Buying a tub and a chiller separately means matching gallon ratings, pump flow rates, hose diameters and fittings. Every one of those is a place to get it wrong.
A bundle removes all of them. You buy one box and it works. The catch is that most bundles hit their price by pairing a large tub with a small chiller, and the specs do not make that obvious.
We compared 9 bundles on one question above all others: is the chiller actually sized for the water it has to cool? We have not run these systems, and each pick says what we could not confirm.
Four made the page.
Watch: Best Budget, the AS ColdPlunge Tub and 1/3 HP Chiller Kit
Watch "Step By Step Install Process - AS ColdPlunge Ice Bath Water Chiller" on YouTube
The short answer
Every pick below wins one job. Find the line that sounds like you, then jump to the full write-up.
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Best Overall
121 Gallon Pro Cold Plunge Tub with 1050W Chiller
Someone plunging several times a week who wants one purchase, one box, and no research into which chiller fits which tub.
Check price on Amazon for 121 Gallon Pro Cold Plunge Tub with 1050W Chiller (opens in a new tab) Typically $800 to $2,000Read why it won for 121 Gallon Pro Cold Plunge Tub with 1050W Chiller -
Best Budget
AS ColdPlunge Tub and 1/3 HP Chiller Kit
Getting off bagged ice for the least money possible, accepting that the tub must stay covered for the chiller to hold temperature.
Check price on Amazon for AS ColdPlunge Tub and 1/3 HP Chiller Kit (opens in a new tab) Typically $300 to $800Read why it won for AS ColdPlunge Tub and 1/3 HP Chiller Kit -
Best for Large Tubs
248 Gallon Cold Plunge Tub with 1 HP Chiller
A permanent backyard setup for two people, or one tall person who wants the tub cold on demand rather than on a schedule.
Check price on Amazon for 248 Gallon Cold Plunge Tub with 1 HP Chiller (opens in a new tab) Typically $800 to $2,000Read why it won for 248 Gallon Cold Plunge Tub with 1 HP Chiller -
Best Premium
Red Cedar Two Person Cold Plunge Tub with 1 HP Chiller
Someone installing a permanent garden feature they will look at every day, who cares how it looks as much as what it does.
Check price on Amazon for Red Cedar Two Person Cold Plunge Tub with 1 HP Chiller (opens in a new tab) Typically $2,000 to $5,000Read why it won for Red Cedar Two Person Cold Plunge Tub with 1 HP Chiller
Compare them side by side
Same fields for every tub, so you are comparing like with like.
| Product | Award | Best for | Capacity | Material | Shape | Price | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 121 Gallon Pro Cold Plunge Tub with 1050W Chiller | Best Overall | Someone plunging several times a week who wants one purchase, one box, and no research into which chiller fits which tub. | 121 gallons | Drop Stitch Fabric (used for high quality paddle boards) | Rectangular | $$$ $800 to $2,000 | Check price for 121 Gallon Pro Cold Plunge Tub with 1050W Chiller (opens in a new tab) |
| AS ColdPlunge Tub and 1/3 HP Chiller Kit | Best Budget | Getting off bagged ice for the least money possible, accepting that the tub must stay covered for the chiller to hold temperature. | 148 gallons | Metal, Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) | Oval | $$ $300 to $800 | Check price for AS ColdPlunge Tub and 1/3 HP Chiller Kit (opens in a new tab) |
| 248 Gallon Cold Plunge Tub with 1 HP Chiller | Best for Large Tubs | A permanent backyard setup for two people, or one tall person who wants the tub cold on demand rather than on a schedule. | 248 gallons | Polyvinyl Chloride | Rectangular | $$$ $800 to $2,000 | Check price for 248 Gallon Cold Plunge Tub with 1 HP Chiller (opens in a new tab) |
| Red Cedar Two Person Cold Plunge Tub with 1 HP Chiller | Best Premium | Someone installing a permanent garden feature they will look at every day, who cares how it looks as much as what it does. | 132 gallons | red cedar | Round | $$$$ $2,000 to $5,000 | Check price for Red Cedar Two Person Cold Plunge Tub with 1 HP Chiller (opens in a new tab) |
Not shown because at least one product does not publish it: Dimensions, Weight.
The full reviews
Best Overall
121 Gallon Pro Cold Plunge Tub with 1050W Chiller
JUGRFIT BLACK121GAL850W
Tub, chiller, filter, pump and every fitting in one box. The most complete ready-to-run setup here, and the chiller is deliberately undersized so it cools slowly rather than quickly.
