What to wear in a sauna

In your own sauna, on your own, the simplest and most comfortable choice is usually a towel or nothing at all. This is not a fringe preference — in the traditional home of the sauna it is simply how it is done, because bare skin lets your body do exactly what the dry heat is meant to encourage. When you sweat, that sweat can evaporate and run freely instead of pooling in a waistband or clinging to a synthetic layer, and the whole session feels lighter for it.

The one thing to add to “as little as is comfortable” is a towel to sit on. Whether you wear something or nothing, sitting on a towel keeps you off wood that can get genuinely warm, catches your sweat so it soaks into cloth rather than the bench, and makes the wood easier to keep clean afterwards. It is the single habit worth keeping every time, and it costs you nothing but remembering to bring a second towel in with you.

“Comfortable” is doing real work in that sentence, though. If being fully undressed is not comfortable for you — and in plenty of homes and households it is not — then something loose and light is completely fine, and the next section is for you. There is no wrong answer here as long as you are relaxed enough to actually enjoy the heat.

If you would rather have something on — for modesty, for a shared household, or just because you prefer it — the guiding rule is loose, dry and natural. Loose cotton is the classic choice: a light T-shirt, an old pair of shorts, or a cotton wrap. Natural fibers breathe and absorb sweat instead of trapping it, and a loose cut lets warm air move around your body rather than sealing it in. A dedicated cotton sauna wrap or a plain cotton towel wrapped and tucked works just as well, and some people like a simple felt or cotton hat to keep their head a little cooler.

The key word is dry. Damp clothing holds heat against your skin and stops sweat evaporating, which is why walking in wearing kit you just worked out in feels so much worse than walking in with something dry and loose. If you want the heat to feel the way it is supposed to, start dry. And keep it minimal — the more fabric you pile on, the more you blunt the very thing you came in for. A single light layer is plenty. If you are still deciding whether the heat habit is for you at all, our sauna benefits guide lays out what the evidence honestly does and does not show.

A short list of things is worth taking off before you go in, and each has a simple reason behind it rather than a rule for its own sake.

Synthetics and tight or wet clothing. Polyester, nylon and most gym and swim fabrics trap heat and sweat against the skin, which can feel clammy and, for some people, irritating over a full session. Tight cuts do the same by sealing the fabric to your body. If you are going to wear anything, loose and natural beats tight and synthetic every time.

Anything metal.Metal heats up quickly in a hot room, so zippers, snaps, buckles, belt hardware, watches, rings, chains, earrings and metal-framed glasses can all become uncomfortably hot against your skin. The fix is easy: choose clothing without metal fasteners, and take jewelry off and leave it outside. This matters even more if you add water to the stones for a burst of steam — something we cover in should you pour water on sauna rocks — because that rush of heat reaches metal fast.

Shoes and socks. Leave footwear at the door. Bare feet are normal inside; if you would rather not go barefoot in a shared space, simple sandals or flip-flops are the usual answer. Either way, outdoor shoes do not belong on the benches or the floor of the hot room.

Heavy makeup, lotions and oils. As you heat up and sweat, thick makeup and heavy creams can feel unpleasant, clog as they run, and leave marks on the wood. Going in with clean skin is more comfortable and kinder to the sauna. If you like to moisturize, that is a job for afterwards, once you have cooled and rinsed.

Contact lenses, if you can.The dry heat can dry your eyes, and that is more noticeable with contacts in. If you are able to wear glasses instead, or simply go without for the length of a session, your eyes will usually thank you. This is a comfort point, not a hard rule — do what works for your eyes.

Everything above assumes your own sauna, where you set the rules. In a public or shared sauna— a gym, a spa, a club — there are a few extra expectations, and they vary by venue and culture. The most common default is a clean swimsuit or a wrapped towel, and many facilities post their own rule about whether swimwear is required or whether towels are the norm. When in doubt, glance at the posted guidance or simply do what regulars are doing.

Two habits travel everywhere. First, always sit on a towelin a shared room — it is basic hygiene and in many places it is expected or required. Second, go in clean and dry: rinse off beforehand, arrive without dripping wet swimwear if you can help it, and keep strong scents, heavy lotions and outside shoes out of the room. These are small courtesies that keep a shared space pleasant for everyone.

At home you can relax most of that, but the comfort logic still holds — loose, natural, dry, and a towel to sit on — and it pairs with getting the heat itself right. How hot to run it and how long to stay is a separate question we answer in our sauna temperature and duration guide, and the two together cover most of what a beginner needs to feel at ease.

Clothing aside, two things are worth having every session. A towel— ideally two: one to sit on and one to wipe your face and dry off afterwards. And water to drink, because you sweat in a sauna and it is easy to underestimate how much. Sipping water before and after, and having some within reach, is a simple way to stay comfortable through a session. This is general comfort advice, not medical advice, so listen to your body and step out if you feel unwell.

Beyond those basics, a few small extras make sessions nicer without complicating anything: a felt or cotton hat to keep your head cooler, a robe or a second dry towel for the cool-down between rounds, and simple sandals for a shared floor. None of it is essential, and none of it needs to be fancy. If you want a sense of the useful, no-nonsense pieces people actually reach for, our sauna accessories guide keeps it practical, and the wider sauna hub covers everything else from types to setup.