Best Ice Baths of 2024 to Master the Art of Cold Plunging

While some are innovative, the best ice baths don't necessarily reinvent the wheel—er, tub. They don't have to. All you need to get the benefits of a cold plunge is a vessel you can comfortably lie or sit in for a two- to three-minute dunk.

The practice of submerging your body in icy-cold water isn't new, but it has become one of the biggest fitness trends, with influencers angling for clicks and athletes looking to hasten muscle recovery after workouts. In fact, the global cold plunge tub market is expected to rise to $552.7 million by 2034—up from $332.9 million in 2024, per Future Market Insights.

The reason why athletes take ice baths varies depending on the sport (more on this below), but by and large, “the routine of taking ice baths after an intense workout or competition has been common practice for centuries,” says Matthew Kampert, D.O., staff physician in Sports Medicine and Endocrinology and director of Exercise Medicine at the Endocrinology & Metabolism Institute.

We rounded up the best ice bath tubs and tested them to find superior options for a wide array of applications, from the cold-plunge curious to the hardcore ice bath lovers.

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The overall best cold plunge we tested was Ice Barrel 300. The insulated barrel uses a simple, time-tested design that doesn't take up much space and doesn't need electricity, plus it's well-priced for most folks wanting to get ice bath benefits without a major investment.

Overall Best Cold Plunge: Ice Barrel 300

Ice Barrel is one of the most well-known cold plunge brands. I like Ice Barrel 300 for its simple design, rugged build, and relatively low cost. The company recommends the thicker insulation of its 300 model for warmer climates, but I found the insulation in the barrel and lid also helped delay ice formation in my sub-freezing testing conditions. The 300 has a lower, wider stance than the popular 400 model, which still resembles a giant barrel, but requires a step stool to enter.

Ice Barrel 300 Pros

Ice Barrel says the 300 fits bodies up to 6’2” and 250 pounds. I'm 6'0" and found it easy to crouch down and remain submerged up to my head. Hinman told me Ice Barrel founder Wyatt Ewing designed the product intentionally to encourage an upright posture, which may be easier for beginners to withstand the stress of cold-water immersion.

Likewise, because of this upright design, the footprint is relatively small at just three feet wide. This a great option for folks with limited outdoor space. And since it doesn’t need power (unless you add a chiller), it’s easy to place out of the way as long as it’s within reach of a hose.

Ice Barrel 300 weighs 61 pounds, but has handles that made it easy enough for me to wrangle out of my truck, up my driveway, and onto my deck without calling for help. There's a drain port at the bottom and an inlet port up high, which make filling and draining less messy and also enables connection to some filter and chiller units, like Barrel Cold Therapy Chiller. Ice Barrel is coming out with its own chiller soon, and you can sign up for a waitlist to get notified when it’s available.

Ice Barrel 300 Cons

Because of the upright barrel design, taller individuals will find it difficult to fully submerge their head. Likewise, there may be less room for their legs in the crouched or squat position. If that's you, upgrade to the 400.

• Capacity: 77 gallons

• Weight: 61 pounds

• Dimensions: 35.5 x 30.5 inches

• Chiller included: No

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Best-Designed Cold Plunge Tub: Fire Cold Plunge

Fire Cold Plunge is the best high-end ice bath of all the units I tested. While I like the simplicity of Ice Barrel 300 and recommend it for most people because of the lower price point, Fire Cold Plunge has the most comprehensive system and pleasing aesthetic. Founder Nick Reed designed the unit himself and is usually the one to pick up when you call customer service. (The company was born out of a passion for cold plunging and Reed’s DIY cold plunge projects.)

Fire Cold Plunge Pros

My partner declared Fire Cold Plunge the best-looking of all the units I tested thanks to a faux-wood wrap that gives it a sauna feel, but what I enjoyed most was that it worked as intended and required the least amount of maintenance of any of the plunges I tested.

