The Best Cold Plunge Tubs: $99 to $10K+ Tried & Tested!

Coop dives (not literally) into the BEST cold tubs for any budget that are on the market today!

0:00 - The Best Cold Plunge Tubs: $99 to $10K+ Tried & Tested!
1:06 - Overview
3:04 - A Word of Caution
3:53 - Coop's Ultra-Budget Picks With Chillers
7:31 - Budget Picks with Chillers
10:16 - Reddit's Favorite Chiller
11:37 - Water Filter Considerations
13:11 - The Best Inflatable Tub Options
15:14 - The "Money is no Object" Pick
16:32 - Warranty Considerations...
16:51 - Coop's Overall Runner-Up Pick
17:25 - Coop's #1 Pick
18:51 - Final Thoughts

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[Jayk]

2:19 you can't give a list of names without mentioning the GOAT of cold plunge: Wim Hof.

[nickvasios]

I got into cold plunging as part of a joke about a year ago. I saw the price for the non insulated ice barrel and I said to myself “I’ll just buy a garbage bin from Home Depot for 50$. No way I’m paying 1200$ for a plastic barrel”. I quickly realized that garbage bins won’t work and I went the “Ice Pod” way. Cheap and definitely super easy to set up and get going. However getting ice blocks made, particularly in the summer was a pain. I bought a chest freezer next to make the process of making ice blocks faster. It helped a lot but like you said Coop it’s not sustainable. Then the ice pod fabric ripped and I had to decide whether to buy an expensive one or go the stock tank way. I ended up getting a Rubbermaid 100 gallon stock tank. Loved the space and the fact that you would lie down. However, being a much larger volume than the ice pod, I needed about 50-60 lb of ice a day in the summer. I also needed to drain the plunge every other day to prevent algae and bacteria build up. Next purchase was a pump/filter and ozone to constantly filter and circulate the water and sanitize it. Ended up building a frame around my tub and applied foam board and spray insulation. It was a long project. I still needed a chiller but every chiller on the market was 1000$+ and I still needed to prove to myself I would use this thing for at least a year. Didn’t need a chiller over the winter but now, a year later, I found a vevor 1/3 hp chiller for 250$ and it’s the best purchase I’ve made. The tub is constantly cool at 47 or below, water is always clean and the setup looks amazing. However the entire project cost 1200-1500$ and countless hours and trips to Home Depot. I say that to say that if you’re serious about it, it’s very difficult to make it cost any less. It’s up to you. Do you want to spent the time and energy or want the peace of mind of a warranty backed product?

[StrengthTown]

DIY chest freezer conversions are the best bang for your buck easily!!!👍💪

[BasementBrandon]

Cold plunge video would have been a great opportunity for the puffy jacket! I think for most, just a cheap big ol tub you fill and chill yourself makes the most sense. It's funny you post this today as earlier this morning in your Q&A on IG I asked what you thought the biggest fitness fad of this year was going to be.

[albertmacdonald]

For someone who struggles with IBS I can say that the cold plunge has changed my life in the positive way. I cold plunge twice a day since Feb. I do want to upgrade my inflatable one but gotta save the money. Thanks as always!!

[Drewsky_]

The hard part with a "budget" one is the cost of ice adds up super quick. I started with a "Cold Pod" and was spending $10 + on ice every time I wanted to use it. So to use it daily, we are talking $300 + per month on ice. I was using it daily so just went all in and got a "Plunge" and love it.

[nickstrasser]

I “jumped” into cold plunges this past fall. Door dashed a 100gal stock tank from tractor supply (their official site says “deliver with door dash”). Filled it and used it all winter with Mother Nature as my chiller. I had about 2 months straight of 32-40° water which was my preferred temp. Did 3min when our wind chill was -9° out.

Pros:
-it’s a “hard” thing that you can do everyday that can get you in a habit of doing the work you don’t “feel” like doing.
-you feel great when you get out

Cons:
-the water must stay clean. I let it get murky even tho I had an ozone bubbler and scored myself an itchy butthole and uti 😂
-I didn’t have any recovery benefits. No reduced soreness at all whether I used before workout, after workout, as a part of contrast therapy.
-going back to con 1 you have to swap the water regularly and if outside temps are too cold you’ll risk freezing your hose bib.

Using smart water style bottles and freezing them to use as reusable ice is a good option.

With summer around the corner I have my tub listed for sale. At 6’3” I’ll probably get the 150gal tank next fall.

