A craze of cold plunging means that ice baths are the latest wellness status symbol. From tasteful tubs to smart baths you can control via an app on your smartphone, we round up the most luxurious ice baths to buy now.
Like so many wellness trends, the fad for ice baths can be traced back to lockdown. Wim Hof, the Dutch motivational speaker and extreme athlete known as “The Iceman”, became a household name thanks to his unconventional methods of cold exposure (such as barefoot half marathons on snow and swimming under ice) and his claim that benefits included improved mood, reduced inflammation and better muscle recovery. In the doom and gloom of 2020, many sought the bracing boost, an enthusiasm that continues today.
What is cold water therapy?
“While it might sound like a modern wellness trend, it’s actually rooted in something very old,” says Danyl Bosomworth, the founder of luxury ice bath brand Brass Monkey. “Ancient Greek and Roman bathhouses were using hot and cold immersion over 2,000 years ago.”
Cold water therapy is simply immersing the body in cold water — usually between 0C and 16C, Bosomworth says, in a bid to trigger our natural systems of repair, resilience and recovery. “Exposing the body to temperatures less than 15C triggers a physiological stress response,” adds Laura Fullerton, the founder of the smart ice bath Monk. “When done intentionally and safely, this acute stressor can help train the nervous system to respond more resiliently to everyday stress.” Research in 2023 indicated that cold-water bathing enhanced feelings of activity, alertness, attentiveness, pride and inspiration in participants, while reducing distress and nervousness. These findings suggest that brief, full-body cold-water immersion may positively impact brain function, leading to improved mood. Similarly, a 2020 study concluded that cold exposure benefits the cardiovascular and endocrine systems and can improve mood disorders and general well-being. However, the full extent of the effects of cold-water immersion remains a subject of considerable debate. While many individuals believe in the benefits of icy plunges, scientific evidence is still needed to determine whether these effects are genuinely physiological or merely a placebo.
