Are Saunas Gender Separated?

It depends on the kind of place. In the US, gym saunas usually sit inside the men's and women's locker rooms, so they're separated, and most hotels split them the same way. Sauna studios, recovery centers and mobile saunas are almost all co-ed.

That split also decides what you wear. Here's what our directory of US saunas shows.

What our listings show

We checked the section data on the 6,553 US saunas in the AllSaunas directory that have it, as of October 2026. For each place, our research records its areas (each one tagged co-ed, men's or women's) and the clothing rule in each.

Across all of them, 5,154 have a single co-ed area and nothing else. That's about 4 in 5. Another 1,242 have both a men's area and a women's area, and 375 of those also have a co-ed area, like a pool-deck sauna or a shared lounge.

The split by type of place is where it gets useful.

Many places have both kinds of area, so a row can add up to more than 100%.

Gyms are the clearest case. The sauna is usually a small room in each locker room, one for men and one for women. Only 165 of the 969 gyms we list have nothing but a co-ed area. Hotels are more mixed: most have men's and women's areas, and many also have a co-ed sauna or spa area.

At the other end, places built around the sauna itself are co-ed. Recovery centers, day spas and sauna studios mostly have infrared cabins or private rooms you book for yourself or with a friend. Mobile saunas run shared co-ed sessions.

Our section data comes from each facility's website and reviews, checked when the listing was added. Rules change, so treat these numbers as what our listings show, not a census.

Where you'll find single-sex, nude saunas

Nude sauna areas are rare in the US. Only 42 of our listings say nudity is required anywhere, and 30 of those are public bathhouses, mostly Korean-style spas. Not one gym or hotel in our directory requires it.

Korean spas (jjimjilbang) are the main place people meet this. You get a men's side and a women's side, each with hot pools, a sauna and a steam room, and no clothes are worn there. Then there's a shared area with more heat rooms where everyone wears the shorts and T-shirt the spa hands out at check-in. LAist's guide to LA's Korean spas describes this setup well.

Some places only admit one sex. In our listings, 46 places have only a men's area, 40 of them bathhouses, mostly men's clubs. Another 35 have only a women's area, including women's gyms like Healthworks in Massachusetts and women's Korean spas like Olympus Spa in Washington.

Co-ed saunas: what to wear and how it works

What you wear in a co-ed sauna depends on whether you share it with strangers.

In a shared co-ed room, plan on a swimsuit. Our listings mark swimwear as required in the co-ed areas of 267 of the 293 gyms that have one, 223 of the 229 hotels, and 58 of the 67 mobile saunas. Bring a towel to sit on too.

Many co-ed places don't put you in a room with strangers at all. Most sauna studios and recovery centers rent private rooms, which is why so many couples and friends go together. Our listings mark clothing as optional in the co-ed areas of 195 of the 288 studios and 1,681 of the 2,324 recovery centers, because you're in there alone or with your own group.

Locker room saunas are single-sex, and our listings mark most of them clothing optional (716 of the 789 gyms with a men's area). A towel is the norm, and some clubs ask for one. The YMCA of Greater San Francisco, for example, asks for a towel or swim attire in locker room saunas and swimwear in its co-ed ones. Our guide to what to wear in a sauna covers the dress codes in more detail.

Outside the US

In Finland, swimming halls and many public saunas have separate saunas for women and men, and you go in naked. Mixed saunas exist too, and many of them allow swimwear.

Germany mostly does the opposite. Most sauna complexes are mixed and clothes aren't allowed in the sauna itself, though many thermal baths hold a women-only day.

In Japan, most onsen and sento have separate baths for men and women, and mixed baths (konyoku) are now uncommon, according to Japan Travel's onsen guide.

How to check before you go

1. Open the facility's page on AllSaunas. The tabs near the top show whether it has a male area, a female area, a co-ed area or several, and the clothing requirements for each.
2. Search by setup: co-ed saunas or places with a women's area.
3. Check the facility's own rules page or call. Some places run women-only hours or co-ed nights that our listings may not show.

FAQ

Are gym saunas co-ed?

Usually not. 787 of the 969 gyms in our directory have both a men's and a women's area, almost always the locker rooms. 293 have a co-ed area, usually with swimsuits required, and at 165 of them it's the only one.

Are saunas at sauna studios gender neutral?

Yes, nearly all of them. 288 of the 290 sauna studios we list have a co-ed area, and only 1 has separate men's and women's areas. Many rent private rooms, so you choose who you go with.

Do you have to be naked in a gender-separated sauna?

Rarely in the US. Most single-sex saunas are gym and hotel locker room saunas, where a towel or swimsuit is normal. Nudity is required mainly in the single-sex areas of Korean-style spas.

Are Finnish saunas gender segregated?

Often, yes. Public saunas and swimming halls in Finland usually have separate saunas for men and women, where people go nude. Mixed saunas also exist, and many of them allow swimsuits.

Can couples use a sauna together?

Yes, at co-ed places: sauna studios, recovery centers, social sauna clubs, and the co-ed areas of Korean spas. Couples can't share a gym locker room sauna. Browse co-ed saunas or sauna studios to find one near you.