What we like
- Everything needed is in the box, so there is no compatibility guesswork
- Drop stitch fabric holds a rigid wall, unlike ordinary PVC when full
- 53 inch length lets most adults sit back rather than fold
- Ends the ice habit outright, which is where the real running cost lives
What we do not
- 850W on 121 gallons is undersized, so pull down from warm takes many hours
- Needs a proper outdoor rated socket near the tub
- Soft tub plus permanent appliance is an awkward middle, hard to pack away
Key specs
- Capacity
- 121 gallons
- Dimensions
- 53"L x 32"W x 24"H
- Weight
- 86.0 pounds
- Material
- Drop Stitch Fabric (used for high quality paddle boards)
- Shape
- Rectangular
- Price range
- $800 to $2,000
The appeal of a bundle is that you stop making decisions. Everything in this box is designed to work with everything else in it.
What you avoid by buying a bundle
Buying separates means matching a chiller’s gallon rating to your tub, matching a pump’s flow rate to the chiller, finding hoses and adapters that fit both, and discovering after delivery that the fittings pull against a flexible tub wall.
Every one of those is a place people get it wrong. A bundle removes all of them.
Where the 850 watts matters
850W is modest for 121 gallons. That does not mean it fails, it means it is slow.
Fill the tub, cover it, switch the chiller on and come back many hours later, realistically the next morning. If your mental model is getting home and chilling the tub for an evening session, this is the wrong machine.
Holding a cold tub cold is far easier than getting it there, so a permanently running setup is how to use this.
Power
The chiller needs a proper outdoor rated socket close by. This is the step people skip. Running an indoor extension lead across wet ground to a compressor is genuinely dangerous. Solve the power before you order.
The awkward middle
Worth naming plainly: you end up with a soft sided tub attached to a permanent appliance. It does not pack away like an inflatable and it does not have the shell durability of a hard tub.
For a genuinely permanent installation, a rigid tub plus a separate chiller is a better long term shape. This is the convenient version, not the durable one.
Buy it if Someone plunging several times a week who wants one purchase, one box, and no research into which chiller fits which tub.
Skip it if You want to fill and chill on demand the same afternoon, because this system is built to run continuously rather than cool fast.
The catch 850 watts against 121 gallons is modest. Expect many hours, realistically overnight, to bring a warm fill down to the low 50s. This is a set it and leave it system, not something you can chill after work for an evening session.
Not tested by us. Specs checked July 25, 2026. How we research
Best Budget
AS ColdPlunge Tub and 1/3 HP Chiller Kit
AS ColdPlunge AS-AY300-XL148
The cheapest way to get a tub and a chiller in one purchase. A 1/3 HP unit with a 148 gallon tub, which is optimistic pairing, but it works if you keep the tub covered.
What we like
- Cheapest tub and chiller pairing here by a wide margin
- Built in pump and filter, so there is no separate pump to buy and site
- 1/3 HP runs on an ordinary household circuit with no electrical work
- Ends ice purchases entirely, which is the point of any chiller
What we do not
- 1/3 HP on a 148 gallon tub is under-matched, so it needs the lid on to keep up
- Listing gives carton dimensions rather than tub dimensions
- No ozone or UV, so water treatment is entirely manual
Key specs
- Capacity
- 148 gallons
- Weight
- 48 pounds
- Material
- Metal, Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
- Shape
- Oval
- Price range
- $300 to $800
If the goal is simply to stop buying ice for the least possible money, this is the entry point.
The pairing is optimistic
A 1/3 HP chiller is generally rated around 79 gallons. This kit puts one on a 148 gallon tub, which is close to double.
That is not automatically a failure. Chiller ratings assume ordinary conditions, and a covered, shaded, reasonably insulated tub leaks far less heat than the rating assumes. But it means the margin is thin.
Practically: keep the lid on, keep the tub out of direct sun, and it will hold. Do neither and the compressor will run continuously and still lose ground on a warm afternoon.
The built in pump is the real value
Separates are cheaper on paper and more expensive in practice. You buy a pump, match its flow rate, find somewhere for it, and run a second power lead. Get the flow wrong and the unit either ices up or never reaches temperature.
Having the pump and filter inside one housing removes three decisions and one failure point. On a budget kit that matters more than a small difference in capacity.
