No, this story isn’t about Kentish Town’s other more notorious sauna. Instead, Caversham Road’s new arrival, which opened earlier this year, riffs on the more wholesome Finnish tradition of sauna – and especially that it should be available for all.
“We’re excited by the prospect of making it truly mass market,” says founder Thomas, who raised just under £1m from investors.
Roadtesting Lowlu the other Saturday, the compound, hidden back from the road in a disused parking lot, was rammed with a mixed demographic.
There are five saunas of varying sizes and six cold plunge experiences, with temperatures ranging from 75-95 degrees celsius in the former, and 3-15 degrees in the latter. So there’s something for all levels, from newbie to old-timer. There’s even a chill-out area in the far corner, with herbal teas.
And what of the name? “Lowlu is the English phonetic spelling of the most important word in sauna culture, löyly, meaning the steam that comes of the rocks,” he says. “In doing so, we’re trying to recreate the conditions that exist in Finland, where saunas are a regular part of most people’s weekly routine.”
Founders Tom and Sami both have a connection to Finland: Sami is Finnish (born in Helsinki) and runs an architecture firm out of Bodø in Northern Norway, having designed the famous SALT saunas in Oslo’s cultural centre.
Tom met Sami through friends in Finland and, back home in London, was so excited to see saunas take off that he quit his job as a CFO to start Lowlu.
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And their ambition is impressive: they’re opening in Ilford in March, and Shepherd’s Bush in May, with more sites to come in 2026.
“But the new site in Kentish Town doubles up as our HQ,” he says, “since we believe it’s a section of London that is hugely under-served.”
Lowlu is open on 44 Caversham Road NW5 from 7am to 9pm, 7 days a week, prices vary – more here. Follow @lowlu_sauna
