The DIY chiller I use is a 1/3HP chiller and is really the bare minimum size for any cold plunge. Usually good for about 80 gallons or less. Most of the options from Warrior Willpower are 1/2HP or more. I would say that if you can afford a 1/2HP chiller, go for it. Cools much faster in the summers. All that said, check out my other videos because I use a DIY water chiller specifically for the IB300 and works really well only because it's insulated so well.
@@ben_chill Thank you. Ice Barrel 300 arriving soon (after reviewing many, BestBuy had a great sale price) so would like to have a chiller on it's way as well (diy parts or all inclusive). Happy New Year : )
Thanks for the review! You pretty much answered my questions a lot of these Inflatable plunges LOOK exactly the same and even have the inlet/outlet and empty drainage in the same location. I was looking into getting the “therapod” from Sam’s club but looking for reviews there is really none. But looks like other companies out there.
You can either undo the bottom stopper and let it drain out where it is or I actually have a submersible pump with a 20' hose attached that I throw in to let it drain in the grass.
Just got the 1hp chiller with the xl bath think the total came out to about $2650 after the $200 off. Super excited to get back into the cold baths. I used to do them when I lived up north but here in Florida it's just impossible to do it with ice cubes.
So the filter that comes with the chiller in the video is metal and reusable. The ones for the WIFI chiller are the standard 5 or 10” filters you can get anywhere.
For the most part no. If the outside temp is super hot, like in the 90s, and the water was in the 40s, then yes some condensation would develop. That aside, I’ve had it outside in the sun most of the summer and it has held up great.
@@ben_chill It has worked great so far. Me my wife and daughter use it every day. I have noticed thought that even though I set the temperature to 55 once it achieves the temperature it will gradually (over a day or so) go up to about 62. Now sometimes it will kick on and cool back down or I will need to reset the temperature to something other than 55 which will cause it to kick on. Did you experience anything similar?
@@kipsterchi7418 generally, those chillers have a built-in thermometer which will kick on when the temp goes up by anywhere from 3-5 degrees above your set temp. Now keep in mind that the water temp in the tub is usually colder than the water in the chiller itself and that might explain what's happening in your situation.
Question on the inflatable tubs. Do they have a lot of condensation? Mine will be located in my basement in LVP flooring that's ok to get water on. Trying to decide on inflatable vs cooler like desert plunge. Don't want to break bank but I'm tired of using ice in my plungebox. Looking at warrior willpower and plunge air for inflatable. Any advice? Thanks
Great question. I think the biggest determinate of condensation is the ambient temp. When it's a lot higher than the water, then it will sweat. That said, I'm not really sure how far apart those temps have to be because most days, I don't have condensation and then others I will. If you go with an inflatable, I'd just make sure you have it on a rubber mat. And I wouldn't go with the Plunge Air. They have their own proprietary hose connections, making it impossible to use without buy their own hoses. The hoses aren't that expensive, but should anything happen to them (break/leak/etc) you would have to buy another set from them. That's just my opinion. I did a review on the Pop-Up they have and that was my biggest peeve.
How long does it take to go from cold water to warm water or vice versa? Do you have to drain water when switching from cold or hot? I’m looking at the 1hp version w the hot cold Thanks
Great question. The 1/2HP can take a while to go back and forth. Heating seems to be faster than cooling. With the 1HP, I could see that time cut down significantly. This is just my opinion, but I don't know if I would constantly alternate between the two. That's a lot of wear and tear on the chiller. But no, you do not have to change the water.
Do you need to use any sort of water stabilizer with this? I didn’t see it in the accessories on the warrior website. Would you recommend getting the pod water maintenance pack to go with the warrior bath?
The sanitizer from Ice Pod is really the only thing worth buying as far as their maintenance pack. It works really well. The cleanser and scrub pads aren't anything special. Check out my video "How to keep you cold plunge clean" video. I use a couple of products from Sirona that are very good as well.
Is it safe to keep in my basement and run all the time? Also this more simple unit they offer, does it need ozone to keep water clean for weeks, or does this do the job?
Have you seen any bowing of the tub? Given it can be inflated to 8 psi as opposed to 10 psi with some of the other brands, I'm wondering if it's as sturdy.
When you say bowing, are you asking if it collapses when you apple downward pressure on the walls? If so, then no. It's hard as a rock when inflated. And just to add, since filming the video, I haven't had to reinflate it. It sits out in the direct sun most of the day and has held up great!
@@ben_chill I meant that the sides tend to "bend" outwards due to the pressure of water when the tub is filled up. I had that issue with the Plunge Air, and I've heard similar issues with other inflatable tubs. I had the issue within a week of getting the Plunge Air.
@@amandeepkhuranalife ok, gotcha! When it's filled all the way, there might be a slight outward bow to the walls, but it's very slight. It doesn't protrude beyond the lid and it easily buckles without having to loosen the belts. How bad was it on the Plunge Air?
@@amandeepkhuranalife oh, that's terrible considering how much they charge. I do not have that issue with this particular tub. Again, I'm surprised with how much sun this tub gets, it doesn't do that as well.
