When choosing an ice tub, whether it's for your outdoor cold plunge tub or your indoor cold plunge the material you choose plays a crucial role in durability, insulation, portability, and your overall cold immersion therapy experience. Here's a breakdown of the most common options, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages:

New to cold water therapy? Read our beginners guide! 

Wooden Ice Bath's - Wooden Cold Plunge

Wooden ice bath advantages: 

Wooden ice baths can look very aesthetically pleasing due to the barrel shape and the natural looking finish. Wooden cold plunge tub's offer good insulation and the DIY ice bath looking finish makes the wooden ice bath look unique and appealing. 

Wooden cold plunge disadvantages: 

Whilst wooden ice baths can look very aesthetically pleasing, wooden cold plunge tubs do need regular maintenance. Compared to other ice baths wooden ice baths can be susceptible to moisture damage and they can often be heavier than other ice tubs. 

Stainless Steel Ice Bath - Steel Plunge Pool 

Stainless steel ice bath advantages:

Stainless steel cold plunge tubs have the advantage of being durable, steel build ice baths are hygienic and easy to clean, they are rust and corrosion resistance, making them an ideal material for cold water plunge tubs. Lastly stainless steel ice baths are modern looking, given them the sleek edge and design. 

Stainless steel plunge pool disadvantages: 

Stainless steel ice baths do have the disadvantage of being more expensive than other materials. Due to the nature of the material steel ice baths can be prone to scratching and dinting. Lastly steel ice baths can prove difficult to transport. 

Plastic Ice Bath - Plastic Ice Bath Tub

Plastic ice bath advantages: 

Plastic ice baths do come with advantages, they are the more lightweight ice bath on the market and they are usually the cheaper ice tub option. Due to the lightweight nature plastic ice baths are more portable than stainless steel ice baths.

Plastic ice bath disadvantages: 

Whilst plastic ice baths are usually cheaper, they do come with their disadvantages, they can be less durable than other ice baths on the market and they may lack that high quality finish you desire. Due to the nature of plastic, these ice baths can fade due to UV damage. 

Inflatable PVC Ice Baths - Inflatable Cold Tub

Inflatable PVC ice bath advantages:

Due to inflatable ice baths being lightweight, they are great portable ice baths, they can be transferred to different locations with ease. Inflatable ice baths are usually a lot cheaper than other ice baths, due to their simplicity they are easy to set up, making them a great option for ice bath beginners. 

Inflatable cold tub disadvantages: 

Although inflatable PVC ice baths are portable and cheaper than other ice baths in the market, they are a lot less durable and are prone to punctures and leaks. Inflatable ice baths are simple in design and may feel a lot less luxurious compared to other ice baths. 

Before choosing your ice bath, consider these additional factors. 

Can you have a stationary ice bath that is more difficult to transport or do you need a portable ice bath that can be easily moved?

Consider your budget, are you looking for a premium luxury ice bath such as a stainless steel ice bath or are you looking for cheap ice bath that made be made from budget friendly plastic or inflatable PVC. 

Think about your ice bath maintenance, some ice bath materials are easier to maintain than others. 

Be sure to choose a ice bath finish that suits your personal style and aesthetic needs needs! Explore our full range of ice baths.