The design is essentially a flip-open chest freezer equipped with a ton of smart add-ons including mechanical and carbon filtration paired with ozone treatment to minimize the need for replacing the water and/or using pool chemicals. The control unit manages the filter, chilling hardware, and optional heater to keep your water clean and at whatever temperature you set without having to run for ice or buckets of hot water. This model also comes with a pool skimmer, timer, bilge pump for draining, and more. There’s a temperature readout built into the display on the control unit, so no need for a standalone thermometer.

Bonus for those living in colder climates: Fire Cold Plunge can run in very cold temperatures since the filtration happens inside the unit. All the other units I tested would lose between 5 and 20 degrees of water temperature each night and eventually start freezing when ambient temperatures were below 30. The chest freezer core seals tightly and is incredibly well-insulated. Fire Cold Plunge never built up any ice and never dropped below 40 degrees over several weeks of testing. This insulation can also benefit folks in warmer climates for keeping water cold without having to run the chilling hardware as often. For extreme cold climates (hello, Alaska and Canada!), Fire Cold Plunge sells a surface heating pad that plugs into the control unit, which then automatically uses the pad to keep the temperature at the set point.

Fire Cold Plunge is easy to enter and there’s a low seat on one side to sit upright when submerged up to mid-chest; or you can lie down with knees bent for a more complete submersion. While the company makes these one at a time in Texas, the cost is surprisingly reasonable. A DIY solution or simple tub is cheaper, of course, but Fire Cold Plunge packs the features of higher-end options that cost $5,000 to $10,000 into a sub-$3,000 package for the smallest size.

Fire Cold Plunge Cons

The angles inside are sharper than other plunges, but I’m rarely lounging during a plunge session and didn’t find Fire Cold Plunge painful when sitting upright or lying back.

Also, folks taller than 6’3” might have to spring for the Medium or Large Fire Cold Plunge, which costs a bit more ($3,995 and $4,495, respectively). You can find plans online to construct your own from a chest freezer, but it’s unlikely you can do it for the cost of a Fire Cold Plunge (not counting the value of your time!). The biggest downside is figuring out where to place it, since you’ll need to be able to plug in the control unit, and it’s harder to move around without assistance due to the shape and overall weight.

• Capacity: 105 gallons

• Weight: 120 pounds

• Dimensions: 50 x 30 x 33 inches (medium)

• Chiller included: Yes

Best Affordable Ice Bath: Feel Good Cold Plunge

Feel Good Cold Plunge is the cheapest cold plunge tubs I tested by several hundred dollars and is where I would start if I were new to cold plunging, thanks to both the ultra-low startup cost and ease of use. This is a very basic design: a plastic tub supported by a plastic rod frame and blow-up rim. There's a drain faucet at the base which makes it easy to drain and refresh the water.

Feel Good Plunge Pros

I was able to set this unit up in about 5 minutes and fill it with 40-degree hose water to start plunging immediately. Unlike in a bathtub or stock tank filled with water and ice, it’s easy to get submerged up to your neck. And, while it’s the smallest of the units I tested, it didn’t feel claustrophobic.

Feel Good Plunge Cons

My biggest gripes with Feel Good Plunge are the somewhat finicky inflation mechanism on the rim (no different than blowing up a pool floaty) and the likely lack of long-term durability of the relatively thin plastic and PVC frame, though I didn’t have any issues on that front during testing. Given the price, this is my top pick for entry-level cold plungers who aren't ready to drop four figures to get into the other options highlighted here.

• Capacity: 115 gallons

• Weight: 8.6 pounds

• Dimensions: 29 x 36 inches

• Chiller included: No

Best Inflatable Ice Bath: Sun Home Saunas Portable Ice Bath With Chiller

The drop-stitch inflatable design of Sun Home Saunas Ice Bath borrows from inflatable stand-up paddleboards to create a durable, lightweight, and portable cold plunge tub at a decent price.

