What to wear to a sauna!

[Chalatte]

Hi!
I think this belongs more to the "social norms" section but I don't think there is one😆
I would normally wear a towel with nothing or maybe underwear beneath
That said, I've not been in a sauna for years and never in the UK
I've recently joined a gym with a sauna and i finally decided to try it, and now I'm unsure what I should be wearing!

What do you wear to the sauna? Are the any other social norms that I need to be mindful of?

Thanks!

Swimming costume I think

Whatever you would wear in a public pool.

Swimming costume or bikini, maybe bring a towel to sit on.

Thanks that's useful and sounds about right!
Another stupid question but Would you typically go to the sauna before going to the pool or after?

Towel with nothing underneath. I don't agree with swimming costume, but then I'd only go to a women only sauna. Maybe it's a swimming costume for the mixed ones.

Agree with swimsuit, since you are in a public space. Personally I like the sauna after the swim, but it's really up to you.

In UK it’s generally swimwear.

I much prefer the European sauna and spa hygiene and culture, no swimwear, sit on a towel to protect the timber, shower before and after, no mobile phones, talking if any is low level and respectful, flip flops left outside the door, shower before using the pool etc.

Swimming costume

In the UK you are expected to wear a swimming costume. If it is a sauna for women only or a women's only session, probably acceptable to keep just bikini bottoms on. The latter may depend on where the sauna is located.

You are also expected to shower before going to sauna. It doesn’t matter if you swim before or after, but always shower before entering sauna 😊👍

At my gym in the mixed sauna everyone wears a swimsuit.
In the ladies only sauna in the ladies changing room some people wear a towel, others nothing but sit on a towel, others a swimsuit.
Whatevers comfortable

The one European sauna culture?

I've only ever been to a private banya (sorry, I don't get the difference between a sauna and steam room, so I'm not sure which) in Lithuania, where everyone kept swimwear on. We were not strangers - yet I'm not sure they'd all have been rushing to be naked with strangers instead. Flip flops outside, but a felt hat on your head was beneficial. I'm not sure the hats are so big in the UK!

I ended up double checking at the reception and they said the same thing. I wore my swimsuit in and showered beforehand. I wanted to keep quiet (as I assume that's what you do in a sauna - just relax) but both times ended up with chatty gymgoers who just insisted on chatting the whole way through 😂

I normally just wear a bikini and take my towel in to sit on or sometime partially wrap around my bottom if I want to cover up more.

Hats are beginning to be used in the wood fired saunas that have started up over the last two or three years. Worth wearing, does protect your hair and you can manage to be in the sauna for a bit longer (not that it is a competition).

@LlynTegid i do see women wearing a kind of funny hat in the sauna in my posh gym. Something like this
https://www.oceanic-saunas.co.uk/sauna/sauna-hat.html?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=219955924&gbraid=0AAAAAD_FZ2whJqUdH9mH-AzGrB1sfnRXL&gclid=CjwKCAiAncvMBhBEEiwA9GU_fk_3rrfH9wuawrXDVsdAgYRfnhefpUJQwo1N9fC5kUhgAizYLIfPtxoCKVYQAvD_BwE
i feel thats a new thing and im not sure what is the use….