Sauna Hats Explained: Why Finns Wear Felt Hats
Walk into a traditional Finnish sauna and you will often see bathers wearing a tall, peaked hat made of thick wool felt — even though they are otherwise undressed. It looks odd the first time you see it, but the sauna hat is one of the oldest and most practical accessories in sauna culture, and it is now easy to find in the UK too.
In this guide we explain where the tradition comes from, what a felt hat is actually supposed to do, and which other sauna accessories are genuinely worth buying rather than just nice to have.
What a sauna hat is for
Inside a hot sauna, the air near the ceiling can be considerably hotter than the air at bench level — often by 20–30°C, since heat rises. A bather sitting on the upper bench has their head in the hottest layer of air in the room, while their body sits lower down in a cooler zone.
Wool felt is a poor conductor of heat, so a felt hat acts as simple insulation: it slows down how quickly heat reaches the scalp and hair, making it more comfortable to stay on the hot upper bench for longer. Finnish sauna-goers have also long believed it protects hair from becoming dry and brittle after repeated exposure to very hot, dry air.
A fair note on the evidence: we could not find a controlled scientific study measuring scalp temperature with and without a felt hat — this is a long-standing practical tradition passed down through generations of sauna bathers, not a clinically tested claim. We mention that honestly rather than overstating it.
What actually happens to your body in a hot sauna
While the hat itself is folk wisdom, what happens to the body during a sauna session is well documented. A large Finnish cohort study (Laukkanen et al., JAMA Internal Medicine, 2015, PMID 25705824) followed over 2,300 men for around 20 years and found an association between more frequent sauna sessions and a lower risk of cardiovascular events — an observational link, not proof of cause and effect. A systematic review (Hussain & Cohen, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2018, PMID 29849692) summarised around 40 studies and roughly 3,850 participants, describing consistent short-term effects such as raised heart rate, fluid loss through sweating, and improved relaxation after bathing.
Because sauna heat genuinely raises heart rate and causes fluid loss, two "accessories" matter more than any novelty item: a clock or sand timer to pace your sessions (10–15 minutes is a sensible starting point), and water to rehydrate afterwards. Anyone with a heart condition, uncontrolled blood pressure, or who is pregnant should check with a doctor before regular sauna use.
Sauna accessories that genuinely matter
Beyond the hat, a handful of accessories make a real, practical difference to a sauna session — the rest is mostly decoration:
- Quality sauna stones — the single biggest factor in how good your löyly (steam) feels. Cheap, porous stones crack and crumble under repeated heating and dousing with water, producing dust instead of steam. We stock Harvia sauna stones (20 kg, from £55) sized specifically for Harvia heaters.
- A bucket and ladle (kiulu) — the traditional way to pour water onto the stones. Wood or stainless steel both work; plastic degrades faster in the heat.
- A thermometer and hygrometer — useful for finding the temperature and humidity balance you actually enjoy, rather than guessing. Most bathers prefer 70–90°C with moderate humidity rather than the hottest setting available.
- Essential oils — a few drops in the water for the ladle add scent to the steam (pine, eucalyptus, birch are classic Nordic choices). We offer a collection of essential oils for sauna use (from £19).
- A wool felt sauna hat — genuinely useful if you spend a lot of time on the top bench, and a nice nod to tradition for anyone who enjoys the ritual side of sauna bathing.
- A backrest or headrest — small comfort upgrade on longer sessions, especially in a cube or barrel sauna with straight benches.
What tends not to matter much: scented candles, bluetooth speakers, or anything that cannot handle sustained heat above 80°C — most electronics and plastics simply will not survive long in a real sauna environment.
Our take
A sauna hat will not change your health outcomes, but it is a low-cost, genuinely functional piece of sauna culture that makes the hottest bench more bearable — worth having if you use your sauna often. The accessories that make the biggest practical difference, however, are the stones that control your steam quality and simply paying attention to how long you stay and how much water you drink afterwards.
Looking to set up a garden sauna from scratch? Browse our full range or get in touch at sales@saunado.eu — we are happy to advise.