What to Wear in a Sauna
The honest answer — for traditional sauna, infrared, and contrast therapy.
Most sauna guides tell you what to do. Almost none of them tell you what to wear — and why it matters more than you think. Especially on your head.
The sauna question nobody wants to ask out loud: what exactly do you wear in there?
The short answer: as little as possible, made from the most natural material you can find.
Here's the longer version — because it depends on whether you're using a traditional Finnish sauna, an infrared cabin, a gym sauna, or doing contrast therapy.
Traditional Finnish sauna
176–212°F
Towel or nothing. Natural fiber only. Avoid synthetic swimwear — materials release compounds in high heat.
Infrared sauna
122–140°F
Swimwear is common. Same rule — natural over synthetic. Smaller enclosed space makes off-gassing a bigger concern.