Which Gyms Have Saunas in 2026? A Complete Guide

Among the big US chains, LA Fitness, Equinox, Life Time, Gold’s Gym, 24 Hour Fitness (on higher tiers), and many YMCA branches usually have saunas. On the other hand, Planet Fitness and Anytime Fitness generally do not. Crunch Fitness falls in the middle, with saunas at some larger clubs. One important catch: nearly every gym sauna is a traditional dry-heat room. Infrared saunas are rare in commercial gyms. So, if you specifically want an infrared sauna experience, a home unit is realistically the only consistent way to make it happen.

Because amenities vary club to club even within the same brand, this guide covers which chains are most likely to have a sauna, what kind you will find, and the limitations of relying on a gym sauna for recovery. Confirm any specific location before you join any gym.

Gym Sauna Availability by Chain

Availability reflects standard 2026 conditions and varies by individual club. Always confirm with the specific location before beginning membership.

The Chains Most Likely to Have a Sauna

If a sauna is a priority for you, the full-service and premium chains are your best bet. Life Time and Equinox treat spa-style recovery as part of the brand. As a result, saunas, steam rooms, and whirlpools are standard at most of those locations. However, you have to pay premium monthly rates for that. LA Fitness is a more affordable option that still includes dry saunas at most clubs, as the saunas are usually tucked into the locker rooms.

24 Hour Fitness includes sauna, steam room, and whirlpool access, but only if your membership is at the Gold tier or higher. 24 Hour Fitness’s entry-level Silver membership does not include sauna, steam room, or whirlpool access. Gold’s Gym and many YMCA branches also commonly have saunas, though they vary by location.

The Chains That Usually Don’t

Planet Fitness does not offer saunas at all. Its premium Black Card amenities allow access to massage chairs, hydromassage loungers, and tanning. But, if you want to use a sauna, Planet Fitness will not provide one.

Anytime Fitness is similar: because its clubs are compact and independently owned, a sauna is not a standard amenity. Indeed, only a handful of Anytime Fitness franchises have one.

Crunch Fitness lies in between, with saunas at some larger clubs/higher tiers but saunas are not a chain-wide feature.

What Kind of Sauna Will You Actually Find?

This is the detail most lists of “gyms with saunas” skip. Nearly every commercial gym sauna is a traditional dry-heat sauna. Basically, that means these saunas are a hot wood room that heats the air around you, usually running well above 160°F. These are effective but intense, which is just one reason why gym sauna sessions tend to be short.

Infrared saunas, on the other hand, warm your body directly at a gentler 120 to 140°F. These types of saunas allow for longer, more comfortable sessions. Of course, these saunas are almost nonexistent in commercial gym chains for many reasons. So, if you’re looking for the comfort and lower-temperature benefits of infrared sauna heat specifically, you will not find it at a mainstream gym.

The Limits of Any Gym Sauna

Even at a gym chain that has saunas, using a gym sauna as your recovery routine means living with real constraints:

Hours. You can only use it when the club and its locker room are open. Overnight or holiday sessions may not be possible.

Crowds. At busy times, you may wait for a seat or share a small room with a crowd, which undercuts the calming experience many want.

Hygiene and control. The temperature is fixed by the facility, cleaning happens on their schedule, and you cannot adjust the session to your preferences/

Reliability. Saunas get closed for maintenance, remodels, or cost-cutting. So, the sauna you joined for is not guaranteed to be there next month.

For an occasional warm-up after a workout, these trade-offs are fine. For a consistent, daily recovery practice, they make it hard for you to build a routine that can help you take advantage of the best sauna benefits.

The Most Reliable Sauna Is the One You Own

If recovery in a sauna is a serious part of your workout plan, the dependable answer is to stop choosing a gym by its sauna and instead own your own sauna. A home infrared sauna is available on your schedule, every day, with no shared seats and no closing time.

Health Mate units run at a comfortable 120 to 140°F, using infrared heat to warm your body directly. That’s the kind of gentler, longer-session experience you cannot get from a hot, dry gym sauna.

