r/coldplunge

Hey everyone

I have been using bagged ice for a while and it works but constantly having to buy it is starting to get pretty annoying for me. Ive been interested and Ive been looking at reusable blocks mostly the bigger ones like the Sweat tent ice bricks and Im curious if they’re actually easier to deal with in practice. Has anyone here used both reusable blocks and bagged ice? Which one makes more sense long term if you’re plunging a few times a week?

Two years of the bag-of-ice routine. Switched to a temperature-controlled plunge about five months ago, sitting around 52F. Cold is cold, that part did not change at all. What changed was the twenty minutes around it that used to exist and now do not. No ice run, no guessing, no cleanup afterwards. It just became the thing that happens before long run days.

Six weeks or so in, back-to-back long days started feeling different in the weeks I stayed consistent. Legs clearer on day two, more available on Friday than in the weeks I skipped. Whether that is the cold doing physiological work, or the fact that having a functioning recovery habit made me tighter about sleep and pacing at the same time,

Anyone else made the same switch and feels as great as I do?

Sourcing for a small recovery room and nearly everything I find is written for the US market. Different winters, different service terms, and a completely different situation the first time a unit needs a technician.

Anyone buying in Canada, either for a facility or a serious home setup, what has actually held up for you? Mostly interested in two things: what happens to the equipment through a real winter, and how service works in practice when the manufacturer is not domestic.

I've been trying to figure out how I should answer questions that people ask me about health conditions in regards to how they might affect them when they cold plunge, and if they should worry about it enough to take pause. I'm not trying to give anyone medical advice, and I'm not in a position of authority (nor pretending to be), but I do have experience with cold plunging, having done it for 3 years nearly daily, and I do get asked a lot of questions. And, I certainly recognize that this does not make me any sort of expert on cold plunging with specific health conditions, thus the question about what is and what is not contraindicated for cold plunging.

I actually have high blood pressure (regulated with medicine), and have wondered at times how that effects me when I cold plunge, so that one is relevant to me, but I want input on several of the common questions that pop up regarding - "Can I cold plunge if I have X" - X being high blood pressure, arrythmias, Raynaud's, Diabetes (is the main issue here circulation and neuropathy?), on certain medications (like blood thinners, beta blockers, antidepressants, etc.).

I keep finding the same two answers everywhere: "just ease into it", or "talk to your doctor."

Neither response really answer the question, though, and it’s driving me nuts.

I don't want to hear responses like just ignore your doctor, because I do believe if you have a serious question about cold plunging and contraindications as it relates to your health, you should consult your doctor. If you have any of the above conditions, or ones that I haven't mentioned that would be germane to the discussion, and you cold plunge safely, or it made you stop cold plunging (or you have modified in some way how you do it), I would love to hear about it. I'm just trying to learn what the actual risks are of cold plunging, without a generic disclaimer for every condition. There must be some nuance than just cold plunging is dangerous if you have a medical condition. And if anyone here actually works in medicine, I'd definitely be interested in your take too.

Looking for some feedback on if there’s any major differences between these two Brands?

Looks like I can save $500-$600 going with the Iceology if you get the red discounted color (not my first choice….).

Thanks in Advance,

TIA everyone.

I’m looking to purchase a cold plunge for my gym in basement. We will have a 2 person infrared/red light sauna in the gym as well and looking to have a medium to high end cold plunge as well.

Do people really use the warm aspect when the unit can cool/heat? Never thought about needing that until we started shopping.

Any brand recommendations? Don’t want to spend more than $9k~. Looking for longevity, minimal maintenance with the water. Built in filtration etc. We’ve been looking at Renu lately and also Jacuzzi’s Kodiak model as well.

Any and all feedback/tips would be appreciated. We are located in mid west USA

Any experiences with using a regular free standing tub with a chiller?

I saw chillers from pod company and home plunge and have seen mixed reviews. Are there any others?

Also would be open to a plunge that hooks up to plumbing so I can drain and fill the tub like a regular bath tub. Kohler has one for a very pretty penny (17k) but don’t wanna drop that much.

Thanks!