Sun Home Saunas Ice Bath Pros

It comes with inlet and outlet ports to make it easy to connect the external chiller unit that doubles as a filtration system. The chiller isn’t necessary when temperatures are low enough, and you can easily disconnect the external unit and cap the hose ports to use the tub alone.

The inflatable tub blows up stiff but has rounded edges, so it's comfortable to lie down, lean your head back, and rest your arms on the edges. It also has an inflatable cover, which helps insulate the water inside against temperature changes and results in less ice formation during sub-freezing nights outside compared to other units I tested.

Sun Home Saunas Ice Bath Cons

Unfortunately, you can’t buy the tub alone without the chiller, so the cost is a bit high for the full kit. If you’re just looking for a tub in this style and don’t want to pony up for a chiller, consider Redwood Outdoors’ Yukon Cold Plunge XL, highlighted below.

• Capacity: 95 gallons

• Weight: 15.5 pounds (tub), 88 pounds (chiller)

• Dimensions: 21 x 16 x 22 inches

• Chiller included: Yes

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Best Hot and Cold Plunge: Redwood Outdoors Yukon Cold Plunge Kit

Another inflatable option sharing many similarities with Sun Home Saunas is Redwood Outdoors Yukon Cold Plunge Kit. The allure here is Redwood Outdoors offers more bespoke buying options.

Redwood Outdoors Yukon Cold Plunge Kit Pros

Not only can you buy the standalone tub to keep the upfront cost down, but you can also add a chiller or chiller/heater combination that allows you to convert the gear to a hot tub that reaches up to 100 degrees.

While the deluxe kit costs almost $5,000, it adds another function to your setup if you don’t plan to cold plunge year-round. The 100-degree maximum temperature isn’t going to match the hottest of hot tubs, but I could see it being appealing for winter use.

Note: This is not an all-in-one answer for contrast therapy since you can’t have it both hot and cold in a single session. Even if you don’t use the heater for a hot tub option, it can help maintain your ideal temperature when it gets cold, though the external unit isn’t supposed to be used when it’s below freezing.

Redwood Outdoors Yukon Cold Plunge Kit Cons

The standard Yukon tub is a bit smaller. I had to sit with slightly bent knees, so taller folks may opt for the Yukon XL, which is also available as a standalone tub or can be combined with a chiller or chiller/heater combo.

• Capacity: 120 gallons

• Weight: 30 pounds

• Dimensions: 31.5 x 23.75 x 59 inches

• Chiller included: Yes

Best Luxury Ice Bath: Renu Therapy Cold Stoic 2.0

If you want a spa-quality ice bath tub, try Renu Therapy Cold Stoic 2.0. The freestanding unit allows you to customize your base and deck colors (and add a light). The “Super-Tuff Exterior” is meant to be beaten up outside, and it can chill water to 36 degrees. It’s one of the sleekest options available, and perfect if you know that cold plunges will be a part of your routine for years to come.

Renu Therapy Cold Stoic 2.0 Pros

Like other high-end ice bath tubs on this list, Renu Therapy Cold Stoic 2.0 is equipped with advanced filtration and an ozone purification system, which is considered the strongest and safest disinfecting method for water, since it only comprises oxygen. This new iteration has upgraded insulation with contoured panels to boost energy efficiency and maintain your desired water temp; and an additional 5 cubic feet of space, making it a great pick for larger individuals.

Design lovers who want their cold plunge to complement their home's aesthetic, whether indoor or out, will appreciate the ability to choose among six base colors and four breath deck colors. There's an option to add an interior spa light, too.

Renu Therapy Cold Stoic 2.0 Cons

All these premium features come at a premium price tag that nears the $10K mark.

• Capacity: 95 gallons

• Weight: 350 pounds

• Dimensions: 70 x 33 x 35 inches

• Chiller included: Yes

Best DIY Ice Bath: Rubbermaid Commercial Products Stock Tank

If you want a tank of an ice bath—one that’s made of virtually indestructible plastic and was designed to hold cattle feed—this one’s for you. Rubbermaid Commercial Products Stock Tank holds 150 gallons and has no frills. An oversized drain plug makes it easy to empty and clean.

