The tech world is a realm that enjoys obsessing over the newest things: the vibe coding apps, the orchestrating agents, the driverless cars. It also enjoys modernizing the very ancient.

The latest example: saunas, which are believed to have existed in some form or another since the Stone Age. They’ve been popular gathering points since the Romans embraced bathing as a public pastime, and lately, there’s been a boomlet in sauna culture at high-end spas, wellness centers and other hangout destinations. They’re popping up all over San Francisco and New York, becoming networking spaces and rave destinations. There’s now even a sauna floating in the San Francisco Bay.

But the really au courant thing is having a high-tech sauna at home.