Heat, water and an hour that belongs to you.

Banya, hammam and sauna come from different corners of the world, but they share one idea: get properly hot, cool down, rest, and come out feeling new.

Shop accessories Read the beginner’s guide

Russian banya

Wet heat from a stone stove, with a venik

Temperature: 60–90°C
Humidity: 40–70%

Water on the stones fills the room with heavy, soft steam.

Inside a timber banya with benches, a stone stove, a bucket and ladle, and rising steam

What a good sweat does for you

People have bathed in heat for thousands of years because it feels good. Here is what regular bathers notice, and what research has started to show.

A calmer mind

Heat pushes everything else out of your head. With no phone and nothing to do, most people find a session leaves them noticeably more relaxed.

Deeper sleep

An evening session followed by a cool-down helps the body wind down. Many bathers say they fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly.

Easier muscles

Warmth increases blood flow to tired muscles. It is a popular way to loosen up after training, hard physical work or a long day at a desk.

Heart and circulation

In the heat your heart rate rises and blood vessels widen, a little like light exercise. A long-running Finnish study found regular sauna bathers had lower rates of heart disease.

Clean, soft skin

Steam opens the skin and sweat clears it. The hammam’s kese scrub takes this further, lifting away dead skin and leaving it smooth.

Time with people

In Russia, Finland and Turkey the bathhouse has always been a place to talk. Some of the best conversations happen on the top bench.

The heart health finding comes from observational research, such as the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease study in Finland, which shows an association rather than proof of cause. Heat bathing is a wellbeing practice, not a treatment.

The ritual, in four rounds

Whichever tradition you choose, the rhythm is much the same. Most people repeat it two to four times.

Heat
Shower, then sit in the heat for 8 to 15 minutes. Leave when you feel ready, not when the timer says so.
Cool
A cold plunge, a cold shower or a bucket of cold water. Short and bracing is enough.
Rest
Sit or lie down for 10 to 15 minutes. Drink water or herbal tea and let your heart rate settle.
Repeat
Go back in for another round. Finish with a longer rest before you get dressed.

Three traditions side by side

Not sure which one suits you? The main difference is how hot and how humid the room is.

Russian banya with a felt hat, venik and stone stove — Banya

Hammam with tiled arches, a domed ceiling and a marble platform — Hammam

Finnish sauna with timber benches and a window onto a lake — Sauna

Tradition	Banya	Hammam	Sauna
Where it comes from	Russia and Eastern Europe	Ottoman Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa	Finland
Temperature	60–90°C	40–50°C	70–100°C
Humidity	Moist, soft steam	Saturated steam	Dry, with bursts of steam
Signature ritual	Steaming with a venik	Kese scrub and foam wash	Löyly: water on the stones
What you need	Venik, felt hat, bucket	Peshtemal, kese mitt, black soap	Ladle, bucket, timer, oils

Start with the essentials

A few pieces that make the biggest difference to your first sessions.

See the full shop

Bathe safely

Drink water before, between and after rounds.
Skip alcohol before and during your session.
Get out straight away if you feel dizzy, faint or unwell.
Talk to your doctor first if you are pregnant, have a heart condition or high or low blood pressure, or take regular medication.
Children should only bathe with an adult, at lower temperatures and for shorter rounds.