The Sauna Renaissance: Why Now Is the Best Time to Experience It

Unless you have been hiding under a sauna rock you might have started to notice that the UK’s sauna scene is really heating up (yeh, of course I went for the obvious pun!), and it is only going to keep getting hotter! Sauna seems to be the latest wellness buzzword, along with cold-water immersion - good work, Wim - and barely a week goes by without one media outlet or another shouting from the horsebox after the benefits of this increasingly popular trend. From David Baddiel to Ben Fogle, the celebs are jumping on the hype too, and with mobile sauna trailers popping up on practically every beach on the South Coast you can bet your bottom dollar that soon this will be the case nationwide. So, let’s explore: why sauna, and why now?

A Perfect Storm for Wellness

The burgeoning wellness industry has witnessed unprecedented growth over the last decade or so, which is only set to continue. Wellness is multidimensional and holistic, encompassing lifestyle, mental and spiritual well-being, and the environment. There is a consensus that wellness is : a conscious, self-directed, and evolving process of achieving full potential (National Institute of Wellness, 2020). As such, wellness spaces and offerings must continue to evolve to offer services which synthesise these aspects resulting in being more than just another wellness solution, but an all-encompassing hub of community wellness. We are moving towards a culture of fitness centres and gyms becoming enmeshed with holistic wellness practices, indeed championing ‘self-care’ as a way to fuel fitness centre growth (Global Wellness Institute, 2023). People-centric wellness provisions focusing on inspiring individuals to reach their physical, emotional and social potential in powerfully connected ways are as important as ever, with social isolation and loneliness, already a public health concern, even more prevalent as we settle into the post-pandemic world (Malcom, 2021). As more and more people turn to the wellness industry to strive for more efficient work/life balance, another theme to emerge from the pandemic, there is space for wellness provisions which offer more than the fulfilment of physical needs. There is a call to make wellness provisions and services more holistic and multifaceted, a space where a fulfilment for the whole range of physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs can be met. The mobile sauna movement seems to fit this bill! 

The hydrothermal sector has experienced huge interest and growth in the past year or so, with the renaissance of communal bath houses across the globe showing no signs of abating. The cultural sauna and bathing practices of Scandinavia, the Baltics and beyond are establishing firm foundations in the wellness regimes of the British public; with  not-for-profit organisation, British Sauna Society, working hard to expand and connect the existing global sauna community.

Benefits of such practices are wide-ranging and scientifically proven, including improved cardiovascular health and reduced stroke risk, reduction of chronic pain and fatigue, reduced risk of respiratory disease, lower incidence of dementia and Alzheimer’s, stress-reduction and sleep improvement, as well as promoting relaxation, positive well-being and social connection (Laukkanen et al, 2018). Studies suggest that in order to achieve such benefits, one should aim to engage in these practices at least three to four times per week (Kunutsor et al, 2018). Access to authentic sauna and bathing is even being recognised as a provision to be included in NHS social prescribing (British Sauna Society, 2023). More community provision is required to facilitate this cue the mobile sauna movement. 

Predictions that the natural world would play a role in further development of wellness provisions (GWI, 2023), are supported by the number of mobile saunas popping up along Britain’s coasts. There are now close to 200 mobile sauna operators across the country, ranging from customised horseboxes to bespoke builds, to factory produced hotboxes shipped over from Lithuania. The scene is brimming. The South is definitely where it’s at, with Sussex being the most heavily served, but Devon and Cornwall coming in a close second, and Dorset also now reppin’ a fair few too. There is a beautiful trail of saunas up the Welsh coast, snaking all the way up to the Wirral! Scotland too has a pretty diverse offering, the north definitely not missing out in the movement. And the East Coast whilst light on numbers, is absolutely well served in terms of coverage with a one-man sauna band taking his sauna trailer to around twelve different locations, not to mention the off-road sites he pitches up his sauna-tent at too. Think epic waterfall locations, Danny is the man! 

**update: this post was written in 2023, now in 2026 there are close to 600 mobile saunas - visit the sauna map to find them all!

If you live inland there is certainly no worry about getting FOMO with the community sauna scene also expanding and evolving in different ways. London has a pretty vast array of offerings too, from the bougie Banya spots, to the more budget friendly non-profit locations too. In fact the concept of ‘community sauna’ has been claimed as a brand and is growing by the day. What started out as a small CIC in Hackney, the Community Sauna Baths gang have grown roots in several other London locations, and branched out with other ‘seeds’ as far and wide as Bristol, Brighton and no doubt beyond. If you live in East London you can present at your GP with symptoms of depression and they might just offer you a ten week course in sauna bathing thanks to these guys. Now is the time for sauna. And if you hadn't heard it already, then you heard it here first!

If you're thinking ‘give us more details about these saunas!’ That will come. This isn't the post for that. This was simply the introduction. The starting point. But here at The Sauna Corner® we have so much to share with you. As Mohammed Ali once said “every marathon begins with the first step” so let this be the first step, because boy do we have a marathon of content for you.

Check out why sauna is more than just heat, or even deep dive into the sauna protocol here with Hot-Cold-Rest-Repeat