Australia's enthusiasm for saunas is rising rapidly, with Google searches for "sauna" increasing from about 120,000 a month to over 500,000 in the five years to June 2026. Despite this surge, most saunas require swimsuits, a practice that writer Kate Hennessy argues should be reconsidered. She advocates for normalizing nudity in saunas, as is common in Germany and Scandinavia, where saunas are traditionally done naked even in mixed-gender settings.
The Case for Naked Saunas
Hennessy points out several benefits of sweating naked. Synthetic swimwear fibers can disintegrate in heat, potentially contaminating benches and ice baths, while wet swimsuits can trap bacteria. A mandatory rinse after sweating is less effective than showering naked. Swimsuits also prevent uniform sweating, and women are often required to cover more skin. Blue Mountains Sauna has introduced nude sessions to address what it calls Australia's "desperate need of a new sauna culture," but few others have followed, except saunas for gay men.
Industry Perspectives
Anthony Simonetta, founder of the contrast therapy club Xtra in Sydney's inner west, which has three locations and plans for 13 more, says his "broad customer base is not ready" for textile-free sessions. Demi Durrand, manager of Bondi's 38 Degrees: The Bathhouse, says swimwear is mandatory "to keep things simple, comfortable and accessible." Hennessy counters that as long as a towel is used, nudity is simple and not as sexual as newcomers might fear.
Lessons from Germany
Hennessy recommends a visit to Vabali, a high-end sauna and bathhouse in Berlin, where nudity is compulsory. A Vabali spokesperson explains, "It's less about nudity and more about equality and letting go of external roles. If it were optional, this dynamic would change significantly." Ralf Ostendorf, director of market management at Visit Berlin, notes that Germans view nudity as a practical consequence, not the main feature, and care intensely about etiquette like sitting on a towel and maintaining silence.
Hygiene and Etiquette
At Vabali, no body part should touch the wood; patrons must sit on towels. This feels more hygienic than leaving "bum-shaped pools of sweat" from swimsuits. Rule-breakers face stern correction. Hennessy argues that Australia could split sauna culture, with some venues requiring swimwear and others embracing nudity, to normalize both options.
Body Positivity and Demand
Hennessy recalls a 2017 Sydney Dance Company naked performance at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. When a slow-selling show was repitched as a nude-only night for the audience, tickets sold out in a day, with two more shows added. She reports that the most awkward part is disrobing, but once naked, the experience is profoundly body-positive and freeing. "Time spent naked is distinct from the rest of your day. You're literally leaving it all behind," she writes.
