How in Sauna?

I so love saunas!

In the States, I think as others have eluded to, it varies depending on where the sauna is, and whether separate or mixed genders. Most of the health clubs I’ve used have a sauna, or steam room. In many this us located in the locker rooms, so most often nudity is common. I’ve been in a few where keeping a towel on, or bathing suit, was required, (which I hate,) and I was told this wasn’t due to inappropriate behavior, rather certain members were just not comfortable with nudity, which of course seemed odd, considering this was were people would be undressing and showering too. There is lately a growing trend, when these places remodel, to move saunas or steam rooms out to the pool area, where it would be a mixed area, so bathing suits are required. This is often not a popular decision with members, but is seen as more economical, having only one, instead of two separate ones. And, I’ve noticed that women use these mixed saunas less than the men, so I’ve questioned whether it really is so economical since it’s being used by many fewer members.

At other places, and there aren’t a lot of other public places I’ve found saunas here, it’s probably a private facility, and there it may be more mixed. In hotels it’ll likely be by the pool, and bathing suits required.

I’ve been at several private places, and that varies by the type of place. Some are spas, some are just a sauna or Russian steam bath. Some cater to people who are more comfortable with nudity, even if in a mixed setting. But, as with the other mixed saunas, these tend to be used by more men than women. Most nudist/naturist places have a sauna or steam room, in addition to hot tub, and pool. My favorite ones have been in the northern colder climate, and either include a cold pool to take an icy plunge, or it’s been winter and I’ve stepped outside to make nude snow angels.

I prefer the wet saunas, where you can pour water on the rocks, but those are far more rare here. I’ve only seen a few electric saunas like this, and most others are wood fired, (which I find lovely, with the smell of the wood smoke usually mingling with the heat.) I also like being able to control the temperature, either electronically, or by adding wood to the firebox. I prefer a pretty hot sauna, over 200F, and have been in up to over 260F.

I’ve very much missed saunas this year, and that will be one of the things I most look forward to doing again, once COVID-19 is under control. I’m used to using a sauna, steam room, or hot tub daily, but not since February this year.

@Medical_test_subject: Is it such a big problem for american women to be naked in a mixed sauna? I'm lucky that it isn't any problem here.

@Medical_test_subject: Is it such a big problem for american women to be naked in a mixed sauna? I'm lucky that it isn't any problem here.

Yes, I’m afraid it may be just that way for women here. Keep in mind, I was referring to non-nude mixed saunas. Mixed saunas in health clubs, here, always require bathing suits. Same thing up in Canada.

As far as nude saunas, absolutely there are many fewer women than men.

I’ve been in a mixed sauna next to the pool at one health club, which probably could hold 10 people, everyone wearing bathing suits, where two women in their 20’s came in from the pool together, and seeing that four or five men were already in there, they decided not to come in. I think that women, and to some extent men as well, use the sauna as a place to sit and chat, which some women may not feel so comfortable doing with men there. When I’ve walked into a sauna where there were already two or more women, they usually stop whatever they were chatting about.

I also think that in separate saunas, men probably use the sauna in greater numbers than women do.

At clubs where they’ve gone from having separate saunas to having one mixed sauna by the pool, I think if they consulted with members beforehand, they would have heard women say they’d be less likely to use a mixed sauna, while men would likely have less objection. The main complaint from men is that we have to wear bathing suits, which makes the sauna much less comfortable.

There was a place that was just a sauna, where nudity was allowed, but not required. There was a large common sauna room, and a few smaller sauna rooms, which had one or two evenings each week which were only for women, because the other evenings were so dominated by the number of men, although it was open to women at those times too.

But, saunas are not nearly as much a normal part of the culture, in the States, as it is in other parts of the world, like much of Europe, and Japan and other Asian places. Saunas are mostly found in health clubs or spas, and are much rarer as just a sauna alone. Most Americans have never been in a sauna. And, very few homes have a sauna.

