When you enter a sauna, the first thing that greets you is the intense heat, generated by stones heated with either electricity or a wood-burning stove, reaching temperatures up to 100°C.

During a typical sauna session, which lasts between ten to twenty minutes, water is poured over these stones to produce bursts of steam. This experience is often completed with a refreshing cool shower or plunge. In Scandinavia, this has been a standard practice for centuries, deeply ingrained in daily life.

Recently, the popularity of saunas has been growing in the UK, driven more by health benefits than by tradition or tourism. Wellness experts and influencers have increasingly advocated for saunas, touting their potential to enhance heart health, improve sleep quality, and reduce stress levels.

Among these advocates is Dr. Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist and associate professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, who hosts the widely-followed Huberman Lab podcast.

With approximately seven million followers on Instagram and YouTube, Huberman has played a significant role in bringing sauna culture into the limelight through his evidence-based recommendations.

He refers to sauna bathing as ‘passive cardiovascular training,’ drawing on extensive Finnish research that associates regular sauna use with reduced risks of heart disease, stroke, and dementia, along with improvements in sleep and stress management.

Those studies are striking. The research has found that those who use a sauna four to seven times a week are around 60 per cent less likely to suffer a fatal heart attack and about 50 per cent less likely to die from cardiovascular disease than those who go once weekly.

Even one session can temporarily improve circulation and blood pressure. While the evidence is observational, cardiologists note that heat exposure raises the heart rate and dilates blood vessels in a way that mimics exercise – without the physical strain. That science helps explain why saunas are booming in Britain.

Saunas are no longer seen as a niche indulgence

According to the British Sauna Society, the number of Finnish-style public saunas in the UK more than quadrupled between early 2023 and late 2025.

The shift mirrors broader lifestyle changes – for example, Britons are drinking less alcohol than ever. Saunas also offer something many modern wellness habits don’t: Social connection. Traditionally, they are communal spaces where friends and family gather.

Minimal clothing flattens social hierarchies and heat triggers the release of the hormone oxytocin, which may promote bonding.

As scientific interest grows and influential voices continue to promote saunas, they are no longer seen as a niche indulgence but as an increasingly evidence-informed part of a healthy lifestyle.

TOP TEN IN BRITAIN – BY AN EXPERT 

Dr Maria Pasholok-Korolkova, an associate professor at the University of Greenwich, has been to more than 100 saunas – and is now writing a book on the rise of the practice across western Europe. These are her ten favourite UK spots to steam away the stress.

1 Banya NO 1 – Chiswick From £55 for 3 hours

This Russian-style sauna in Chiswick, London, may be my favourite in the UK. It has some of the softest steam I’ve experienced, produced by pouring water on to hot stones. The humidity opens the airways and loosens mucus – and also hydrates the skin.

Banya No 1 offers the ‘pareniye’ ritual – a Slavic practice whereby a therapist uses soaked, fragrant bundles of birch, oak or eucalyptus twigs to gently beat the body, and circulate aromatic steam.

This is said to help flush toxins from the body and enhance breathing. Then follows a cold dip to boost circulation.

The experience can be intense, but it’s also deeply clarifying and relaxing.

2 Saela – Newcastle £16 for 1 hour

This Nordic-style sauna has room for ten, with three outdoor plunge pools at 4C, 8C and 12C. The colder you go, the more challenging – but the more benefits you’ll get.

This Nordic-style Saela sauna has room for ten

Studies show that short bursts of extreme cold can help with anything from muscle recovery to mood. Recent research also suggests that cold plunges can even improve sensitivity to insulin, and boost metabolism.

3 Rvival at Monachyle Mhor – Lochearnhead £10 for 1 hour

Swap an icy plunge pool for a loch at this Scottish sauna set in the wild surroundings of Monachyle Mhor Hotel. It is open from Friday to Sunday – so make sure to book in advance. You won’t regret it.

4 Wilderness lochside Sauna – Glencoe £39.95 for 1 hour

This is another traditional Finnish sauna – but in the dramatic Scottish Highlands. Perfect for a couple’s retreat or solo visit, the private sauna is breathtakingly serene, with a cold plunge pool and outdoor shower for a gentler transition out of the heat.

5 Divers Cove – Surrey £12 for 1 hour

Divers Cove is set in picturesque surroundings

Once a sand extraction site, this bijou barrel sauna on the edge of a picturesque 7.3-acre reservoir is an ideal place to warm up after wild swimming. A nearby pizza stall – which uses local ingredients on fermented dough – makes it a perfect day out.

6 Beach Box – Brighton £25 for 90 minutes

There’s nothing like an icy plunge in the salty sea after getting steaming hot in this sauna – and the mineral-rich water carries its own benefits, for immunity and skin health.

A sauna at Beach Box can be followed by a plunge in the seas

7 ARC Community Sauna – Canary Wharf £29 for 70 minutes

This takes a different approach. Sessions can be just 45 minutes, ideal for workers, and the main focus is the ice baths, humorously dubbed a ‘growth opportunity’. If you fancy a more clinical experience, this is brilliant, despite straying a little from the traditionally relaxed atmosphere.

8 Porchester spa – Paddington £30 for 60 minutes

The Porchester spa claims to be the oldest in London

Visit Porchester’s sauna to steep yourself in the history of the capital’s bathhouse culture. The spa claims to be the oldest in London, having opened in 1925. It underwent a £3million refurbishment in 2025 and has maintained many of its original features – look out for the green tiling in particular. The sauna is lovely, and there is an amazing Swedish massage on offer if you fancy an added treat.

9 Finnish Church – Rotherhithe £12 for 90 minutes

This hidden gem is quirky – but arguably one of the most traditional saunas in London. The cosy sauna is in a church, and is primarily used by Finnish expats. Finnish saunas use quite dry steam, which means you can sit for longer – this is helpful for those needing intense heat for muscle recovery. 

10 Soul water – Edinburgh £14.50 for 1 hour

Perfect for a blustery winter day, this sauna sits on the promenade of Portobello Beach. For the brave, the cold waters of the North Sea are just a few steps away.