Brass Monkey vs Chill Tubs vs Lumi vs Monk: the four UK cold plunge brands compared (2026)

Ask an AI assistant or a search engine for the best cold plunge in the UK and these four names come back more than any others: in our September 2026 AI-visibility data Lumi is named in a third of all UK answers, Chill Tubs in a sixth, Brass Monkey and Monk less often but in the premium answers. This page puts every model the four brands sell side by side, at the UK prices on their own storefronts in September 2026, so you can see what each one actually is before a brand page tells you what it wants to be.

Written by Aodhan, who has owned six cold plunges in three years, including a Lumi and a Chill Tubs. Prices and specifications are from the Plungepedia catalogue, read from each brand's own UK page and last checked on 9 September 2026. The Amazon UK links are affiliate links; the brand-site links to Lumi, Monk and Chill Tubs may also earn a commission. Neither changes what you pay.

The four brands by the numbers

Between them the four sell 27 of the 85 products in our catalogue: Chill Tubs 9, Lumi 8, Monk 7, Brass Monkey 3. Lumi publishes dimensions on all 8 and a warranty on all 8; Monk publishes a warranty on 6 of 7 and dimensions on 5; Chill Tubs publishes a warranty on only its three all-in-ones (the inflatables, Mini Chiller and Halo state none) and dimensions on 5 of 9; Brass Monkey publishes a 24-month warranty on all 3 and dimensions on 2. Only Lumi states a minimum temperature below 3C (2C, on the Mini Chiller 2); Brass Monkey is the only one to state 0C. If you want to know what you are buying from the product page alone, Lumi is the most transparent and Chill Tubs the least, which is the opposite of their price order.

The four brands in one table

All prices are the brand's own UK storefront price in September 2026 and are dated on each product page. Bundle prices are what you pay for tub plus chiller together.

Lumi Therapy: the cheapest way in, and the one everyone recommends

Lumi is the brand AI assistants and Google both put first for UK searches, and the reason is price. The Pod Max Ultra at £89 (also on Amazon UK) is a five-layer inflatable with 12.5 mm of insulation and 420 litres; the Pod Pro (£299, 450 L, also on Amazon UK) and Pro 8 (£399, 520 L) are hard-wall pods with a 50 mm and 80 mm air gap that hold temperature far better and take a chiller properly. The Mini Chiller 2 (£699, also on Amazon UK) is a 445 W unit with a 2C minimum, app control and ozone three-stage filtration, and the bundles come in at £758, £873 and £948.

What the numbers say: 445 W is enough for a covered 450 L pod in a garage or shade; in direct summer sun on a patio it will run long hours. The 2C minimum is the lowest of the four brands' separate chillers. The warranty is the shortest here, 12 months on the hard-wall pods and chiller and 6 months on the Pod Max Ultra.

What owners say: recent Amazon UK reviews of Lumi's pods are dominated by leaks, seam and valve failures and pump problems, alongside four and five star reviews praising the quality and setup. Amazon UK rates Lumi's Recovery Pod Max listing 4.0 from 82 reviews. That contradiction is exactly why our first hands-on test is a Lumi Pod Pro with Mini Chiller 2; the verdict goes on its product page when it lands.

Who should buy it: anyone whose budget for the whole setup is under £1,000, and anyone who wants to try plunging for £89 before committing. See the Lumi brand page for every model.

Monk: design-led, with the chiller you keep

Monk sells three things that matter: the Nomad (£595), a 500 L drop-stitch inflatable with hardened insulated walls; the Shiver (£795), an 880 W chiller with a 3C minimum, filter and app control; and the Cocoon (£1,995), a rigid insulated shell that fits someone up to 203 cm, with ozone plus two-stage filtration and a 24-month warranty. Bundles: Nomad plus Shiver £1,295, Cocoon plus Shiver £2,690, Cocoon plus Shiver Pro (1,450 W, heats to 40C) £4,290. The Origin, the £6,495 all-in-one, has sold out and Monk has not announced its replacement.

What the numbers say: the Shiver is twice the cooling power of Lumi's Mini Chiller 2 for £96 more, which matters if the tub lives outside. Because the chiller is separate, a buyer can start with Nomad plus Shiver and move the Shiver to a Cocoon later, which is the cleanest upgrade path of the four brands. Monk is the only one of the four to offer heating in a separate chiller (Shiver Pro).

Who should buy it: someone who wants a tub that looks permanent in a garden or gym corner, app control, and a chiller they will keep through an upgrade. See the Monk brand page.

