Does Crunch Fitness Have a Sauna? What to Expect Before You Join

Some Crunch Fitness clubs have a sauna, but most do not. A sauna, along with amenities like hydromassage or a dedicated recovery area, tends to be at the larger “Signature” locations. Plus, this is usually tied to the higher membership tiers rather than the entry-level Base plan. Because every Crunch is franchised, the only real way to know for sure is to check the specific club’s amenity list and, ideally, walk in and see it. Do not assume a sauna is included just because you saw one at a different Crunch.

If a sauna is a significant part of why you are joining, it is worth understanding exactly how Crunch handles recovery amenities, what you are likely to find at each tier, and why a shared gym sauna can be a harder recovery habit to start than many people expect.

Crunch Membership Tiers and What’s Included

Crunch runs a tiered model, and amenities climb as you move up. The exact names and perks vary slightly by market, but the structure is consistent.

Prices are typical figures for 2026 and vary by location. The key takeaway: a sauna is a top-tier, select-club perk at Crunch. A sauna is never a guarantee of the cheapest membership.

Which Crunch Locations Are Likely to Have a Sauna?

Crunch clubs come in different formats. The larger, more fully-featured locations, often marketed as Signature clubs, are the ones most likely to include spa-style amenities such as a sauna, hydromassage loungers, or a tanning area. Smaller or older franchise locations frequently skip the sauna entirely to keep the overhead down.

This matters because two Crunch gyms in the same city can offer completely different amenities. A friend raving about the sauna at their Crunch tells you nothing about the Crunch nearest you. Before you commit to a Crunch, confirm it directly: look at that club’s page on the Crunch website, call the front desk, or tour the facility to see the sauna with your own eyes.

What Kind of Sauna Does Crunch Use?

Where a Crunch club does have a sauna, it is almost always a traditional dry-heat sauna, typically located in or near the locker room. These are the familiar high-temperature wood rooms that heat the air around you.

Crunch clubs, like essentially all commercial gym chains, do not offer infrared saunas, which warm the body directly at a lower, gentler temperature. Infrared saunas remain rare in gym settings because of their cost and space requirements. So, almost inevitably, the gym sauna you find will be the hot, dry, conventional kind.

That distinction matters if you want a comfortable, longer sauna session. Traditional gym saunas run hot and can feel stifling, which is part of why sessions there tend to be short.

The Catch With Any Gym Sauna

Even when a Crunch location has a sauna, relying on it as your recovery routine comes with challenges that are easy to overlook until after you have joined:

It is only open when the club is open. If your club has limited staff or overnight hours, your sauna window is limited as well. Late-night or very early sessions may be off the table.

You share it. At peak hours, you may wait for a seat, or squeeze in next to a crowd. The quiet, solo wind-down a lot of people want is rarely possible in a busy locker-room sauna.

You do not control it. The temperature is set by the facility, the cleaning happens on their schedule, and if the unit is down for maintenance, you are simply out of luck that day.

It can disappear. Franchises remodel, change amenities, or close the sauna for repairs. The perk you joined for is not guaranteed to be there every time you go to the gym.

For an occasional post-workout warm-up, a gym sauna is a nice bonus. As the foundation of a consistent recovery habit, it is one of the least reliable options available.

A More Reliable Path to Sauna Recovery

If the sauna is genuinely central to your routine, the best move is to stop depending on whether a given gym happens to have one. A home infrared sauna removes every one of the concerns above all at once.

Units like those from Health Mate run at a comfortable 120 to 140°F. Plus, they warm your body directly with infrared rather than superheating the air, so the sauna sessions feel gentler, making it easier for you to stay in longer.

They are ready whenever you are, with no club hours, no waiting for a seat, no shared temperature, and no risk of the sauna being removed. Many models are plug-and-play on a standard household outlet, so there is no major renovation to plan before you can use your sauna.

You can still join whichever Crunch suits your workouts, and handle recovery on your own schedule at home, where the sauna is always available and always clean. You can browse the Health Mate catalog to compare models, or call (714) 739-6600 to talk through which one fits your life.

