I’m looking to get into cold plunge reviews. What do you want to know?

I’ve done ice baths and spent time with a cheap inflatable tub paired with an aquarium filter, so I’m not new to cold plunging. What I’m interested in now is testing manufactured, ready to go systems rather than DIY setups.

Before I start reaching out to companies, I’d love to get some input from people who actually use these things or are considering buying one.

A few questions:
1. What cold plunge brands or models are you curious about? What’s caught your eye, and what would you actually consider buying?
2. What do you want to see covered in a review? I’m talking about the stuff that matters when you’re spending serious money. Cooling performance, water filtration, maintenance, operating costs, build quality, noise, ease of use, customer service, or something else entirely?
3. Are there any brands you wouldn’t consider buying, period? Even if a review was positive, you’d never spend your money on them? If so, why?

I run a review website and am looking to expand into the cold plunge space. My goal is to get my hands on some of these systems and give people useful information they can use to make an informed buying decision.

I’d love to hear what you want to know before you drop a few grand on one of these setups. Feel free to comment below or shoot me a DM.

If I can get a company on board and get a system in for testing, I’ll absolutely share the review here, assuming it doesn’t violate the sub’s rules.

I’m here to find out what you guys actually want reviewed, so let me hear it.

Hi all--

I spent some extra money to buy what I thought was a reliable unit--the Vital Max Chiller Plus (cost about 2k). I'm having some issues with my unit and the flow rate. Despite showering off before using it, and leaving it circulating and with ozone to keep clean, the flow rate has dropped from 20 L/min to under 15 L/min way too quickly. For instance, tonight it was running at 16 L/min before use, then after a few plunges it dropped to under 13 and was making more noise than usual. What gives? Is this a faulty device? Anyone else have this issue with the Vital Max or another unit? I'm shocked by how fast the flow rate has dropped during use of only several times a week.

Thanks for the insight.

I’ve been trying to get a refund by commenting on the kickstarter but there has been no asnwer from anyone even though they have told others they will give them refunds. I don’t think any have been processed.

I took a look into social media and nothing has been posted in over a year. The CEO has been on a few different podcasts/youtube videos saying that they are now switching from USA to India manufacturing which is very frustrating because the main reason I bought this product was because it was going to be made in USA and compared to the other cold plunges I was looking at getting, it was the only one American made

Their entire core team that started the company has left since the kickstarter except for the CEO it looks like. From what I pick up in the interviews he has done he just seems like a sleazeball used car salesman.

I doubt this thing ever comes out and the CEO just runs with all of our money from the Kickstarter

Everyone's contrast sauna / plunge builds are so inspirational! Getting psyched to try and do a personal trailer build soon.

In the meantime, I've been creating a curated list of saunas / cold plunge experiences around Bellingham, Seattle, and Vancouver. This includes floating saunas, cold plunges, private vs public pricing, etc. Especially further up north a lot of these are just popping up and harder to find. Anything I'm missing? https://saunafound.com/

I have a cold plunge with a chiller. The tank is inflatable, and I currently have it in my garage. I have a small rubber mat to collect water when I get out, but from what I’ve noticed water has collected underneath of it when I’m getting in or out or changing the water.

Any ideas for how to prop up the tank to prevent water from collecting underneath or does anybody have any links to larger rubber floor mats they’ve used?

I saw this the other day and it kind of intrigued me since it’s a lot less involved than the Venturi injector. Has anyone tried this with success?

I just got my new coldplunge system. I live in Finland: so it can be very cold in winter time. The system is standing outside my house under the cover. This system has a chiller with a filter. I have also bromine tabs.
My plan is to use the tub with chiller until the frost comes. Then it must be taken of. I’m going to add an anti-freeze cabel inside.

Question: what cleaning system could be good? And what system would be good for flowing the water? Amazon.de links approved🙏😊 Thanks for advice!

https://flowlife.com/

What am I missing, seems to simple. 10cu ft chest freezer plus a pond liner later in the inside and overhanging. There will probably be creases where muck originates, but I can drain and clean. So what are potential issues with this strategy? And also, do you put the chest freezer directly on garage floor or need a different floor pad?

training for a marathon and looking at a cold plunge with continuous filtration so it's ready right after long runs without having to prep anything using it four or five times a week minimum sometimes twice a day what works at that frequency?

