what is a sauna hat, and do you need one?

If you’ve been to a sauna in Finland, or most places with a good public sauna, you’ve probably seen them. Pointed wool hats on people wearing almost nothing else. They look like a joke. Then you try one.

what it does

Heat rises, so your head gets hot first. The air at head height on the top bench is the hottest in the room. Wool slows that down and lets the rest of you catch up.

That’s all a sauna hat does, and it’s enough. You sit a little more at ease, still chatting, still laughing. And the person next to you will probably smile at your hat, which is half the fun.

why wool

Wool is what sauna hats have been made of for a long time, and there are plain reasons for it. The fibres trap little pockets of still air, which is what slows the heat. Wool takes in steam and sweat without feeling soaked straight away, and it dries out again between sessions.

Our hats are 100% wool, made by hand in the foothills of the Himalayas.

do you need one?

No. Plenty of people never wear one, and nobody on the bench will think twice either way. Whether it’s your first sauna or your hundredth, nobody can tell.

But if you like the heat and want your head to feel as good as the rest of you, it’s worth a try. And if you’re bringing a friend who’s new to it, a hat gives them something to laugh about in the first round.

choosing one

Look for 100% wool. Check the label, because “felt” on its own can mean other fibres. If it’s coloured, it’s fair to ask what it’s coloured with. Ours tell you on the tag.

looking after it

Rinse it by hand in cool water and don’t wring it. Reshape it while it’s damp and let it dry out of the sun. Natural colour softens with heat and time, so after a winter on the bench your hat will look a little different from the day it arrived.

We’re still learning how long a wool hat lasts when it’s used every week. Ask us in a few years.