The year of the sauna: wellness in 2026
Hot sauna culture, chic urban bathing clubs, and compact home alternatives
| | Saunas and more hot wellness trends for 2026 Looking back on a year in Wallpaper* wellness, it’s clear that every kind of sauna, from wild to theatrical, and other therapies that encourage a sense of human connection are on the rise |
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| | 01. Discover Aufguss: part sauna, part panto, this group ritual is good for youOur resident sauna authority Emma O'Kelly tried ‘Show Aufguss’, an extreme take on the trending wellness ritual that's designed to encourage a health-boosting collective high |
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| | 02. Go thermal bathing, an ancient art on the rise From Iceland to Australia, via Sweden, Canada and the UK, there are ever-more opportunities to take the plunge |
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| | 03. Join a ‘social wellness club’, an alternative to spa cultureThe clubs of US group Remedy Place offer health treatments with an emphasis on human connection. Founder Dr Jonathan Leary tells us more |
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| | 04. Install a thoroughly contemporary modular home saunaEffe’s new ‘Petra SH’ system features a sauna, a hammam, and a plunge bath all in one |
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| | 05. Go wild for an outdoor saunaFind deep heat in the UK’s outdoors with a book of the best locations, by our own resident sauna expert Emma O’Kelly |
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| | 06. Try contrast therapy at the UK’s largest group saunaForget the pub; at Arc in London, hot and cold immersion brings camaraderie, health benefits, and even mocktails |
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| | 07. Trust a Japandi take on the home saunaJapanese furniture maker Maruni’s Kupu sauna uses hinoki wood for a fragrant experience, combined with sleek Scandinavian aesthetics |
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| | 08. Embrace analogue living to cure digital burnoutFrom saunas to sound healing, wild swimming and alcohol-free silent discos |
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| | 09. Dip a toe in New York’s bathing scene at Lore Recently opened, this is one of the city’s hottest (and coldest) new spots for a plunge and sauna |
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| | 10. Turn your garden into a sauna sanctuaryBathroom brand Kohler makes its first foray into the world of saunas, with compact indoor and outdoor versions |
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