Power
1/3 HP is an ordinary appliance load. It runs from a normal outdoor socket with no electrician involved, which is a real saving compared to the 1 HP setups on this page.
Water care is on you
No ozone, no UV. The filter catches debris, not bacteria. Budget for a sanitiser and a routine, and factor that in when comparing against pricier units that do some of the work for you.
About the dimensions
The listing states 14.9 by 11.8 by 12.6 inches for a 148 gallon tub. That is the shipping carton. We removed it rather than publish something that would mislead you about whether you fit.
Buy it if Getting off bagged ice for the least money possible, accepting that the tub must stay covered for the chiller to hold temperature.
Skip it if Your tub sits in afternoon sun uncovered, because a 1/3 HP unit will run continuously and still lose.
The catch A 1/3 HP chiller is rated for roughly 79 gallons in normal conditions, and this kit pairs it with a 148 gallon tub. It will hold temperature on a covered, shaded tub and it will lose on a hot uncovered one. The lid is not optional here, it is part of the cooling system.
Not tested by us. Specs checked July 25, 2026. How we research
Best for Large Tubs
248 Gallon Cold Plunge Tub with 1 HP Chiller
Drexo DREXO Cold Plunge Tub
248 gallons with a full horsepower behind it, which is the first setup here where the chiller is properly sized for the water rather than merely attached to it.
What we like
- 1 HP on 248 gallons is a genuinely matched pairing, unlike most bundles
- Big enough for two adults or anyone well over six feet
- Rigid construction rather than a soft wall with an appliance bolted on
- Cools fast enough that filling on demand is realistic
What we do not
- A full horsepower compressor draws real power and wants its own circuit
- 248 gallons takes a long time to fill and costs more to treat
- Large permanent footprint, so this is a fixed installation
Key specs
- Capacity
- 248 gallons
- Dimensions
- 60"L x 30"W x 32"H
- Material
- Polyvinyl Chloride
- Shape
- Rectangular
- Price range
- $800 to $2,000
Most tub and chiller bundles pair a large tub with a small chiller, because that is how you hit a price. This one does not.
Matched, not merely attached
1 HP against 248 gallons is a sensible ratio. Compare that to 850 watts against 121 gallons, which is where most bundles sit.
The practical consequence is pull down speed. With a properly sized chiller you can fill in the morning and plunge in the evening. With an undersized one you fill today and plunge tomorrow.
If you want cold water on demand rather than on a schedule, that difference is the whole purchase.
Sizing works both ways
Be honest about whether you need 248 gallons.
If you plunge alone and you are of average height, you are cooling more than twice the water you actually sit in, paying for the electricity to do it, and treating more water than necessary. A 100 gallon tub with a 1/3 HP chiller would serve you better and cost far less to run.
This tub earns its size with two users, or with real height.
The electrical question
A full horsepower compressor pulls a substantial surge when it kicks in, well above its steady running draw. That surge is what trips breakers, usually at an inconvenient hour.
Find out what else is on that circuit before you commit. If the answer is “everything in the garage”, budget for an electrician alongside the tub.
Water volume has other costs
248 gallons is more water to treat, more filter load, and a much longer fill. None of that is a dealbreaker, but the running cost of a big setup is not only electricity.
Buy it if A permanent backyard setup for two people, or one tall person who wants the tub cold on demand rather than on a schedule.
Skip it if You plunge alone at average height, because you are paying to cool well over twice the water you need.
The catch A 1 HP compressor draws a large surge on startup, well above its running load, and that surge is what trips breakers. Check what else shares the circuit before you buy, because moving a circuit costs more than the price difference to a smaller unit.
Not tested by us. Specs checked July 25, 2026. How we research
Best Premium
Red Cedar Two Person Cold Plunge Tub with 1 HP Chiller
Smartmak SMT-BT-1
Red cedar, 500 litres, a full horsepower chiller and room for two. This is furniture rather than equipment, and it is priced accordingly.
What we like
- Cedar shell looks like something you want in a garden, unlike every plastic tub
- 1 HP properly matched to 500 litres, so it cools on demand
- Two person capacity without going to a 250 gallon plastic trough
- Cedar is naturally rot resistant, so outdoor life is measured in years
What we do not
- Costs several times any plastic tub with a comparable chiller
- Wood needs periodic sealing and maintenance that plastic does not
- A 1 HP compressor wants its own circuit
Key specs
- Capacity
- 132 gallons
- Weight
- 88 pounds
- Material
- red cedar
- Shape
- Round
- Price range
- $2,000 to $5,000
Every other tub on this page is a container. This one is a piece of garden furniture that happens to hold cold water.
