According to reports, the US sauna market is projected to grow to $311M by 2033.
On a recent trip to Scotland’s The Fife Arms hotel, I embarked on my very first (and possibly last) wild swimming excursion. The routine was simple but brutal: dunk into a freezing river in Braemar and hop straight into an outdoor sauna for 15 minutes of intense heat. Then do it all over again. And again, until I could no longer feel my legs.
Mind you, this was in April – in the middle of British spring, which can feel indistinguishable from winter – so it was a challenging, painful, but incredibly revitalizing experience. I left feeling more alive than ever.
Both practices – sauna-ing and wild swimming – have long histories. Saunas originated in northern Europe – specifically Finland, where using them is still woven into everyday life. The country boasts around 3.3 million saunas for a population of just 5.5 million people, making them almost as commonplace as homes themselves. It’s a practice that is clearly taken very seriously, partly due to its suggested health benefits, which are said to include improved circulation and muscle recovery.
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Wild or open water swimming has been used for decades for various health – as well as social – benefits. Susie Parr, author The Story of Swimming, told The Outdoor Swimming Society that “Sir John Floyer’s History of Cold Water Bathing [dating back to 1715] provided plentiful evidence of people using immersion in cold water to treat various ailments.”
The combination of the two, however, is a more modern phenomenon that has grown alongside the wellness boom. It pairs the electrifying shock of cold open-water swimming with the restorative nature of heat from a sauna. It’s big in Scandinavia as well as the UK, with many coastal destinations – including luxury hotels like Gleneagles – now offering the experience. I’d heard plenty about the hot-and-cold circuit before trying it myself, but many of my fellow participants – all Americans – were experiencing the concept for the first time. It “isn’t very popular in the States,” they told me. But that might soon be changing.
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According to statistics, the US sauna market is projected to grow to $311m by 2033, and last year the country accounted for 21.6 percent of the global sauna market. This is down to the demand of outdoor saunas, as well as infrared and electric ones.
Still, with a projection so high, only a few luxury US companies currently offer the swimming-sauna circuit. Among them are Fjord, Ebb & Ember, and Wild Haus, all of which offer floating saunas. Wild Haus’s wood-fired sauna voyages take place in Seattle on Lake Union, with guests encouraged to move between the cold open water and the heated sauna for ‘benefits like detoxification and pain relief.’ A private sauna cruise starts from $975 and lasts 2.5 hours.
Ebb & Ember, meanwhile, offers the experience in Portland, and are so in demand that membership options exist for those wishing to dip and sweat every day. And Fjord, which is based in San Francisco Bay, has two traditional Finnish-style saunas that can accommodate up to six guests each. You can plunge into the bay (at your own risk), so long as you remain within the demarcated plunge zone. Events and parties can even be accommodated – at a cost of $5,000 — $7,000.
Americans have happily embraced pickleball and padel, Nordic walking, and even Scandinavian interiors. This bathing culture could very well be next.
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