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Chilled plunge tub

Polar Monkeys Brainpod 2.0 Cold Plunge

Black, Standard size (67 in), 1.0 HP ChillX chiller

$10,990US price, checked Oct 13, 2026

Lay-back acrylic tub that chills and heats from 32 to 107°F, with white-glove delivery

Check price at Polar Monkeys Full review →

Our upright pick

Nordic Wave Viking Premier Cold Plunge

Arctic White with the Gen 2 Pro chiller (0.8 HP, heater included)

$5,990US price, checked Oct 13, 2026

Upright plug-in plunge that chills to 35°F on a 36 × 30 in footprint

Check price at Nordic Wave Full review →

Criterion	Polar Monkeys Brainpod 2.0 Cold Plunge	Nordic Wave Viking Premier Cold Plunge
US price	$10,990Checked Oct 13, 2026 · Price details in the review	$5,990Checked Oct 13, 2026 · Price details in the review
Three-year ownership estimate	$10,990 Incomplete known subtotal. Not included: installation, annual consumables, other annual costs, energy use.	$6,169.97 Incomplete known subtotal. Not included: energy use.
Choose if	You want cold plunges and warm soaks in one lay-back tub, carried into the room for you, and you have a spare dedicated 15 A circuit.	You have a small indoor or outdoor spot near a standard outlet, and you want cold plunges and warm soaks without an electrician.
Main trade-off	At $10,990 you get 2 years of coverage unless you pay $1,299 or more for Chill+, and once you fill it or plug it in, you can't return it.	The chiller is covered for only a year, and power costs are unknown because Nordic Wave publishes no power draw.
Key specifications	Temperature range: 32°F to 107°F from one chiller that cools and heats. Polar Monkeys says it holds the set point within 0.5 degrees Chiller: 1.0 HP ChillX, 76 lb. The user guide says water typically cools 2 to 6°F per hour. Heating rate isn't stated Electrical: Dedicated 120 V, 15 A circuit with GFCI protection. The user guide rates the 1.0 HP ChillX chiller at 11.5 A and 1,120 W Size: Tub 67 × 31.5 × 23.5 in, with a total footprint 80 in long. Polar Monkeys says it suits most people up to 6'2" Water capacity and weight: 85 gallons in the spec list but 80 in the store description. 110 lb empty, 819 lb filled Sanitation and filters: Ozone plus a filter cartridge replaced every 3 to 4 weeks. Third-party filters void the warranty Controls: iOS and Android app over 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, with scheduling and a session timer	Temperature range: 35–104°F with the included heater. Hot mode is switched on in the Nordic Flow app Chiller: Gen 2 Pro, rated 0.8 HP, with an auto-priming pump. The 1.0 HP Elite is suggested for warm climates. No cooling rate is published Electrical: Standard 120 V household outlet. Amperage, wattage and GFCI needs not stated Size and capacity: 36 W × 30 D × 44 H in outside and about 95 gallons. Listed at 60 lb without water and about 904 lb with water Water care: Multi-stage filtration with UV on the product page, and ozone in the store description. 50-micron filters, changed monthly Outdoor use: Rated down to 14°F ambient. Drain it at 14°F or below Controls: Free Wi-Fi control in the Nordic Flow app. A 60-day membership to its mindfulness tools is included, and guided routines are an optional subscription
Exact variant	Black, Standard size (67 in), 1.0 HP ChillX chiller	Arctic White with the Gen 2 Pro chiller (0.8 HP, heater included)
Dimensions	The Standard cold plunge measures 67 in long, 31.5 in wide and 23.5 in high. Polar Monkeys gives a total footprint of 80 in long at the same width and height. The XL is 71 in long, or 84 in for its total footprint. The spec list gives a capacity of 85 gallons (322 L), but the store description says 80 gallons. The tub weighs 110 lb empty and 819 lb filled. Polar Monkeys says the Standard size suits most people up to 6'2" and suggests the XL for taller users. Interior dimensions aren't stated.	Outside, it measures 36 W × 30 D × 44 H in. Inside, the spec table lists 32 W × 26 D × 39 H in, but an FAQ on the same page gives 37 in for the height. The floor is 24 × 19 in, and it holds about 95 gallons. The spec table lists it at 60 lb without water and about 904 lb with water. Those figures don't add up, since 95 gallons of water weighs about 790 lb. That leaves about 110 lb of dry weight, not 60. Nordic Wave's online store gives 235 lb for the Pro version and 245 lb for the Elite, without saying what that weight covers. An FAQ on the page says the Classic Viking is 30 in wide and fits through most residential doors. That 30 in matches the tub's depth, not its 36 in width.
Installation	The user guide calls for a dedicated 120 V, 15 A circuit with GFCI protection. You must use the GFCI extension that comes with it and no other extension cord. The product page's spec list says 110 V, though its FAQ says 120 V. Polar Monkeys calls it plug-and-play with no plumbing. You fill it with a garden hose to 8 to 9 in below the rim, using the included hose filter. You empty it through a built-in drain valve or side drainage. The chiller weighs 76 lb and needs 12 in of clearance on its left and right. The standard hoses reach 6 ft, and longer runs need custom hoses from Polar Monkeys. The guide asks for a level, solid, water-resistant surface that can hold the filled tub, ideally in shade. It gives no floor-load figure. Below 33.8°F ambient you switch to heating mode. Below 25°F you drain the tub and bring the chiller indoors. White-glove delivery in the continental US is included: the crew places the tub in the room you choose, unboxes it and removes the packaging. Installation isn't included. The product page says it ships the next business day.	Nordic Wave says the chiller runs from a standard 120 V household wall outlet, with no specialized electrical upgrades. It doesn't give amperage, wattage or a GFCI requirement. The page calls setup plug-and-play, with an auto-priming pump, and puts it at 15 minutes. It doesn't say how to fill the tub. You drain it by connecting a garden hose to the bottom valve. It's rated for indoor and outdoor use down to 14°F ambient. At 14°F or below, the FAQ says to drain it and store it somewhere temperature-controlled. Shipping to the continental US is free by FedEx Freight. White Glove delivery is an optional upgrade at checkout, and the page doesn't give its price. It ships in 1 to 2 weeks.
