Cold plunge tubs are great, giving you a place to do ice therapy from the comfort of your bathroom or backyard. Problem is, they can be quite expensive, making them an unattractive proposition for many folks still not sold on the benefits of ice baths. The Plunge Evolve Pop-Up hopes to make cold water therapy more accessible.
That’s right, Plunge just added an affordable cold water tub in their line, allowing you to enjoy the same ice bath benefits at a fraction of the price of their other offerings. Is it going to be as good as Plunge’s $1,000-plus cold tubs? Probably not, but it definitely makes trying your first ice bath a much less daunting affair.
The Plunge Evolve Pop-Up is an inflatable tub with a simple cylindrical shape that measures 32 x 30 inches (diameter x height). Yes, that’s not very big, but it’s spacious enough to let most individuals sit inside and soak themselves in the water. Can the water go over your shoulders if you slide down? We’re not sure, but maybe it will work if you’re a somewhat shorter height. According to the outfit, it can accommodate heights up to 6’9″, although we’re pretty sure those on the taller end of the scale will probably have to sit with the water at chest height or lower.
To set up the tub, you start by inserting the included poles on the deflated item, so it can stand on its own once inflated. Once that’s done, you simply use the included manual air pump (or automated pump, if you have one) to fill it up with air and you’re done. It comes with an included cover that you can put on top to keep dirt and dust from getting in. Once you’re set up, simply fill it up with water, ice, and you can jump right in.
The Plunge Evolve Pop-Up has a multi-layer construction made up of a PVC inner layer, a military-grade insulation above it, and an external layer of UV-resistant nylon fabric to give it a durable and waterproof shell. Suffice to say, this thing should be hardwearing enough to handle any backyard setup. The lid, by the way, doesn’t come with insulation, so if you want to maintain icy temperatures before you get in the bath (or you leave to take a phone call or something), you’ll want to add the optional insulated cover that’s meant to be placed under the lid.
As with the outfit’s other cold tubs, it’s meant to work with their PlungePure Pro Chiller, which you can attach to the tub to automatically set and maintain water temperatures at 37 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, if you’re going to spend that much money, you might as well consider getting one of their bigger tubs, so you can lie down comfortably instead of having to sit scrunched up in a potentially awkward position. By the way, they subtract whatever you paid for the Pop-Up from the price of any tub you upgrade to, since this is really meant as an entry-level introduction to the outfit’s cold bath product line.
The Plunge Evolve Pop-Up is available now, priced at $120.