• 61 things to wear

What Should I Wear in a Sauna

A swimsuit at the gym, only a towel in a textile-free spa, and usually a towel to sit on.

What Should I Wear in a Sauna

  1. Swimsuit, at most gym and pool saunasRequired by YMCAs, universities and pool operators in the US, England and Australia.
  2. Towel to sit on, whatever else you wearRequired at a Massachusetts university and a Bavarian spa alike; many other saunas ask for one.
  3. Towel wrap alone, where swimsuits are not the ruleAccepted in Helsinki’s mixed public saunas and in a San Francisco YMCA’s locker room saunas.
  4. Clean T-shirt and shorts, where the rules allowFine at universities in Massachusetts and Virginia; banned at two YMCAs read for this page.
  5. Only a towel under you, in a textile-free saunaThe rule at thermal spas in Germany and Poland, which keep swimwear out of the sauna.
  6. Sandals to the door, bare feet insideShoes are barred from saunas at universities in Virginia and Texas and at a San Francisco YMCA.
  7. Loose clothes to change into afterwardA North Carolina bathhouse suggests dresses, loose pants and easy tops for after your visit.

All 61 things to wear

The short answer 7

  • Clean T-shirt and shorts, where the rules allow Fine at universities in Massachusetts and Virginia; banned at two YMCAs read for this page.
  • Loose clothes to change into afterward A North Carolina bathhouse suggests dresses, loose pants and easy tops for after your visit.
  • Only a towel under you, in a textile-free sauna The rule at thermal spas in Germany and Poland, which keep swimwear out of the sauna.
  • Sandals to the door, bare feet inside Shoes are barred from saunas at universities in Virginia and Texas and at a San Francisco YMCA.
  • Swimsuit, at most gym and pool saunas Required by YMCAs, universities and pool operators in the US, England and Australia.
  • Towel to sit on, whatever else you wear Required at a Massachusetts university and a Bavarian spa alike; many other saunas ask for one.
  • Towel wrap alone, where swimsuits are not the rule Accepted in Helsinki’s mixed public saunas and in a San Francisco YMCA’s locker room saunas.

At a gym, pool or campus sauna 8

  • Bathing suit, clothing or a towel Recreation centers run by a Virginia county require one of the three.
  • Bathing suit, or clean shorts and a shirt A Massachusetts university’s dress code for its sauna, which also rules out nudity.
  • Flip-flops or open-toed sandals In a Massachusetts university’s sauna dress code; an Australian operator asks for them too.
  • Swim attire, in a co-ed or all-gender sauna A San Francisco YMCA requires it there; in its locker room saunas a towel alone will do.
  • Swimsuit, T-shirt or shorts All three are acceptable attire at a Virginia university’s sauna.
  • Swimwear made of lycra or nylon The only thing a South Australian YMCA accepts in its sauna and steam room.
  • Wristband from reception Two Australian pool operators ask for a band from reception, worn or shown, to use the sauna.
  • Your own towel on the bench Required at a North Carolina faculty club, where clothing or a bathing suit stays on at all times.

Where swimsuits stay out of the sauna 14

  • Bathrobe in the restaurant Required in every restaurant area of a Cologne thermal spa.
  • Bathrobe or towel between sauna rounds Required outside the sauna cabins at thermal spas in Cologne and Bavaria.
  • Big towel beneath you, feet included A Cologne thermal spa asks for one; a Polish sauna complex wants no skin on the bench at all.
  • Disposable seat cover from the sauna Helsinki’s public saunas offer them for the benches; the Finnish word is pefletti.
  • Extra towel to wrap in, at a Helsinki pool sauna Swimsuits are forbidden in the same-sex saunas of public pools, the city’s visitor site says.
  • Flip-flops, the one shoe a Polish sauna zone allows Its rules forbid clothes, swimwear and any footwear other than flip-flops.
  • Linen seat cover of your own Better still than a disposable one, the City of Helsinki’s visitor site says.
  • Non-slip bath shoes, outside the pools A Bavarian thermal spa’s rules ask for them on wet floors.
  • Sauna cloth: a towel, pareo or bath sheet A Polish sauna complex admits bathers naked or in one of these, with no plastic or metal parts.
  • The shirt and shorts a Korean spa hands you A Los Angeles Korean spa asks guests to wear them in its co-ed sauna rooms.
  • Short, fitted swim trunks, in a spa’s swimwear zone The only kind one thermal spa lets men wear; it rents trunks and swimsuits at reception.
  • The spa’s towel, on a Korean spa’s bath floors No clothing is worn on the single-sex floors of a Los Angeles Korean spa; most guests wrap up.
  • Swimsuit or robe on the way to the sauna gate A German thermal spa routes visitors through a clothed zone first, with shelves at the crossing.
  • Swimwear in the pools, off before the sauna area Mandatory in the thermal pools of a Cologne spa and not permitted in its sauna area.

In an infrared sauna 7

  • Light shorts with a T-shirt One of the options a chain of infrared studios names, beside swimwear or its towels.
  • The studio’s own towels Every private suite at one chain of infrared studios is stocked with them.
  • Swimsuit or towel and little else A holiday lodging’s rules sheet for its infrared sauna asks for minimal clothing.
  • Swimsuit that is neither loose nor tight A North Carolina bathhouse’s advice, though it adds that the suit you already own will work.
  • Swimsuit, in a shared infrared room A North Carolina bathhouse applies its swimsuit rule to its infrared sauna as well.
  • Towel between you and the infrared bench The same lodging’s rules sheet asks guests to sit on one.
  • Whatever you are comfortable in, in a private suite A chain of infrared studios says to undress to your comfort level: sauna and suite are private.

