Polar Monkeys Review

The Portal

The Portal 2.0 is the most popular cold plunge tub by Polar Monkeys. This tub has over 100 5-star reviews and hundreds of purchases.

The portal ice bath is a steel tub with inlet/outlet connections for draining water. Each tub offered by Polar Monkeys comes with a filtration system and pump that helps keep the water chilled and clean. The cool thing about the system is that it can be controlled on your phone, so if you want to fire up your system while you are waking up in the morning for your plunge you can walk right into an already cold tub.

The Portal is available in three separate colors, Silver, black, and a limited edition model (which is pretty cool to look at).

Just like many other cold plunge devices out there, there are also two sizes to choose from. In this case, the steel tub comes in a 4-foot size or a 5-foot size. The width and height of the tubs do not change sitting at 2 feet high and 2 feet in depth.

Brain Pod 2.0

Next up on the models that are offered by Polar Monkeys is the Brain Pod 2.0, this is the model that is probably most comparable to the standard model of the Plunge and where we think you can get the most bang for your buck if you are looking to taking your plunge seriously.

Now, when looking at the specifications of the Standard Cold Plunge and the Brain Pod, there is not really much of a difference except for materials and possibly flow rate (what that is and why that is important).

Standard Cold Plunge vs Brain Pod 2.0

Firstly, the Brain Pod is made of fiberglass compared to acrylic (compared to the Cold Plunge) and I guess for that difference you are spending $1,000 less. It is important to note that there is no mention of flow rate here with Brain Pod. This is a big deal if you are looking to reap the most benefits out of the tub you choose.

Flow rates are important because the higher the rate the better the tub is at breaking your thermal layer that develops right below your skin. Breaking that thin layer intensifies the experience of plunging and makes your body work harder in the process.

The dimensions of the Brain Pod tub sit at 67″ long x 31.5″ wide x 23″ deep. It weighs 140 lbs without water and when filled weighs about 600 lbs. It does come with a 1-year limited warranty, the ability to get cold and hot, and the option to finance at a pretty affordable price of $89/month through Affirm.

One thing that is really cool about this is that you are not paying extra just for the capability to heat and cool your water like you would with the Cold Plunge. This tub is probably the best bargain cold plunge that we have reviewed, it’s not the absolute best but it will get the job done!

Inflatable Cold Plunge

The Inflatable version of the cold plunging experience is something that has been quite interesting to see. There are many options for portable plunges to choose from on the market right now that are much cheaper than the one offered by Polar Monkeys but what they don’t have that Polar Monkeys does is the cooling and filtration system that comes with the device.

The specs for this plunge tub are pretty similar to what was already discussed. This tub (like the others offered by Polar Monkeys) has the ability to cool and heat up, is a little under 5 feet in length, and comes with a cover.

We believe this option is best for those that want to be mobile with their experience of plunging, otherwise is does not make sense to fork over $2,700 for something that’s inflatable. While the quality of the product is still high, we would personally rather a stationary tub that we can use at the comfort of our home.

There is a similar option for an inflatable cold plunge tub that can be found at Redwood Outdoors which sits at $800 that is almost identical to what is offered here. The difference lies in the cooling system.

Star Treatment

Okay, now for the luxurious option offered at Polar Monkeys, The Star Treatment. We mentioned earlier we do believe that there are better options on the market right now than this one if you were in the market to spend over $10,000 on a tub but stick around and let us tell you why (Blue Cube Review).

The Star Treatment is a closed-off cold plunge that keeps the cooling unit with the boxed frame that it comes in. The finish of the tub is a sleek light brown wood design which is a personal favorite of ours.

You have the option to choose between a 1/2 horsepower cooling system or a full horsepower cooling system. Our take on this is that if you are going to go with a luxury tub (anything over $10,000) you should have a system that compares to the best of the best, Blue Cube.

The start of treatment is a good option overall to choose from if you are looking for commercial-grade, luxury cold plunge devices but we just believe that other brands will give you a better option for the additional cost. Polar monkeys are best for their other models in our opinion.

What’s Included with the Polar Monkeys Ice Baths?

When you are buying a cold plunge from Polar Monkeys this is what you could expect to come with:

• Tub of your choice

• Filtration system and pump

• Hoses

None of the modes (except for the inflatable tub) come with a tub cover so that will be an additional cost to tack on here. Polar Monkeys does give you the option to add on a 6-month sanitation kit for $169 and a 3-pack filter replacement cartridge for $36.

Who should buy The Portal?

We believe that the portal is the sweet spot for people looking for a good cold plunge device to add to their homes without absolutely breaking the bank. It is the option that is most popular with Polar Monkeys and sits at a price of around $4,000 with a 0.6 HP chiller unit.

You should buy this plunge if you are looking to take plunging more seriously without having to spend $5,000. Now, if you want the more high-powered chilling unit that is offered (0.8 HP) you will end up spending $5,000 in that case you might as well go with the Plunge since they include things like a cover already baked into the price.

FAQ

Are cold plunges actually good for you?

There have been many studies shown to show that cold plunging is good for you. If you want to dive deeper into the benefits we have articles covering that exact topic here. Don’t believe us? You can watch Andrew Huberman speak on the matter (podcast).

How long should you sit in a cold plunge?

In the beginning, cold plunging will be something that you have to get used to. it can be an uncomfortable experience for some people. It is probably best to start off and try to work yourself up to about 3 minutes of exposure and then adjust accordingly as you get more experience.