Today you can find ice baths at €130 and others at over €6,000. On paper they do the same thing: hold cold water for you to get into. The difference lies elsewhere: the material, the insulation, the space it takes, how often you'll use it and how you keep the water cold. This comparison helps you sort through them, model by model, and also tells you when a bath isn't right for you.
4 questions to ask before buying
How many people will use it? A bath for you alone, one to share as a couple, or one for a whole team are completely different volumes.
Where will it go? A flat, a garage, a patio or a club changing room. Think about weight: a 450-litre bath full of water with someone in it easily goes over 500 kg. The floor needs to take it.
How often? For the occasional session, ice is enough. For several sessions a week you'll need a chiller, built in or next to the bath. We cover this in our article ice or chiller.
For how long? A bath you want to try out for a year isn't the bath you want to keep for ten years in a space you've fitted out.
Inflatable PVC or rigid stainless steel: the real difference
It's the first choice to make, and it shapes everything else.
Inflatable and soft-sided baths are made of reinforced PVC or technical fabric. Their walls are made of layers of air or insulation that hold the cold. They're light, fold into a bag and set up in about ten minutes. They're the ideal way in: low price, no installation, and you can move them or put them away for the winter. On the other hand, they age faster than a rigid tub, can be punctured (a repair kit is included) and look more like sports gear than furniture.
Rigid baths are made of stainless steel or acrylic. They're built to stay in the same place for years, indoors or outdoors. Stainless steel shrugs off corrosion and knocks, acrylic wipes clean in seconds. Some have a hot and cold unit built in. They cost more, weigh more and need a proper spot, but they turn a corner of your home or gym into a recovery space.
| Criterion | Inflatable / soft (PVC) | Rigid (steel or acrylic) |
| Price | €129 to €1,190 | €3,490 to €6,990 |
| Installation | 10 minutes, no tools | Permanent spot, suitable floor |
| Moving it | Folds into a bag | Stays in place |
| Lifespan | A few years with good care | Built to last a very long time |
| Cooling | Ice or a separate chiller | Separate or built-in chiller depending on model |
| Look | Sports gear | A piece of furniture, high-end finish |
| Best for | Getting started, small budget, on the move | Daily use, gyms, clubs, physios |
Inflatable and soft-sided baths
icePod Max: the cheapest way to start
A soft-sided bath 90 cm across holding 420 litres, held up by pillars and insulated with 5 layers including an aluminium barrier. It fits tall users up to 2.10 m and has valves to connect a chiller. At €129, it's the best way to find out if you like the cold before investing. Its limit: it's the lightest in the range and doesn't have the rigidity or insulation of a high-pressure inflatable.
Ice Barrel: the versatile single bath
A high-pressure (8 PSI) inflatable barrel, 90 × 90 cm and 450 litres, in reinforced PVC with 5 cm of air insulation. It's UV and frost resistant, can stay outdoors all year and fits users up to 1.90 m and beyond. It comes with a lockable thermal lid, thermometer, pump and bag. At €490, it's the right balance for one person who wants a proper bath without giving up a room to it. It also exists as the limited-edition Barrel INSPIRE, co-signed with Leonardo Pelagotti.
Oasis: for two, or to lie down
A rectangular inflatable bath, 150 × 85 × 67 cm and 480 litres, with 10 cm drop-stitch walls. You lie down in it instead of sitting, and two people can share it. It's also the best-insulated inflatable in the range. Available in 135 or 150 cm, from €790. Its limit: it takes more floor space than a barrel.
iceTeam Pod: the team bath
An octagonal inflatable bath, 2 × 2 m and 2,470 litres, in reinforced PVC, for 4 to 6 players at once. It sets up in about ten minutes in the changing room or by the pitch, and packs into its bag for camps and competitions. At €1,190, it's the simplest option for a club. For daily use with that much water, plan for a powerful chiller.
Rigid stainless steel and acrylic baths
Frozen Barrel: stainless steel at a sensible price
A vertical stainless steel tub, 105 cm high, 85 cm across and 525 litres, in black, white or metal. It works outdoors and indoors, as an ice bath or a hot bath. Small footprint, deep immersion and a lifespan an inflatable can't match. €3,490 on its own, €4,990 with the 1 HP Pro Chiller. It's the best choice if you want an ice bath that stays, without going all the way to a built-in system.
Frozen Barrel Luxe: the premium version with a bench
A stainless steel tub with a raised access bench in teak and powder-coated aluminium, a touchscreen that sets the water from 0 to 42 °C, and quiet running designed for indoor use. It's the bath you install in a high-end changing room, a rehab clinic or a well-finished home gym. From €4,990.
Acrylic Step: the all-in-one pro bath
A one-piece 600-litre acrylic tub with a built-in 1 HP chiller, water adjustable from 2 to 40 °C from an app, built-in ozone and filtration to keep the water clean, and LED lighting. Built to run every day in a gym or a centre. €6,690. Its limit: it weighs around 260 kg in its crate, so plan access and placement when you order.
All in One: hot and cold in a clear tub
A crystal acrylic tub with a built-in hot and cold unit, down to 0 °C without ice, with pre-installed plumbing. The choice for private spas and centres that want a striking look. Made to order in 8 to 12 weeks, €5,990.
Summary table
| Model | Type | Volume | People | Cooling | Price |
| icePod Max | Soft-sided | 420 L | 1 | Ice or separate chiller | €129 |
| Ice Barrel | Inflatable PVC | 450 L | 1 | Ice or separate chiller | €490 |
| Oasis | Inflatable PVC | 480 L | 1 to 2 | Ice or separate chiller | From €790 |
| iceTeam Pod | Inflatable PVC | 2,470 L | 4 to 6 | Ice or separate chiller | €1,190 |
| Frozen Barrel | Stainless steel | 525 L | 1 | Separate chiller (option) | From €3,490 |
| Frozen Barrel Luxe | Stainless steel | - | 1 | 0 to 42 °C, touchscreen | From €4,990 |
| All in One | Acrylic | - | 1 | Built-in hot and cold | €5,990 |
| Acrylic Step | Acrylic | 600 L | 1 | Built-in 1 HP chiller, 2 to 40 °C | €6,690 |
Our advice for your profile
You want to try it without breaking the bank: the icePod Max. If you get hooked, you can always move up to a better-insulated model.
You're getting serious, on your own, at home: the Ice Barrel, plus a Chiller Lite once you go past two sessions a week.
There are two of you, or you want to lie down: the Oasis.
You want a bath that lasts and looks the part: the Frozen Barrel with its Pro Chiller.
You're equipping a club: the iceTeam Pod for the group, or a Frozen Barrel Luxe in the changing room for daily use.
You're equipping a gym, a centre or a clinic: the Acrylic Step or the All in One, which run every day without a separate unit to manage.
Still torn between two models? Send us your situation on WhatsApp (space available, number of users, indoors or outdoors) and we'll reply within minutes with the right choice. All our baths come with a 2-year warranty and 30 days to change your mind.
