Sauna Etiquette: The Unwritten Rules for UK Gyms, Spas and Home Saunas

Good sauna etiquette comes down to this: shower first, wear swimwear unless the venue says otherwise, always sit on a towel, keep quiet, leave your phone in the locker and ask before you pour water on the stones. Those six habits cover about 90% of what regulars care about in a UK gym or leisure-centre sauna. Spas and continental saunas add a few more rules, and a home sauna has its own quirks when guests come round, so we'll go through each setting in turn, then finish with the safety side, which matters more than any of the manners.

The core rules for a UK gym or leisure-centre sauna

Most UK saunas sit next to a pool or inside a gym changing area, and they're shared by people who've just swum, just trained or just come in for a sweat. That mix is why the rules exist.

1. Shower before you go in

Rinse off before you step in. You're removing sweat from your workout, deodorant, perfume and pool chlorine, all of which smell much stronger once they're heated. A rinse also takes the edge off any body odour you didn't notice in the changing room. Pat yourself dry afterwards, because water on your skin has to evaporate before you start sweating properly.

2. Always sit on a towel

This is the one rule nobody bends. Put a towel under everything that touches the bench, including your feet if you're lying down or sitting with your legs up. Wooden benches absorb sweat, and a towel is the only thing stopping yours soaking into the slats for the next person. Bring a bath towel big enough to sit on comfortably, not a hand towel that leaves your thighs on bare wood.

3. Wear swimwear (in the UK, anyway)

British leisure centres and gym chains almost always require swimwear in mixed saunas, and many have signs saying so. A swimming costume or swim shorts is the norm. What you shouldn't wear is gym kit: sweaty leggings and T-shirts carry everything you've just done on the treadmill into a small, hot box. Trainers and flip-flops stay outside too, though some people leave flip-flops just by the door.

4. Keep the noise down

A gym sauna isn't a library, and a quiet word with a mate is fine. Loud conversations, music from earbuds and group chats across the benches aren't. Read the room when you walk in. If everyone's silent with their eyes shut, that's the vibe.

5. No phones

Phones are banned in almost every public sauna, partly for privacy (people are in swimwear or less) and partly because the heat is bad for them. Lithium batteries don't like being cooked. Leave it in your locker and give your eyes a break for ten minutes.

6. Don't take up a whole bench

Lying flat across a top bench in a busy sauna is the fastest way to annoy regulars. If the room's empty, stretch out. Once others come in, sit up and make space. The top benches are hottest, so newcomers often sit low and move up once they're used to the heat.

7. Open and close the door quickly

Every second the door stays open, heat pours out and everyone inside feels it. Step in, shut it behind you, and don't stand chatting in the doorway.

8. No shaving, nail clipping or hair treatments

It sounds obvious, but people do it. The sauna is not an extension of your bathroom. Same goes for applying oils, scrubs or face masks in a shared cabin unless it's a spa that specifically allows it.

Pouring water on the stones (löyly)

In Finland, the steam that rises when you throw water on the hot stones is called löyly, and it's the best part of a traditional sauna. It also changes the room for everybody. A single ladle can make the air feel several degrees hotter within seconds, even though the thermometer barely moves, because humid air stops sweat evaporating and your skin can't cool itself.

So the etiquette is simple. If there's a bucket and ladle, the sauna is built for it, but you still ask the people already in there ("mind if I put some water on?") before you pour. Pour one small ladle at a time, aimed at the stones, and wait for the steam to settle before adding more. Never empty the bucket in one go.

Some rules that catch people out:

• No bucket, no water. If there isn't one, the heater may not be designed for it. Throwing your drinking water on an electric heater without stones can damage it or trip the power.
• Plain water only. Don't add your own essential oils. Some spas run scented sessions with diluted oils designed for sauna use; that's their call, not yours.
• Infrared cabins are different. Infrared saunas have no stones and no steam at all. If you're not sure which type you're in, our guide to infrared vs traditional saunas explains how they work.

Spa saunas vs gym saunas

Spa saunas are usually quieter, more ritualised and more relaxed about clothing than gym ones. Expect these differences:

• Silence is the default. Many spas ask for whispering or no talking at all in heat rooms.
• Clothing rules vary. Most UK spas still require swimwear. A few have textile-free zones or nights, and they'll be clearly labelled. Never assume.
• Robes and slippers stay outside. You'll usually hang your robe on a hook by the door and carry your towel in.
• Organised steam sessions. Some spas run timed "Aufguss" sessions, a German ritual where a sauna master pours water (often scented) on the stones and wafts the heat around the room with a towel. If you join one, arrive before it starts, stay until it ends unless you feel unwell, and don't leave mid-wave unless you must. Leaving quietly if you're overheating is always fine.

