7 Ice Bath Tubs To Cold Plunge At Home
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Cold plunging, when you submerge your body in near-freezing water for a few minutes at a time, is more than just a passing fad. The icy trend offers real health benefits, and it’s nothing new, either — humans have used cryotherapy for centuries or more.
“Clinically, I’ve found that cold immersion therapy helps all patients who are engaged in rigorous intense workouts of more than an hour,” for reducing inflammation and soreness, Dr. Mark Slabaugh, MD previously told The Good Trade. It has some impressive mental health benefits, too, with folks reporting improved mental clarity and an increase in mood, and over time it can improve your body’s overall stress response.
“Cold plunging has some impressive mental health benefits, with folks reporting improved mental clarity and an increase in mood.”
Sound interesting? We’ve rounded up some of the best ice baths on the market for at-home cold plunging. They range in price from under $200 to over $9,000, depending on features like attached chillers, filtration systems, and material.
Note that much cold plunging research is still ongoing, and you should always exercise caution when cold plunging at home. Don’t cold plunge, especially for the first time, when you’re alone, and don’t stay in icy water for more than ten or fifteen minutes (even a couple minutes is usually plenty). Consult your doctor before you cold plunge, and note that for folks with cardiovascular problems, cold plunging might be too risky.
“Don’t cold plunge, especially for the first time, when you’re alone.”
Cold plunging has thousands and thousands of enthusiasts, though, and overall experts say it comes with little risk for healthy individuals. Below, find seven of the best ice baths to take a cold plunge at home.
1. Plunge
Best For | Reducing water use
Features | Filtration and cooling systems
Prices Starting At | $4,990 or $115/month
Born during the COVID-19 shutdown in March 2020 when co-founder Michael Garrett wanted to cold plunge at home, Plunge offers sleek, temperature-controlled cold plunges that work both indoors and outdoors and have their own built-in cooling and filtration systems. They call their installation “plug-and-plunge” since you simply fill the Plunge with a hose, turn it on, and set the temperature, which goes down to 39 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of the bath’s built-in filter, you can reuse the same water over and over again, without having to waste. Every plunge comes with free in-home delivery, a skimmer net, a cell phone holder, and a one-year warranty. They offer 12-, 24-, or 36-month financing options available through Affirm, which has 0% APR financing for 12 months. And if you like a little hot/cold therapy, Plunge is launching an at-home sauna shortly.
2. The Pod Company
Best For | Affordable baths
Features | Foldable, portable, and insulated
Prices Starting At | $120
As seen in Men’s Health, Healthline, and Vice, The Pod Company’s portable insulated ice baths make cold plunging affordable and accessible. Their original Ice Pod, which goes for $120 and fits people up to 6 feet 5 inches, has a drainage spigot and insulated walls, meaning the water stays cold for up to days at a time so you don’t have to run out for ice every time you use it. They sell a larger Pro version with extra thick insulation for folks up to 6 feet 9 inches, and a Pro bundle that comes with an insulated lid, a thermometer, and an extended two-year warranty (up from their standard six months). While the pod is designed to be filled with a garden hose and ice, they also sell a compact water chiller for $999 that automatically chills the water down to 39 degrees.
3. Nurecover
Best For | Comfortable, portable baths
Features | Insulated, portable, and affordable
Prices Starting At | $139
UK-based Nurecover also makes a high-quality, affordable, and portable ice bath that just needs a few bags of ice and some tap water. This ice bath comes with heavily insulated walls, a drainage hose, and free shipping to most countries. It fits folks up to 6 feet 7 inches, and comes with an inflatable seat cushion for added comfort, along with a 90-day money-back guarantee and a one-year damage warranty. They sell an XL ice bath, too, that’s 1.5 times larger. Interested in traditional hot/cold therapy? Nurecover also makes the world’s first portable at-home steam sauna, giving you the steam room experience at home in a six-foot-tall sauna.
4. RENU Therapy
Best For | Attractive, modern baths
Features | Wooden deck, cooling system
Prices Starting At | $9,700
Designed for both indoor and outdoor use, the RENU Therapy Cold Stoic tub looks gorgeous on your back porch or inside your home. You can choose both the base color (black, white, gray, or navy) and the deck wood stain of the customizable tub, with an optional spa light feature. The bath has its own efficient chiller to bring the water as low as 36 degrees and keeps itself clean with an advanced filtration and ozone purification system. The tub, designed and assembled in Southern California, comes with free curbside shipping and a five-year warranty. The company’s premium ice baths have even earned them praise from celebs like Derek Hough, Rainn Wilson, and Stephen Amell.
5. Odin Ice Baths
Best For | Self-cooling cedar ice baths
Features | Heating option, cools to 32 degrees
Prices Starting At | $5,900
Odin Ice Baths crafts the world’s only plug-in cedar self-cooling ice bath. Their baths come in two models — the plunge can cool down to 37 degrees, and the ice bath uses copper coils and a refrigerator to cool the water directly, getting it all the way down to 32 degrees. It’ll even start to make its own ice! The ovular tubs are handmade from Western red cedar and come in three sizes, the largest of which fits two people at once. They’re great for indoors or outdoors, and you can order your bath with an optional heating add-on, too — just make sure to give each tub a 12-week lead time. Each tub has a built-in filter and ozone generator, comes with a five-year limited warranty, and only needs a 50% deposit.
6. Aleko
Best For | Attractive yet affordable
Features | Red cedar body, steps included
Prices Starting At | $1,649
Aleko’s wooden outdoor ice bath is the perfect middle ground between functionality and design. Made from Western red cedar, it looks great on your deck or patio and holds up well to heavy use. It ships fully assembled, comes with a set of wooden stairs for safe entering and exiting, and measures only 31.5 inches in diameter, fitting easily into tight spaces. It has a ledge inside for sitting, comes with an insulated cover to keep it chill in between uses, and has 3-, 6-, 12-, and 24-month payment plans available that start at 0% APR.
7. Nordic Wave
Best For | Vertical design
Features | Filtration and cooling systems
Prices Starting At | $5,999
Nordic Wave’s Viking cold plunge hits all the right points — a vertical design to fit into small spaces, two-inch thick insulated walls, a chiller and filter system, and a sleek design that goes with any outdoor space. It comes with a powerful chiller to get the water down the high 30s, along with a step stool for easy entering and exiting. Because its vertical design keeps you upright, it helps you breathe easy while you’re plunging. It comes in three attractive colors — white, gray, and light blue — and the tub comes with a five-year warranty, while the chiller comes with a two-year warranty. Nordic Wave offers financing plans for as low as $542 per month for twelve months.
Featured image is from Plunge
Natalie Gale is a Contributing Editor at Good Gear and The Good Trade. She is a freelance journalist covering lifestyle, wellness, sustainability, and food for publications like Bustle, The Zoe Report, Boston Globe Media, The Good Trade, and others. When she’s not writing, you can find her on a hike, at the farmers’ market, in a yoga class, or planning her future travels. Find her on Instagram or at nataliekgale.com.
