「经济学人」Saunas

Demand for private and public places to sweat is sizzling

YOU COULD be forgiven for thinking that Othership is a nightclub. The venue, in Manhattan's Flatiron district, is bathed in golden light; techno music pulses throughout. It is, in fact, a trendy sauna. (A single visit will set you back at least $45.) Some come to Othership to take part in guided meditation sessions. Others come to socialise in 85°C heat.

Saunas are thought to be at least 10,000 years old and sweat bathing—be it in a banya, hammam or mushi-buro—has been practised by cultures across the world. In Finland, the ancestral home of the sauna, there are an estimated 3.5m for a population of 5.5m. Finns' cares seem to evaporate with their perspiration: the country has come top of world happiness rankings for eight years running.

Other people are taking note. According to Grand View Research, a market-research firm, the sauna industry will be worth $1.3bn by 2030, up from $905m in 2024. The market intensified during lockdown, when people who wanted to feel the heat installed their own saunas at home. Social saunas such as Othership—which has hot spots in Toronto as well as New York—have also opened in cities including London and Tokyo.

The modern obsession with wellness helps explain the trend. Some sauna buffs insist their hobby can reverse ageing and lower the risk of dementia. “There are all kinds of ridiculous claims,” says Eero Kilpi of the North American Sauna Society. The science is promising but modest. The most compelling research suggests that regular sauna use is good for your cardiovascular health, but only if you also eat a sensible diet and exercise.

What saunas do offer is a digital detox. (It is tricky to use a phone in one, even if the naked folk next to you don't object.) A stint in a sauna “helps people tune into their body and out of their mind”, says Robbie Bent, the boss of Othership. Saunas offer an intense experience: sometimes the only thing you can think about is how much longer you can tolerate it. For frazzled office workers, a sauna session reminds them not to sweat the small stuff.

This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Hot property”(Apr 29th 2025)

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