Suitable for Sauna/ A review of Saunamekko Sauna Wear

 

In Finland, for both hygiene and tradition, sauna is taken naked. Photo: Hannu Pakarinen, Finnish Sauna Society [source]

612 Sauna Society, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Nakedness is both a sauna tradition and a practical matter. Sauna is a place for sweating followed by cooling off, often with a plunge into cold water. A birthday suit transitions seamlessly from the steamy heat of the sauna to cold water immersion. However, as the public sauna evolves, it more often than not requires some degree of covering up. Natural textiles have a place in the sauna bringing modesty, comfort and a sense of fashion to the experience. Three of my favorite fabrics for the sauna are cotton, linen and wool. All three offer breathability in the sauna but vary in quality for immersion in water.

Where I live, the American Midwest, many people wear bathing suits in the sauna, especially when in mixed company. Arguably, swimsuits are for swimming. They are commonly made from synthetic fibers like nylon and polyester. They are designed to be water repellent, stretchy and colorfast even in chlorinated water. And yes, they have been found to shed microplastics [source]. Many people believe that swimsuits should not be worn in the sauna because the fabric does not breathe and allow for healthy, comfortable sweating. Also, in a shared space where heat can activate odor, nothing beats sitting down with clean skin and a clean towel.

From my collection of foutas. My favorite is a heavyweight Belgian linen from Libeco

COTTON

I certainly wear my nylon bathing suit in the sauna at times but I am following with interest the movement toward non-toxic, sustainable, ethically produced bathing suits. Some of these eco-suits are recycled nylon–which I choose to avoid for sauna purposes.  However, if you look around on the internet, you can find suits that are made of mostly cotton with a bit of spandex for stretch. The brand Natasha Tonic offers some cute bathing suits in cotton and hemp. It should be noted that, unlike synthetic fabric, cotton will absorb water and get heavy when wet, drying more slowly. 

Wearing a towel in the sauna is a time honored tradition. A fouta,also known as a Turkish towel, is thinly woven cotton or linen (not thickly plush like terry cloth) which makes it a perfect sauna wrap. Foutas have become popular in recent years and are easy to find in shops. I love a generous spa sized towel, about 40 X 70 inches, for wrapping toga- or kilt-style.

American Swedish Historical Museum illustration, Philadelphia 2024

In the 1800s cotton began flooding into Sweden, displacing linen. The cotton was cheap,
grown with slave labour, spun and woven in huge factories. Linen was far more labour
intensive and smaller scale and steadily lost ground to cotton. 

—The Linen Museum in Kville

LINEN

To be really true to the Nordic spirit of sauna, there is one textile that beats all others: linen. It has a history almost as old as the prehistoric sauna in the Nordic countries. Flax, the plant from which linen is made, has been cultivated in the north since the Bronze Age. Today, there are many fine linen products still woven in Sweden and other Nordic countries. Lapuan Kankurit in Finland offers many linen products specifically for the sauna such as towels, robes and seat covers. What makes linen great for sauna is that it’s naturally cool and anti-microbial. Check out FinnStyle for a great selection of sauna linens.

Alison Stirling Jackson (top) at Cramond Beach, Scotland. Photo © Laurie Jackson Gustafson

WOOL

The disadvantage to cotton and linen as materials to wear in the sauna comes in the transition to water. These fabrics become heavy, clammy and clingy when wet. Back in the early Twentieth Century, if one went swimming–or at least frolicked on the beach as my Scottish grandmother joyously did in the 1920’s–bathing suits were made of wool jersey. This was the North Sea, after all, and wool would keep you warm even when wet. 

Wool is well known for its insulating qualities–warm in cold environments, sweat wicking in warm. The popular Russian banya hat, bellflower shaped and made out of woolen felt, keeps the head (especially the ears) from feeling the upper bench heat too sharply. A good old beanie is just as good. While I wouldn’t wrap myself in a wool blanket in the sauna, I have wondered how a woolen suit like Grandmother Aile wore a hundred years ago might do. I found some lovely options made locally by a company called Saunamekko.

The suit I ordered online arrived promptly at our door with a note that the company is so local–they are neighbors who just dropped it off. From the half dozen or so selections for sauna wear, I chose a one-piece suit of a lightweight merino wool jersey in a dark gray color. I love the look of the onesie shorts and halter top style (like Grandma’s). It slipped on easily and conformed to my body without feeling tight. It was soft, not itchy–but my skin knew it was wool. 

I wore it into a very hot sauna–around 200 degrees F. on a cool March evening. I felt comfortable wearing it in the heat but did feel a bit like I was wearing a sweater, warming up a bit faster than usual. It also kept me feeling warm when I stepped out to sit beneath the stars watching the steam rise from my body in 40 degree weather. After a bucket shower, the suit got soaked, absorbing the water but holding its shape well. One thing I did notice was the scent of damp wool (wet mitten on a radiator, if you know what I mean); not heavy or unpleasant but noticeable. Once rinsed, I took care to lay the suit flat, as one does with woolen items. It dried off quickly overnight. (Washing instructions are to hand- or machine wash gently with soap meant for wool.) 

Overall, I really like merino wool for the purpose of thermic cycling–moving from sauna to cool air and a cold plunge. Wool has qualities that make it a good choice, especially in cooler weather: it’s breathable and wicks moisture away from the skin; it’s odor resistant and the stretchy knit material makes for a form-fitting suit like swimwear but without synthetic fiber. It will help keep your core warm as you cool off, too. Saunamekko offers items that are stylish and practical. I like that they consider the range of preferences for coverage before, during or after the sauna. Merino wool is a premium, natural fabric and I was not surprised by the price of Saunamekko’s boutique designer items. I will take care so my suit lasts a long time, as a timeless item should.