Saunas are the hot new hobby taking London by storm. The number of communal saunas in the capital has leapt from 45 in 2023 to 147 as of March 2025, Fast Company reports.
It’s easy to see why these wellness centres are so in demand, too. The Finnish tradition is said to impart a number of physical and mental health benefits, and saunas can be a great way to spend quality time with friends - or even to meet new people.
This is the ethos behind Community Sauna Baths, set up by a group of health enthusiasts who fired its first stove back in October 2021.
Its popularity quickly boomed, and the company’s original Hackney Wick location now welcomes around 11,000 visitors a month. The founders have even gone on to open saunas in Bermondsey, Camberwell, Peckham, Stratford, and Walthamstow.
Managing director and co-founder, Charlie Duckworth, says it’s the sense of community that keeps people coming back.
“There’s a loneliness epidemic in London at the moment,” he told the Citizen. “Isolation is chronic among certain communities. So it’s not just a sauna, but it’s spaces that are bringing people together, where people can be around others, speak to them, make friends.”
During my visit to the Community Sauna Baths Hackney Wick, this sense of community was palpable. Many of the visitors I met go several times a week, some having become hooked following a friend’s recommendation.
The company wants their sites to be a “tonic” for isolation, and their mission is to make sure their saunas are accessible for everyone. Friendly staff are on hand to welcome newbies - like myself - and regulars alike. It’s easy to see why some come back time and time again.
And it’s not just the community feel that keeps visitors coming back for more. Time and care has been put into the way the sauna is laid out - squint and you could almost be in the Finnish woodland. The location is unassuming - tucked away in a car park - but those who venture in will discover a landscape of plants, wooden huts and ice-cold tubs of water with relaxing music playing throughout.
Community Sauna Baths strives to maintain affordability, too. Their 90-minute sauna session will set you back between £11.50 and £16.50, with £5 concession tickets available. They also offer reduced or free sessions to NHS workers, low-income earners and grassroots groups.
Here, everyone is welcome. Patrons will find gender-neutral toilets and can enjoy a programme of LGBTQ+ events at the venue.
“We’re not here to make a statement or anything,” Duckworth added. “We’re here to be inclusive.”
They’re not stopping there, either - Community Sauna Baths are hoping to organise more sessions for women only, as well as takeover events for people of colour.
You can visit Community Sauna Baths Hackney Wick at The Bath House, The Baths 80, 80 Eastway, London E9 5JH.
