Seat base care:
- Fabric sauna seat covers and peflettis should be washed after every use.
- Caring for plywood or wooden seat covers is easy, just rinse them with water after use.
- Linen textiles should be rinsed before use as linen fabric absorbs a lot of water. Textiles should be washed with the same colours and the washing machine should not be overfilled.
- Note that sauna textiles should be washed at 60 degrees to kill bacteria and viruses.
I hope that this article on why you should use a sauna seat cover was useful to you. Perhaps it can help you to decide what sauna covers you want to use in the sauna. You can leave comments in the comments section below or send them to me by email.
