r/coldplunge

Considering the vital + model cold plunge. Any advice? Good quality or ?? I was going to order a titan but read all the warnings!! Thanks

Hey everyone - i need some help finding the right connections so that I can undo the hoses from my tub and flip it over etc.

Ive got 3/4 inch hoses. I also had to loosen the hose that goes out of my chiller to have it going the right direction. Im worried once I turn it on its gonna leak now. So maybe I should replace those too?

Thanks!

Edit: maybe theres a 90 degree with just a swivel? I just cant seem to find it online

Anybody catch what brand the portable inflatable cold plunge they were using at and the rest of the stops was?

Went to a wellness place, only did about 35 to 40 seconds on the first plunge, followed by hot tub for 7 minutes. On the second plunge, made it just shy of a minute. Overall, I felt fine.

Next day and today as well, feel achy especially after any activity. I've read a few other threads similar to this, seems to be a possibility. But would love to hear any feedback. For what it's worth, no fever or any other symptoms but feels kind of like muscle aches from a cold.

Ibuprofen makes it go down. Yesterday afternoon I was feeling pretty good, and then walking around for a while and doing regular things made me sore again.

Thank you!

hey plungers. how often do you plunge?

when i am close to a natural bit of cold water, I go in almost every morning. but here in Lisbon, the best option is a sauna cold plunge club, but that is 17€ for two hours, so not something I can do everyday.

No doubt there’s a ton of this info within this sub…but…I’m asking anyways. I have used a Rubbermaid tub with insulation and ice for quite some time. It’s now time to upgrade. I plan to keep this outdoors in MN. I had considered ModTub 2.0 but in reading threads there seems to be a lot of concerns about customer service and maybe even going out of business??? I have also looked the Alibaba route too. Just not sure I want to wait 6-8 weeks and have zero customer service. Looking to spend 2-2.5k. Open to any suggestions supported by the masses!!! Thank you!!!

I’ve been cold plunging for over a year now and noticed the mental effects aren’t as prominent as the first few months of cold plunging. It’s still there but not as much. Is this the same for you guys? Do you increase the time? Or get into colder exposure? I want that big dopamine release like before.

Was hoping for some help from the community. I have a brand new Cold Creek Horizontal Plunge that stopped chilling the water below 65 degrees after two weeks of use.
- Plunge is indoors in an air conditioned space
- I changed the filter
- Adjusted the water level
- Turned the unit off for an hour and then back on.
- Set the temp on the chiller per protocol
- Took the chiller out and adjusted the temperature sensor (per Cold Creek recommendation)
- Water flow is minimal
- Drained the tub, wiped it down and refilled.
- My only use of the tub is after I shower and tub is spotless.
- Tub is 20” from the back wall with plenty of clearance on either side.
- Rear of the chiller is not blowing hot air

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I would like to stay on my schedule this holiday weekend.

Thanks and happy 4th

I ran both for a few months now and keep second-guessing the sequence. Cold-last is the standard advice, but a few things I've read suggest heat-last helps more with sleep. Has anyone tracked recovery metrics doing this both ways, or is order mostly preference?

I’ve been plunging for about a year now and I’m ready to commit to a chiller, but there are so many that seem to crap out pretty quickly. I have my eyes on the AS chiller on Amazon due to the reviews. Wondering if anyone has any experience with this chiller and, if not, what would you recommend? Budget around $400-$800. Thanks

Nothing special, just wanted to share. My biggest advice? Go all in. Get your whole body under – like actually swim around a bit and take some deep breaths.I just keep moving until the water stops feeling cold. For me, that takes about 3 minutes. Then honestly? The water starts feeling warm. And then I don't wanna get out anymore, lol.Yeah, cold water can actually feel pretty nice. I genuinely enjoy it.Here's the weird thing though – I literally have to talk to my nervous system like: "Just relax, baby…" Sounds dumb, but it works. Feels like such an accomplishment when you push through.So yeah, just keep showing up. And don't forget to have fun with it.

I purchased my Plunge setup July 2, 2024, exactly 2 years ago. 4th of July deal. Financing with Bread for 0% over 24 months. Just made the final monthly payment. Unfortunately, it has been inoperable for the last 4 months, details below!

Facts: My setup was in my garage, so fully protected from the elements. I was the only regular user in my household. The tub remained covered when not in use. I completely drained, cleaned, and re-filled the tub every 2-3 months. I purchased chiller filters directly from Plunge but did not always replace them at the frequency specified by Plunge (monthly) due to (1) my travel schedule resulting in extended periods of non-use, therefore no opportunity for new contaminants to enter the system; (2) my rigorous (?) schedule of maintenance and complete drain/re-fills described above. This point would later be used by Plunge to deny a warranty claim for my 3rd chiller failure within 18 months of ownership.

Within the first 30 days of ownership, I discovered the Air tub was leaking. Sent Plunge Support a message, got a replacement tub under warranty right away. So far, so good.

