Sauna Seat

Go the distance.

The Salty Cheeks Sauna Seat — 14mm of memory foam and wetsuit neoprene under your sit bones, so the heat decides when you're done. Not the bench.

Shop the Sauna Seat — $40 | Sauna Seat Duo + Wet Bag — $80

The bench always wins first

Ask anyone who saunas regularly what cuts a session short. It's rarely the heat. It's the sit bones: a hard timber bench, a thin damp towel, and by minute twelve you're shifting your weight, leaning on your hands, and quietly counting down. You leave early not because you've had enough heat, but because your bottom has.

The Sauna Seat fixes the part that gives up first. A 10mm marine-grade memory foam core inside a 2mm wetsuit neoprene wrap — 14mm of cushioning shaped to sit exactly where you meet the bench. The pressure on your sit bones goes away, the sting of hot timber goes away, and suddenly the full round is easy.

Why it works when a towel doesn't

It's built for endurance. The Enduro pad was designed for paddlers doing hours on a hard seat. Twenty minutes on the top bench is well within its comfort zone.

It doesn't go soggy. Neoprene doesn't soak up sweat like a towel does. It stays cushioned, it doesn't turn cold and clammy between rounds, and it rinses clean under the shower in ten seconds.

It's your own seat. Shared bench, personal pad. A proper barrier between you and whoever sat there last — the modern version of the Finnish pefletti, the little bench mat every sauna regular carries in.

It goes everywhere. 107 grams, 35 × 22cm — about the size of a folded hand towel. Sauna, plunge, sauna, plunge — it comes with you every round and it's dry before you are.

Built for every kind of sweat

Beach & Nordic saunas. Wood-fired hut, ocean plunge, repeat. The venues tell you to bring a towel to sit on — bring this on top and keep your towel dry for the walk back. Rinse it in the sea or under the outdoor shower between rounds.

Home saunas. Infrared cabin or backyard barrel, the Sauna Seat turns the bench into somewhere you actually want to sit for the whole timer. Two at home? The Duo comes with a Wet Bag for the damp swimmers afterwards.

Gym & recovery. Sauna after training, then the ice bath. Shared benches, quick turnarounds, and a gym bag that doesn't need a wet towel in it. Sit, rinse, drop it in the Wet Bag, go.

For the drive home

The drive home after a sauna and plunge is where a towel lets you down. Wrap it around you, sit down, and the water seeps straight through to the seat. The Salty Cheeks Car Seat Protector is neoprene, so nothing gets past it — water, sweat, sand or grime. A fitted hood slips over the headrest, it covers the back and base of the seat, and afterwards you hose it off and roll it back up into its hood, ready for next time. Keep it in the car with your Sauna Seat and Wet Bag and the whole post-session routine is sorted.

Born on the water

Salty Cheeks was founded in Sydney by Mandy, a lifelong dragon boat, outrigger and surfski paddler who got sick of missing sessions because of sit-bone pain. The patented pads inside our paddle shorts were built to survive salt water, sun and hours on a hard seat — which turns out to be excellent training for a sauna bench. Same pad, same marine-grade foam, same wetsuit neoprene. Just a warmer office.

(Yes, it says Enduro on it. Paddlers use it for the longest days on the water; you'll use it for the longest sits in the heat.)

Specs

Core: 10mm marine-grade memory foam
Outer: 2mm clothed wetsuit neoprene
Total thickness: 14mm
Size: 35 × 22cm, shaped to sit under both sit bones
Weight: 107g
Tested in traditional saunas over 80°C and in infrared cabins
Designed by Australian paddlers (who also happen to be regular sauna users)

FAQ

Can I use it in a proper hot Finnish sauna, not just infrared?
Yes. We've tested it in wood-fired and electric saunas over 80°C. One rule: it goes in and out with you. Don't leave it on the bench between rounds and don't rest it near the stove or heater.

Does it replace my towel?
Many venues ask you to sit on a towel — that's their hygiene rule and we're all for it. Put the Sauna Seat on top of your towel, or straight on the bench where that's allowed. Either way your sit bones win.

Will it get hot?
The surface warms like everything else in the room, but with you on it the pad stays well below air temperature and the foam core is doing the insulating. It's a lot kinder than bare timber.

Steam room?
Yes. It's a wetsuit material — it's happiest wet.

How do I clean it?
Rinse under cold water, squeeze, hang or lay flat in the shade. No machine wash, no tumble dryer, no dry cleaning. Every few sessions, a rinse with mild soap or wetsuit wash keeps it fresh.

Can I use it in Salty Cheeks paddle shorts too?
Absolutely — it's the same patented Enduro pad. One pad, two lives.

Is it one size?
One size — 35 × 22cm, shaped to sit under both sit bones.