Cold plunge vs ice bath: same thing?
Cold plunge vs ice bath: both mean sitting in cold water, usually at 50 to 59°F. What differs is how the water gets cold, how steady it stays and what it costs.
Find the right cold plunge tub for your home
Independent reviews of at-home cold plunge tubs, ice baths and chillers, from maker specs, owner reports and our own calculations. We don’t sell tubs.
Our top cold plunge tub picks
Chosen from makers’ specs and what owners report after months of use.
- Best overall
Ice Barrel 500
A rigid, insulated barrel that owners report holding cold for days.
- Ice, chiller-ready
- 94 gal
- Over $1,500
- Best to start with
The Pod Company Ice Pod Pro
The cheapest tub with chiller valves and a two-year warranty.
- Ice, chiller-ready
- 110 gal
- Under $300
- Best for lying down
The Pod Company Long Pod
A lay-down tub you can stretch out in, best with a chiller.
- Ice, chiller-ready
- 126 gal
- Under $300
- Best for small spaces
Ice Barrel 300
The same insulation as the 500 in a smaller footprint.
- Ice, chiller-ready
- 77 gal
- $300–1,500
How we review
Every number says where it came from
A figure is marked as the maker’s spec, an owner report, the manual, or our own arithmetic. We do not test tubs ourselves, and we say so.
What owners complain about
We read owner reports across shops, forums and video reviews, and list the problems that keep coming up, not the one-offs.
The manual and the warranty
What the warranty excludes, what the outlet needs, what a filter costs to replace, and what the tub weighs when it is full.
Cold plunge guides to start with
All guides
How cold should an ice bath be? 50 to 59°F
How cold should an ice bath be? Start at 50 to 59°F. What Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic and a review of nine trials say, and what colder water costs in ice.
How much is a cold plunge? $80 to $20,000
How much is a cold plunge? An ice tub starts under $100, a tub with a chiller near $730. What each setup costs to buy and run, with the first-year sums.
Common cold plunge questions
Is a cold plunge the same as an ice bath?
Yes. Both mean sitting in cold water, usually between 50 and 59°F. "Cold plunge" is the more common name in the US, and the tubs are the same.
Does Cold Plunge Tub sell cold plunge tubs?
No. We research and compare them. Some links to shops earn us a commission, which never decides what we recommend.
Do I need a chiller to start?
No. A tub and ice is enough to find out whether you will keep doing it. A chiller pays for itself within a year once you plunge about once a week.
Spotted something wrong?
Own one of these tubs and think we got it wrong? Corrections and questions are welcome.