When you have a home sauna, that sauna is ready whenever you are, as clean as you want it to be, and set to the exact temperature and duration you prefer.

Many Health Mate models are plug-and-play on a standard household outlet, so there is no renovation to schedule before you get a sauna. You can keep whatever gym fits your training and handle recovery at home, reliably and on your own terms. Browse the Health Mate catalog or call (714) 739-6600 to find the model that fits your space.

How to Confirm a Gym’s Sauna Before Joining

If you do want a gym sauna, verify it at the exact club. Read that location’s amenity page, call the front desk to ask whether the sauna is operational, ask which membership tier includes access, and then tour the facility to see the sauna yourself.

Check the club’s hours so you know when you can use the sauna, and ask whether it is dry heat or steam. These few steps prevent the common letdown of paying for a tier only to find the sauna is small, crowded, out of service, or absent from your gym.

Sauna vs. Steam Room: What’s the Difference?

Gyms that offer recovery amenities often have both a sauna and a steam room. They are not the same thing. A traditional sauna is dry heat, usually a wood-lined room running above 160°F with low humidity. A steam room is the opposite: lower temperature, around 110 to 120°F, but with near 100 percent humidity from a steam generator. That’s why it feels so intensely hot and wet.

People tend to prefer one or the other. Dry saunas are often favored for a straightforward sweat and muscle relaxation, while steam rooms are associated with a moist-heat feel that some find soothing for breathing.

Infrared, the third option, warms your body directly rather than heating the room. That way, the air stays comfortable while you still sweat. That gentler infrared experience is the one commercial gyms almost never provide, since their recovery rooms are dry saunas or steam rooms.

How Often Should You Use a Sauna?

For most healthy adults, using a sauna a few times a week is a reasonable starting point, with sessions in the range of 15 to 30 minutes depending on the heat as well as your tolerance.

The research on sauna bathing generally associates regular, consistent use with the benefits people are after, which is exactly why reliability matters so much. A sauna you can only use sporadically, because of club hours or crowds, makes a consistent habit harder to maintain than one that is always available at home.

Whatever the setting of your sauna, hydrate before and after, build up gradually rather than overdoing early sessions, and check with a doctor first if you are pregnant, have a heart condition, or take medication affecting blood pressure or heat tolerance.

Comfort and consistency, not extreme heat or long endurance sessions, are what make sauna use sustainable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which gyms have saunas?

LA Fitness, Equinox, Life Time, Gold’s Gym, 24 Hour Fitness (Gold tier and up), and many YMCA branches usually have saunas. Crunch has them at some larger clubs. Planet Fitness and Anytime Fitness generally do not have saunas.

Does Planet Fitness have a sauna?

No. Planet Fitness does not offer saunas. Its Black Card amenities include massage chairs, hydromassage, and tanning instead.

Do any gyms have infrared saunas?

Very few. Commercial gym saunas are almost always traditional dry-heat rooms. Infrared saunas are rare in gym settings, so for infrared heat specifically, a home unit is the most realistic option.

Does 24 Hour Fitness have a sauna?

Many locations do, but only on the Gold tier or higher. The entry-level Silver membership typically excludes sauna, steam room, and whirlpool access.

Is a gym sauna worth it?

For occasional post-workout use, yes. As a dependable daily recovery habit, gym saunas are limited by club hours, crowds, and possible closures, so many recovery-focused people prefer a home sauna.

What temperature are gym saunas?

Traditional gym saunas typically run above 160°F, which is hot and intense. Infrared saunas, by contrast, run a gentler 120 to 140°F, but those are rarely found in gyms.

Editor’s note: This article is an original guide written for general gym-goers. Which chains have saunas reflects publicly available information as of October 2026. Because gyms are franchised and remodel frequently, sauna availability, type, and tier requirements vary by individual club, so confirm with the specific location you plan to join. This is general information, not medical advice.