If you're weighing up a sauna against the steam room at your spa, the two need slightly different habits. Our sauna vs steam room guide covers the temperature and humidity differences.

Finnish and German norms: the naked question

This is the bit that surprises Brits abroad. In Finland, saunas are traditionally used naked, usually in single-sex sessions or with family. In Germany, Austria and much of the Netherlands, many public sauna areas are textile-free, and they're often mixed. Wearing swimwear there can actually break the rules, because the venue treats costumes as unhygienic: they trap pool water and chemicals against hot wood.

The etiquette in a textile-free sauna is relaxed and entirely non-sexual. Nobody stares, nobody comments, and you sit fully on your towel so no skin touches the bench. If that's not for you, look for a venue with a swimwear area, or go at a single-sex time.

Back in the UK, the default flips. Unless a sign says a sauna is textile-free, wear swimwear.

Etiquette for using a home sauna with guests

Owning a sauna changes the rules a bit, because you're now the host. A few things make it work when friends or family come round:

• Explain the basics before they go in. Tell guests how hot it runs, how long a typical round is, and that they can get out the moment they feel uncomfortable. People new to saunas often feel they have to tough it out.
• Set the clothing expectation. Say up front whether it's swimwear, towels or whatever people prefer. Removing awkwardness here is the host's job.
• Provide towels. Have a clean towel for each guest to sit on, plus a separate one for drying off.
• Have water ready. A jug of water and cups by the door goes a long way.
• Ask before adding steam. The same löyly rule applies. Your guests may find it hotter than you do.
• Keep the rules about alcohol firm. Drinks before or during a sauna is the one thing to say no to, for reasons in the safety section below.
• Clean up. Wipe or scrub the benches every so often and air the cabin after use so the wood dries out.

If you're still deciding which kind to buy, our roundup of the best home saunas in the UK covers barrel, cabin, infrared and portable options at different prices.

Sauna safety: the part that matters most

Etiquette keeps the room pleasant. Safety keeps you out of hospital. Sauna bathing is well tolerated by most healthy adults, according to a widely cited review in the American Journal of Medicine (Hannuksela and Ellahham, 2001). That same review lists real exceptions, so take these seriously.

Hydration

You lose a fair amount of fluid through sweat, and it's easy to underestimate. Drink water before you go in and again after each round. If you've just come out of a hard workout, you're already partly dehydrated, so give yourself a few minutes and a drink before you head in. We cover the timing in more detail in using a sauna after a workout.

Alcohol

Don't drink before or during a sauna. The 2001 review notes that alcohol during sauna bathing raises the risk of low blood pressure, heart rhythm problems and sudden death. A few pints at the spa bar followed by a sauna round is exactly the pattern to avoid.

Heart conditions and medical advice

The same review lists unstable angina, a recent heart attack and severe aortic stenosis as reasons not to use a sauna. It also found sauna use is safe for most people with stable coronary heart disease, but "most" is not "all". If you have a heart condition, high or low blood pressure, are pregnant, or take medication that affects blood pressure or sweating, speak to your GP before starting. A later review of the cardiovascular research (Laukkanen and colleagues, 2018) links regular Finnish sauna use to lower cardiovascular risk, but that's observational data in people who were healthy enough to use saunas, not a reason to push through symptoms.

Session length and warning signs

For most healthy adults, 8 to 15 minutes per round is enough, and beginners should start nearer 5 to 10. Cool off with a shower and rest for a few minutes before another round. Two or three rounds is a normal session.

Get out straight away if you feel dizzy, sick, confused, or develop a headache or a racing heart. These overlap with the early signs of heat exhaustion listed by the NHS, which advises moving somewhere cool, lying down with your feet raised and drinking water. Stand up slowly when you leave, because blood pressure can drop as you rise from a hot bench.

Common sauna etiquette mistakes

• Wearing gym kit. The single most common one in UK gyms.
• No towel, or a tiny one. Your skin shouldn't touch the wood.
• Taking a phone in. Even to "just check the time". There's usually a clock on the wall.
• Pouring water without asking. Or pouring far too much at once.
• Staying too long to prove a point. Nobody's impressed, and it's how people faint.
• Holding the door open. Get in or get out.
• Going in straight after drinking. Not worth the risk.

If you enjoy the hot-cold routine, it pairs well with a cold plunge or cold shower between rounds; our guide to contrast therapy explains how to sequence it safely.

Recommended reads

• Sauna after a workout: benefits and timing
• Sauna vs steam room: which is better?
• Infrared sauna vs traditional sauna
• Best home saunas in the UK
• All recovery guides and reviews