For your first sauna visit, check the venue’s dress code and pack swimwear, towels and water. Shower before entering, then try a short round of around 5–10 minutes, sitting on a towel. A lower bench offers less heat. There is no need to stay if you feel uncomfortable, or to take a cold plunge afterwards.
Pack for the venue you have booked
Bring swimwear and a water bottle, along with flip-flops or sandals. Pack a towel to sit on inside and another for afterwards. A change of light, breathable clothes will be comfortable after your session. Clothing rules differ, so check your venue’s dress code before you go.
It is worth checking what is included, too. Relax Recover lists towels and robes among its session inclusions, as well as drinking water. Other saunas may not supply these.
Jewellery and watches belong outside the sauna because metal can become uncomfortably hot. Keep your phone outside as well. The heat is unsuitable for electronics, and screens can disturb the quiet atmosphere.
Before you step inside
Arrive having drunk water, rather than saving all your drinking for the end of the session. Thermory suggests drinking throughout the day; Relax Recover specifies an amount before arrival. Keep water available for breaks and afterwards.
Avoid alcohol before and during the session. Relax Recover extends that advice to the whole day, while the wood-fired guide also advises avoiding alcohol afterwards. A heavy meal is best avoided beforehand. Both Relax Recover and the wood-fired guide suggest leaving at least 90 minutes.
A quick shower before entering helps keep the shared space clean. Dry off afterwards, with your jewellery already removed and your sitting towel ready.
The heat depends on the sauna
Traditional saunas use a stove and heated stones. In a wood-fired sauna, burning logs heat the stones; an electric sauna uses an electric heater. Infrared saunas work differently, using infrared light to warm you directly rather than heating the surrounding air in the same way.
Temperature ranges vary between the guides and are not universal settings. Polhus gives 70–100°C for traditional saunas and 45–60°C for infrared. Relax Recover describes its traditional sauna at 85–100°C, with an infrared range of 60–75°C.
Your seat matters in a traditional sauna: higher benches are hotter, so a lower bench may suit your first round. Water on the hot stones produces a burst of steam called löyly, making the heat feel more intense. Ask permission before adding any.
Short rounds, with room to stop
Think in rounds rather than one uninterrupted stretch of heat. Thermory and the wood-fired guide suggest 5–10 minutes for beginners. That is a starting point, not a minimum you have to complete.
Other recommendations differ. Centuraheat and Polhus suggest 8–12 minutes, whereas Relax Recover describes 20–25 minutes as an acceptable first session. These guides cover different sauna settings, so their timings should not become a single target for everyone.
Discomfort is reason enough to leave. If you feel dizzy, lightheaded or nauseous, or unusually uncomfortable, get out and cool down rather than finishing a planned time. Between rounds, rest and drink water. Centuraheat and the wood-fired guide suggest a 10–15-minute break. Only return when you feel comfortable.
Sharing the space
Enter calmly, keep conversation quiet and give people room on the bench. Your towel should stay underneath you when sitting or lying down. Take it away when you leave, keeping the area tidy for the next person.
Avoid unnecessary movement. At the end of a round, stand up gradually and leave calmly. Someone else may stay longer, but you do not need to match them. The guides consistently put comfort ahead of time spent inside.
Cooling down without the plunge
Cooling down is part of the visit. A cold plunge is not compulsory. Thermory describes fresh air as an alternative to a shower or plunge, while Centuraheat and the wood-fired guide suggest a lukewarm shower as a starting point for beginners.
The advice on entering cold water is not consistent: Relax Recover encourages a decisive entry, but the wood-fired guide recommends gradual entry and cautions beginners against jumping straight in. You can leave the plunge for another visit, or simply cool down gradually instead.
Rest somewhere cool with drinking water to hand. Change into comfortable, breathable clothing while you finish cooling down. Thermory suggests a light snack if you are hungry. The break deserves as much attention as the time in the heat.
Questions people ask
- What should I wear for my first sauna visit?
- Check the venue’s clothing rules before packing. The packing guidance for public sauna visits includes swimwear and a towel to sit on. Remove jewellery and watches before entering, as metal can become uncomfortably hot.
- Should I sit on the top bench?
- Higher benches are hotter. A lower bench may be more comfortable for your first round; there is no need to choose the hottest seat.
- Do I have to stay for the full suggested time?
- No. The timings are suggestions, not targets. You can leave whenever you feel uncomfortable. Dizziness, lightheadedness or nausea mean you should leave immediately.
- Can I take my phone into the sauna?
- Keep it outside. Sauna heat is unsuitable for electronics, and screens can disrupt the quiet of a shared space.
- Is a cold plunge compulsory?
- No. A gradual cool-down is an option. The guides describe a lukewarm shower or resting in fresh air as alternatives.