What To Wear In A Sauna?

What to wear in a sauna? While personal preference and different scenarios play a significant role in determining what to wear in a sauna, it's crucial to understand that infrared saunas have unique aspects that can heavily influence your choice of attire. To ensure the best experience, we'll delve into these specific factors and provide guidance on how to make an informed decision about what to wear in an infrared sauna, ultimately maximising the benefits and enhancing your overall enjoyment.

What is the Best Thing to Wear in an Infrared Sauna?

Sauna naked. When it comes to choosing what to wear in an infrared sauna, just remember this friendly sauna tip: the less clothing, the better! Going completely naked is actually the best way to enjoy your sauna session. Of course, this is only an option for your own personal sauna, for public saunas just a towel is enough.

Of course, there are times when you need to wear something due to sauna etiquette or specific rules. In these situations of using a public sauna, comfortable wearing and sauna etiquette should be your main focus.

Does Infrared Sauna Penetrate Clothing?

No, infrared wavelengths are obstructed by any material that interferes with the infrared light's direct contact with the skin, this includes regular clothes or soft towels. To receive all the benefits of an infrared sauna session, you must have the most amount of infrared light in direct contact with your skin. What you wear in a traditional sauna isn't as important as what you wear in an infrared sauna because of this.

What Not to Wear in an Infrared Sauna?

You should avoid wearing these items in a sauna due to sauna etiquette, the presence of other sauna users, and the natural properties of an infrared sauna.

Jewellery: During a sauna session, infrared light can cause accessories and metal decorations such as rings and watches to become uncomfortably hot on your skin. A friendly suggestion would be to remove any accessories before beginning the session.

Makeup: It is also recommended that you do not wear in the sauna any makeup or any other skin coverings. These can get messy with sweat and also prevent some of the infrared sauna benefits for the skin.

Physio Tape: if you're sweating heavily, the tape is likely to come off rather quickly, this also applies to bandaids and other sticky items. This happens because sweat originates from beneath your skin, and the tape can actually cause your skin to sweat more, loosening its grip.

Sauna Suits: Sauna suits work best in traditional saunas, where the air around you is heated, indirectly warming your body from the outside. Infrared saunas, on the other hand, use invisible infrared light that penetrates deep into your skin. So, if you're wondering whether to wear a sauna suit in an infrared sauna, the answer is "no." The light can't penetrate the suit, preventing you from enjoying the full benefits of your sauna session. In fact, wearing a sauna suit in an infrared sauna is counterproductive!

Shoes: Wearing shoes of any type, such as flip-flops, shower sandals, or running shoes, inside a sauna is not recommended. This could lead to the spread of athlete's foot and may affect other sauna users as well.

Dirty Clothes: Wearing dirty workout clothes in a gym sauna is not acceptable for other users, even if you can't sauna naked or with just a towel and didn't bring spare clothes after a workout due to sauna etiquette rules.

Should You Wear Clothes in a Sauna?

As we've mentioned earlier, the best thing to wear in a sauna is to sauna naked. Of course, this is only an option for a home sauna, and you will still need to lay down a soft towel on the sauna benches. Let's talk about some practical solutions to enjoy the sauna experience when you can't go in your birthday suit.

Do You Sit in a Sauna with Clothes On?

Yes, you should wear clean cotton or other natural fibres in a public sauna. If you can wear cotton, that is recommended. If you can, avoid synthetic materials and opt for natural materials to allow your skin to breathe properly. Some people may prefer to wear tight-fitting clothes like workout clothing or a tank top, while others prefer something more loose-fitting like an oversized t-shirt.

Do You Wear a Towel in a Sauna?

Yes, after going naked, towels are the next best option for what to wear in a sauna. The reason for this is that towels are typically provided for sauna sessions at any public sauna. If you feel uncomfortable being nearly naked in a public sauna, you can wear a towel around your waist or chest instead.

Can You Wear a Robe in a Sauna?

If you want to wear a robe in a sauna you can, there is nothing wrong with dressing for a relaxing day spa while sitting inside a traditional sauna.

Should I Wear a Bra in the Sauna?

You should wear a bra in the sauna if it doubles as your top, however, if you are wearing a t-shirt or a towel, then it may not be needed. Being comfortable is more important in this aspect, and you shouldn't sauna with anything that is making you uncomfortable – especially your bra.

Do You Have to Wear a Bathing Suit in a Sauna?

Wearing a swimming suit in a sauna works because they are water resistant, comfortable, and acceptable if you do not have a home sauna. They are a practical solution to a comfortable sauna time.

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What Do You Wear to a Sauna at the Gym?

There are various attire choices for the sauna at the gym, ranging from swimwear to activewear and more. It's possible to wear snug gym clothes inside the infrared, traditional, or steam room. Let's examine this in more detail.

Can You Wear Gym Leggings in Sauna?

Yes, you can wear gym leggings in the sauna. Hot air from a traditional sauna or steam room will create extremely high temperatures and cause you to sweat profusely, and the additional coverage from gym leggings may increase your body temperature further. However, this is not recommended for an infrared sauna.

Can I Wear Gym Clothes in a Sauna?

Tight-fitting clothes such as gym clothes are totally suitable for entering a gym sauna. Bathing suits or swimming suits are a few options that can be utilised as both sauna and gym attire. They also make it easy for a quick shower afterwards!

Is Wearing a Hoodie in the Sauna Good?

No, wearing a hoodie into the sauna is not a good idea unless you are a trained professional who is looking to cut weight before an event. The extra heat from wearing a hoodie, with the high temperatures of a sauna may be too much heat for you to handle, and cause dehydration and unnecessary risks.

Do You Wear Shoes in a Sauna?

No, you should not wear shoes in a sauna. If you do, however, wear shower sandals into the sauna, be careful of slippery tiles or wet surfaces from the moisture in either a traditional sauna or steam room.

Can You Wear Contact Lenses in an Infrared Sauna?

There's some good news for you! Wearing contact lenses in an infrared sauna is generally less of an issue than in traditional saunas. Here's why:

Firstly, infrared light primarily heats your body from the inside out, as the light penetrates your skin. As a result, your contact lenses will maintain a temperature close to your body's.

Secondly, infrared saunas have lower humidity, which means less temperature exchange through the air and slower heating of your lenses.

So, you might wonder, "Can I wear contacts in a sauna?" Technically, yes.

However, the real question is whether you should! The advice for you would be "no." Although infrared saunas are gentler and not as hot as traditional ones, the higher temperatures may still not be ideal for your lenses. While the risk of eye irritation and lens damage is lower, it's recommended to avoid it if possible.

Also, the type of lenses you have can make a difference. Soft lenses might dry out faster than harder materials. The best course of action is to consult your optician regarding the potential effects on your eyes and the durability of your lenses.

Why Sauna Naked Is Best

Do you remember the natural attire Mother Nature gifted you with on your first day in this world? That's right, going completely naked is the best way to enjoy a sauna session! In an infrared sauna, any covering you have means putting something on your nature-made solar panels: your skin.

Think about how plants need adequate sunlight to grow properly. Similarly, your sauna sessions will be most effective when you're not covered up.

However, it's important to stay considerate and follow social norms. In many places, wrapping a towel around your private parts is mandatory. Plus, there might be situations where spending 30 minutes completely naked with someone else feels uncomfortable. Also remember, if you are doing infrared sauna daily while wearing clothes, you're going to be going through a lot of extra washing!

So, the bottom line is this: for optimal results, go as naked as possible while still being socially acceptable.

If you're ready to start relaxing in the comfort of your own home, check out our full range of Infrared Saunas.

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