How to Confirm a Crunch Sauna Before You Sign Up

If you still want to join a Crunch specifically for its sauna, protect yourself with a few quick checks:

First, find your exact club on the Crunch website and read its amenity list rather than the generic brand page.

Second, call the front desk and ask two things: whether they have a sauna, and which membership tier includes access.

Third, visit in person and look at the sauna. Confirm it is operational, and not a room that exists on paper but has been closed.

Finally, ask about the club’s hours so you know when you can actually use it. Doing this upfront prevents the common disappointment of paying for a higher tier only to find the sauna is tiny, crowded, frequently out of service, or absent from your specific location.

How Crunch Stacks Up Against Other Gyms on Saunas

Crunch is in the middle of the pack when it comes to sauna access. On the more generous end, full-service chains like Life Time and Equinox treat saunas, steam rooms, and whirlpools as standard features at most locations, though you will have to pay premium monthly rates for usage.

LA Fitness is more affordable and still includes dry saunas at most clubs. 24 Hour Fitness offers saunas too, but only on its Gold tier and up. On the other end, Planet Fitness offers no saunas at all, and Anytime Fitness only rarely.

Crunch is more likely to have a sauna than Planet Fitness or Anytime, but far less consistently so than Life Time or LA Fitness. So, if a sauna is the deciding amenity and you are choosing purely among gyms, a full-service chain is a safer bet than counting on your local Crunch to have one.

That said, every one of these gym saunas shares the same limitations, no matter the brand. They only offer saunas that are all traditional dry heat, all shared, all bound to club hours, not to mention that they’re all outside your control. Trading up to a more expensive gym makes it more likely that you can use a sauna, but not much more.

Getting the Most From a Sauna Session

Whether you use a Crunch sauna or a home unit, a few habits make sessions safer as well as more effective. Hydrate well before and after, since heat drains a lot of fluid out of you. Start with shorter sessions and build up as you acclimate rather than chasing a heat record your first few times in the sauna.

Sit on a clean towel for hygiene, and step out if you feel lightheaded. If you have any heart condition, are pregnant, or take medication that affects blood pressure or heat tolerance, talk to your doctor before making sauna use a regular habit. These basics apply equally to a gym sauna and a home one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does every Crunch Fitness have a sauna?

No. Saunas are found at some Crunch locations, usually larger Signature clubs, and are not a chain-wide standard. Because each club is franchised, amenities vary significantly, so always confirm with your specific location.

Which Crunch membership includes sauna access?

Where a sauna exists, it is typically part of the higher tiers (Peak or Peak Results / Signature), and not included with the entry-level Base membership. Confirm with your club, since the tier structure and included amenities differ by location.

Does Crunch Fitness have an infrared sauna?

Almost certainly not. Crunch clubs, like essentially all commercial gyms, use traditional dry-heat saunas where they have one at all. Infrared saunas are rare in gym settings. For infrared specifically, a home unit is the realistic option.

How do I find out if my local Crunch has a sauna?

Check that specific club’s page on the Crunch website, call the front desk and ask which tier includes sauna access. Ideally, you should visit in person to confirm the sauna exists and is working before you join.

Is the Crunch sauna worth upgrading tiers for?

Only if your club actually has one and you will use it regularly. Given shared access, limited hours, and the chance of closures, many people find a home sauna a more dependable way to use a sauna consistently than paying for a higher tier.

Can I use the Crunch sauna on the cheapest membership?

Usually not. The Base membership is tied to a single home club and typically excludes premium amenities. Sauna access, where available, generally requires a higher tier of membership.

Editor’s note: This article is an original guide written for general gym-goers. Crunch Fitness membership tiers, pricing, and amenity details reflect publicly available information as of October 2026. Because Crunch is franchised, exact pricing, tiers, and amenities — including whether a sauna exists — vary by individual club, so confirm with the specific location you plan to join. This is general information, not financial or medical advice.