Select your wood of choice for your sauna in your home or business. Hardwoods are the ideal selection for high end saunas since they are denser by nature and are more heat-resistant than softwoods, making them ideal for high heat environments. Cedar wood is commonly used in high end saunas as cedar wood is very dense, durable, has a pleasant aroma when heated, and has low thermal conductivity while being resistant to decay. Wood species that can withstand high heat are spruce, hemlock, aspen, cedar, maple, oak and birch. These woods do not conduct heat as easily as other wood species which means they have low thermal conductivity that helps retain heat inside of the sauna.