Most cold plunges do one thing: chill water. A growing number also heat it, so the same tub can be a cold plunge in the morning and a warm soak at night. Meanwhile, some of the most expensive tubs deliberately stay cold-only.
This article helps you decide which kind you need. For the rest of the cold plunge decisions, start with the cold plunge buying guide.
Short answer: buy hot-and-cold if you want both but not back to back, and you only need one person at a time. Buy cold-only if cold plunging is the point and you want every dollar in the chiller.
Current models compared
| Tub | Mode | Range (per listing) | Price (per listing) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nordic Wave Viking Premier | Hot and cold | 35–104°F | $6,990 |
| Nordic Wave Viking XL | Hot and cold | 35–104°F | $8,990 |
| Renu Vero | Hot and cold | 37–100°F | $7,200 |
| Renu Cold Stoic 3.0 | Hot and cold | 37–104°F | $11,399 |
| The Plunge Original | Cold | to 37°F | $8,490 |
| Renu Cold Stoic 2.0 | Cold | to 39°F | $9,499 |
| Renu Siberian Pro | Cold only | 37°F, 0.8 HP chiller | $14,099 |
Prices from the manufacturers’ listings, checked September to October 2026.
What you get with hot and cold
You get two uses from one tub and one footprint. On a patio or in a garage, that can be the difference between owning both experiences or neither.
You give up switching on demand. Here’s what the spec sheet won’t tell you: going from 104°F down to the high 30s takes hours, so you can’t do a hot soak and a cold plunge back to back in one tub. You also usually get a 1-person tub, not a social hot tub.
Why some flagships stay cold-only
You get a system built around cooling: the Siberian Pro pairs a 0.8 HP chiller with 3 inches of insulation and no heating mode. You give up the warm-soak option, at the highest price in this table.
How to decide
- Do you want hot and cold back to back? Then you need two systems, or a sauna plus a cold plunge.
- Is the hot mode for one person? A hot-and-cold tub works.
- Do you want a social soak for several people? Look at a real hot tub; the hot tub buying guide covers those.
My rule of thumb: if you’d use the warm setting at least weekly, the hot-and-cold premium is worth it. If not, put the money into the chiller.
For four chiller tubs compared on warranty and price, see our cold plunge comparison.
Bottom line: one tub can do both, just not at the same time. Decide whether you need hot and cold in the same hour.
Sources
- Temperature ranges, chillers, and prices: Nordic Wave, Renu Therapy, and The Plunge listings, checked September 2026