I live in Texas, so first thing I noticed was that the "more powerful and efficient" Pro Chiller was working pretty darn hard to cool and maintain to my desired temp, which was typically 48 degrees.

Within 6 months, by December 2024, I had my first Pro Chiller failure. No explanation. Came out to my garage one morning and it was off. I could get it to start-up momentarily, then cut off. Over and over. Sent Plunge Support a message, got a replacement chiller ordered, under warranty, after a brief back-and-forth diagnostic process. Replacement chiller arrived and upon unboxing, I noticed scratches and dirt on the exterior, making me think this was probably a refurbished chiller, not a new one. I asked Plunge this question but they replied that all units are tested prior to shipping and this might explain the scratches/dirt. Oh well. I just wanted to plunge, so I setup the new chiller and ...

By April 2025, just 4 months later, I had my second Pro Chiller failure. Noticed that it was not cooling to desired temperature and repeatedly tripping my GFCI outlet. Again replaced under warranty after a diagnostic review with Support. By this point, I'm really annoyed at the inconvenience of 3 product quality/reliability issues within the first year of ownership. This is not what I expected after spending over $4K. Oh well. In for a penny, in for a pound.

One year later, April 2026, I had my third Pro Chiller failure. Repeated tripping of GFCI outlet and powering off. The usual diagnostic back-and-forth with Plunge Support. But this time, they cited my chiller filter purchase history as a reason to deny warranty coverage. I had purchased one 6-pack of filters after my initial purchase in July 2024. Including the filter that came with the original unit, that's 7 months of filters per their recommended filter replacement frequency. I explained (1) my maintenance/cleaning frequency, which included regularly checking the filter's condition, (2) my extended periods of non-use due to work/travel, and (3) my periods of non-use due to three prior warranty issues. No dice.

I escalated to a phone call with a manager, who offered me a 50% discount on the purchase of a new Pro Chiller, but after my initial investment of $4K+ and 3 failed chillers, I wasn't about to spend another $2K+. I asked if they would replace the failed Pro Chiller with a Standard Chiller at no cost. No response.

In frustration (and due to being very busy), I put all this aside until today.

Plunge features overwhelmingly positive customer reviews on their website. My experience and many others I've read about on Reddit, including the seemingly dormant r/plunge, tell a different story. They must be selectively publishing only positive reviews. If so, this would be a violation of FTC rules on consumer reviews and testimonials (Google it). I plan to submit a Better Business Bureau complaint at a minimum and possibly to the FTC as well. But mostly, I want other cold plunge shoppers to know of my experience and to save their money and time by avoiding this company at all costs.

AMA

So I've been looking at cold plunge technology and I've been wondering, wouldn't it work and be relatively cheap to run a water pump and tubing through a very cheap mini fridge to effectively get the same result as a dedicated water chiller? Considering the prices it seem rather cheap too. I know some people build plunges out of freezers and I wonder if the end result is mostly the same?

What am I missing in my thinking here?

After using a cold plunge for a year now, the biggest thing I've realized is that the tub itself matters way less than how you're keeping the water cold.

If you're starting with ice, it's honestly not a bad way to see if cold plunging is even something you'll stick with. But hauling bags of ice gets old pretty quickly and the water temp is all over the place.

I feel like most people who end up using their plunge regularly eventually want a chiller. It's more expensive upfront but being able to set the temp and not think about it makes the experience so much more relaxing in the long run. Plus, most systems have circulation and filtration, which makes keeping the water clean way easier. The all-in-one plug-and-play setups are nice too if you've got the budget.

As for the tub itself, I think people overthink it. Inflatable tubs work perfectly well if you're just getting started and they're easy to put away. Stock tanks are cheap and honestly a lot of people seem to stick with them long term. Acrylic and stainless steel setups look great and feel more permanent but you're paying for that.

The thing I underestimated the most was maintenance. If you don't have decent filtration, circulation, and some way to sanitize the water, it gets gross way faster than I expected. I honestly think that's what causes more people to quit than the cold itself.

Another thing nobody really talks about is the practical stuff. Where are you draining it? How are you moving it once it's weighs a few hundred pounds full of water? Is it still going to be convenient enough that you'll actually use it consistently?

My biggest takeaway is pretty simple: if your setup is a pain to maintain or use, you're probably not going to stick with it, no matter how cool it looks.

Interested in ways to optimize and get more out of my current routine. What do you do before, during and after your plunge? Any changes you’ve made that improved your experience?

Currently doing 15 minutes of Wim Hoff breathing

Followed by 5 minute plunge (at 6 degrees C)

Dry off and start the day

been doing this for 2 weeks since I got my plunge and chiller, unfortunately 6 is the coldest I can get the tub)

Bought a used chest freezer conversion with a rubber liner, so I'm not sure exactly what type of rubber this is. I have seen some warnings that ozone, unshielded UV, and certain chemicals might damage the lining. Just wondering what other people are using.