Thanks for your input, Choan!

If you get a sauna hat made of felt, I’m sure it’ll work perfectly in your case, meaning it will protect your head from the heat. Plus, it’s a small investment that can do no harm, so it’s worth a try for anyone enjoying “hot and dry” sauna sessions like you.

Since saunas come from Finland (and most saunas and sauna products sold internationally are also from Finland), I like to treat Finland as sort of a standard for everything I write about saunas. That’s why I know sauna is all about the steam (löyly) and (much) lower temperatures than 200 F (93 C) since you get the best löyly in milder temperatures.

All legitimate sauna sources agree that steam (löyly) is the heart and soul of the sauna. It’s also the most important factor when buying a sauna heater (= will it produce good steam or not). Many sauna heater instructions actually specify that throwing water on the hot sauna rocks is a MUST, not just an option.

When you sauna this way, a sauna hat simply isn’t needed. A sauna hat is a solution to a problem that never had to exist in the first place. That’s why sauna hats are so rare and not worn in most countries that have a prominent sauna culture.

I’ve noticed it’s always the people who don’t throw löyly or who are still learning how to do it that “need” sauna hats. They’re popular in the US and also in Japan, for instance. Some nations also like to commodify saunas (= turn saunaing into products) more than others who prefer to keep saunaing au naturel.

That said, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the sauna in a different way, and if you need a hat in that case, so be it! 😊