Spa & Wellness
The 6 Best Saunas in London
London has gone properly sauna mad, from wood-fired cabins in Hackney car parks to a 1929 Turkish bath in Bayswater. Six worth sweating for, plunge pool included.
In short: our top picks are Community Sauna Baths, Lowlu and Arc. 6 places in total, chosen on merit, with the full reasoning below.
A few years ago, finding a decent sauna in London meant a gym changing room or a hotel basement. Now there’s a wood-fired cabin in what used to be a Hackney car park, and queues for it. The Nordic idea, sweat hard, plunge into something close to freezing, then sit about and talk to strangers, has landed here with real force. Some of these are scruffy and brilliant for it. Others, like the Porchester, have been quietly steaming since 1929 and feel like a secret. We’ve left out the infrared studios that are really just a hot box for one. What follows is the social, properly hot end of things: places where the cold plunge is the point and nobody’s checking their phone. Bring a towel you don’t mind ruining.
| Place | Area |
|---|---|
| Community Sauna Baths | Hackney Wick |
| Lowlu | Kentish Town |
| Arc | Canary Wharf |
| Banya No.1 | Hoxton |
| The Porchester Spa | Bayswater |
| SLSC Sauna at Tooting Bec Lido | Tooting |
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Editor’s choice
Community Sauna Baths
Why we pick itThe one that started the craze, born in a disused lido car park in 2021 and now pulling 11,000 visitors a month. Six wood-fired saunas, cold plunges down to 3 degrees, and an Aufguss session where someone wafts scented steam at you with a towel. Cheerfully ramshackle and all the better for it.
Wood-fired social sauna
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Lowlu
Why we pick itOpened in 2026 and designed by a Finnish architect, so it looks the part: five timber saunas and six plunge pools set between 3 and 15 degrees, laid out in an outdoor courtyard. Open 7am to 9pm daily, which makes it a rare thing in London, a sauna you can hit before work.
Finnish saunas and cold plunge
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Arc
Why we pick itBilled as the UK's first communal contrast therapy club, with a vast sauna that seats around 65 and ice baths to match. Sessions run as free-flow or guided rounds with breathwork and movement built in. Slicker and more structured than the car-park crowd, which is rather the point down here.
Communal contrast therapy
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Banya No.1
Why we pick itFor the full Russian treatment: a fierce parenie, where you lie down and get gently thrashed with bundles of oak and birch leaves, then doused in cold water. Sounds alarming, feels extraordinary. Finish with tea and pelmeni in the cafe. There's a Chiswick branch too, but Hoxton is the original.
Russian banya and steam
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The Porchester Spa
Why we pick itA grade II listed Turkish bath that has been steaming since 1929, all marble, tiled arches and faded grandeur. Three hot rooms, two steam rooms, a Finnish log sauna and an icy plunge pool. Runs single-sex most days with a mixed session on Sundays. Properly old London and absurdly good value.
Turkish baths and Finnish sauna
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SLSC Sauna at Tooting Bec Lido
Why we pick itRun by the South London Swimming Club at the shallow end of the lido, open roughly November to mid-March, 7am to 1.30pm. The whole appeal is the contrast: roast in the sauna, then walk straight into an unheated outdoor pool that sits a few degrees above freezing. Members get priority, so check before you go.
Winter lido sauna
Before you book
Most of these run on timed sessions you book online, typically 60 to 90 minutes for £15 to £30. Bring a towel, a swimsuit and flip-flops; some sell or hire towels but it’s pricier. Community Sauna and Lowlu get busy at weekends, so book a few days ahead. The Tooting Bec Lido sauna is winter only and members come first. Banya and Porchester have single-sex days, worth checking before you turn up.
Common questions
What are the top picks in this guide?
Community Sauna Baths is our editor's choice: The one that started the craze, born in a disused lido car park in 2021 and now pulling 11,000 visitors a month. Six wood-fired saunas, cold plunges down to 3 degrees, and an Aufguss session where someone wafts scented steam at you with a towel. Cheerfully ramshackle and all the better for it. Community Sauna Baths, Lowlu and Arc lead the guide, with 6 places in total, all chosen on merit.
How does Lamplit London choose its recommendations?
Every place is chosen on merit, after first-hand visits where possible, with no pay-for-placement. Read our full method at https://www.lamplitlondon.com/how-we-choose/.
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