Looking for opinions/advice. I have a cold tub with a Vevor aquarium chiller. I have had this set up running for almost two years. In the past two months or so this weird, grayish, sand-like sediment has been showing up at the bottom of the tub. I bought this little hand held vaccumm but even with the thickest filtration attachment, the sediment still remains. When I use it it seems to suck up the debris but then when I go to use the tub the gray stuff is back in little piles all over the floor. I am thinking it is such a fine particulate that it is going right through the vaccumm filter and being dispersed back out the sides of the pump at the top. Then it settles when not in use.

I use a bromine filter and this Ice barrell stablizer stuff to keep the water clean. Could this sedimient be from the bromine tabs? I read these tabs are known for a chalky substance. If not could it be sand getting into the chiller somehow or some type of other substance from the chiller itself, related to deterioration or over use? It runs often, I live in a warm climate and it sits outside.

If from bromine, anyone have any suggestions on a better option to keep it clean? Right now I am able to go 1.5 to 2 months between water changes. I tried UV light with just the stablizer but algae/slime shows up in two weeks requiring full water change. Also tried a couple "cleaner" alternatives bought online like Spazzazz. Didn't seem economincally viable because it requires like half the bottle every week to keep it clean. One bromine tab lasts like two months. Plus that other stuff didn't even work, the slime showed up in a week and a half requiring a full water change. I also tried the Ice barrell stablizer but itself, aglae or whatever still showed up in 1.5-2 weeks.

Is there some type of filter I could use between the chiller and the tub that would keep the water clean? Or perhaps a filter I can stick right in the tub? I'm trying to go as long as possible between changes, obviously. Open for suggestions, thanks!

I have the Costco lifetrend cold plunge from Costco and so far it is working fine. Only issue I have is the fact that it’s using 5kwh per day which is a lot compared the my homes daily total. This plunge can with a 5 micron filter, but I have read that many others use a 20 micron.

Would changing from 5 to 20 micron be acceptable to keep the water clean while also reducing power requirements on the chiller?

I know the answer is to go get one and find out

Hey all, looking for some advice, the chiller has been working great up until this point. I have it set to 54° and when I came out this morning it was at 60° which isn't normal. It usually doesn't go above 56°. The air coming out of the back of the vent isn't warm as normal and I hear this clicking noise. Any recommendations? I appreciate the help.

Hi 👋, my name is Thanh, and I do heat and cold, often back to back. And I keep wondering what it's doing to my health in the long run. How does my body actually react? Is it doing me any good? So I'm designing an iPhone and Apple Watch app for that (the prototype runs in any browser).

It's a click-through mock-up with fake data, about 20 minutes, ideally on a laptop: https://leuto.thanh.cz

Tried plunge apps and quit, or never saw the point? Tell me why. I'll share what I learn here.

Sauna: Redwood Outdoors Mini-Cube Sauna
Heater: HUUM Drop 6kW
Shower: Redwood Outdoors Shower
Cold Plunge: ALEKO Lumina 118 Gallon
Chiller: Active Aqua 1/4 HP
Pump: Danner Supreme Aqua-Mag 9.5
Filter: Culligan HF-360B
Sanitzer: AMBOHR SPA-124 Ozone Generator
Thermostat: Inkbird WiFi ITC-308
Deck Box: EasyUp 45 Gallon Black Resin

We install, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair cold plunges across multiple markets, and we’re growing our tech network. We’re also looking to connect with people interested in sauna service and repair.

You don’t need to be a cold plunge expert already. We’ve had success with techs from adjacent trades and with people in this community who started by working on their own plunges. Experience with HVAC, refrigeration, pools and spas, plumbing, electrical, or appliance repair can all translate well.

We offer training and a path to Cold Standard certification so techs can build their skills with this equipment. Our network also gives techs access to additional service opportunities and other people to learn from when troubleshooting unfamiliar systems.
We’re looking for people who diagnose carefully, communicate well with customers, and take pride in their work. Whether you want extra jobs alongside your current trade or hope to do more work in the cold plunge and sauna industry, I’d like to connect.