Hair, feet and what to carry 6

  • Hair tie, to keep hair off your neck On the list of things to bring at a North Carolina bathhouse.
  • Piercings, case by case Some can stay in, a North Carolina bathhouse says: placement and jewelry differ.
  • Shower shoes, inside the bathhouse Allowed at a North Carolina bathhouse, where outside footwear is not.
  • Two cotton towels: one to sit on, one to dry with A North Carolina bathhouse’s list; it provides both with every visit.
  • Water bottle that is not glass or metal A North Carolina bathhouse’s advice. One US YMCA association allows water only in sealed plastic.
  • Wool sauna hat An optional extra at a North Carolina bathhouse, which says to soak it in cold water first.

Leave outside 19

  • No bathing suit on a Korean spa’s single-sex floors A Los Angeles Korean spa asks for no clothing at all on those floors, swimwear included.
  • No glass bottle Banned at an English university, a Polish sauna complex and a North Carolina faculty club.
  • No glasses or contact lenses, at one Australian operator Its rules ask bathers to remove both, with metal jewelry.
  • No jacket or hat past the porch A North Carolina faculty club has hooks outside its sauna for them.
  • No long sleeves or long pants Both are on a Virginia university’s list of unacceptable sauna attire.
  • No lotions or oils on your skin Prohibited at YMCAs in Florida, San Francisco and South Australia.
  • No metal jewelry Rule sheets in England, Australia, Poland and the US ask for it off.
  • No newspaper, magazine or book Paper is prohibited at a San Francisco YMCA; a Florida one calls it flammable.
  • No nudity, at most gym and campus saunas Ruled out at a Massachusetts university, a North Carolina club and a South Australian YMCA.
  • No phone Kept out of saunas in Massachusetts, San Francisco, Birmingham, Poland and Helsinki.
  • No rubberized or plastic clothing Two US YMCAs ban it; one says rubberized or plastic swimsuits can melt.
  • No sneakers or boots A Massachusetts university bans both from its sauna, with any heavy footwear.
  • No street clothes Ruled out by a Massachusetts university and, with cut-off jeans, by a South Australian YMCA.
  • No street shoes Outside footwear stops at the door of a North Carolina bathhouse and a Bavarian thermal spa.
  • No sweat suit or sauna suit Unacceptable at a Virginia university; an Australian council prohibits sweat suits too.
  • No swimsuit, in a textile-free sauna Not permitted in the sauna areas of German and Polish spas or in Helsinki’s pool saunas.
  • No underwear or lingerie as swimwear Strictly prohibited at a South Australian YMCA.
  • No watch or necklace A North Carolina faculty club names both, and has phones and other devices left on the porch.
  • No workout clothes Banned at a Massachusetts university; one US YMCA association bars sweatshirts and sweatpants.

How it works

What should I wear in a sauna? Whatever the house rules say: a swimsuit is required at most gyms and banned in textile-free spas, and a towel usually goes under you. These 61 things follow 22 sets of house rules and Helsinki’s city guide.

Read the full guide

Swimsuit required, or swimsuit banned?

Seven of the thirteen gym, pool and campus rule sheets read for this page require swimwear; five others accept a towel or clean clothes. Thermal spas in Germany and Poland make the sauna a textile-free zone, and the City of Helsinki’s visitor site says swimsuits are forbidden in the same-sex saunas of public pools but fine in most mixed public saunas.

How hot the room is

A North Carolina bathhouse gives 170 to 195°F for a traditional sauna and 110 to 150°F for an infrared one, and says the difference does not change what to wear. A Virginia county posts 180 to 200°F; Helsinki’s visitor site gives 70 to 90°C.

Questions and answers

What should I wear in an infrared sauna?

In a private suite, whatever is comfortable: a chain of infrared studios suggests its towels, swimwear, or light shorts and a T-shirt. In a shared room the house rule applies, and a North Carolina bathhouse requires a swimsuit in its infrared sauna too.

What should I wear in the sauna at the gym?

Usually a swimsuit, with a towel to sit on. YMCAs in Florida and South Australia require swim attire, as does a San Francisco YMCA in its co-ed saunas; universities in Massachusetts and Virginia also accept a clean T-shirt and shorts.

Can I wear just a towel in a sauna?

In some. A Texas university asks for a towel or a bathing suit, and Helsinki’s mixed public saunas accept a towel wrap. A San Francisco YMCA allows a towel alone only in its locker room saunas.

Do you wear shoes or flip-flops in a sauna?

Rules differ. Shoes are barred at universities in Virginia and Texas and at a San Francisco YMCA; a Massachusetts university allows flip-flops but no sneakers; a Polish sauna complex allows flip-flops and no other footwear.

Can I wear jewelry or glasses in a sauna?

Four rule sheets read here ask for jewelry off, and a North Carolina bathhouse advises against metal jewelry because it can become uncomfortably hot. One Australian pool operator also asks bathers to remove glasses and contact lenses.

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