10 Best Sauna and Ice Bath Accessories to Buy in Australia (2026)
You have done the hard part. You have a quality ice bath or sauna. You have committed to the ritual. But anyone who has been doing cold and heat therapy for more than a few months knows there is a second layer to the experience, the accessories that separate a frustrating, inconsistent setup from one that is effortless and genuinely pleasurable to use every single day.
Getting the right accessories is not about luxury. It is about removing friction. A proper sauna thermometer means you never guess whether the temperature is right. A quality floating thermometer for your ice bath means you hit your target temperature every session. The right accessories make your protocol more precise, safer, and more enjoyable, which means you actually stick to it.
Every product in this list is available on Amazon Australia. Where possible, we have included the relevant search term so you can find the right product quickly. Pricing is approximate as at 2026 and will vary.
Here is a quick overview of the full list before we dive into each:
All products available on Amazon Australia. Prices approximate as at 2026 and subject to change. Affiliate links used.
Why Accessories Actually Matter: The Data Behind Consistent Sauna Use
Before we get into the products, it is worth grounding this in the science. The benefits of regular sauna use are not subtle. A landmark 20-year Finnish cohort study of 2,315 men published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Laukkanen et al., 2018) found dramatic reductions in cardiovascular mortality with increased sauna frequency:
Source: Laukkanen et al. (2018), Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2,315 men followed over 20 years. Relative cardiovascular mortality risk compared to non-sauna users. 4–7x weekly sauna users showed 63% lower risk of sudden cardiac death. Sessions: 30 min at 73°C.
The message is clear: frequency matters enormously. Going four to seven times per week is not about obsession; it is about accessing the full cardiovascular, cognitive, and longevity benefits that casual use cannot reach. And the single biggest predictor of whether you will hit that frequency is how seamless your setup is. Accessories eliminate the friction points that cause people to skip sessions.
The 10 Essential Accessories
1. Floating Thermometer for Your Ice Bath
This is the single most overlooked accessory for ice bath users, and also the most important one. Without it, you are guessing your water temperature. Most people significantly overestimate how cold their water is, especially as sessions progress and your perception adapts.
Why it matters: Research on cold water immersion consistently shows that the physiological responses (dopamine release, norepinephrine increase, brown adipose tissue activation) are temperature-dependent. The minimum effective dose established by Susanna Soeberg and Andrew Huberman's analysis suggests accumulating roughly 11 minutes per week at temperatures between 10-15 degrees Celsius. You cannot hit a temperature target you cannot measure.
What to look for: A simple floating dial thermometer in a waterproof housing. No batteries required. Easy to read at a glance from outside the tub. Most good options sit in the $15-$35 range on Amazon AU.
Tip: Choose one with a large, clear dial face that is readable in outdoor lighting and with slightly blurred cold-shocked vision.
2. Sauna Bucket and Ladle Set
If you have a traditional Finnish or outdoor wood-burning sauna, a quality bucket and ladle is not optional. The practice of throwing water on the heated stones (loyly, pronounced "LOO-loo" in Finnish) is central to the entire experience and dramatically affects how the heat feels. A poorly made bucket will warp, crack, or develop an unpleasant mould-like smell within months.
What to look for: Nordic or Finnish-made wooden buckets from pine or cedar, with a stainless steel inner lining. A matching ladle with a long, heat-resistant wooden handle. Avoid cheap plastic-lined bucket sets. The bucket should hold at least 4L (one gallon) of water.
Good bucket and ladle sets typically run $40-$80 on Amazon AU. Harvia and Northwood are reputable brands in this space.
3. Thermometer and Hygrometer Combo
Your sauna needs its own instrument panel. A combined thermometer and hygrometer measures both temperature and humidity simultaneously, giving you the full picture of your sauna environment. This matters because how a sauna feels is not just about heat; it is about heat and humidity in combination. 80 degrees with 10% humidity feels entirely different to 80 degrees with 40% humidity.
Optimal ranges: For a traditional Finnish sauna, aim for 80-100 degrees Celsius at bench level with 10-20% relative humidity. For an infrared sauna, temperatures will be lower (55-65 degrees) with similarly low humidity.
What to look for: A wooden-framed (cedar or pine) dual-dial instrument. Avoid cheap digital models; analogue is more heat-tolerant and requires no batteries. Must be rated to at least 120 degrees Celsius.
4. Water Treatment Kit for Your Ice Bath
This is the most underrated essential for anyone who keeps water in their ice bath for more than a single session. Without proper treatment, your water will develop bacteria, algae, and biofilm within days, particularly in warmer Australian weather. Even with an ozone filtration system, you still need to maintain water chemistry.
The basics: You need to regularly test and maintain pH (ideally 7.2-7.8) and sanitiser levels. Most cold plunge users use a small amount of sodium dichloro (available as spa shock or pool tabs) or hydrogen peroxide as a natural alternative. A basic 5-in-1 spa test strip kit lets you check pH, chlorine, alkalinity, and hardness in under 60 seconds.
Testing strips run $15-$25 on Amazon AU. Spa shock treatment is widely available and affordable. This is the boring unglamorous part of cold therapy ownership, but skipping it is how you end up with a skin infection.
5. Non-Slip Bath Mat
Simple, inexpensive, and regularly overlooked until the moment it matters. The combination of wet feet, cold shock to the system, and an adrenaline response after stepping out of an ice bath creates a genuine slip hazard. A quality non-slip mat placed both inside and outside your cold plunge dramatically reduces this risk.
For saunas, a mat inside the sauna prevents the benches from being slippery during perspiration and adds a hygiene layer between your body and the shared wood surface.
What to look for: PVC or rubber anti-fatigue mats for outdoor ice bath areas. Natural teak or cedar wood slat mats for inside saunas (they handle heat better than rubber and look far better).