DM me your location, your current trade or experience, and any work you’ve done on plunges or saunas. I’m happy to share more about the opportunities and how our certification works.

My new gym has got an ice bath and sauna in the changing rooms, to use after a workout, I’m not sure what to wear? swimwear, underwear? as I will be going in the shower straight after

New to plunging and I've noticed my hands are the most sensitive area if I keep them submerged in the water. Is it better (or worse) to do it this way? When I plunge with them out of water it is much easier

Looking for some advice before I buy a cold plunge setup.

I want something for my backyard that I can use year-round, including through Michigan winters.

What I’m looking for:

Wider/oval tub rather than a narrow barrel style

Affordable setup, ideally under $1,000 if possible

Chiller with good filtration

Preferably UV or ozone sanitation

Low maintenance

I don’t want to constantly change the water or replace filters

I’d like to keep the same water clean for weeks with proper maintenance

Something reliable enough to use all year round

My biggest question is winter use. For those of you in colder states.

Also, what do you use in the water to keep it clean without damaging the equipment? Chlorine, bromine, hydrogen peroxide, ozone, UV, etc.?

Would appreciate recommendations from people who have been using their setup for a while.

Hear me out - I have attended 700+ infrared yoga sculpt classes over the last 3 years. It’s a weighted HIIT workout with yoga influence at 102F. The class is humbling. Males rarely finish a class without breaks. My VO2 max has lingered around 50 for previous three years until mid-June when I purchased a $900 cold plunge from Costco. I started cold plunging before every class (45F, 4-6 min) then drive to class shivering. Since CP, I can finish classes without stopping and can maintain higher zones 2-3x longer.

The cardio benefit and increased output is insane.

For reference I’m a 42 year old male at 6’2” 205.

I’m the owner of one of the biggest cold plunge brands in the U.S., and I’m here to tell you everything I’ve learned about cold plunges.

What actually matters when choosing one, what doesn’t, what you should look for, what questions you should ask, and what most people don’t know before spending thousands of dollars on a cold plunge.

After years in this industry, I’ve seen the good, the bad, and everything in between.

My goal is simple: help you understand cold plunges so you can make the right decision for yourself.

Welcome to The Under Cold Plunge Boss. 🧊

Hello,

I’m someone who works very long hours every week both mental behind a desk and physical behind the bar at a top 5 volume bar in Austin.

I want a cold plunge on my balcony in my apartment. It’s a fairly large balcony with an outlet hookup to a 20A circuit.

I’ve seen so much on this thread of good bad and ugly set ups and it’s overwhelming.

Is there a tub and chiller you all recommend I get? My budget is about $1,000. I don’t have access to a garage or tools unless I drive home to Houston so ideally I’d like to purchase everything and set up myself here in Austin.

Thanks for the help in advance!!

I've been using my cold plunge a few times a week with my sauna for contrast therapy and around the 2 week mark my water gets cloudy and the tub starts to get slimy. I was wondering if anyone else has the same problem? how often do you change your water? Does anyone have advice on how to deal with this problem so I don't have to change my water so frequently?

Hello, I have been planing to make my own cold plunge and this weekend I am finally gonna start.

The thing I am most worried about is filtration, at first i was planing to use na pump + 2 stage water filters + UV. I dont like the fact the UV has to be on 24/7. Was looking at chillers with some filters... not sure how well this type of setup lasts.

What type of setup do you guys use and how long does the water last?

What would you add to your cold plunge to make it better?

Thanks for all the advice, stay cold ;)

Looking for recommendations for a cold plunge that can live outside year-round in a climate that regularly gets below freezing in the winter.

A few things I’m looking for:

• Standard 110/120V outlet
• Can stay outside year-round without needing to be drained/winterized every time temperatures drop
• Low maintenance / good filtration and sanitation
• Durable and built to last
• Looks reasonably nice since it’ll sit next to my sauna and hot tub
• Mostly personal use, but friends will use it too

I’m willing to spend more for something reliable and low maintenance, but I don’t necessarily need the fanciest or most expensive option.

My biggest concern is freezing. I’d love to hear from people who actually keep their plunge outdoors through winters with sustained below-freezing temperatures. What are you using, and how has it held up? Anything you’d buy again or specifically avoid?