Sauna

The Peshtemal in the Sauna: A Better Sauna Towel

5 August 2026

The sauna towel is where the peshtemal began: in the Turkish hammam, the flat-woven cloth has been worn and spread on hot marble for centuries. No surprise, then, that in the sauna it does exactly what a sauna towel should — only better than terry.

Cool and smooth instead of hot and plush

Terry stores heat — on the sauna bench it quickly feels heavy and damp. The smooth flat weave of a peshtemal lies pleasantly cool on the skin and stays light even at 90 °C. It absorbs perspiration reliably without soaking through like a bath towel.

Large enough for the sauna rule

“No sweat on the wood” — the first rule of every sauna calls for a towel that covers the whole bench, feet included. A Lucidus peshtemal is generously cut and covers the bench completely; folded, it barely registers in the sauna bag. For the walk from the relaxation room it ties around you as a wrap — hammam-style, which is where the cloth got its name.

Dry again by the next session

Between two sauna rounds, terry stays clammy. A peshtemal hangs over the back of a chair during the rest period and is dry again for the next round. At home it’s just as uncomplicated: wash at 40 °C, hang it up, ready by morning — frequent sauna-goers simply need fewer towels in the cupboard.

Which peshtemal for the sauna?

In the sauna, the hand matters most: the Herringbone weave is especially smooth and cool, the Diamond weave carries a fine relief and a little more texture. For colour, muted tones such as Pearl Gray, Sage Green and Pine Green are the classics of the sauna bag — all 21 shades are in the Colour World. And where the craft comes from is told in the story of Adrianople.