Trying to find a sauna near you? Whether you’revisiting an unfamiliar city, recently moved or looking for your first sauna experience – we can help!
On this website, you’ll find listings and reviews for the best local saunas.
How To Find A Sauna Nearby
Here’s a list to help you find the best sauna for you. We look at the different kinds of establishments where you can find a sauna.
You might well be surprised at some of the places on the list!
Health & Fitness Gyms With Saunas
Many health and fitness clubs have a sauna on-site. This makes it great for people who want to follow up exercise with a sauna and a cold shower.
However, if you’re just interested in using the sauna, a monthly gym membership might make things too costly.
Look for gyms with saunas that have day-passes. Or better yet, look for something like the “Fitness Passbook”, a program from American Health and Fitness.
The Fitness Passbook gives you access to dozens of gyms for around $75 a year. Sometimes you can only use certain gyms for a day, other times you can use it for a full week.
Currently, the Fitness Passbook scheme operates in New York, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles. You can also check out Classpass which has a similar scheme and Blue365, too.
It’s definitely worth checking what your city offers.
Day Spas with Saunas
There are thousands of spas with saunas across the country. They usually don’t require a monthly or yearly membership, which makes them perfect for a one-off visit.To quote NYC prices, you can get a day-pass to use the Sauna for around $20 – $30 a day. It is definitely worth checking out Groupon. For example, they currently have all say spa access from as low as $22.
You can often get a free sauna if you purchase other spa treatments or spend over $100.
YMCA Saunas
The YMCA has saunas at many of its 2,700+ locations across the US.
Membership does get you access to many other classes and activities, but might not be needed if you’re just looking for a sauna near you. Instead, the day-passes represent great value.
A day pass which includes pools, Free wife, exercise classes and sauna use costs just $10 for adults ($16 for a family pass) at many locations. However, you do need to pay a $60 joiners fee per adult / $25 Youths.
Korean Saunas
Korean Saunas (“Jjimjilbang” are starting to catch on it the west. They’re cheap (around $25 entrance), often open 24 hours and offer a range of treatments such as massages, float pods, ice cold plunges and Korean restaurants.
In Korea, they’re used for family getaways and by businessmen, who sometimes seek refuge after drinking all night. So they’ve got a tried and tested detox model!
Be warned – you have to get naked! Like the Scandanavians, the Koreans believe that is the most hygienic way to enjoy a Sauna.
Hotels With Saunas
If the price is not as much an issue and you’re traveling, a hotel with a sauna could be the answer.
You need to be aware that only a small percentage of City hotels have saunas. And these tend to be the better ones.
Having said that, you can find mid-priced hotels with saunas in NYC for around $100.
If you are making a booking anyway, a Suana could be just the thing to relax after a long journey or drinks with friends. You might also feel more comfortable taking a sauna in a hotel as opposed to a public gym or bath house.
Russian Bath Houses
At a Russian Bath House (“Banyo”), you’ll get a sauna and a cultural experience without leaving the city. In recent years, their low prices and the variety of services have seen then become popular with Millenials.
Cities like New York have a number of well-kept bath houses that have been operating for more than 100 years. Before hot water was plentiful in the Big Apple, New Yorkers used them to keep themselves clean, discuss business and hide from their wives.
At a Russian Bath, you can enjoy a “Venik” massage, which uses birch or oak twigs to open your pores and improve your metabolism.
Russian Saunas are also different from the Scandinavian varieties. They believe the quality of the steam is more important than the heat.
As a result, they are 20-degrees / 32F cooler and the humidity is a lot less too. Steam is created by throwing water over hot rocks, and this is said to make the steam easier to breathe.
Here is a video featuring the Venik Massage on Wall Street.
Types of Sauna
Generally, there are three different types of Saunas: wet, dry and infrared.
Wet Saunas?
A “Wet Sauna” is where water is used to produce steam. This typically happens when water is splashed against hot rocks.
The water completely evaporates, and the resulting humidity also lends itself to the name “Wet Sauna”
Dry Saunas
As the name implies, a “dry sauna” doesn’t use steam. It is more of a “Dry Heat” as opposed to the moist heat that hot rocks and water produce.
Infrared Saunas
Infrared Saunas are a modern innovation which can be found in some health clubs and homes.
The name is a bit of a misnomer, as neither rocks or water are used. The whole room also doesn’t get hot. Instead, several heaters placed in a room provide infrared rays which penetrate the skin.
This is said to deliver the same effect as a traditional sauna without any of the heat.
Sauna Etiquette
One thing that puts many people off finding a sauna is taking off. Clothes that is!
Whilst it’s true in countries like Finland, Japan and Korea they like to enjoy the steam au natural, things in the US are kept a bit more covered up.
At may different types of saunas, robes are available to be rented and swimwear is allowed. You are also given a couple of towels for your modesty.
You need to be aware that there are some naked saunas, though these are usually single sex and not co-ed. In this situation, customers will take off and sit on the towels. This is actually the “Traditional” way to do it as it’s believed toxins escape from clothing.
If you’re ever in any doubt, simply read the online reviews or call the establishment ahead of time to check with them.
You also need to be aware that many saunas have a minimum age requirement. In some places, it’s 12, other 12, and yet others children can be allowed under parental supervision.
Turkish Bath Houses
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