ALTÆR Mobile Sauna

ALTÆR is a mobile sauna, which changes the proposition entirely: rather than travelling to a facility, the sauna comes to a location — a beach, a lakeside, a private property, an event.

Mobile saunas have become one of the more interesting developments in the North American revival, and they solve a real problem. The traditional Finnish sauna sits beside cold water because the sequence requires it, and no urban studio can replicate a February lake. A trailer-mounted sauna can simply be towed to one.

The build quality on these units is often high. Space and weight constraints force careful decisions about heater sizing, insulation and ventilation, and the wood-fired stoves most mobile operators favour produce a softer heat than electric elements along with the smell of woodsmoke that many regard as inseparable from the practice.

Based in Warren, Rhode Island — a small town on the Warren River between Providence and Bristol, in a part of the state well supplied with coastline and water access.

Mobile operations work by booking rather than location. Confirm what area is served, whether the sauna comes to you or operates from scheduled sites, and what the setup requires.