We at Badstugutta often get questions about what type of wood should be used in a sauna. While we cannot give a conclusion on what is the best sauna wood for your unique situation, we can give you some criteria to consider when choosing wood. After extensive research, we have found that there is a lot of conflicting advice on the internet. Some say aspen is best, others prefer alder or western red cedar. It is difficult to find a clear recommendation because everyone has their preferences and interests.
All wood manufacturers will claim that their own wood is the best. At Badstugutta, we sell thermal wood, so we also have our preferences. When searching for the type of wood you should use, most of the articles you will find will be written by professional writers who may not have first-hand experience with saunas. It is therefore important to trust sources with practical experience.
The best option is to try different types of saunas yourself and find out which type of wood suits you best. One possibility is to obtain samples of wood, for example from us at Badstugutta, and test them at home.
There are five important criteria to consider when choosing the perfect sauna tree:
1. Ability to absorb and release moisture. The wood must be able to absorb and quickly release moisture to avoid rot and damage over time.
2. Thermal conductivity. Low thermal conductivity is important so that the wood does not get too hot, which makes it comfortable to sit on and lean against.
3. Resistance to rot and decay. The wood must be durable in the humid and hot environment of a sauna.
4. Ability to dampen sound. The sauna should be a peaceful place, and soft wood has good sound-absorbing properties.
5. Aroma and aesthetic appeal. How the wood looks and smells is also important. This is a subjective assessment, but nevertheless significant.
Based on these criteria, we have ranked the five most commonly used types of wood in saunas: aspen, alder, radiator pine, spruce and western red cedar. All of these woods are good choices, but we'll rank them by each category to find the best one.
1. Ability to absorb and release moisture: Western red cedar is best, followed by alder, spruce, aspen and radiator pine.
2. Thermal conductivity: Aspen is the winner here, followed by alder, western red cedar, radiator pine and spruce.
3. Resistance to rot and decay: Western red cedar is again the best, followed by alder, aspen, radiator pine and spruce.
4. Sound deadening ability: Aspen is best, followed by spruce, alder, western red cedar and radiator pine.
5. Aroma and aesthetic appeal: Aspen is again the winner, followed by alder, radiator pine, western red cedar and spruce.
Based on our ranking, aspen is the top choice with 20 points, followed by alder with 19 points, western red cedar with 17 points, spruce with 11 points and radiator pine with 9 points. Our recommendation for the best sauna tree is therefore aspen.
For those interested in a comprehensive guide on building saunas, Trumpkin's Notes is recommended, which is an online resource created by a Finnish expert with a lot of experience.
For all your sauna needs, visit us at badstugutta.no. We help you find the right equipment and build the perfect sauna. Thanks for reading!
