Roger-Luc Chayer ( Photos : Sauna Carpediem)
The Long-Awaited Ranking
The long-awaited ranking presenting the classification of men’s saunas in Quebec has finally arrived and confirms that we are capable of the best.
The Importance of Men’s Saunas
Men’s saunas hold a unique place in Quebec that goes far beyond the simple idea of a place to relax. For decades, they have served as social spaces where gay, straight, and bisexual men can meet without judgment, build connections, explore their intimacy, and experience their sexuality or friendships in safety.
In a society that has long marginalized these communities, saunas have played a crucial role by offering a discreet refuge—a setting where one could exist freely and meet other men away from the public eye.
Their importance endures today because they remain places where different generations intersect, where stories, experiences, and cultural landmarks specific to the community are exchanged. They also serve as privileged environments for sexual health, facilitating access to information, prevention, and sometimes community services, thus reinforcing a comprehensive approach to well-being.
How Was the Ranking Done?
According to the Facebook group Gayquebec2025, the evaluation was completed by 21 group members from Montreal, Quebec City, Laval, Longueuil, Saint-Jérôme, Lévis, Trois-Rivières, Repentigny, and Rivière-du-Loup. The saunas were visited six times between November 3 and 21. The label “RECOMMENDED” is awarded when at least four out of six evaluations designate this attribute according to the evaluators.
Four perfect scores of 100% were awarded to the Carpediem Sauna in St-Hubert, while three perfect scores were given to G.I. Joe in Montreal and Back Boy’s in Quebec City.
The Ranking with Scores
Sauna Carpediem – Saint-Hubert: 9.2/10 – RECOMMENDED
Sauna G.I. Joe – Montreal: 8.4/10 – RECOMMENDED
Sauna Back Boy’s – Quebec City: 8.4/10 – RECOMMENDED
Bain Colonial Bath – Montreal: 7.8/10 – RECOMMENDED
Sauna Centre-Ville – Montreal: 6.3/10
Sauna Oasis – Montreal: 5.6/10
Evaluation Criteria
The evaluation takes into account cleanliness, quality, and modernity of the facilities, presence or absence of undesirable individuals, politeness and reception by staff, quality of customer service, availability of condoms and lubricant, compliance with regulations, as well as the quality of offered services including beverages, food, sanitary products, internet connection, wall outlets, and wifi. The comfort and general condition of the rest areas complete the criteria.
Finally, the observers’ evaluations were not made by comparing saunas to each other, but rather by assessing each one individually according to a scoring grid applied solely to the visited establishment and completed separately by each evaluator.
Acknowledgments
Thanks to the Facebook group GayQuebec2025 for the high quality of their work and the objectivity of their results.