Shared saunas—found in gyms, spas, and wellness centers—have long been popular for relaxation and health benefits. 

There’s nothing quite like the rejuvenating warmth and therapeutic peace of a good sauna session. For some, it can be a weekly wellness ritual, a well-deserved treat for a workout done well, or the perfect emotional reset button after a long, stressful day.

However, communal use raises concerns about hygiene and potential exposure to pathogens. So, are shared saunas the best way to get your heat fix? Here are 5 reasons why you should start looking for a safer alternative.

1 - A nesting ground for the nasties 🤢

With all that heat and humidity mixed with a parade of sweaty bodies, commercial saunas can get real gross, real quick. The seats, walls, floors, towels—they can all turn into little hotbeds for bacteria, viruses, and fungi if not sanitized on a regular basis.

Best case? You end up with a slightly itchy rash on your thighs. The worst? Well, let’s not even go there.

2 - A wellness waiting game 😑

Most saunas require you to stick to their schedule, not yours. Whether you’re trying to squeeze in a quick session before work or unwind after a long day, fitting their available slots into your busy life can be such a hassle.

Plus, making the trip to and from the facility can turn what should be a relaxing experience into yet another chore on your to-do list.

3 - Sweats your savings away 💰

Using commercial saunas can quickly become a pricey habit. With entry fees, membership costs, not to mention what you spend on travel, gas, and parking for each visit, the expenses can quickly pile up.

Over time, these costs might even outweigh the benefits, making it a less practical choice for regular pampering sessions.

4 - One temperature doesn’t fit all 🥵

Finding the heat too intense? Or perhaps not quite toasty enough for your liking? Tough luck. Unless you’ve got the whole room to yourself, making adjustments might garner you some annoyed stares from your fellow sauna girlies.

Tailoring your sauna experience is half the battle—to truly enjoy the full benefits of your sweat session, it’s all about catering to your body’s needs. While a diehard sauna enthusiast might find a 180°F room just perfect, it could leave you gasping for oxygen and force you to cut your stay short.

5 - There are better options out there 😮

While the perks of sauna use are undeniable, you don't have to put up with the hassles of a commercial sauna. Luckily, there are other options that can give you the same amazing benefits as a traditional sauna, minus all the downsides.

These can range from something as elaborate as retrofitting your place with a private sauna room, to something as simple and chic as a sauna blanket that can be tucked away in your closet.

And while all these at-home options can serve as cleaner, customizable, and overall better alternatives to commercial saunas, choosing which one to get will ultimately depend on your personal needs and budge

Before creating the HeatPod Sauna Blanket, our co-founder Aloysius was a regular at his local sauna and hot springs. The heat helped him recover from intense Muay Thai training, sleep deeper, and feel mentally reset.

But in 2022, he fell sick—8 times.

After looking back, he realized the likely cause: 

Communal heat environments. 

• Packed rooms. 
• High temperatures. 
• Shared surfaces. 
• Dozens of people sweating, coughing, and shedding germs—every single day.

That’s when it clicked. He needed a way to keep the powerful benefits of heat therapy—without the exposure to other people’s bacteria.

The result? A safer, cleaner, personal solution: The HeatPod Sauna Blanket.

A new way to sweat, without breaking a sweat

Long-term studies on thousands of Finnish adults have shown that people who use a sauna 4–7 times a week enjoy:

• A significantly lower risk of heart disease and Alzheimer’s
• A reduction in all-cause mortality
• Better mood, deeper sleep, and faster recovery

In other words, the more consistently you use a sauna, the more your health improves.

But here’s the catch:

Using a public or gym sauna that often is inconvenient, time-consuming, and expensive.

That’s why we recommend investing in a personal sauna like the HeatPod Sauna Blanket—so you can enjoy the long-term benefits of heat therapy without the cost or hassle.

Daily use. Zero commute. All the benefits.

While often seen as a luxurious spa treat, sauna bathing has traditionally been used as a form of heat therapy for ages. Studies have shown that regular sauna exposure can bring you long-term health benefits.

• Decelerated aging
• Higher cardiovascular respiratory fitness
• Improved muscle recovery and physical performance
• Better brain and mental health

PRO TIP:

According to experts, the benefits from 4-7 sauna sessions a week were even greater than 2-3 sessions a week. This means the more you sauna, the more amazing results you'll see!