6. Sauna Sand Timer (Hourglass)
This is one of those accessories that feels like a luxury until you use it, after which it feels essential. Leaving your phone outside the sauna (which you should, for both cognitive rest and heat damage reasons) means you need another way to track time. A 15-minute sand timer mounted on the sauna wall is the traditional Scandinavian solution.
Why it matters: The research on sauna benefits shows a dose-response relationship with session duration. The cardiovascular mortality data from Finnish cohort studies typically involved sessions of 15-20 minutes. A sand timer gives you a passive visual cue without the distraction of notifications.
7. Cedar Sauna Headrest
If you spend serious time in a sauna, lying down is far more relaxing and effective than sitting. Without a proper headrest, the bench is uncomfortable for longer sessions and you end up sitting when you should be lying, which reduces your core temperature exposure.
Quality cedar sauna headrests are ergonomically shaped to support the neck and head on a slanted bench surface. They are heat-resistant, sweat-resistant, and have a pleasant woody scent that deepens with heat. They also work as backrests for more upright positions.
8. Eucalyptus Essential Oil
If you have a traditional sauna with a heater and stones, adding a few drops of eucalyptus oil to your water bucket transforms the experience. The menthol-like compounds in eucalyptus (primarily cineole) open the airways, have demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects, and produce a deep, cooling-feeling inhale even in intense heat.
This is one of the oldest sauna traditions in both Finnish and Russian bath culture, and it remains one of the simplest ways to enhance the physiological sensation of a sauna session. Use sparingly: 3-5 drops in a full bucket of water is sufficient. Never pour undiluted essential oil directly onto sauna stones, as this is a fire risk.
Australian angle: Australian eucalyptus oil is world-class. Several Amazon AU sellers stock high-purity Australian-grown eucalyptus oil that is both cheaper and better quality than imported alternatives.
9. Insulated Ice Bath Cover or Lid
If you run a chiller-based cold plunge rather than a fill-with-ice setup, an insulated lid is a meaningful upgrade. It serves three functions: keeping the water at temperature when the chiller is off (reducing energy costs by 20-40%), preventing debris, insects, and leaves from contaminating the water, and acting as a safety cover if children are in the household.
What to look for: Either a purpose-built inflatable lid that came with your tub, or a custom-cut foam insulation board wrapped in marine vinyl. Several aftermarket options exist on Amazon AU and on specialist outdoor leisure stores.
10. Sauna Backrest (Cedar)
Rounding out the list is the cedar sauna backrest: an ergonomically shaped S-curved wooden support that attaches to the back wall of a bench, allowing you to maintain good posture during seated sauna sessions without your back pressing uncomfortably against the rough wall.
For shorter sessions this is a luxury. For anyone spending 20-30 minutes in a sauna multiple times per week, it genuinely changes the comfort level of longer sessions and removes the incentive to cut them short. Quality cedar backrests have non-slip rubber feet and are designed to handle years of heat and moisture cycling.
Building Your Full Setup: What to Buy First
If you are outfitting a new setup and want to prioritise, here is the order that makes the most practical difference:
1. Floating thermometer (ice bath): Essential from day one.
2. Sauna thermometer/hygrometer: Know your environment.
3. Water treatment strips and spa shock: Non-negotiable for hygiene.
4. Non-slip mat: Safety first.
5. Sauna bucket and ladle (if traditional sauna): Unlock the full experience.
6. Eucalyptus oil, sand timer, headrest: Upgrade the ritual.
Total cost for the full list runs roughly $250-$500 for quality versions of everything. That is a one-time investment that will significantly improve every session you do for years to come. When you are already spending thousands on the hardware, these accessories represent exceptional value per dollar of improvement to the ritual.
What About Cold Plunge Hardware?
If you are still in the market for an ice bath or sauna setup, Ritual Recovery's full range of ice baths, chillers, and accessories is available at myritual.com.au/ice-bath-tub.
Every ice bath in the Ritual Recovery range is designed for the Australian climate, with military-grade insulation, intelligent chiller systems, and the durability to handle outdoor conditions year-round.
Ritual Recovery
Shop the Full Ice Bath Range
Every tub in the Ritual Recovery range is engineered for the Australian climate, with military-grade insulation, WiFi chiller systems, and the build quality to last decades outdoors. Same week dispatch. 30-day returns.
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Entry Level
The Easy Plunge The fastest way into cold therapy. 5-layer insulated inflatable tub, sets up in 2 minutes, no chiller required. Just add water and ice. ● 2-minute setup, carry bag included ● 10mm insulated walls, lockable lid ● Floating thermometer included ● Indoor and outdoor use
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Portable + Chiller
The Stoic Military-grade dropstitch marine vinyl. Portable without compromising durability. Optional 0.8HP WiFi chiller for temperature-on-demand cold therapy. ● 8cm double-wall dropstitch PVC ● 3°C to 42°C with chiller ● Ozone sanitation + 20 micron filter ● WiFi app control + auto scheduling
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Premium Timber
The Roman Red cedar exterior with marine-grade stainless steel interior. The design-forward tub for a home wellness sanctuary. Cedar step included, chiller tucked inside. ● 530L capacity, fits up to 6'9" ● 3°C to 42°C, 1HP or 2HP chiller ● Fits through standard doorways ● AS/NZS certified, 2yr warranty
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Elite
The Centurion Double-wall Marine Grade 316 stainless steel. Extra-deep for full-body immersion. Built for athletes, performance centres, and those who demand the best. ● Marine Grade 316 SS, extra-deep tub ● 3°C to 42°C, 1HP or 2HP chiller ● Triple filtration + ozone sanitation ● WiFi app, lockable insulated lid
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Not sure which tub is right for you? Compare the full range, specs, and chiller options on our product page. |
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