• Capacity: 150 gallons

• Weight: 53 pounds

• Dimensions: 59 x 39 x 24.5 inches

• Chiller included: No

Benefits of Cold Plunge

Ice baths can be an effective tool for your training, but it depends on what exactly your aim is, according to Kampert. Companies selling at-home solutions tout all kinds of benefits, so let’s review some of the most common claims and what research has to say about them.

Lessen Pain and Inflammation

While celebrities and athletes routinely talk up ice baths as a recovery cure-all, the science is a bit lukewarm.

Ice baths can be beneficial “if the athlete is trying to improve recovery by decreasing inflammation from an acute injury or workout,” Kampert notes. It makes sense for Keanu Reeves to hop into an ice bath after filming stunts for John Wick: Chapter 4, sure, but inflammation isn't always a bad thing.

In a study published in the Journal of Physiology, researchers asked 21 active men to begin a strength-training regimen two days a week for 12 weeks. About half the group did a 10-minute post-workout ice bath at a numbing 50 degrees F, while the rest cooled down on a bike. At the end of the 12 weeks, those who performed an active recovery had more strength and muscle mass than those who cooled down in an ice bath.

Certain types of inflammation are important for your body's repair and adaptation processes. Ice can't discern good inflammation from bad inflammation just as antibiotics can't tell the difference between good and bad bacteria.

That said, if you're competing in a grueling multi-day event, ice is a great way to keep your muscles feeling good.

Ease Soreness

Slipping into ice baths post-workout isn't just an athletic rite of passage. After a workout, your body needs to repair itself to prepare for the next training session. It does so with the help of blood vessels that bring oxygen to your muscle tissue while removing waste products of exercise—the most common being lactic acid.

Too much lactic acid buildup can cause your muscles to function poorly and will often lead to fatigue. An ice bath will immediately reduce swelling, as well as cause your blood vessels to tighten. This helps drain lactic acid out of tired muscles. When you get out of the bath, your muscle tissue warms back up, causing a return of oxygenated blood, which in theory should help muscles recover.

And as noted, an icy plunge can alleviate muscle soreness and stiffness, and get you ready for your next bout, according to research from the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

Related: 21 Best Ways to Prevent and Cure Sore Muscles

Boost Mood and Mental Clarity

Kampert suggests ice bath immersion early in the morning or pre-training as a means of energizing the body. Your body releases endorphins (the feel-good hormones) in response to the shock of cold therapy, which can sharpen mental clarity and elevate mood.

The perceived endorphin and mental boost from cold plunging can help make it stick as a habit. While it can be hard to quantify exactly how much a plunge helps workout recovery, feeling the buzz from an extended plunge is immediate and palpable. During my testing, I found myself looking forward to a cold plunge at the end of a long day. While it's not pleasant getting in, that endorphin hit and feeling of calm and focus after is exceptional.

“It takes something monumental for me to get stressed out,” says Eric Hinman, five-time Ironman and Ice Barrel investor. "I’m even-keeled and I attribute a lot of that to doing cold exposure."

Fire Cold Plunge founder Nick Reed says he treats cold plunging as a “comfort detox” to challenge himself in a controlled setting. “We've become obsessed with comfort, pleasurable distraction, and convenience," he says. "For me, the cold plunge is an initiation into the desert of the real. When there is no more comfort or pleasure, what keeps you going? What matters?”

Hinman echoes that idea: “The more you practice discomfort—when something uncomfortable pops up that you're not expecting—you can deal with it way better because you've practiced that in your mind.”