Tough call! Now would you be getting the 1/2HP chiller from Ice Pod too? If so, that's more apples to apples and I think it would come down to whether you like to be upright or lying down when you plunge.
@@ben_chill all of them. I bought my own plumbers tape as well. The main leaking one is the water out fitting on the tub. It says they are supposed to be copper but mine are plastic
Not technically "insulation", but the 4" air-filled wall does seem to maintain temps better. The Ice Pods don't have any insulation where the poles go in and that forms too many gaps of no insulation.
@@ben_chill Thanks, I have always wondered how these pabbleboard material type plunges hold temps. My 1/2 hp active aqua chiller works overtime in the summer to keep temp down on the Ice pod. i would assume this would do better? Thanks!
Couldn’t really tell ya, because like you said, they’re really non-existent. It’s not cheap but I’ve had the Ice Barrel 300 for a year and it holds the temp better than anything I’ve ever tried. To me, that makes it worth the upfront cost.
@@ben_chill just watched! Good in for for sure. I might try and get a used ice barrel. There’s a lot for sale near me. Mostly the 400. Thoughts on that to start?
Hi Ben, thank you for all your videos. 2 ?s 1) how does Warrior compare vs your DIY chillers? 2) Warrior Chiller works easily with Ice Barrel 300?
The DIY chiller I use is a 1/3HP chiller and is really the bare minimum size for any cold plunge. Usually good for about 80 gallons or less. Most of the options from Warrior Willpower are 1/2HP or more. I would say that if you can afford a 1/2HP chiller, go for it. Cools much faster in the summers.
All that said, check out my other videos because I use a DIY water chiller specifically for the IB300 and works really well only because it's insulated so well.
@@ben_chill Thank you. Ice Barrel 300 arriving soon (after reviewing many, BestBuy had a great sale price) so would like to have a chiller on it's way as well (diy parts or all inclusive). Happy New Year : )
Thanks for the review! You pretty much answered my questions a lot of these Inflatable plunges LOOK exactly the same and even have the inlet/outlet and empty drainage in the same location. I was looking into getting the “therapod” from Sam’s club but looking for reviews there is really none. But looks like other companies out there.
Nice review, thanks!
Thank you! Love the positivity.
How do you drain it if you don't have a chiller? with the two stoppers in the in n out puts?
You can either undo the bottom stopper and let it drain out where it is or I actually have a submersible pump with a 20' hose attached that I throw in to let it drain in the grass.
Just got the 1hp chiller with the xl bath think the total came out to about $2650 after the $200 off. Super excited to get back into the cold baths. I used to do them when I lived up north but here in Florida it's just impossible to do it with ice cubes.
Can you buy standard 10 micron filters or do you have to buy their proprietary filters when replacing?
So the filter that comes with the chiller in the video is metal and reusable. The ones for the WIFI chiller are the standard 5 or 10” filters you can get anywhere.
Was there any condensation on the outside of the tub?
For the most part no. If the outside temp is super hot, like in the 90s, and the water was in the 40s, then yes some condensation would develop. That aside, I’ve had it outside in the sun most of the summer and it has held up great.
Used your code and mine arrived today! Thanks!
Kip, awesome! Let me know how you like it.
@@ben_chill It has worked great so far. Me my wife and daughter use it every day. I have noticed thought that even though I set the temperature to 55 once it achieves the temperature it will gradually (over a day or so) go up to about 62. Now sometimes it will kick on and cool back down or I will need to reset the temperature to something other than 55 which will cause it to kick on. Did you experience anything similar?
@@kipsterchi7418 generally, those chillers have a built-in thermometer which will kick on when the temp goes up by anywhere from 3-5 degrees above your set temp. Now keep in mind that the water temp in the tub is usually colder than the water in the chiller itself and that might explain what's happening in your situation.
Question on the inflatable tubs. Do they have a lot of condensation? Mine will be located in my basement in LVP flooring that's ok to get water on. Trying to decide on inflatable vs cooler like desert plunge. Don't want to break bank but I'm tired of using ice in my plungebox. Looking at warrior willpower and plunge air for inflatable. Any advice? Thanks
Great question. I think the biggest determinate of condensation is the ambient temp. When it's a lot higher than the water, then it will sweat. That said, I'm not really sure how far apart those temps have to be because most days, I don't have condensation and then others I will. If you go with an inflatable, I'd just make sure you have it on a rubber mat.
And I wouldn't go with the Plunge Air. They have their own proprietary hose connections, making it impossible to use without buy their own hoses. The hoses aren't that expensive, but should anything happen to them (break/leak/etc) you would have to buy another set from them. That's just my opinion. I did a review on the Pop-Up they have and that was my biggest peeve.
Thanks
How long does it take to go from cold water to warm water or vice versa? Do you have to drain water when switching from cold or hot? I’m looking at the 1hp version w the hot cold
Thanks
Great question. The 1/2HP can take a while to go back and forth. Heating seems to be faster than cooling. With the 1HP, I could see that time cut down significantly. This is just my opinion, but I don't know if I would constantly alternate between the two. That's a lot of wear and tear on the chiller.