This is my second of a series of guides I wanted to write on backyard tubs, this one specifically to help people navigate the logistics of cold plunge setups. Because plunges can range from a chest freezer in the garage to 10k+ USD hot-and-cold units. What your dollar gets you is the chiller - a way to keep the water cold and clean. The insulation and sanitary considerations tends to be the difference between a chore or a fad and something long haul. Everything is about cost against convenience and upkeep. DYI tends to mean a chest freezer or tank with a drop in chiller. Plug-in standalone units tend to mean an integrated chiller while an insulated purpose built plunge add filtration and sanitation. If you want it to get you toasty as well, you are looking at hot-and-cold units. Nothing will be right for everyone's need or budget.

Chillers: the engine. The part that matters the most and what specs can be infuriatingly vague on. Just think about three numbers - cooling capacity (in horsepower or BTU), the lowest steady temperature, and recovery time (how it response to body heat). Weak chillers lag hard to cool down after you hop in. And if you live somewhere very hot, some cannot hold heat in hot garages or sweltering summers.

Insulation, Electrics, and Install: Thermos logic - insulation keeps the hot water hot and the cold water cold. Keep it in and the chiller cycles less which lowers power usage and extends the life of the compressor. Solo plunges tend to run 110V which don't need any special electrical hookups but your larger units and hot-and-cold builds usually require 240V which may mean an electrician outfit. Plan drainage. Plan for airflow and noise. Even freeze protection in certain climates against a crack in the chiller or plumbing. Fit check interior length and depth against your height if you want to sit or would rather recline.

Water Care: if you want to keep the same water (which most plunges do), you need filtration and sanitation or else you are draining and refilling all the time. Cold slows bacteria growth but it's there. Filters, like UV or ozone or a chemical routine plus circulation stretches your refill cycle to weeks rather than days. This is the biggest upgrade over a homebrew unit. If buying, ask how the water stays clean and how often you have to change it.

Cost: where most decisions start. DIY tends to run 500-2k USD depending on your chiller arrangement. Entry plug-in models trend 3k-5k. Purpose Built runs 5k-8k on average. Add on the hot option and we get 8k-10k and beyond. At each tier, as if your money is buying more reliable chilling, better insulation, better water care, and stronger warranties (specifically, the chiller itself which is most failure prone part). Or is it just aesthetics and features you won't use after a few dozen plunges.

TL;DR: ask yourself or your retailer about cooling capacity, lowest temp, and refractory period needs. Chiller is everything. Is it right for your climate (summer and winter)? How is the water filtered and sanitized? How often do you refill? Is your electrical already set up? What is the monthly run cost? Does it fit your body dimensions? How long is the warranty and what does it cover? Who services? Is financing available if necessary? Make sure your money earns longevity and meets your needs.

Happy to answer any questions or provide advice if anyone needs. Thanks for reading. And if you like this type of guide, do let me know that as well.

I'm 5'6 and 120lbs. Most rigs will have far more space than I need. I'm actually trying to get by with the least amount of water and space necessary to chill my body for 1-2 minutes. It would be great if it could just surround my body with 2 inches of water all around, while lying flat. It would be fine if the water got a bit warmer towards the end. I would just go colder at the start. If it was minimal enough water, I could do stow it away in-between uses and just refill with tap water + ice.

I want to share a quick tip with you how to build confidence fast

Use cold water exposure ( shower or plunge ) and stay in the water if you can't stay you have a governor in your brain that's limiting your potential

You can stay up to hours in water not ice bath just cold

This is the first thing

Second thing : physical stress as weight lifting or bodyweight use is nothing is just training your brain to stress and build muscles but water exposure is what change brain connections and strengthening it .

It's like 85% for cold exposure and 15% physical exercise

For the social interactions and any other achievements as studying or having a good grade ... it have no relation with confidence it is a sense of achievement the confidence is what i said here it grow with pain and positive physical pain as cold exposure

For how much time it depends on you and the effort you make if you do it all day you'll grow fast if you do a little effort or skip days you'll need more time .

I tried cold plunge for the first time at a local studio that offers a membership (not an ad) after reading about the benefits and trying cold showers at home. The temp was set to 47F and I was encouraged to not adjust it. I set a timer for 30s and got straight in up to my chest which wasn’t the issue. I’ve always considered myself to have high pain threshold but was surprised when My issue was staying in because after about 5s below my knees hurt about as much pain as I’ve experienced even with broken bones, multiple level 2 sprains. This was definitely not “good” pain. I’ve had calf and Achilles injuries off and on so I’m wondering if this is related? Or just part of the adjustment period. I tried to cycle 30s out and then another try back in but didn’t make it past 10s.

I was thinking I should push for more like 55F next time. Any other suggestions?