An intriguing new trend we’ve noticed in past years is the rise in popularity of saunas, ice baths, and similar wellness experiences. Whether it’s a floating sauna on the Thames or historic community baths, or even an Oasis-themed sauna, Londoners are getting busy getting sweaty. And the latest addition to the city’s collection of steam rooms is a floating delight. Saunos is a tiny sauna on a boat for Londoners to sweat away their worries.
Moored up in North London, by Packington Bridge, Saunos is a unique (and very London-y) entrant to the world of sweating. There is room for 20 people at a time aboard the barge-turned-sauna. And yet somehow they’ve also found room to install ice baths for a refreshing dip after a sweat session.
A sauna on a boat
Despite the space constraints (and engineering headaches) involved in turning a boat into a sauna, Saunos is a charming spot. From your perch in the sauna, you can look out at the water bobbing past the window. Go ahead and point and laugh, while you’re at it, at all the people wrapped up in multiple layers as you sweat it out indoors.
But then it’s your turn because the ice bath is no joke at Saunos. Once you’ve plunged into its icy, near-freezing waters, you’ll probably wish you’d jumped into the Thames instead! But with room for 4-5 plungers at a time, you can encourage each other through a session and come out shivering but refreshed on the other side.
While Saunos has only recently opened up its barge doors (is there a word for barge doors?), the sauna on a boat is already a hit. The wellness community has welcomed the charming little venue warmly. Saunos has even joined forces with a movement studio to offer ‘flow + float’ pilates and sauna sessions. It’s also proving to be a popular destination for London’s runners to recover after a jaunt around the city.
So, what do you say? Fancy a sweat-off followed by an icy cool-down – all aboard a boat?
📍 You’ll find Saunos by Packington Bridge in north London, N1 7JL. The nearest station is Angel.