Aid Weight Loss

A 2021 Scandinavian study (where else?), published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine, found that cold-water immersion followed by hot sauna recovery can give you an advantage when it comes to losing weight. In the study, researchers monitored the vitals of a group of young men who'd spent at least two years swimming twice a week in cold water and compared them with a non-swimming control group. They found those who regularly swam then sat in a sauna burned more calories via brown fat (the type that keeps you warm). In short: Cold-water immersion followed by hot sauna bouts can increase energy expenditure and promote weight loss.

Related: 10 Intense Weight-Loss Workouts Under 10 Minutes

What Are the Downsides to an Ice Bath?

“If the desired goal is building strength and muscle size, athletes may actually want to avoid ice baths following training sessions,” Kampert says. A Journal of Physiology study showed reduced long-term muscle mass and strength gains with the use of cold plunges.

There's also the possibility of physical distress in cold plunging, such as from increased heart rate and blood pressure spikes, so it’s best to start slowly with cool rather than freezing water. The American Heart Association cautions that the first minute of cold water immersion is the most dangerous as the initial shock can cause gasping breaths that put people at risk for drowning.

How Long to Cold Plunge?

Ten freezing minutes seems to be the magic number to recover from back-to-back workout days, whether you’re running, power biking, or weightlifting. In a six-week study from ACE, ice bathers were better able to match their exertion level one day to the next compared with those who just took a hot shower.

Some helpful notes: Those who iced for 20 minutes had no better results than those who soaked for 10. Try to take a dip within 2 hours of your workout. And, if you’re struggling to stay in the cold, consider icing in 10 increments lasting 1-minute each.

Jason Lakritz P.T., D.P.T., operates a physical therapy clinic within FITloft, and counsels clients to ease into cold water immersion.

“Always breathe and focus on relaxing while in the plunge," Lakritz says. "You can slowly acclimate yourself to the cold—try 60 seconds at first, then eventually build up to 5-minute sessions over time. You can also start by only immersing your lower body, from the hips down, the first few times you take a dip."

How Cold Should an Ice Bath Be?

TikTok influencer videos may give the impression you need to suffer through near-freezing water to gain cold plunge enlightenment, but spending more time in slightly warmer water is better than just dunking in an ice slurry for a few seconds. (Remember: The goal for recovery is to affect your muscles, not just shock your skin.)

In studies researching the effects of cold plunges, the ice bath is typically at 50 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit. Lakritz told us his gym sets cold plunges at 55 degrees for optimal recovery, though clients can request colder temperatures.

Hinman has been cold plunging daily for the past seven years and aims for a water temperature between 40 and 50 degrees. He likes to perform three rounds of contrast therapy, which consists of 20 minutes in a 200-degree sauna followed by 3 to 5 minutes in the Ice Barrel.

I personally found a temperature around 50 degrees is ideal for me, as I’m less likely to dread jumping in, plus I'm able to stay in for 3 to 6 minutes and still get the mood boost benefits. I experimented with temperatures as high as 60 degrees, but found that was a bit too easy, and I didn’t notice the same effects afterward, even when staying in for as long as 15 minutes.

Since there isn’t a definitive answer from research as to the “best” cold plunge temperature, you can experiment (using safety and caution) with different temperatures and durations to find your own personal sweet spot. One big advantage of an at-home cold plunge is the ability to set the temperature to your liking and adjust it day-to-day, if desired.

Use a thermometer to ensure accuracy. I used a laser thermometer borrowed from my grill for testing, but you can also buy a more fixed solution for cheap that stays in your plunge.

Related: 5 At-Home Workouts Better Than the Gym

What to Consider When Buying the Best Cold Plunge

Most at-home plunging solutions aren't cheap, though you can go the DIY route with a bathtub or stock tank filled halfway with cold water and a few bags of ice to see how you like the practice. If your gym has a cold plunge, that’s a great way to see if you’ll stick with the habit.

Having your own dedicated cold plunge is great for convenience and being able to tinker with the temperature, but any home setup requires not just money, but also the right space and some amount of upkeep.

