There was a time when a relaxing, hot bubble bath was all I needed to unwind, but these days my ice bath has taken precedence. And trust me, nobody is more surprised about this than I am. Like countless wellness trends before it, cold-plunge pools, ice baths, and cold-water therapy have been fueled by social media and celebrities, with Harry Styles, Lady Gaga, and David Beckham all advocates. Just as massage guns made the transition from elite recovery tools to workout essentials, cold-water therapy is no longer just for use by athletes looking to alleviate pain post-exercise, or as a torture device in luxury spas. The idea of submerging myself in water that's about 40 degrees Fahrenheit seemed farcical, but my interest was piqued after a seemingly sensible friend told me she now skipped her morning coffee for an icy cold plunge, as it improves her “mental clarity.” Ice-cold water instead of coffee? Madness! Or so I thought. If you're wondering what the point of cold-water plunging is, some studies have shown it can relieve muscle soreness and even encourage weight loss. It has also been shown to improve mental health and increase alertness by increasing levels of noradrenaline by 530 percent and dopamine by 250 percent. Steven Dick from the Fitness Group explains: “Exposure to cold water can also stimulate the release of endorphins, which are natural painkillers, and can trigger the activation of brown adipose tissue (brown fat), which burns calories to generate heat.” The ancient Greeks are said to have practiced the art of “thermalism”—exposure to cold and heat—to ease muscle fatigue and reduce disease. So when confronted with my first dip in the plunge pool, I imagined I was cooling off in Mykonos rather than in England, in the rain. It didn't work. Getting my toes, let alone my shoulders, under the icy water was horrific. If I weren't being paid, the pool would have been packed up and shipped out the very next day. But I'm a professional, so I persevered with the pain, and I was surprised that by my third dip I was able to stay in for two minutes and even started to relax. Research from Susanna Søberg, author of Winter Swimming, suggests that 11 minutes per week of being submerged gives you the best health benefits. But this needs to be divided into several plunges across the week. Updated August 2025: After extensive testing, we have a new top pick from PolarMonkeys and have also added new cold tubs from Plunge, Sun Home, and Nordik Recovery. Best Cold Plunge: PolarMonkeys Brainpod 2.0 Photograph: Martin Cizmar Photograph: Martin Cizmar Photograph: Martin Cizmar Chevron Chevron Polar Monkeys Brainpod 2.0 $9,190 PolarMonkeys WIRED/TIRED AccordionItemContainerButton LargeChevron WIRED The fastest and most accurate chiller we've tested Ideal size and eye-catching look Easy to drain TIRED Expensive The black cover seems to collect muss more easily than other covers I was a reluctant convert to cold plunging—I regret to inform you that it cleared my head, provided a day of mild euphoria, and eased my muscle aches. I have now personally tested five cold plunge pools for this guide, all of them with automatic chillers. The PolarMonkeys Brainpod 2.0 is the second-most-expensive of those, but it's the one I would buy if I were serious about cold plunging on a daily basis. This is one area where “buy once, cry once” may not apply, as I've been close to tears a number of times while cold plunging! The tub itself has a few notable benefits. It's very comfortable and well sized at 5.5 feet long and just shy of 2 feet deep, which makes it perfect for stretching out. Cold plunging is never comfortable, but I find it a lot more comfortable when I can fully extend my legs and zone out for a few minutes. It's also very attractive thanks to its sleek black acrylic shell and eye-catching graphics. It has a drain in the center of the bottom that feeds into a spout, which makes it very easy to empty—with some other tubs I've tested, I've found myself having to actually lift them and tip them over when the water gets too dirty to filter.