Sauna Hats: Make Your Own 100% Wool Hat

Sauna Hats: Make Your Own 100% Wool Hat!

By Abigail Mote (co-founder Burn Saunas)

What is up with the Sauna Hat?

Believe it or not, these at times, ridiculous looking hats serve a significant role in Sauna. In the Sauna, our heads heat up much faster than the rest of our bodies and this can cause us to feel uncomfortable ending the sauna session without reaping full benefits. Sauna hats also protect hair and keep sweat out of our eyes. However, a cheap sauna hat made from economical material will not serve you in the same way a 100% wool sauna hat will. Wool is exceptionally insulating -wearing a thick wool hat actually prevents the hot air from the sauna from reaching our heads too quickly. This means our bodies heat up more evenly, so we can enjoy the sauna session longer and truly unwind. Sauna hats also help prevent damage to hair, which can become dry or brittle with the heat and steam. Personally, my long hair which is finally safe from postpartum hair loss is not to be risked under any circumstances.

I have seen Linen or cotton sauna hats, which while are natural material, may not be thick enough. Cotton is a very chemically sprayed crop. These are fine in a commercial setting where hats need to be laundered, but know they are not as moisture wicking as wool. 

Primarily, wool sauna hats are felted and available off Etsy. In the felting process wool is heated to shrink, so be aware of possible shrinkage if a hats left in the sauna. Wetting the hat or tossing the hat in the snow should combat this shrinkage. This is the normal process of a felted wool sauna hat, meant to be left in the sauna to dry and cleaned by tossing in the snow. 

My biggest issue with sauna hats is I often do hot yoga in the sauna and had trouble with the hat staying on my head, as well as, price point for quality. 

What Sauna Hat do I recommend as an avid Sauna user? 

I made one, simply because the Amazon one was way large and itchy. The Etsy felted one I bought was too variable on fit. Felted hats tend to shrink in heat, which is something to be cautious of.  

What is this amazing Sauna Hat you created? 

While crochet it not hard to learn, it is not replicable by machine making your sauna hat one-of-a-kind. I will be uploading a video on how to crochet your own Sauna hat here on our Youtube shortly! 

My SaunaClaus Hats feature Hand-Spun Wool, these Crochet Sauna Hats are individually made with love and care. With wool sourced from small-batch producers, each hat takes MANY hours to make. Raw wool is washed and carded, then spun on my spinning wheel to create the perfect thickness. Crochet is a technique not replicable by machines therefore creating a one-of-a-kind product. Each hat is unique and hand-crafted in the ways our ancestors would have. This is an artisan product please contact us to discuss wool options and colors for orders. Or YOU CAN make your own!

Making your own Hat!

Buy 100% wool yarn, like Merino and learn to crochet your Sauna hat with my pattern or through my Youtube video (I will upload shortly). If you would like to learn how to spin your own wool with a drop Spindle, comment "Drop Spindle" and I will know to include that in my material! 

Fit can come in small/medium or medium/large. One size fits most. The crochet is snug but has give, much like a beanie. This is optimal for hot yoga where you would need a hat to stay on your head!

Buying a Sauna/ Hot yoga Hat

Alternatively, You also could search for a 100% wool beanies, I really love the softness of the Alpaca wool beanies I have created in the past. A wool beanie is great for a public gym sauna, as its easily crumpled into a pocket. Alpaca is warmer than wool, so its a great idea to have a warm hat while cold plunging or for before/after. Cost for an Alpaca Wool Beanie is around $60, which is a great price point compared to the mockery sauna hats available on Amazon. I understand a good joke which some of these sauna hats on the market are just simply a joke.

There are many sauna hats to choose from, but I promise there will be little disappointment in creating your 100% real wool sauna hat or asking a grandma to help!