Cold Plunge Accessories Worth Buying, and the Ones to Skip

Most "cold plunge accessories" lists are a catalog with a headline. This one is shorter on purpose. Each item below is here because it fixes a problem plungers actually have: water that is colder or warmer than you think, water that turns cloudy in a week, toes that quit before the rest of you does, and a slippery walk back to the house in January. Every pick links to the full guide where we explain the specs and the math.

The five that matter on any tub.

1. A thermometer that reads cold water.

A chiller's display reads the water at its own sensor, not around your chest, and plenty of pool thermometers are built for 80°F water. Buy one whose stated accuracy covers the 32 to 60°F range you plunge in, stir the water before you read it, and check it once in a glass of ice water: it should read 32°F.

Own a chiller? Keep a quick-read probe like the ThermoWorks ThermoPop 2 (±1°F from 14°F up, IP67, with a NIST-traceable certificate) to check whether the chiller's display is honest. Its body is only rated to operate from 32°F, so it lives indoors in winter. The full comparison, including the ice-water check, is in our cold plunge thermometer guide.

2. A cover.

An open tub collects leaves, pollen and bugs, warms in the sun, and needs fresh water and fresh ice sooner. Purpose-built plunges come with a lid; use it every time. Stock tanks need one bought to fit.

For a galvanized 2 x 2 x 6 foot tank, Polar Protector also makes a fitted 600D canvas cover. How much a cover saves you depends on your yard, so measure it once: note the water temperature at night, cover the tub, and read it again in the morning. Our ice calculator turns the difference into pounds of ice.

3. A water care kit.

Cold slows bacteria down; it doesn't stop them. Three things keep a plunge usable: a sanitizer your tub's maker allows, a way to test it, and a net for what floats. Rinse off before you get in, too. It is free and it does more than any product here. The full routine is in our guide to keeping plunge water clean.

Running chlorine or bromine instead? Use JNW 7-in-1 test strips for free chlorine, bromine and pH, and read our page on chlorine in a cold plunge first: some makers forbid it. For what floats, a fine-mesh leaf skimmer with an 11 x 12 inch frame and a 6-inch-deep bag does the job, and its 60-inch pole comes apart so you can use it as a hand net. Doses for every tub size are in our hydrogen peroxide guide.

4. Neoprene for toes and hands.

Toes are the first thing to hurt, and for a lot of people they decide how long the session lasts. Neoprene toe caps cover just the toes and leave your feet free to grip the tub floor; full socks and booties cover everything. Thicker neoprene is warmer and clumsier: 3 mm is the usual start, and 5 mm is for very cold water.

For full coverage, XUKER 3 mm neoprene socks have an anti-slip sole. Hands next: Skyone neoprene gloves come in 3 or 5 mm with a textured palm, though the listing says they aren't completely waterproof. More options, and when booties beat socks, are in our toe cover and sock guide.

5. A warm, grippy exit.

The plunge is the easy part. Then you are wet, cold and standing on a slick surface. Two things help most.

For your feet, pick something with a real slip rating rather than a pool slide. The Crocs Bistro work clog carries an SRC slip-resistance rating and an enclosed toe, and it wipes clean. It runs large, so size down if you are between sizes. The full list is in our guide on what to wear in an ice bath.

Then add what your tub needs.

Ice-only tubs: make or store ice.

A 100-gallon tub chilled from 60 to 50°F takes about 52 pounds of ice, before the air, the sun and your body add heat. Block ice melts slower than cubes, and you can make it in a freezer you already own: Haldane extra-large silicone molds make about 6.3 pounds per block, or about 25 pounds per batch of four, after 12 to 24 hours of freezing. That is half of one 100-gallon chill per batch. To store bought or homemade ice, 10 lb drawstring ice bags come 200 to a box. If you plunge most days, read our ice maker guide and then our chiller sizing guide, because at some point a chiller beats hauling ice.

DIY tubs: circulation, filtration and a drain.

