Best Saunas in Dubai: Infrared, Finnish & More (Guide)
The sauna in your gym locker room is not the same as a sauna in Dubai. One is an afterthought. The other is the whole point.
Most gyms in Dubai have some version of a steam room or sauna tacked onto the changing facilities. It's warm, it's humid, and it does the job. But dedicated sauna facilities — places built specifically around the heat experience — are a different category entirely. Different equipment, different temperatures, different benefits, and a very different price point.
This guide covers both. You'll find the key differences between sauna types — infrared, Finnish, steam, and salt room — what each one actually does for your body, and the best places in Dubai to book a proper session. For most people, an infrared studio or wellness center with a dedicated sauna is the better choice over a gym's shared steam room.
What Type of Sauna Is Right for You?
There are four main types you'll encounter in Dubai. Each works differently, and each suits a different kind of user.
| Type | Temperature | Humidity | Best for | Session length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finnish sauna | 80–100°C | Low (10–20%) | Deep heat, cardiovascular, traditional experience | 10–20 min |
| Infrared sauna | 45–60°C | Very low | Muscle recovery, detox, skin, beginners | 30–45 min |
| Steam room | 40–50°C | High (100%) | Respiratory, skin hydration, post-workout | 10–15 min |
| Russian banya | 60–90°C | Medium–high | Circulation, deep relaxation, traditional ritual | 15–30 min |
| Salt room (halotherapy) | Room temperature | Low | Respiratory, allergies, relaxation | 30–45 min |
Finnish Sauna (and Russian Banya)
The original. Dry heat, high temperatures, wooden benches. Traditionally, you'd pour water over hot stones (called löyly) to create brief bursts of steam — then cool down with cold water or outside air between rounds. The cardiovascular effect of this heat-cold contrast is well-documented: a 2018 study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that regular Finnish sauna use (4–7 times per week) was associated with a 50% lower risk of fatal cardiovascular disease.
Pure Finnish sauna facilities are rarer in Dubai than infrared studios — but they do exist inside hotel spas and premium wellness centers. The Russian banya is a related tradition: a higher-humidity variant (60–90°C) where steam is created more frequently, often alongside birch branch rituals. Rare in Dubai, but occasionally offered at Russian-owned spas. Both share the core heat-cold contrast principle.
Infrared Sauna
Infrared saunas use light wavelengths to heat your body directly, rather than heating the surrounding air. The cabin itself stays relatively cool — between 45°C and 60°C — but you sweat just as much, sometimes more, because the heat penetrates about 3–4cm into muscle tissue rather than staying at the skin surface.
This makes infrared sessions more accessible if you find traditional saunas uncomfortably hot. You can sit comfortably, stay longer, and still get a significant cardiovascular and recovery benefit. Most of the dedicated sauna studios now open in Dubai run infrared pods — it's the format that's taken off here.
Steam Room
Steam rooms are what most Dubai gyms have. The air is saturated with moisture, which makes them feel intense even at 40–50°C. They're genuinely good for respiratory health and skin hydration — the humid environment keeps airways open and adds moisture to the skin. But the experience is short (15 minutes maximum for most people), and the facilities at most gyms are basic.
How Much Does a Sauna Session Cost in Dubai?
Pricing varies significantly depending on the type of facility and what's included.
| Facility type | Session price (AED) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dedicated infrared pod studio | AED 120–250 per session | 30–45 min private pod; packages available |
| Wellness center (infrared or Finnish) | AED 150–400 per session | Often includes other facilities (cold plunge, shower) |
| Hotel spa sauna | AED 200–600+ | Usually part of a thermal area day pass |
| Gym steam room | Free with membership | Basic facilities, shared space |
Most dedicated studios offer session packages that bring the per-visit cost down considerably. A 10-session infrared pack typically works out to AED 80–120 per visit — cheaper than a hotel day pass, and you get a private pod rather than a shared room.
Best Sauna and Infrared Studios in Dubai
These are the top-rated wellness and recovery centers with sauna facilities on Gymzone — ranked by verified reviews from real users.
Sweat&Go
Sweat&Go is one of the most reviewed infrared studios in Dubai, with over 115 five-star ratings. The studio runs private infrared wellness pods designed for fitness recovery and detox — sessions are typically 30–45 minutes in a personal pod, which means no shared changing rooms, no waiting for a spot. The format suits people who want the sauna benefit without the spa experience. If you're looking for a no-fuss, high-frequency recovery option near central Dubai, this is probably your best starting point. It's less suited to those who want the full heat-cold contrast experience (cold plunge, Finnish heat, rest area) in a single visit.
Wellnest
Wellnest integrates infrared sauna with cold plunge in one facility — which matters if you're after the heat-cold contrast protocol that most research supports for recovery and cardiovascular benefit. The combination of infrared heat followed by cold immersion (or vice versa) mimics what traditional Finnish sauna culture is built around: alternating thermal stress as an active recovery tool. With 73 five-star reviews and a 4.9 rating, it's well-regarded for both experience and results. Not the most central location for everyone, but worth the trip if the combined protocol is what you're after. Pairs well with our guide on ice baths and cold plunge in Dubai.
