Sauna etiquette: a first-timer’s guide.
Most public saunas in Ireland are small wooden saunas on a beach, a pier or a lakeshore, shared with a handful of strangers for a booked session. Nobody expects you to know the rules on your first go. These few habits cover almost all of it.
Book a session, and arrive early
Most saunas on our list run timed sessions that you book online. Of the ones that say how long a session is, 45 minutes is the most common, then an hour. Get there 5 to 10 minutes early so you’re changed when it starts, because sessions start and finish on time.
Swimwear on, towel down
Most public saunas in Ireland are mixed, so swimwear is the norm. Bring a towel to sit on, so you’re not sweating straight onto the bench. If a sauna does things differently, it will say so on its booking page.
Rinse first if you can
If there’s a shower, rinse off before you go in. At a beach sauna there often isn’t one, and a quick dip in the sea does the same job.
Ask before you throw water on the stones
Water on the hot stones makes a wave of steam, called löyly in Finnish, and it makes the room feel much hotter. Ask the room before you add more. At some saunas the host looks after it.
Keep the door shut and the voices low
Hot air pours out every time the door opens, so go in and out quickly and close it behind you. Chatting is part of it, but keep it at a level the whole bench can enjoy, and leave your phone outside. Heat isn’t good for it either.
Go at your own pace
Step out whenever you need to. Nobody is counting. A round of 10 to 15 minutes is plenty for most people, and Harvard Health suggests no more than 15 to 20. Then cool off, rest, and go again if you want to. Skip alcohol before and after, and drink water.
If you have a heart condition or high blood pressure, or you’re pregnant, check with your doctor before you go. Our guide to sauna and cold plunge covers the cold part safely.
Why regulars wear a hat
The hottest air in a sauna sits at the top of the room, right where your head is. In Finland and the Baltics people have worn wool felt hats in the sauna for generations, so they can stay on the top bench a few minutes longer. We make one.
Find a sauna near you
Every public sauna we can find in Ireland is on the sauna list, county by county, with prices, session times and booking links. Nobody pays to be on it.