Forests provide significant cooling benefits compared to non-forest areas, reducing perceived temperature by an average of 9.2°C. High biodiversity forests were the coolest, likely due to higher tree density. Participants in forests rarely felt hot, with only 1% reporting 'warm' or 'hot' compared to 34% in non-forest areas. Despite some participants wanting warmer conditions, two-thirds felt very comfortable in forests, compared to one-third in non-forest areas. Forests also led to significantly lower thermal sensation votes and higher positive affect, lower negative affect, state anxiety, and perceived stress. Thermal and mental wellbeing were significantly correlated, suggesting forests may enhance overall wellbeing. Forests reduced daytime modified Physiologically Equivalent Temperature (mPET) by an average of 9.2°C, with high diversity forests being the coolest. Forests also lowered thermal sensation votes, with only 1% of participants feeling 'warm' or 'hot' compared to 34% under baseline conditions. Participants were 2.7 times more likely to feel warmer under baseline conditions than in forests. Forests may improve mental wellbeing, which in turn enhances thermal comfort. The study highlights the importance of considering both objective and subjective thermal comfort in forest environments.Forests provide significant cooling benefits compared to non-forest areas, reducing perceived temperature by an average of 9.2°C. High biodiversity forests were the coolest, likely due to higher tree density. Participants in forests rarely felt hot, with only 1% reporting 'warm' or 'hot' compared to 34% in non-forest areas. Despite some participants wanting warmer conditions, two-thirds felt very comfortable in forests, compared to one-third in non-forest areas. Forests also led to significantly lower thermal sensation votes and higher positive affect, lower negative affect, state anxiety, and perceived stress. Thermal and mental wellbeing were significantly correlated, suggesting forests may enhance overall wellbeing. Forests reduced daytime modified Physiologically Equivalent Temperature (mPET) by an average of 9.2°C, with high diversity forests being the coolest. Forests also lowered thermal sensation votes, with only 1% of participants feeling 'warm' or 'hot' compared to 34% under baseline conditions. Participants were 2.7 times more likely to feel warmer under baseline conditions than in forests. Forests may improve mental wellbeing, which in turn enhances thermal comfort. The study highlights the importance of considering both objective and subjective thermal comfort in forest environments.