Sauna has had a moment in Cambridge. Riverside and countryside saunas, lido saunas and private infrared rooms now sit within a short trip of the city. They are not the same experience, and the right one depends on what you are after.
The short answer
- Traditional or wood-fired sauna: very hot air (around 80–100°C), usually shared, often with a cold plunge or lake. Social, bracing, outdoors.
- Infrared sauna: gentler air (around 45–60°C), with infrared panels warming your body directly. Usually private, indoors and easier to stay in for longer.
Infrared Sauna is one of five treatments at Floatwell Cambridge, 500 m from the station — about infrared sauna →
How they differ
A traditional sauna heats the room, and the room heats you. That intense air is what gives the classic “hit” — and what some people find hard to breathe in.
An infrared sauna heats you more directly. The air stays cooler, but you still warm up properly and sweat freely. Most people find it calmer, which suits relaxing, recovering or simply getting warm on a grey day.
Which should you choose?
Choose a traditional or wood-fired sauna if you want a social session, love the heat-then-cold ritual, or like being outdoors.
Choose an infrared sauna if you want privacy, you find very hot air uncomfortable, you are fitting a session round training or work, or you want somewhere warm and indoors whatever the weather.
Plenty of people do both: a social session at the weekend, a quiet infrared session midweek.
Saunas in and around Cambridge
Cambridge now has a mix of shared outdoor saunas — at the lido, by the river and in the countryside nearby — alongside private indoor options. Floatwell’s is the private, indoor kind: a full-spectrum infrared cabin in its own room with a shower, near Cambridge station, for one person or two.
What a session at Floatwell looks like
You have the room to yourself, or shared with one other person. You set the temperature from a panel inside, play your own music if you like, and shower afterwards in the same room. A 30-minute session is £35, three sessions are £85, and a session for two is £50. Towels and toiletries are provided, and there is free parking at the front.
Pairing the sauna with other treatments
Many guests follow the sauna with a float, which we call Revive, or with a neck and shoulder massage. Athletes often combine it with our recovery treatments.
For a closer look at the evidence on heat and recovery, read infrared sauna for recovery. If you are pregnant, have a heart condition or are unsure whether heat suits you, check with your GP first.