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The question of swimwear in the sauna is one of the most anxiety-inducing aspects of first-time sauna visits for people from cultures where communal nudity is uncommon. The short answer is: it depends on where you are. The longer answer requires understanding the different cultural and practical contexts.

Where Swimwear Is Standard

United Kingdom, Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, Australia, North America: In sauna venues in these countries and for visitors from these cultures, swimwear is the default. Most UK sauna venues — from hotel facilities to dedicated sauna clubs — are designed with swimwear-wearing guests in mind. You will not feel out of place in swim trunks or a swimsuit.

Norway (tourist-oriented venues): Oslo's floating saunas and most urban Norwegian sauna venues accept and accommodate swimwear. Some venues offer both options — swimwear-friendly standard sessions and designated nudist sessions.

International hotel saunas: Hotel saunas worldwide almost universally accommodate swimwear, even in countries with nude sauna traditions. If the hotel caters to an international clientele, swimwear is fine.

Where Nudity Is Standard

Traditional Finnish saunas: Nudity is expected in private saunas and many traditional public saunas. This applies particularly to separate men's and women's sections at traditional venues. Tourist-oriented venues in Helsinki increasingly accommodate swimwear.

German and Austrian FKK saunas: Nudity is typically required, not just expected. Wearing swimwear in the sauna room at a dedicated German spa is often explicitly prohibited. Swimwear is permitted in pool areas but the sauna is a no-swimwear zone. This is posted clearly at German spa entrances.

Estonian traditional saunas: Nudity is the norm in traditional sauna settings. Tourist-oriented venues in Tallinn are more flexible.

The Practical Argument Against Swimwear in Saunas

Purely from a comfort standpoint, swimwear in a hot sauna has disadvantages:

Synthetic fabrics heat up uncomfortably. Polyester and nylon swimwear becomes unpleasantly warm in high temperatures. Natural fibres (cotton, linen) are more tolerable but still not ideal.

Wet swimwear traps cold between rounds. When you cool down, a wet swimsuit or trunks keeps your skin cold much longer than a towel would. This makes re-entering the sauna less comfortable and blunts the heat-cool contrast effect.

Chemical releases. Some synthetic swimwear fabrics release small amounts of chemicals at high temperatures — not dangerous in normal concentrations, but not ideal in an enclosed, heated space.

For these reasons, even at venues that permit swimwear, many regular sauna users prefer to use a towel wrap rather than fitted swimwear. A towel is cooler, dries faster, and is easy to remove for the cold plunge.