There is lately a growing trend, when these places remodel, to move saunas or steam rooms out to the pool area, where it would be a mixed area, so bathing suits are required.

The YMCA where I workout and swim has this arrangement where the steam and sauna are out by the pool area. I would prefer that it was inside the men's locker room so that clothing wasn't required. Of course those are all shut down now due to the virus.

@JimmyJohnson and @Medical_test_subject : What means man's locker rooms or locker area? Does it mean areas this only for men, or means it a gay zone? I never heared about here in europe, there are single sauna cabins only for women, but in mixes sauna parcs. That doesn't mean that the women are completly seperated from the men. When women are in mixed saunas first time, they often wrap a towel around their hips, but only outside the sauna cabins. Inside they put off the towel and sit on it. Naturists like me and my wife carry our towels around the neck or in hands, but never to cover our nudity.

@JimmyJohnson and @Medical_test_subject : What means man's locker rooms or locker area? Does it mean areas this only for men, or means it a gay zone? I never heared about here in europe, there are single sauna cabins only for women, but in mixes sauna parcs. That doesn't mean that the women are completly seperated from the men. When women are in mixed saunas first time, they often wrap a towel around their hips, but only outside the sauna cabins. Inside they put off the towel and sit on it. Naturists like me and my wife carry our towels around the neck or in hands, but never to cover our nudity.

Sorry, I wasn’t clear enough before. Here, in the States, and up in Canada too, saunas are usually in health clubs or spas, or nudist/naturist places. They are rarely just a sauna on its own. No public saunas in parks or beaches, for the most part.

The locker rooms are the changing and shower area, and the lockers are the cabinets people put their clothes and belongings in, and put a lock on the cabinet for security. In health clubs these are separate for women, men, and sometimes families.

In a lot of health clubs the sauna will be in these changing areas, so they are separate for women and men. Nudity may, or may not be allowed in these saunas, even though these are separate for women and men.

But, many health clubs are making changes, and instead now have only one sauna, which is often out by the pool area, and this is shared by women and men. These mixed saunas, in health clubs, always require bathing suits.

There are the rare times you may find a sauna, that is only a sauna. At these places, at least the few that I’ve visited, there is a large mixed sauna, and sometimes also smaller private sauna rooms. The ones I’ve visited allowed nudity, but people could wear a towel or bathing suit, if they wanted to.

There are saunas, which are in places like swingers clubs, or gay clubs. I know in Montreal you see such places around downtown, and the lit up sign says, “Sauna,” but those are going to be for people wanting a sexual experience.

Hope that is more clear. It’s quite different over here. Saunas are not very common, which is a shame.

@Medical_test_subject : Now I understand the rules in american saunas. Its really very different to our locations.

We can buy saunas for our homes, here, which I hope to do someday. Not many have them. These are usually small, 1-4 persons. I also know a few who’ve built their own, and that actually is what I’d prefer to do, build a wood fired sauna at home.

Are saunas found in very many homes over there?

@Medical_test_subject : Here we have many private saunas. We have a sauna for 4-5 persons built in our house, and use it over winter usally one time in week. But we also went to a sauna parc one time in month before corona, because there are much more possibilities, for example salt steam room, jacuzzi, eukalyptus steam room, two naturist pools and much more.

@Medical_test_subject : Here we have many private saunas. We have a sauna for 4-5 persons built in our house, and use it over winter usally one time in week. But we also went to a sauna parc one time in month before corona, because there are much more possibilities, for example salt steam room, jacuzzi, eukalyptus steam room, two naturist pools and much more.

There are spas here, which are similar to the sauna parc. I’ve seen those that you mention on travel TV shows. One naturist group in Canada, I have been a member with, used to go to a small spa run in a private home, which had a wood-fired sauna, a fairly large outdoor hot tub, and cold plunge pool, and they offered massage as well. This was a winter event, twice each month from October-May, and it was located along a lovely river, which was frozen much of that time. They had an outdoor fireplace which people could sit around, and admire the river below.

