About Coldsoaklab
I Got Tired of Watching Good People Buy Bad Equipment
During Hell Week, I learned that cold water doesn't care about your mindset. The Pacific Ocean at 0500 will find every seam in your wetsuit, every weakness in your gear. If your equipment fails, you fail. That lesson stuck with me through twelve years as a Navy SEAL and followed me home when I started coaching recovery for tactical athletes and civilians alike.
Here's the problem I kept seeing: someone would drop three grand on a cold plunge setup because an influencer promised it would fix their inflammation. Three months later, the chiller died, the insulation molded, or they realized "portable" meant "sags and spills on your deck." They'd text me asking what actually works, and I'd realize most review sites were just reposting Amazon descriptions. No one was testing these things in real garages, in actual winter, with the kind of daily use that reveals whether a pump can survive six months.
That's why I built Coldsoaklab. Not to sell you the dream, but to tell you which tubs hold 39°F when it's 95° outside, which sauna blankets won't electrocute you if you sweat on the controller, and which recovery tools are worth the counter space.
About Marcus Reed
I spent over a decade in Naval Special Warfare, where recovery wasn't optional—it was survival. Between ocean operations in 50-degree water and desert heat, I became obsessed with thermoregulation and the equipment that makes it possible. I learned that contrast therapy isn't magic; it's physics and physiology applied consistently. And I learned that gear either works when you're broken and it's 0400, or it doesn't.
After transitioning to civilian work, I spent five years as a recovery coach for CrossFit competitors, ultrarunners, and wounded veterans. I've personally tested everything from $100 stock tanks to $8,000 commercial chillers. I've watched welds rust through in six weeks, chillers quit because the Chinese power supply couldn't handle a voltage spike, and "military-grade" claims that wouldn't survive a Tuesday at BUD/S.
I don't review from a spec sheet. I've sat in these tubs at 3 AM when my ankles felt like crushed glass, trying to bring down inflammation before a ruck. I've troubleshooted chiller pumps at midnight with a flashlight in my teeth. I know which ABS plastics crack after three freeze cycles and which companies actually answer the phone when your heater element burns out. When I recommend something, it's because I've abused it first.
What We Cover
This site is for people who take recovery seriously. If you're looking for unboxing videos with affiliate links to junk gear, go to YouTube. If you want to know what lasts, here's what we test:
- Cold plunge systems: Portable ice baths, permanent tubs, stock tank conversions, and commercial chiller units. We focus on temperature stability, filtration, and build quality under load.
- Contrast therapy setups: Infrared saunas, sauna blankets, and hybrid systems. I test heat distribution, EMF levels, and whether the "portable" models can actually handle daily contrast cycles.
- Recovery tooling: Compression boots, massage guns, and mobility tools—but only the ones built to contractor standards, not Amazon white-label garbage.
- Protocols and safety: Timing, temperature parameters, contraindications, and how to structure cold/heat exposure for specific outcomes—stress resilience, HRV improvement, or injury recovery.
Our readers are fighters, operators, runners, and biohackers who value function over Instagram aesthetics. If you need gear that works when you're already hurting, you're in the right place.
How We Test & Review
Every product on this site gets a minimum 30-day test cycle in real conditions. I don't unbox, photograph, and return. I use it, abuse it, and document where it fails.
Here's my criteria:
- Thermal Performance: Does it actually hold temp within 2 degrees in a 90-degree garage? Does the chiller cycle properly or short-circuit the compressor?
- Durability: I check weld quality on stainless tubs, wall thickness on inflatables, and perform drop tests on portable units. If it can't survive being dragged across concrete once, I note it.
- Maintenance Reality: How hard is it to change the filter? Does the drain work or do you end up shop-vacing dirty water? Is the cleaning protocol realistic?
- Support Stress Test: I call customer service with a fake problem before reviewing. If I can't reach a human in 24 hours, that's a data point.
About affiliate links: Some links on this site earn me a commission. That relationship never influences the score. I've returned products that paid high commissions because they were junk, and I've recommended $150 stock tanks over $4,000 systems when the cheap option was better. My only loyalty is to what actually works. If I wouldn't use it in my own garage gym, I won't recommend it to you.
Get In Touch
Questions about a specific setup? Want to know if your garage electrical can handle a chiller? Or just want to argue about optimal plunge temperature? Hit me at info@coldsoaklab.com. I read every email, though it might take a few days depending on whether I'm currently submerged in ice or chasing my kids.
Questions? Reach us at info@coldsoaklab.com