Collection · 07 · Free-standing ice baths
A free-standing ice bath with a chiller, for the patio or the garage
The simplest cold plunge there is: a sculpted white tub on slate, a hose, a power point and a chiller that holds 3–5 °C without a single bag of ice. For homes with no room, or no wish, for building work.
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Why there is no ice in an ice bath
People say ice bath for any tub of very cold water. With a chiller there is no ice at all. The water sits at 3–5 °C, the surface is still, and nobody carries anything. If you have searched for an “ice bath with chiller” or an “ice bath tub”, this is the object.
Tub, timber tub or built-in pool: pick by the question
| Compare | Free-standing ice bath | Timber plunge tub | Built-in plunge pool |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building work | none | none to a level base | yes: slab, finish, plant room |
| Look | sculpted, modern, matte white | warm timber with a white liner | mosaic or tile, part of the terrace |
| Litres | 250–420 | 250–1,000 | about 1,100–1,200 |
| Moves house | yes | yes | no |
| Businesses | no, homes only | no, homes only | yes |
| Tub alone, indicative | €2,200–4,500 | €2,200–3,300 to €6,400–11,000 | €8,400–15,000 |
If you rent the property, take the free-standing tub: it comes with you. If you own and are building, decide early whether you want the pool, because the slab is cheaper before the terrace than after.
A July afternoon in Valencia
A tub in full sun at 38 °C works the chiller harder than anything else on the terrace. Three things help: shade over the tub, a cover on it when nobody is in, and a chiller one class up from the minimum if the plan allows. We design for 38–40 °C air in the Mediterranean and say so in the quote, so nobody finds out in August. Cold plunge in a Mediterranean summer has the numbers.
Balconies, floors and the community
A 420-litre tub is over half a tonne full. Ground-floor patios are simple. Balconies and roof terraces need the load checked, and in a block of flats the community administrator or the building manager usually has to agree before anything heavy goes up. We can send a one-page data sheet with the weight and the footprint for exactly that conversation.
Size by who gets in, not by the catalogue
- 250 litres, solo. One adult of average build, sitting upright with the shoulders under. The shortest road to cold water at home, and the only size that fits a 1 HP chiller.
- 420 litres, comfortable. Taller bathers and anyone who likes to stretch their legs. It needs the 2 HP class, which is the sensible choice if the tub will stand in sun.
- Anything larger is a timber tub, a double or a built-in pool: see the timber plunge tubs and the plunge pools.
Frost, and a tub that stands through winter
In Ireland, in the north of Spain or in the hills above Limassol, a night can fall below freezing. In normal winter use leave the circuit live and the cover on. If the tub will stand unused through a hard frost, drain it and its hoses and cover it; ice in a hose is a repair you did not plan. The handover sheet states the routine for your site.
What arrives, and what you do
The tub comes crated with its chiller, hoses and controls. You provide a level, drained base, a hose or a pipe to fill it and a power point on a protected circuit. We provide the connection drawing and, within the quoted installation, someone to place the tub, make the connections and run the first pull-down with you watching. Then you get a short handover: how to set the controller, how to drain and refill, how to wipe the surface, and what to do before a long absence.
Styling the corner
A white tub looks best against something dark and quiet: slate paving, a limewashed wall, one plant in a pot. Add a low step so nobody climbs over the rim, a hook for the towel and a cover that can be lifted by one person. Keep the paving non-slip, because everything around a cold tub gets wet, and keep the display, the little unit that shows the temperature, where you can see it from the water.
Both sizes, with and without the chiller, are in the price list; the kit builder will add a cabin if you decide on heat as well.
How long does it take to cool down?
The first fill from a hose at about 24 °C takes the chiller overnight. After that it only holds the temperature and a covered tub stays cold between sessions.
Does it need a plumber?
For a free-standing tub: a hose to fill, a way to drain, and a power point for the chiller. A plumber is useful if you want a tidy drain; an electrician if the circuit is not there.
Can I use it every day?
The chiller is built for long duty, up to 16 hours a day. Whether cold water every day is right for you is a question for your doctor, not for us.
Does the tub need a cover?
We recommend one. It keeps leaves and sun off the water and cuts the work the chiller has to do.
Alongside
Before you choose a tub
Wooden plunge tubs with a white liner
Oval or round tubs in ash or cedar with a white liner, 250 to 1,000 litres, for private homes.
Read on
Cold plunge pools built into the terrace
Round or square, glass mosaic or tile, flush with the floor and held at 3–5 °C. The machinery stays out of sight.
Read on
Chillers sized by the litre
1, 2 and 4 HP classes sized by litres, with filtration and controls, drawn into a niche or plant room.
Read on