Size, Location, and Space

It’s important to make sure you have adequate outdoor space before dropping cash on a cold plunge. Because of the potential spillage from filling and getting in and out of a cold plunge, I don’t recommend setting one up inside.

Upright cold plunges, such as the Ice Barrel, have a smaller footprint than longer tub-style options and are great for small decks and balconies. You'll want to set up your cold plunge within reach of a hose connected to an outdoor hose bib or sink. If your sink isn’t hose-compatible, you can buy an adapter to connect a common garden hose. (Running water to your cold plunge one bucket at a time is tedious and messy.)

A common design for cold plunge tubs now is an inflatable drop-stitch construction (think an inflatable stand-up paddleboard), which has the advantage of allowing you to deflate it for temporary storage if you plan to plunge seasonally or want to be able to move it frequently.

The size and shape of your cold plunge mostly affects your body position when immersed, which comes down to personal preference. Most consumer-grade options fall into a few categories: upright tubs of either hard or soft plastic, inflatable bathtub-style plunges, and higher-end tubs with sleek designs. (We avoided the most expensive options for testing, as the costs run between $5,000 and $12,000—closer to purchasing a home sauna or hot tub.)

Longer tubs, of course, allow you to extend your legs while compact tubs force you into a more upright position. I found that I didn't have a strong desire one way or the other after testing several different tub designs and a range of positions. You’re not exactly relaxing in a bubble bath when cold plunging, so the main benefit of a longer tub seems to be the ability to move around and shake out your extremities at times.

Temperature Control

The time-tested method of creating an ice bath is to simply fill a tub with water and add ice until you reach the desired temperature. This method is still the simplest option to keep upfront costs down, but many modern cold plunges have built-in and optional add-on chiller units to filter and cool the water. Some even have heating functions. A chiller usually adds thousands of dollars to the cost compared to simply buying a tub, but it's also much more hands-off and avoids the hassle of buying ice.

The normal ambient temperatures in your area may dictate how you plan to control the water temperature. I live at 10,000 feet in the Rockies where even summertime lows stay in the 40s and well water leaves my faucet at 39 degrees, so cooling often happens naturally. If you also live in a colder climate, keep in mind that external chillers often can’t operate in sub-freezing temperatures as water can freeze within the unit and hoses. For those colder climates, I recommend the Fire Cold Plunge, which is very well-insulated and has an internal filter that can run in all but the coldest outside temperatures.

In warmer areas, a chiller may be useful year-round, and has the added benefit of filtering the water so you don’t have to change the water wholesale as often, though again, the high cost of these units is a major deterrent.

Below is a roundup of our favorite portable ice baths on the market that we tested, why we like them for a curative plunge from the comfort of your home, and who and what they're best for, based on needs and budget.

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How Often Should You Change the Water in a Cold Plunge?

How often you need to empty your cold plunge (and clean it, ideally) and fully refresh the water inside will depend on several factors including the ambient temperature, your use frequency, whether the plunge has built-in filtration, and how often it gets contaminated with debris such as leaves, dirt, and hair.

Filtration systems are usually bundled with chiller units and can extend the time between water changes. I found that, even in colder temperatures, I needed to change the water after about two or three plunge sessions without a filter. On a unit such as the Fire Cold Plunge with mechanical filtration and ozone sanitation, I never felt the need to change the water, but did on occasion as a precaution.

Draining a tub takes around 10 minutes and refilling usually takes between 10 and 20 minutes depending on the size of your plunge and your water pressure.

Why You Should Trust Me

My fascination with cold-water immersion started as a teen when I saw a group of old men running into freezing-cold ocean water. Since then, I've experimented with cold shower protocols, cold tubs at my gym, alpine lake plunges, and DIY home plunges. I tested the cold plunges for this article in winter with temperatures well below freezing and often at night. I've covered health, fitness, and gear for more than two decades, regularly testing equipment to create reviews.