Sauna towel
One to sit on. One for the sweat. Both in 100% cotton that withstands the heat and won't start to smell just because you use them three times a week.
OEKO-TEX®.
You need to use 2 towels for the sauna
In most places, you are required to sit on a towel. This is both a house rule and a matter of common courtesy towards the bench and the next person who sits down. Since one of your towels will be lying flat on the wood and becoming soaked with sweat, that is not a towel you will want to dry your face with afterwards.
And you aren't just going in once. You go in, out to the shower, back in again, perhaps a dip in the cold water. Every round, you need to dry off before you sit down again. A regular bath towel is saturated after the second round and, for the rest of the time, is just damp and heavy.
Afterwards, everything goes into a bag. Sweat in a closed space at 25 degrees is the best possible environment for the bacteria that cause odors. If you go to the sauna two or three times a week, you are either washing towels constantly or opening a bag that you would rather not smell.
Adventure Smart Towel – Quick-Drying, Lightweight & Antibacterial Towel for Travel, Sports and Outdoors
Looking for the best travel towel for outdoor, sports or backpacking? The Adventure Smart Towel is the ideal choice. This lightweight 100% cotton towel is quick-drying, super absorbent and antibacterial - perfect for everything from hiking and camping to fitness and beach holidays.
Designed for adventurers and travelers, the towel combines functionality and comfort. The towel has a beautiful contrasting edge and a smart elastic hanging loop makes it easy to hang up and pack away. We have chosen an environmentally friendly approach without unnecessary packaging - you only get what is most important: a durable, quality cotton towel that will last for years.
Advantages of Adventure Smart Towel:
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100% natural cotton – no synthetic fibers
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Quick-drying towel – perfect for travel and sports
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Antibacterial treatment – stays fresher longer
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Extremely absorbent – absorbs water efficiently
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Lightweight design – weighs only 109g (Small) / 340g (Large)
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Soft and breathable – comfortable against the skin
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Oeko-Tex certified – free from harmful chemicals
Whether you're into hiking, climbing, surfing, fitness or world travel, the Adventure Smart Towel is the perfect choice. It's travel-friendly, quick-drying, durable and antibacterial - the ultimate towel for all your adventures.
best for sauna
What to pack in the sauna bag
There isn't much you actually need. But what you do bring must be able to withstand heat, moisture, and being used again next time.
List:
- A large towel to sit on — 70×140 cm or wider. It must be able to cover where you sit
- A small towel for your face and sweat — 55×55 cm. The one you have in hand between rounds
- Swimwear, if the venue requires it — many Danish saunas and sauna ritual events do
- Water — you sweat, and you need to drink along the way
- Shower shoes or flip-flops — changing rooms and floors are communal areas
- A bag for your damp towels — this is where most people are surprised. If the towel is left untreated, the smell will be ready for next time
Therefore cotton in the sauna and not microfiber
Saunas are hot and humid, and the skin is warm, soft, and damp. These are the conditions where synthetic fibers feel worst: microfiber and polyester slide across the skin instead of absorbing sweat, and they can even start to smell because odor molecules bind more strongly to synthetic fibers than to cotton.
Cotton does the opposite. The structure provides a large surface area that absorbs a lot of liquid at once, and the fibers feel soft against warm skin. If the towel becomes saturated between rounds, you wring it out and continue. This is also why cotton is the standard in sauna culture everywhere the sauna originates from.
And as with all other cotton: no microplastics when washed.
StayFresh: Sweat three times a week, without the bag smelling
Odors in textiles are not caused by sweat itself; they are caused by bacteria that feed on moisture and leave behind odor molecules. Polygiene StayFresh is a silver-based treatment that inhibits the growth of these very bacteria. The treatment fights 99.9% of bacterial growth in the fabric, and it is applied during the production of the textile itself, so it does not wash out and does not need to be refreshed.
In practice, this means that you can use the towel multiple times before it needs to be washed. You wash it when it is dirty, not just because it has been used. And 30 degrees is enough instead of 60.
Most people who go to the sauna end up buying these for their home too.
What you need to know before going into the sauna
- Sizes
55×55 cm (109 g) and 70×140 cm (340 g). The set contains both
- Material
100% cotton. No synthetic fibers, no microfiber, no microplastics during washing
- Withstands heat and moisture
Cotton is the standard material for the sauna. No synthetic feel against hot skin
- Antibacterial
Polygiene StayFresh, silver-based, lasts the product's lifetime. Inhibits odor
- Mounting
Elastic hanging loop — fits on the hook in the changing room and in the sauna anteroom
- Certification
OEKO-TEX® — tested for harmful substances
- Drying
Hang it spread out, never folded double. Air from both sides
- Production
Portugal
Good to know
Yes, in most places. It is the house rule at the vast majority of bathing facilities and swimming pools, and it is a matter of common courtesy towards the bench. Use the large one, and keep it separate from the one you use to dry your face.
70×140 cm covers where you are sitting. If you have a sauna at home with a fixed spot, 80×150 cm (Copenhagen bath towel) is wider and covers the bench better.
Yes. Cotton is the material that sauna culture is built on, and it is not affected by the temperatures a sauna reaches.
30 °C with similar colors. No fabric softener — it coats the fibers and reduces absorbency. Do not tumble dry, do not bleach.
Yes, many do. The set covers both: the large one for the body and for sitting on, the small one for hair and face. → See the winter bathing page
It is made to last for years. The cotton typically becomes softer with use, and the antibacterial effect remains with the product throughout its life.
»Soft, dries quickly and is easy to take with you; it doesn't take up much space when folded."
"You can tell it's a quality product. It holds its shape and absorbency."
Frequently asked questions
Cotton, in two sizes. A large one (70×140 cm) to sit on and wrap around your body, and a small one (55×55 cm) for your face and sweat between rounds. The Adventure Smart Towel is available as a set with both and features an antibacterial StayFresh treatment that prevents odors.
A large towel to sit on, a small one for your face and sweat, swimwear if the place requires it, water, water shoes, and a bag the towels can be kept in while damp.
Two. The one you are sitting on gets soaked in sweat, and you don't want to wipe your face with that. Some take a third one for their hair.
In most places no — it is both a house rule and common courtesy. Use a large towel underneath you.
Rarely. Synthetic fibers feel rubbery against warm, damp skin, absorb less liquid at a time, and odors bind more strongly to them than to cotton. Cotton is the standard material for the sauna.
The odor comes from bacteria that feed on the moisture in the fabric. The StayFresh treatment inhibits their growth so the towel stays fresh between uses. Hang it spread out and not folded double.
Wash it when it is dirty — not just because it has been used. Because the treatment prevents odor-causing bacteria from growing, most people can use it several times in between.
Adventure Smart Towel compared to others
| Adventure Smart Towel | Microfiber travel towel | Standard cotton towel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100% cotton | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| Available as a set in two sizes | ✓ | ? | — |
| Comfortable against warm, damp skin | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| Absorbs a lot of liquid at once | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| Can be wrung out and reused between rounds | ✓ | — | — |
| Antibacterial treatment, extends lifespan | ✓ | — | — |
| Can be used multiple times without smelling | ✓ | — | — |
| Takes up a bit of space in the sauna bag | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Elastic suspension loop | ✓ | ? | — |
| Does not release microplastics when washed | ✓ | — | ✓ |