Why anyone pays this
Plastic tubs work perfectly well and look like plastic tubs. If the cold plunge is going to sit in the middle of a garden you spend time in, that matters to some people and not to others.
Be honest about which you are. There is no performance argument here that a cheaper rigid tub with the same chiller does not also make.
The chiller is properly sized
1 HP against 500 litres, roughly 132 gallons, is a genuinely matched pairing. Unlike the budget kits, this cools on demand rather than overnight, and it holds temperature comfortably in warm weather.
If you are spending at this level, that is what you should expect and it is delivered.
Two people
500 litres holds two adults. Taking turns in a small tub means the second person gets water several degrees warmer. More volume plus a properly sized chiller means back to back sessions at the same temperature.
The maintenance nobody mentions
Cedar is naturally rot resistant, which is why it is used for hot tubs and outdoor furniture. Resistant is not immune.
You will need to seal it periodically. A cedar tub that has been ignored for three seasons looks it, and unlike a plastic shell there is no washing that back off.
If you like doing that sort of maintenance, it is part of the appeal. If the idea of sealing a tub sounds like a chore you will resent, buy rotomoulded plastic and spend the difference on something else.
Power
Same warning as every 1 HP unit here. The startup surge is well above the running load. Check the circuit before delivery, not after.
Buy it if Someone installing a permanent garden feature they will look at every day, who cares how it looks as much as what it does.
Skip it if You want the cheapest route to cold water, because a plastic tub and the same chiller costs a fraction of this.
The catch Wood is maintenance. Cedar resists rot but it still needs periodic sealing, and a neglected cedar tub weathers in a way a plastic one never will. Budget the time as well as the money, because this is the one tub here that gets worse if you ignore it.
Not tested by us. Specs checked July 25, 2026. How we research
How we compared these bundles
Nine bundles, then one test that matters more than all the others.
Is the chiller sized for the tub? We took each chiller’s stated gallon rating and compared it to the tub’s stated volume. Anything where the tub is more than roughly double the chiller’s rating we flagged in the review, because that is a system which only works under favourable conditions.
Sellers do not present this ratio anywhere, and it is the single thing that determines whether you will be happy.
Is a pump and filter included? Separates are cheaper on paper and more expensive once you have bought a pump and matched its flow rate.
What is the electrical load? Anything approaching 1 HP needs thought about the circuit. That is a real cost if the answer is bad.
What does it do about water quality? Most bundles filter debris and nothing else.
The sizing table
Use this before you look at any price.
| Tub volume | Chiller you want |
|---|---|
| Under 60 gallons | 1/10 to 1/4 HP |
| 80 to 100 gallons | 1/3 HP |
| 100 to 150 gallons | 1/2 HP |
| 150 gallons and up | 1 HP or more |
Then discount it. Manufacturer ratings assume a covered, insulated tub in mild weather. A bare tub in afternoon sun behaves like a much bigger one.
If a bundle sits outside these bands, it can still work, but it will need the lid on and shade to do it. That is worth knowing before you buy rather than after.
Holding cold versus getting cold
These are different jobs needing different amounts of machine.
Holding a covered tub at temperature is easy. Almost any correctly sized unit does it, because it is only replacing slow heat leak.
Pulling a warm fill down to the low 50s is hard, and it is where horsepower shows. If you run the chiller continuously you almost never do the hard job, so you can buy small. If you fill on demand and want to plunge the same day, you need more machine.
Decide which you are before you look at prices, because it changes the answer completely.
What bundles do not solve
Power. No bundle brings its own socket. You need a proper outdoor rated supply near the tub, and an indoor extension lead across wet ground to a compressor is not an acceptable substitute.
Water care. Unless the unit has ozone or UV, you are dosing a sanitiser and keeping a schedule regardless of how complete the box was.
Permanence. A soft sided tub with a chiller attached is an awkward hybrid. It does not pack away and it does not have a hard shell’s lifespan. For a genuinely permanent installation, a rigid tub plus a separate chiller is the better shape.
Our final recommendation
For a standard home setup, the 121 gallon bundle is the most complete box and the least thinking required. Accept that it cools overnight rather than on demand.