A stock tank or chest freezer conversion has no plumbing until you add it. A small mag-drive pump like the Danner Aqua-Mag 700 moves 655 GPH at 1 foot of lift on 70 watts and works submerged or inline. To actually filter, a cartridge pump like the Intex C530 pushes 475 GPH through a Type A cartridge and has a GFCI built into the plug; Intex's manual says it is for storable pools, so treat a plunge as off-label. Rubbermaid tank owners can add a drain kit with a 3/4-inch brass faucet for hose draining, and a WAYNE WaterBUG pumps a tub down to 1/16 inch. Never run a drain pump with anyone in or touching the water. Sizing and flow math are in our pump guide and filter, ozone and UV guide.

Outdoor tubs in a freezing climate: a de-icer and insulation.

A thermostatic stock tank de-icer keeps an off-season tub from freezing solid. The K&H 1000 W de-icer floats out of the box, converts to sinking, and its thermostat holds the water just above freezing; it has no on/off switch and K&H says not to use an extension cord. Foam board and reflective foil insulation on the walls do more than heater wattage; the FTC notes that reflective insulation needs an air gap to work. Plug anything electric into a GFCI outlet, ideally a weather-resistant GFCI receptacle installed by an electrician.

Chiller owners in a freezing climate have a separate job: most chiller makers want the unit drained or kept running above a set air temperature. Our winter guide lists what each maker says.

Plunges with a built-in chiller: mostly the basics.

A complete plunge with its own chiller and filtration needs the five essentials above plus replacement filters from the maker. Sauna Marketplace carries model-specific filters for Icetubs and Finnmark SoulCold tubs, and covers for SaunaLife plunges, on its cold plunge care page. Use your manual's filter and treatment, not a generic one.

Skip these.

• An infrared thermometer gun as your only thermometer. It reads the surface, not the water you sit in.
• Timer floats rated IPX6. IPX6 means water jets, not immersion. Use a thermometer rated IPX7 or IPX8 and a phone or watch timer outside the tub.
• Salt as antifreeze. It takes roughly 31 pounds of Epsom salt in 100 gallons to lower the freezing point by 1°F. Insulate and cover instead, and check your chiller's manual before adding anything.
• Stacking sanitizers. Hydrogen peroxide and chlorine react and cancel each other out. Pick one your tub's maker allows and test it.
• UV or ozone as your only water care. UV treats only the water flowing past its lamp, and ozone breaks down quickly. Neither keeps a sanitizer working in the water you sit in, so pair either with one.
• Plug-in GFCI adapters outdoors. Some are indoor-only by their own listing. Outdoors, use a weather-resistant GFCI receptacle installed by an electrician.
• A bigger pump than the loop needs. Danner's 1800 barely beats its 1200 at 1 foot of lift, and draws 35 more watts around the clock, which ends up as heat in your cold water.

Still choosing the tub?

Start with our guides to portable and inflatable plunges, budget tubs, metal stock tanks and the chest freezer route. For a complete plunge with a chiller, compare current options at Sauna Marketplace, part of the same SaunaShare family as Plunge Junkies.

FAQ

What do you need for an ice bath at home?

A tub, a thermometer that reads cold water, a cover, and a way to keep the water clean: a sanitizer your tub allows, test strips and a net. Add ice or a chiller to get it cold, neoprene for your toes, and a warm layer and slip-resistant shoes for the exit.

What is the most important cold plunge accessory?

A good thermometer. Every other decision, from how much ice to add to how long to stay in, depends on knowing the real water temperature, and chiller displays and dial thermometers can be off.

Do I need a cover for my cold plunge?

Yes, if it sits outside or near trees. A cover keeps out debris and sun, slows warming between sessions, and stretches the time between drains. Purpose-built plunges include one; stock tanks need a fitted cover.

Do I need a filter for a cold plunge?

Not if you drain often and keep a sanitizer in the water, but it helps. A small tub with no filter needs fresh water more often. DIY tubs can add a cartridge filter pump, and complete plunges use the maker's own filter.

What should I wear on my feet in a cold plunge?

Neoprene toe caps if only your toes hurt, 3 mm neoprene socks for full coverage, or 5 mm for very cold water. For the walk out, wear something with a slip-resistance rating.

Can I use a pool thermometer in a cold plunge?

Only if its stated accuracy covers cold water. Many pool thermometers are made for 80°F water and lose accuracy near freezing. Check any thermometer in a glass of ice water: it should read 32°F.