UCryo Wellness DIFC
UCryo sits in DIFC and offers sauna alongside its flagship cryotherapy service. If you're considering both heat and cold as part of a recovery or performance protocol, this is one of the few places in Dubai where you can do both in a single visit. The sauna here is a complement to the cryotherapy offering rather than the main event — sessions are available, but the studio's identity is built around contrast therapy broadly. Rated 4.6 across 115 reviews. Suited to people already interested in recovery tech who want a fuller suite of options. For a full breakdown of what cryotherapy offers and where to find it, see our guide to cryotherapy in Dubai.
Learn more about UCryo Wellness DIFC
Formation Dubai Marina
Formation is a performance and recovery wellness center in Dubai Marina — one of the more complete facilities on the list. It covers sauna, recovery tools, and performance services, making it useful for athletes and serious gym-goers who want structured recovery alongside their training. Rated 4.8 across 88 reviews, with strong feedback on the facility quality. Dubai Marina location makes it accessible from JBR, JLT, and Media City. Not ideal if you're looking for a pure relaxation sauna experience — this facility leans toward performance recovery rather than spa-style rest.
Learn more about Formation Dubai Marina
Sweat And Go Mirdif
The Mirdif branch of Sweat&Go serves the eastern and inland Dubai areas — Mirdif, Deira, Al Qusais — where dedicated infrared studios are harder to find. Women-owned and focused on infrared fitness and wellness pods. Rated 4.8 across 46 reviews. The same format as the original location: private pods, set session times, clean and straightforward. A solid option if you're based east of Downtown and don't want to drive to Dubai Marina or DIFC for a recovery session.
Learn more about Sweat And Go Mirdif
The Pearl Spa and Wellness Jumeirah
For a more traditional spa sauna experience — sauna alongside a pool, steam room, and full treatment menu — The Pearl in Jumeirah is a well-regarded option. Rated 4.4 across 37 reviews, it offers the kind of leisurely heat experience that a pod studio doesn't: you can move between sauna, steam, and pool at your own pace. Pricing reflects the full spa setting. Best for those who want the sauna as part of a broader relaxation session rather than a targeted recovery protocol.
Learn more about The Pearl Spa and Wellness Jumeirah
What Does a Sauna Actually Do for Your Body?
The health research on saunas has grown considerably over the past decade. Here's what the evidence supports — and where the evidence is thinner.
Cardiovascular benefit. The most robust finding. A long-running Finnish cohort study (the KIHD study, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings across multiple papers from 2015 to 2022) tracked over 2,000 middle-aged men for 20+ years. Those who used a sauna 4–7 times per week had a 63% lower risk of sudden cardiac death and a 50% lower risk of fatal cardiovascular disease compared to once-a-week users. The mechanism is similar to moderate aerobic exercise: heat stress raises heart rate, dilates blood vessels, and improves vascular function. The effect compounds with frequency.
Muscle recovery. Heat increases blood flow to muscle tissue, which speeds up clearance of metabolic waste (lactate, hydrogen ions) after intense training. A 2021 review in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport found that post-exercise sauna use reduced perceived muscle soreness at 24 and 48 hours. Infrared saunas, which penetrate muscle tissue directly, are increasingly used by athletes for this reason — though head-to-head research comparing infrared versus Finnish for recovery is still limited.
Skin and respiratory. Steam rooms are best here. The humid environment hydrates the upper layers of the epidermis and keeps airways open — useful for people with mild asthma, seasonal allergies, or dry skin exacerbated by Dubai's air conditioning. Salt rooms (halotherapy) are a related format, with some evidence for respiratory symptom reduction, though the research quality is mixed.
What's less supported. "Detox" is the most oversold sauna benefit. Your kidneys and liver handle detoxification — sweating doesn't meaningfully accelerate that process. Saunas do make you sweat, and sweat contains trace amounts of heavy metals and urea, but the quantities are small. The primary benefits are cardiovascular, muscular, and for mental stress reduction (which is real, if less quantified).
Gym Sauna vs. Dedicated Facility: What's the Actual Difference?
Most fitness gyms in Dubai include some form of steam room or dry sauna. If you already have a gym membership, it might seem redundant to pay separately for a sauna session. But there are real differences worth knowing.
A gym steam room is designed for quick post-workout use — typically 10–15 minutes, shared space, basic tiles, not a lot of ventilation control. It does the job. A dedicated sauna studio or wellness center gives you private pods or rooms, temperature control, longer session windows (30–45 minutes), and often additional equipment like cold plunge, chromotherapy lighting, or red light therapy. The experience gap is significant.
For casual, occasional use, your gym sauna is fine. If you're using heat therapy as a regular recovery or cardiovascular protocol — which the research suggests requires 3–4 sessions per week to see meaningful effect — a dedicated studio makes more sense. The frequency is easier to maintain when the experience is worth showing up for.
Where to Find a Sauna Near You in Dubai
The listings above are a starting point, but there are more sauna and wellness facilities listed across Dubai. You can browse the full selection — filter by location, amenities, and reviews — on Gymzone's wellness and recovery center directory.
If you're not sure whether to start with infrared heat, cold plunge, or both, read our guide on ice baths and cold plunge in Dubai to understand how the two modalities work together as a contrast therapy protocol.