Even at these events, the number of men needed to be limited sometimes, so it wasn’t 27 guys and only 3 women. Before COVID-19 hit, they’d gotten those gatherings to be much more even between number of women to men.

Very much missed those afternoons, this past winter, and probably will miss them this winter too.

Here we got a bit of prudishness from our British Colonialists…. But in single sex Saunas most of the guys go in the nude.

I am a huge sauna fan….it helps me meditate and relax, and I think it helps me lower my blood pressure, probably not but I like to pretend. How we sauna depends on the country we’re in and even the specific venue. My girlfriend likes them as long as we can be together, preferably naked…I will list the different places we have been:

Germany: Mostly all saunas are coed and…very nude! My girlfriend and I took the plunge and went to one having been a huge fan of spas in the states…we went to a spa/sauna in Berlin that had a large pool that required swim suites (there were families with children that used it) and then a compulsory nude sauna zone. I am by no means good looking in my opinion and am overweight, but I did not have a hugely hard time walking around naked in the sauna area. My girlfriend did but eventually she needed to drop the towel to go into the steam room, and she did it! This experience really strengthened our relationship which was not expected; it was by no means erotic in the moment but was extremely relaxing. We ended up using a nude sauna at the hotel we stayed at, and then again at another hotel we stayed at later that week. Both of us were completely comfortable by the end of the week walking around naked. There was definitely some eroticism to this and we did have some decent sex afterwards, however the actual sauna and spa were sacred to us and more about relaxing than sex.

Switzerland: I went to school in Switzerland and I can honestly say when I was in school I would have never even considering doing this. I was soooo uncomfortable with my body. Having returned to the country once on vacation, I was unable to find a coed nude sauna like Germany; the options were either single sex nude or bathing suits required unless we wanted to go to an extremely upscale resort that we would not have been able to afford. That said this was the Zürich area, we’re going back again soon and I am scoping out some other venues. The Swiss are definitely a bit more conservative than the Germans.

United States: Ugh, I love our country however our uptightness on nudity is a shame. We have three different experiences (mind you more than three places):

Regular Spas: My girlfriend loves massages…we have gone to a few couples massages and some of the places have saunas. We have seen a few different setups:

Locker Rooms: Mostly all have had saunas and one even had a steam room too in the locker rooms. My girlfriend and I could not unfortunately be together in this setup, however because it was in the locker room we could go nude. That said, when I would go nude (just wrapped in a towel) in the men’s room I’d get dirty looks and she’d leave her bottoms with her breasts free and she’d get dirty looks. Uptight Americans :-P

Coed Areas: A few have had coed sauna and steam room, but, they always require a bathing suit not even allowing to be wrapped in a towel! These allowed us to hang out but was not as relaxing. My girlfriend even got a bit of a burn from her bathing suit in the sauna!

Both: One we go to has both, so, we hang out a bit together and then get our naked on in our respective locker rooms.

Nudist venue: There are a few nudist venues in the New England region with saunas. We have only been to one, and, it was really relaxing at first. This had a communal sauna but also private saunas, all wood-fired which were incredible! There is a hot tub and a cool pool. We loved cycling between the pool and sauna…however…the nudist culture was intense for us. Normally people wear a towel between sauna and pool…throughout the public space…this place everyone just pranced around naked. But that was fine with us just not something we mirrored. But…there was a known presence of swingers at this place. We went probably about 5 times in about a year’s time. We kept to ourselves and used it for relaxation. The final time we went, we witnessed a couple engaging in full-on sex in the pool area, outside on the deck. Both of us were made so uncomfortable we’ve never been back. I keep an eye on this place on FetLife (yeah…so not really a spa more of a swinger’s paradise) and it sounds like they have gotten real strict on sex and do not allow it anymore, I’m hoping to give them another chance soon.

