Rent a sauna towel or bring your own? Cost, hygiene and what's worth it
Renting a sauna towel or bringing your own? In many thermal spas and saunas you can hire towels and bathrobes on site. That's convenient if you go spontaneously – but in the long run it's often more expensive and not always as comfortable as you might think. In this guide we compare both options honestly: cost, hygiene, size and comfort. There's also a simple calculation showing when your own towel pays off.
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We have been running the Meri Sauna at Lake Kulkwitz for more than 18 years. Whether you should rent or bring your sauna towel depends mainly on how often you go.
Renting a sauna towel: how it usually works
Whether and on what terms you can rent a sauna towel varies from place to place. One of these models is common:
- Rental per visit: you pay a fee per towel or bathrobe at the till. In larger thermal spas, prices for a sauna towel are often in the range of a few euros – the exact amounts are in each venue's price list.
- Deposit: some venues also charge a deposit that you get back when you return the item.
- Included in a package: day tickets or wellness packages sometimes include a towel and bathrobe.
- No rental: smaller saunas in particular don't rent towels at all or only to a limited extent. Then you have to bring your own.
Our tip: check the sauna's website or give them a quick call before your first visit. That way you know whether rental towels are available and what they cost.
When renting is practical
- First sauna visit: you want to find out whether the sauna is for you before buying anything.
- Spontaneous visit: you come straight from work or decide at short notice.
- Travelling light: at a hotel spa or a thermal spa on holiday you save space in your suitcase.
- Bathrobe for the restaurant area: in some thermal spas a bathrobe is required in the restaurant area. If you don't own one, you can rent it.
Why your own sauna towel is worth it
- Cost: rental fees are charged on every visit. Your own towel costs you once.
- Size: rental towels aren't always long enough to lie on from head to toe. You choose your own towel to match your height.
- Feel on the skin: you decide whether you like it dense and soft or light and smooth.
- Recognition: rental towels all look the same. Your own towel in your own colour is easy to spot in the relaxation room.
- No waiting: no queue at the counter, no "sold out" on busy days.
And hygiene?
Both are hygienic if done properly. Rental towels are usually washed professionally. With your own towel, you decide how and with what it is washed – for example without fabric softener and without fragrances you might not tolerate. The only important thing with your own towels: unpack them right after your sauna day, let them dry and wash them regularly.
The calculation: when does your own towel pay off?
Multiply your sauna's rental fee by the number of visits per year. As a guide, here is an example with an assumed rental fee of €5 per towel per visit:
| Visits per year | Renting (1 towel at €5) | Your own towel |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | €15 | one-off from €21.90 (hammam towel ADRIA) |
| 6 | €30 | one-off €24.50 (HOMELEVEL sauna towel) |
| 12 (once a month) | €60 | one-off €59 (DOTWAVE Sauna Towel XL) |
| 24 (every two weeks) | €120 | one-off €89.90 (Hammam Towel Set Single, 3 towels) |
If you rent two towels per visit – one for the bench, one for drying off – the rental costs double. The exact amounts depend on your sauna. But the trend is clear: if you go more than a few times a year, your own towel usually pays for itself in the first year.
Bringing your own sauna towel: what to pack
If you decide on your own towel, two towels are usually enough for a typical sauna day:
- A towel to lie on the bench: as long as you are, so your feet are on it too.
- A towel for drying off: after showering and cooling down.
- Optionally a bathrobe or poncho: for the relaxation room, the sauna garden and the restaurant area.
Because you have to carry the towels, weight matters. A flat-woven hammam towel Ocean (approx. 180 × 100 cm, approx. 400 g) weighs much less than a dense sauna towel and dries faster. If you prefer to lie on something soft and come by car, take a dense towel like the DOTWAVE Sauna Towel XL (175 × 90 cm, approx. 900–950 g). You will find a complete packing list for the sauna day in our article on the sauna bag.
The set for regulars
If you go regularly, you need towels in rotation so one is always dry. The Hammam Towel Set Single contains two hammam towels Ocean (180 × 100 cm) and one StayOn (200 × 70 cm) with a pocket for the lounger – for €89.90 instead of €104.70 individually.
Renting a sauna towel at a hotel and on holiday
At hotel spas, towels and bathrobes are often already in the room or handed out at the spa entrance – frequently at no extra charge. There, there's little reason not to rent the sauna towel instead of packing one. Thermal spas at your holiday destination are different: the same rules apply as at home, i.e. a rental fee per towel per visit.
A middle way for travellers is a light hammam towel in the suitcase. It takes up hardly any space, serves as a beach towel at the beach and as a sauna towel at the thermal spa. If you have one with you anyway, you don't need to rent a sauna towel on site and still lie on a towel of the right length.
Our recommendation
For your first visit, when travelling or spontaneously after work, it's perfectly fine to rent a sauna towel. As soon as you notice you're coming back, a pair of your own towels is worth it: one for the bench, one for drying off. You save money, lie on a towel of the right length and can spot it immediately in the relaxation room. You'll find our selection in the sauna towels collection and among the hammam towels.
Related reading: Packing a sauna bag: the checklist for your sauna visit · Sauna towel price: what a good sauna towel costs and what matters · Recognising your sauna towel: how it never gets mixed up again
Conclusion
Renting a sauna towel is practical for a first or spontaneous visit and when travelling. If you go to the sauna regularly, your own towels are almost always the better choice: rental fees add up quickly, and your own towel has the right length, the right feel and is instantly recognisable. From around half a dozen visits a year, a simple towel of your own has usually paid for itself.
Frequently asked questions
Can you rent a sauna towel at every sauna?
No. Larger thermal spas usually offer rental, smaller saunas often don't. Check the website beforehand or ask at the till.
How much does it cost to rent a sauna towel?
That depends on the venue. Often it's a few euros per towel per visit, sometimes plus a deposit. Current prices are in each sauna's price list.
Can I use my own towel at every sauna?
As a rule, yes. The only important thing is that it's big enough for you to lie on completely – feet included.
Are rental towels hygienic?
Usually yes, because they are washed professionally. With your own towel, however, you decide on the detergent and care yourself.
How many of my own towels do I need for a sauna day?
Usually two: one to lie on the bench and one for drying off. Plus, if you like, a bathrobe or poncho for the breaks.
Personally written by Martin – founder of BeachAndSteam and sauna operator at Lake Kulkwitz for more than 18 years.