Sauna guides
Plain guides to saunas, steam rooms, bathhouses and cold plunges: how they differ, how long to stay, what to wear, and what to expect.
Start hereSauna vs steam room: the real differencesHeat, humidity, how each feels and what to expect: a plain comparison of dry saunas, infrared saunas and steam rooms.- Infrared vs traditional sauna: which should you try?How infrared and traditional saunas heat you, typical temperatures, session styles and how to choose between them.
- How long to stay in a sauna (and when to get out)Typical session lengths for traditional, infrared and steam sessions, how many rounds people do, and the signs to stop.
- Sauna etiquette: what to wear, bring and doTowels, swimsuits, showers, talking and pouring water on the stones — the unwritten rules of public saunas and bathhouses.
- Does a sauna help you lose weight?What the scale shows after a sauna, why it comes back, and what research does and does not say.
- Bathhouses explained: Korean spa, banya, hammam and moreWhat to expect at a Korean jjimjilbang, a Russian banya, a Turkish hammam, a Japanese-style onsen and a modern social sauna.
- Cold plunge basics: what to expect at a sauna with a plungeHow cold plunges and contrast sessions usually work at public venues, typical water temperatures, and safety basics.
- Infrared sauna benefits: what the research actually showsWhat studies of infrared saunas have and have not found, how that compares with research on traditional saunas, and which claims to ignore.
- Sauna after a workout: timing, hydration and what to expectWhy many gyms put the sauna next to the locker room, what a post-workout session feels like, how long people stay, and when to skip it.