Stand-alone Sauna: A sauna opened up in an urban area near where we live. I have been a customer since they opened and it is great but not the same…there are two saunas connected to two separate locker rooms…so my girlfriend and I are unable to hang out in the sauna however it is at least clothing optional and the crowd generally goes nude. There is then a plunge pool, hot tub, relax room, and cafe that is coed, however clothing is required; bathing suits in the water and at the very least a towel anywhere else, not allowed to plunge nude.

My girlfriend stopped going with me as the women’s side was always loaded with cliche girls that would talk and talk and talk. Though my girlfriend eventually found out that body confidence would shut them up; she’d rip off her suit and shower butt naked displaying her breasts and blonde bush, completely intimidating the prissy bare girls and shutting them right up. Eventually though the sauna started a silent day where no one is allowed to talk outside the cafe, including inside the saunas. The day of the week it was did not work out for my girlfriend’s work schedule…but that was fine I started going 2-3 times per month. Eventually, I stopped as the crowd they had were just too snobby for me. They did not follow the silent rules, I’d get dirty looks being naked (even though plenty of others were)…while this was not the owner’s fault their menu at the cafe is ridiculously foofy related to this crowed they’re catering to. There is zero comfort food…things like granola are on it, weird Greek like salads, breads, nuts…they have some cool beers but that’s about it.

From there they have this insane obsession with gender…let me start by saying I am proud to employ all genders at my business and I educate those that do not completely understand that there are more than 2 genders, this also goes for my customers and it involved a lot of planning for us to ensure there was inclusiveness. They built this sauna with just two locker rooms connected to two saunas, the saunas though can connect however they never open it for a coed day. They tell customers to pick the locker room they most feel comfortable in. From there, they have done women/non-binary days where they allow full access to both saunas from both locker rooms with the portion opened and allow nudity in the plunge pool/hot tub areas. My girlfriend and I conform to the conventional genders so this does not allow us time to sit together, and we really feel like they do not want couples like us there…kind of sad…I have no idea why they did not make at least a third sauna as all gender/coed and maybe even a third locker room.

Sorry for the novel, these are my experiences with sauna. It is an extremely relaxing experience for me and hopefully sometime we will get as a society more comfortable with the German, Dutch, Belgian way of spending time in sauna.

@cousinnapoli : You are right with german saunas, where nudi is normal. Most saunas in switzerland we met were nude too, some had a small textile area, and one has a weekly textil day. Best example for a very good spa with a big nude sauna area is Sole Uno near Basel, Switzerland.

For me and my wife textil saunas are a absolutely no go !

I did a 3 week tour of Germany and surrounding countries, taking a sauna pretty much every day as my main theme of the tour. Along the way I made a friend called Helmut, which I found amusing because the head of his penis was very prominent as well as "helmet" shaped. I also found myself in a sauna with a Mr Koch. Mister in German is Herr, so he would be pronounced "hair cock", so that amused me too because Herr Koch didn't have a single hair on his cock.

Most saunas were mixed gender and adult only because of the compulsory nudity. However, I also found some gender-segregated ones where all age groups were admitted.

Also some of the Scandinavian "bed & breakfast" family homes had saunas that were always well used by the host family with guests encouraged to nude up and join them. They tended to be small and crowded, with hip to hip contact and children sitting on the knees of some of the adults. I especially loved seeing other guests from overseas who were typically nervous of being nude. There was a honeymoon couple who became obsessed with the saunas. I had the room next door to them and loved hearing them fucking afterwards, knowing what every millimetre of his penis and what the folds of her bald pussy looked like.

Now it's fine for both sexes to be topless on Nantucket. The ones who don't like it want the town to revote.

Most of the saunas in the health club chain I belong to are located inside the locker rooms, which means they are same sex and clothing optional. A few are located adjacent to the swimming pool for use by men and women and bathing suits are required.

As others have said, mixed saunas in the UK don't usually allow nudity. My gym has a sauna along with steam room and spa bath by the pool, in a mixed sex area. Swimwear is required - I wear as little as possible (speedos). Wearing less is more comfortable, so I'd go naked if allowed. But for that, I think I'd have to go to a health club/bath house that has single-sex sessions.