If price is the binding constraint, the 1/3 HP kit gets you off bagged ice for the least money, and the lid becomes part of the cooling system rather than an accessory.
Go to the 248 gallon 1 HP setup only if two of you will use it or you are well over six feet, and check the circuit first.
The cedar tub is the one to buy if you care what it looks like in your garden. It performs no better than a plastic tub with the same chiller, and it needs sealing. Both of those are fine if you know them going in.
How we researched this page
We compared 9 tub and chiller bundles on the ratio of chiller capacity to tub volume, whether a pump and filter are included, the electrical load, and what water treatment the system performs by itself.
What we worked from
- Manufacturer spec sheets
- Brand manuals and setup docs
- Verified owner reports
- Retailer listing data
- Price history
- Warranty terms
9 units were compared before these 4 made the page.
What we handled ourselves
None of the products on this page. Nobody can buy every tub on the market and we are not going to pretend otherwise.
What we could not confirm, product by product
- 121 Gallon Pro Cold Plunge Tub with 1050W Chiller
- We could not verify the chiller's actual pull down rate or its noise under load. The 850W figure comes from the model number and listing, and we found no owner report giving a timed temperature drop.
- AS ColdPlunge Tub and 1/3 HP Chiller Kit
- The listing publishes shipping carton dimensions rather than tub dimensions, so we removed them. We could not confirm real world hold temperature on a 148 gallon fill.
- 248 Gallon Cold Plunge Tub with 1 HP Chiller
- We have no timed pull down measurement and could not confirm the compressor manufacturer. Owner reports are still thin for this model, so our reliability read is weaker than for the smaller bundles here.
- Red Cedar Two Person Cold Plunge Tub with 1 HP Chiller
- Very few owner reports exist for this model, so we cannot say how the cedar holds up over multiple seasons or how the chiller performs long term. The dimensions in the listing were the shipping carton and we removed them.
Questions people ask before they buy
Is a bundle cheaper than buying separately?
Usually slightly more expensive for equivalent parts, and usually worth it anyway. What you pay for is that the pump flow rate matches the chiller and the fittings suit the tub, which is exactly where people building from separates go wrong.
How do I tell if the chiller is big enough?
Compare its gallon rating to the tub's volume. If the chiller is rated for 79 gallons and the tub holds 148, it is under-matched and will only hold temperature with the lid on and out of direct sun.
How long does a bundle take to cool the water?
It depends entirely on horsepower against volume. An 850W unit on 121 gallons realistically needs overnight from a warm fill. A 1 HP unit on similar volume can do it in a few hours. Holding cold water cold is far easier than getting it there.
Do I need an electrician?
For a 1/3 HP unit, no. It runs from an ordinary outdoor socket. For 1 HP and above, check what else is on the circuit, because the startup surge is well above the running load and that is what trips breakers.
Does the chiller keep the water clean?
Most only filter debris. Unless the unit has ozone or UV, water treatment is still your job, which means a sanitiser and a schedule. Budget for that alongside the bundle.
Can I run the chiller all the time?
Yes, and on a covered insulated tub that is the cheapest way to use it. A correctly sized chiller cycles rather than running flat out, so holding temperature costs much less than repeatedly cooling from warm.
Why you can trust this page
- Who wrote it
- Jed Callahan, Editor, Cold Plunge Daddy
- When
- Published July 25, 2026, updated July 25, 2026
- How we picked
- We compared 9 tub and chiller bundles on the ratio of chiller capacity to tub volume, whether a pump and filter are included, the electrical load, and what water treatment the system performs by itself.
- What we looked at
- 4 products made this page after the cut.
- How we make money
- Amazon pays us a small commission when you buy through our links. Nobody pays us for a good review and no brand sees a page before it goes live.
- What we do not do
- We do not run these tubs ourselves, so we never claim we did. Every pick here comes from spec sheets, manuals, warranty terms and owner reports, and each review says what we could not check.
Written by
Jed Callahan
Editor, Cold Plunge Daddy
I have spent more nights than I want to admit doing math on ice bath listings to find out whether the gallon number is a lie. It usually is. I have been in some of this gear and not all of it, and I always tell you which. I am not a doctor, and I am not going to pretend cold water fixed my life.
- Catching bad spec sheets
- Chiller sizing and power draw
- Warranty and return terms
- What a tub costs to run