I bought a sauna from almost heaven 5 years ago during their March madness sale—$3k for a 4 person and put it in my basement. It’s the best thing that I’ve ever spent money on and it’s not even close. Nothing better on a cold day than to get it and sweat. Or to burn off stress after a rough day. Or to keep the cardio system working after a lift or cardio session. Get a sauna hat to protect your hair follicles and to maximize your temp/duration. My typical is 20 min at 200-220 then 3 min cold shower then 10-15 more min in the sauna and back to cold shower. It’s the best!

[jaybman]

Spent 100 bucks on a cold plunge pod, and then bought a $300 icemaker and it makes about 80 pounds of ice a day and I already have a big freezer at home so I just packed the ice in there. It’s kind of a pain in the ass but it only cost me about 440 bucks for the whole deal.

[questshots]

I have a knock off Amazon bought Cold Pod-type extra large unit - I am 6’4” - (ironically named Good Luck for $59) and it has been great for the last 5 months as low cost investment. The cover keeps it clean and it actually froze over less than my buddy’s open “feed tub”. I add a quarter cup of bleach, change it out when I can’t see the bottom(about 6-8 weeks). It might be a challenge to chill in the summer but great through the winter in a colder state. It has been 32-60 degrees so far just sitting in the shade under my deck. My kids love it for their sports too. I do see a soreness benefit that is immediately noticeable but fades over time. I use 4 hours apart from strength but jump in after hard cardio sometimes.

[scoobtoober]

Ice cold showers everyday for 8 months now. Very satisfying and nerve breaking. If you don't feel good. Try it. Icy water bath on the other hand. Has to be next level. or is it easier than 48 deg shower water. It's intermittent contact. Let me know

[aztecmeza]

The sauna is a must for anyone who can afford it because of the health benefits.

[ez-e]

Thanks for the in depth review Travis Kelce 😌

[thecleaner]

Excited for the saunas. Cold therapy wise I think I’d stick to filling up my bathroom tub with water and a few bags of ice. I’d like to sauna every day if possible but cold maybe 2x a week. Gotta spend wisely like you said

[JoshAndrokio]

You can build one of these plunges with a hydroponics chiller for less than $500 and it will hold below 40 all day… build it yourself with a Rubbermaid stock tank and hydroponics chiller.. they are like $300..

[WondererFree]

I'm so excited for the Sauna video!!

[nic]

Precise, funny, real, on point, thanks mate

[tchomicz]

Good video, I DIY'd my own with the tractor supply 100gl tub. It's keeping a steady 45* all summer with a $250 aquarium chiller from walmart.

[archenemy]

I think you're misrepresenting the inflatable drop stitch tubs. I've had mine on my uncovered patio in the Florida sun since February. It doesn't look like you've inflated any of yours to the proper psi. Most, if not all, come with a pump and a psi Guage. Usually the connecter on the tub has a MAX PSI rating. I pump mine to 1 psi below the max (allowing for thermal expansion being in the sun etc) and the side walls are hard as a rock. I'm 250lbs and can do dips off the sidewalls without them even dimpling under my weight.

What I do see is almost none of the manufacturer companies of these tubs recommend it, but I highly advise you get a mat underneath your tub, I use those interlocking gym floor squares for mine to protect the floor of the tub from abrasion and opportunities for holes.

I live in an apartment with a patio with the aim of moving to a house soon. The heavy acrylic tubs, like the plunge, seem like once you install them, they tend to live there forever as it's too much of a pain to move/transport them to another location. That's why I went with the inflatable option but I built mine the DYI route with an active aqua chiller and pump with strainer. Also got a separate ozone generator for sanitation and im still less than half the cost of say the edge theory labs tub/chiller build.

[jaredvanaken]

Not a single mustache on Coops ancestors? Missed opportunity lol
Now we need a chicken COOP review 😂 4:15

[ruffys]

You can build one your own:

1. Buy a chest freezer you fit in
2. seal all corners with a high grade underwater sealant (i used sikaflex 292i)
3. paint the inside with a high grade undewater pool paint (please prime the surface properly)
4. use a thermostat to set your temperature, i use 7, 5-9°C (like an inkbird, but there are much cheaper options)
5. use a little H-Peroxide once in a while to kill germs
6. you can use a filterpump to keep the water clean

This should cost you around 500-600$ and you have the best cold plunge ever.

1. Water allways cold
2. very low energy consumption (mine roughly needs 100kWh a year if i go in 5 times a week)
3. if you dont need it anymore, you can use it as it was intended

PS: PLEASE UNPLUG THE DEVICE WHEN YOU ARE USING IT