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.
Cold plunge guides
Cold plunge guides: how cold the water should be, how much ice an ice bath needs, and what a cold plunge costs to buy and run. Every figure sourced.
These guides cover what you need to know before and after you buy a cold plunge tub: how cold the water should be, how much ice it takes, and what it all costs. A cold plunge and an ice bath are the same practice, and the guides use both names. If you are still weighing up the spend, start with what a cold plunge costs.
Every figure says where it came from. Health guidance is taken from medical sources and linked. Quantities and running costs are our own arithmetic, with the working shown. We don’t test equipment ourselves, and how we review explains the method.
Where to start
| If you want to know | Read | The short answer |
|---|---|---|
| Whether the two names mean different things | Cold plunge vs ice bath | Same practice. The difference is ice or a chiller |
| How cold the water should be | Cold plunge temperature | 50 to 59°F, for one to two minutes at first |
| How much ice to buy | How much ice for an ice bath | About 50 lb for 100 gallons, from 60°F to 50°F |
| What it costs to buy and run | What a cold plunge costs | $80 to start. A chiller pays for itself if you plunge weekly |
All guides
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.
How much ice for an ice bath? About 50 lb
How much ice for an ice bath? About 50 lb cools 100 gallons from 60°F to 50°F. A table for any tap temperature, the sum behind it, and ways to use less ice.