But no, you do not have to change the water.
Do you need to use any sort of water stabilizer with this? I didn’t see it in the accessories on the warrior website. Would you recommend getting the pod water maintenance pack to go with the warrior bath?
The sanitizer from Ice Pod is really the only thing worth buying as far as their maintenance pack. It works really well. The cleanser and scrub pads aren't anything special. Check out my video "How to keep you cold plunge clean" video. I use a couple of products from Sirona that are very good as well.
Is it safe to keep in my basement and run all the time? Also this more simple unit they offer, does it need ozone to keep water clean for weeks, or does this do the job?
Have you seen any bowing of the tub? Given it can be inflated to 8 psi as opposed to 10 psi with some of the other brands, I'm wondering if it's as sturdy.
When you say bowing, are you asking if it collapses when you apple downward pressure on the walls? If so, then no. It's hard as a rock when inflated. And just to add, since filming the video, I haven't had to reinflate it. It sits out in the direct sun most of the day and has held up great!
@@ben_chill I meant that the sides tend to "bend" outwards due to the pressure of water when the tub is filled up. I had that issue with the Plunge Air, and I've heard similar issues with other inflatable tubs. I had the issue within a week of getting the Plunge Air.
@@amandeepkhuranalife ok, gotcha! When it's filled all the way, there might be a slight outward bow to the walls, but it's very slight. It doesn't protrude beyond the lid and it easily buckles without having to loosen the belts. How bad was it on the Plunge Air?
@@ben_chill Plunge Air had quite a bit of bowing. Enough to create a gap between the cover and the tub where bugs and dirt got in when not in use.
@@amandeepkhuranalife oh, that's terrible considering how much they charge. I do not have that issue with this particular tub. Again, I'm surprised with how much sun this tub gets, it doesn't do that as well.
Should I buy this one or the ice pod chiller combo?
Tough call! Now would you be getting the 1/2HP chiller from Ice Pod too? If so, that's more apples to apples and I think it would come down to whether you like to be upright or lying down when you plunge.
Any recommendations on getting the fitting to not leak? I’ve tried everything at this point.
Which one? And I'm guessing you've used plumber's tape?
@@ben_chill all of them. I bought my own plumbers tape as well. The main leaking one is the water out fitting on the tub. It says they are supposed to be copper but mine are plastic
@@ben_chill the water in and water out inlets. Are yours copper or plastic?
@@patricklarson8418 all the connections are plastic on mine.
@@patricklarson8418 And you have the rubber grommets inside the connectors?
Really thinking about buying one. Hows its holding up for you so far?
Holding up great! If you haven't watched, I just posted a video about it yesterday. ua-cam.com/video/af9Jl-HtGTo/v-deo.html
@@ben_chill just watched it. Really appreciate the update. I think I’m gonna go with the 1hp wifi chiller so I can set the timer on it.
@@patricklarson8418 Ive had the 1/2hp WiFi chiller for about 8 months with no issues so far. I think you’ll like the 1hp model
Nice review 😁👍
I appreciate you watching!
How would you rate the insulation on this plunge vs. the ice pod pro?
Not technically "insulation", but the 4" air-filled wall does seem to maintain temps better. The Ice Pods don't have any insulation where the poles go in and that forms too many gaps of no insulation.
@@ben_chill Thanks, I have always wondered how these pabbleboard material type plunges hold temps. My 1/2 hp active aqua chiller works overtime in the summer to keep temp down on the Ice pod. i would assume this would do better? Thanks!
What’s the best hard shell pod for fairly cheap? I can only find ones for $600+ just for the pod
Couldn’t really tell ya, because like you said, they’re really non-existent. It’s not cheap but I’ve had the Ice Barrel 300 for a year and it holds the temp better than anything I’ve ever tried. To me, that makes it worth the upfront cost.
@@ben_chill right now I’m trying to decide which one to get. Not easy to pick!
@@ben_chill what chiller would you recommend with the ice barrel? The chiller on their website is very pricey. Can I just use a diy chiller?
@HungryYett yeah, check out my DIY video. Has over 100k views. You can put it together for about $500 or less.
@@ben_chill just watched! Good in for for sure. I might try and get a used ice barrel. There’s a lot for sale near me. Mostly the 400. Thoughts on that to start?
So, how cold did it get??
After a couple hours, it was at 42 degrees F and would have kept going.
I BOUGHT one based on this review.. hopefully it was worth it
Awesome, I really hope you love it! I've abondoned my Ice Barrel 300 for the time being. It's definitely a lot roomier inside.
@@ben_chill thanks again I will keep u posted
@varg1952 Have you been able to use it yet?
I finally got all the parts I’ll
Be honest I haven’t set it up it took about 3 weeks to get all the pieces I’m going to set it up
Today
@@varg1952 Any update after using it for a while?
Hay posibilidad traducción en Español?gracias
Expensive? My inflatable hot tub San Francisco hydrojet pro is 5 times more expensive then a cold plundge
used ur code thanks for the 200 off