The Plunge Cold Plunge, Tested: This Tub Made Me a Cold-Water Convert

I can’t feel my toes.

After submerging them in 43° Fahrenheit water for two minutes, I had lost feeling in my feet. My teeth were starting to chatter. I was experiencing the involuntary shivers that seem to emanate from somewhere deep and primal inside the body.

And I loved it. I was cold plunging. I was alive!

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Unless you’ve been living under a non-biohacked rock, the concept of submerging oneself into sub-50° F water shouldn’t sound too new — after all, it’s been written about in The New York Times, Business Insider and tons of other mainstream publications, with reactions ranging from “WTF” to “It’s a non-negotiable part of my daily routine.” Tech tycoons, wellness influencers and your next-door neighbor will talk unceasingly about the practice’s benefits. Once you’ve dipped a toe into the world of cold plunging, it’ll be hard not to take a full dive. (Note: please don’t dive into your cold plunge tub.)

I’ll be the first to tell you I’m not — historically — a cold water person. I prefer my pool and ocean water at bathtub temperatures, thank you very much. But after reading and listening to the many accounts of cold plunging and its benefits — real or placebo — I had to try it out. After spending a month with Plunge’s Cold Plunge, it’s safe to say I have become a total and complete cold-water convert … and I think you’ll become one as well once you try it out.

The Plunge Cold Plunge: What We Think

Do yourself a favor, and get one of these tubs. Yes, it’s expensive — there’s no denying the elephant in the room that is the pricetag. But it’s also efficient, beautiful, easy to set-up and maintain and, not to put too obvious a point on it, very rewarding — and maybe even life-changing.

There are cheaper and more expensive models on the market, and it’s not to be denied that yes, you could fill your bathtub (presuming you have one) with ice and that would do the trick. But Plunge’s Cold Plunge is an exercise in the simplicity and enjoyment of using a luxury-focused item every day. Having a dedicated cold plunge not only improves the user experience, but it just might boost your physical and mental health, too.

Courtesy

Plunge Cold Plunge

• $4,990.00 at plunge.com

The Cold Plunge is easy to set up and use

The Cold Plunge is a luxury item, and as such, it’s only fitting that the delivery and set-up experience would be correspondingly deluxe. My unit was delivered without issue, with the delivery workers even carrying the tub to the specific spot I wanted it, and orienting it just so. The tub itself isn’t terribly heavy — it’s acrylic, so with two people, it’s easy to maneuver if you want to change up your location. The shape is a little awkward, so my partner and I lifted the tub and slipped a rolling dolly underneath until we had it in just the right place.

Once I had my Plunge in the right position, I got to setting it up, which took less than fifteen minutes. The tub is connected to the cooling unit with two hoses and an electrical connection; once you’ve got everything hooked into the right place, you fill your tub with water, plug it in and let the cooling unit do its thing.

The Cold Plunge comes with a skimming net, removable folding cover and a rubber ducky for moral support. I set mine up in the early evening — around 5 pm — and by 5 am the following morning, the temperature was just where I wanted it: 43º Fahrenheit.

Hayley Helms

It’s hard to contain the water when getting in and out

Getting in and out of the Cold Plunge can be a little messy. From my experience, I think it’s best suited to life as an outdoor unit, but if you do plan on keeping it inside, make sure you’ve placed it in a tiled or waterproof area, and keep some towels close at hand for clean-up. I refilled my Plunge once a week to keep it topped up after spills.

Hayley Helms

The cooling unit is really quiet

If you do plan on keeping your Cold Plunge indoors, you’ll be happy to learn that the continuously cycling cooling unit is quiet. I barely notice it when I’m plunging or cleaning the unit.

The maintenance kit isn’t included in the $5,000 price tag

Like any man-made body of water, maintenance is key to a healthy Cold Plunge. Plunging is tough enough; do you really want to be submerging yourself into cold and dirty water? If the answer is yes, see your local lake. Otherwise, read on.

The unit itself has built-in ozone sanitation and a 20-micron filter. Ozone is an oxidizer, and breaks down contaminates and helps maintain water quality; the filter removes hair, skin cells, and other debris from the water. And that’s fine and dandy, but if you want your water to stay as clean as possible for more than a month after getting it, you’ll want the included maintenance kit … which will cost you another couple hundred bucks on top of the five grand you just spent.

The 6-Month Maintenance Kit includes six filters, a 16-ounce bottle of Sirona Sanitizer, a 32-ounce bottle of Sirona Oxidizer, 16-ounces of Alkalinity Up, 16-ounces of pH Down and 25 testing strips. Since this kit is essential to keeping your Cold Plunge running effectively, it’s odd to see it billed as an add-on.

The temperature is easy to adjust, if you want more or less torture

Temperature adjustment on the Cold Plunge is as easy as pressing two buttons. If you want to take things up a notch and drop some degrees, you press and hold the “Set” button — when the temperature starts flashing, you press the up or down arrow, depending on what you’d like to do. I switched temperatures three times, and each time I did it the night before my morning dip, giving the Cold Plunge time to adjust. The cooling unit moves at roughly 2.5° F per hour, so during initial set-up, I let it cool down overnight so that I could sleep through my dread anticipation.

After playing with temperature settings, I landed on 46° F as my personal sweet-spot — it’s still supremely uncomfortable, but I can feel my feet when I get out after each two-minute session, which I think is a good compromise. I tried 50° F, but after having gone in at 43° F multiple times, it didn’t feel challenging enough. With the Cold Plunge, it’s simple to make minute adjustments to temperature without stress or headache.

Hayley Helms

• I’ve been cold plunging for just under a month now, and so far have noticed immediate — as well as what seem like lasting — effects:
• My mood is vastly improved post-plunge. It’s the hardest physical thing I do each day, and makes everything else feel easy by comparison.
• My inflammation feels less present. My left knee used to bug me on my daily four-mile run. After using the Cold Plunge for a week, I realized one day that it wasn’t bugging me. Ditto for the soreness in my other joints.
• I feel a crazy energy boost every time I do it. Right after getting out of the Plunge, I experience a notable energy surge that lasts for at least an hour. I’m much more motivated post-dip.

Hayley Helms

Hayley Helms

Plunge Cold Plunge: Alternatives

One of the best alternatives to the Plunge Cold Plunge is the Blue Cube In-Line 46 Cold Plunge. This particular icy bath is, well, crazy expensive, but you’re paying for something that’s commercial-grade. The average user won’t need one of these, but they may want one for the prestige.

Another primary alternative is The Ice Barrel. This product takes more work to set up each time you want to use it, and it’s not as efficient at regulating temperature as the Cold Plunge. Plus — it doesn’t look as sleek on your back porch. Still, at under $1,200, it’s far cheaper than the Plunge Cold Plunge.

Courtesy

Plunge Cold Plunge

• $4,990.00 at plunge.com

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