Materials	The tub is fully insulated acrylic. Polar Monkeys doesn't name the insulation material. Black and White cost the same, and the four printed finishes cost $600 more. Polar Monkeys says custom artwork, logos and colorways are available on request. Included items are an insulated cover, two filters, an ergonomic pillow, a phone holder, a hose filter and a skimmer net. The warranty page says the systems are assembled and serviced in the USA.	Nordic Wave doesn't name the shell material. The walls have 2 in of foam insulation, with an anti-sweat design meant to stop condensation. The floor slopes to a dedicated drain valve. It comes with all-weather steps, a Stay-Cold lid and a 2-month supply of filters. The chiller has a clear filter housing, so you can see the filter.
Warranty	It comes with a 2-year limited warranty covering defects in materials and workmanship, counted from the original purchase date. Coverage is for the original purchaser only, with proof of purchase, and it isn't transferable. The product page says the Brainpod is for residential use only, and the warranty excludes a residential unit used commercially. Other exclusions include misuse, improper installation, freezing conditions, power outages, and poor water chemistry or filter care. Enclosing the chiller in a box or cabinet that restricts airflow is excluded too. Third-party filters void it, and so does any modification, even a cosmetic one. You must claim within 30 days of finding a defect, by email with photos and videos. Standard claims carry no shipping fee in the continental US. In-home repairs are covered only up to a pre-approved amount. Chill+ 3-Year costs $1,299 and Chill+ 5-Year costs $1,899. You can buy either only when you buy the tub. Claims under an extended warranty carry a flat $299 shipping and handling fee for residential units.	The tub is covered for 5 years from purchase and the chiller for 1 year from delivery, against defects in materials and workmanship. The warranty page covers the Viking Cold Plunge System and doesn't name the Premier separately. Coverage is for home use by the original buyer and can't be transferred. You must buy filters from Nordic Wave to keep it. Exclusions include skipped filter changes, poor water care, freezing, voltage fluctuations and misuse. Improper installation or relocation is excluded too, and using a third-party freight forwarder voids it. It must be installed and running within 30 days of delivery, and mold or stagnant water from a delay isn't covered. A chiller repair or replacement costs you a flat $250 for shipping and packaging both ways. Repairs must be done by a Nordic Wave approved technician.
Returns	You can ask for a refund within 30 days of delivery. The refund policy is strict: the tub must be unused, unfilled, never plugged in and never operated. So you can't fill it to try it and then send it back. Polar Monkeys decides whether a return qualifies, and its decision is final. A 25% restocking fee applies, which is $2,747.50 on a $10,990 tub. That fee covers return shipping within the continental US. Canceling an order after it's placed costs 5%. Accessories, supplies and consumables can't be returned, and any modification voids both return eligibility and the warranty. The policy doesn't say how long a refund takes.	You have 15 days from delivery to request a return, and only new units qualify. Every approved return is charged a flat 20% restocking fee on what you actually paid, even if the box was never opened. The fee includes return freight. At the $5,990 sale price, that's $1,198. You can cancel within 48 hours of ordering for a full refund if the order hasn't entered fulfillment. After that, a 5% fee applies until it ships, and a shipped order can't be canceled. Refurbished, open-box, floor-model and clearance units are final sale. A defective or damaged unit carries no restocking fee if you report it within 48 hours of delivery. That's shorter than the 7 days the warranty page gives for shipping damage.
Unresolved questions	Average power use and typical daily run time Heating rate An explicit indoor or outdoor rating (the guide gives ambient limits and suggests shade but doesn't name one) Whether capacity is 85 gallons (spec list) or 80 (store description) Which replacement cartridge (standard or Pro cooling) fits the Brainpod 2.0, and so its price How long the Sirona chemicals last at the guide's dosing Interior dimensions Whether the 110 lb empty weight includes the 76 lb chiller Length of the included GFCI extension Whether the tub or chiller carries an electrical safety listing such as ETL, UL or CSA Whether the app carries a fee How much labor a standard warranty claim covers beyond in-home repairs up to a pre-approved amount Whether Chill+ 3-Year and 5-Year terms count from purchase or add to the base 2 years	Power draw, amperage, and whether a GFCI or dedicated circuit is recommended Cooling and heating rates What the optional guided-routine subscription costs after the 60-day membership Shell material The price of White Glove delivery Whether the $5,990 sale price applies at checkout, since Nordic Wave's online store still shows $6,990, and when the sale ends Whether the tub or chiller carries an ETL, UL or CSA safety listing Whether the interior height is 39 in or 37 in Whether the 60 lb empty weight includes the chiller, and what the store's 235 lb weight covers Whether filters need changing once or twice a month, since the product and filter pages differ Whether ozone is part of the water care, since the product page lists UV and the store description lists ozone

These comparisons use published specifications, not head-to-head tests. Prices and terms are dated. Unknown costs are not zero. Check the exact variant before you buy.