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Hackney Wick Sauna Baths, a community sauna and one of Time Out’s best saunas in London, has been a steamy, sweaty success since it opened its doors back in 2021. In under three years, the Hackney Wick Sauna Baths have welcomed more than 50,000 visitors, 69 percent of which were complete sauna amateurs.
Following the success of the Hackney Wick community sauna, the people behind it have just opened another site. Located in Stratford – also in east London – it’s smaller than the OG edition and has three saunas compared to Hackney Wick’s seven.
The sauna has opened as a partnership with developers Hadley Property Group, who were keen to make the most of the Stratford site before it gets redeveloped in 2025. The location is also home to a community garden and wellbeing space.
Community Sauna Baths launched three years ago to make the benefits of saunas more accessible – and there’s no denying that saunas can be really good for you. Health benefits of regularly using saunas apparently include lower rates of heart disease and strokes, a lower likelihood of Alzheimer’s in men and less severe symptoms for sufferers of conditions such as fibromyalgia and arthritis.
Polly Wilson, a community outreach officer from Community Sauna Baths, said: ‘We wish to share the numerous health benefits of saunas, including improved circulation, detoxification and stress relief, whilst welcoming you to enjoy our friendly community and experience the positive social and mental impact post-sauna.’
There are monthly trans nights, sessions for pregnant people and for families, plus grief sauna, sound baths and massage treatments. The events programme even includes revivals of traditional sweat-bathing traditions from across the world. Think sessions on German Aufguss (a treatment involving essential oil-involved and rhythmical towel movements) or Finnish leaf-whisking (when bundles of birch tree branches whip your skin).
On top of all that, The Stratford Community Sauna Baths are free for NHS workers, and can even be prescribed through NHS trusts in Hackney and Newham.
Off-peak entry to the saunas is £8.50, while peak entry is £15. There are also concession prices, and for special events entry is up to £25. Find out more on the official website here.
For more on rest and relaxation in London, have a look at this list of the city’s best spas, or the city’s best lidos and outdoor pools.
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