Chill Tubs: one box, one plug, heating included

Chill Tubs is the UK's reference all-in-one maker. The Lite (£3,499) is a 400 L rotomoulded polyethylene tub at 85 kg; the Original (£4,499, also on Amazon UK) is the same 400 L in 316 stainless and aluminium at 125 kg; the Pro (£5,999, also on Amazon UK) is 700 L in acrylic with app control at 220 kg. All three chill to 3C, heat to 40C, run ozone filtration, plug into a 13A socket and carry a 24-month warranty. There are also two inflatables (Essential Pod £499, Essential Bath £529, no chiller), a Mini Chiller (£1,020, 3C, 48 dB, R32 refrigerant) and the Halo, a circular fibreglass shell at £11,999 or £14,999 with chiller.

What the numbers say: the Lite is the cheapest complete all-in-one from a UK maker, and heating is included, which none of Lumi's or Monk's standard bundles have. The cost is upgradeability: the chiller is inside the tub, so a failure out of warranty is a repair, not a swap. Dimensions are 1,790 x 750 x 755 mm (Lite) and 1,800 x 750 x 730 mm (Original): measure the door.

Who should buy it: someone who wants cold and hot from one unit with no assembly and a two-year warranty, and has £3,500 to £6,000. See the Chill Tubs brand page.

Brass Monkey: the benchmark, at four times the price

Brass Monkey makes the Ice Bath (£11,245), the Pro Plunge (£20,394) and the Signature (£21,000). All are cedar-clad with a stainless steel insert (grade 316 on the Pro Plunge), all have built-in chilling with always-on particle and UV filtration and app control, and the Ice Bath and Signature chill to 0C, which no other brand here reaches. The Ice Bath is 1,730 x 940 x 940 mm and made to order in eight finishes and three sizes; warranty is 24 months.

What the numbers say: a 0C minimum, UV rather than ozone, and always-on filtration are what you are paying for; the rest is finish. There is no heating. Brass Monkey has no affiliate programme, so nothing on this site earns from a Brass Monkey sale.

Who should buy it: gyms, clinics, hotels, and the private buyer who wants the unit the others are measured against and will not resell it. See the Brass Monkey brand page.

Head to head by budget

Under £1,000: Lumi, and it is not close. Pod Pro plus Mini Chiller 2 at £873 is a complete, filtered, app-controlled setup with a 2C floor. Monk's Nomad on its own is £595 with no chiller.

£1,000 to £1,500: Monk Nomad plus Shiver (£1,295) against Lumi Pro 8 plus Mini Chiller 2 (£948). Monk gives you twice the cooling power and a 24-month warranty on the chiller; Lumi gives you 80 mm walls and £347 change. Outdoors in the sun, Monk; in a garage, Lumi.

£2,500 to £3,500: Monk Cocoon plus Shiver (£2,690) against Chill Tubs Lite (£3,499). The Cocoon keeps the chiller separate and swappable; the Lite adds heating to 40C and a single 13A plug with nothing to assemble. Heating decides it: if you want contrast therapy, Chill Tubs.

£4,500 to £6,000: Chill Tubs Original (£4,499) or Pro (£5,999) against Monk Cocoon plus Shiver Pro (£4,290). All three heat and cool. The Original is 316 stainless in a 400 L tub; the Pro is 700 L with app control; the Monk keeps the two-box layout and the upgrade path.

£11,000 and up: Brass Monkey Ice Bath (£11,245) against Chill Tubs Halo with chiller (£14,999). The Ice Bath chills to 0C with UV filtration; the Halo is a circular fibreglass shell with a 3C minimum. Brass Monkey.

What none of the four tell you on the product page

None of the four publishes noise figures except Chill Tubs (48 dB on the Mini Chiller). None states where the chiller is manufactured. Lumi and Monk do not publish kW or HP on every listing (we have converted their stated watts). Only Chill Tubs and Brass Monkey publish tub dimensions on every model. Delivery lead times are "contact us" on all four. Our methodology explains which figures we could verify and which are still "not stated" on each product page.

Safety

Cold water immersion is a cardiovascular stress. If you have a heart condition, high blood pressure or are pregnant, speak to a doctor before using any of these. Never plunge alone or after alcohol; start at 10 to 12C for one to two minutes. The safety guide has the full list.

Which is better, Chill Tubs or Brass Monkey?

They are not competing for the same buyer. Chill Tubs sells complete all-in-ones from £3,499 with heating and a 24-month warranty for homes; Brass Monkey starts at £11,245, chills to 0C with always-on UV filtration, and is built for gyms and clinics. If you have the budget and the space, Brass Monkey is the more capable machine; for a home, a Chill Tubs Original does 90% of the job for 40% of the money.

Is Lumi or Monk better for a first cold plunge?

Lumi if the budget is under £900 (Pod Pro with Mini Chiller 2, £873, 450 L, 2C minimum). Monk if you want the stronger 880 W Shiver chiller and a drop-stitch tub (Nomad with Shiver, £1,295, 500 L) and plan to keep the chiller when you upgrade to the Cocoon later.

Which brand has the best warranty?

Brass Monkey, Chill Tubs and Monk (Cocoon, Shiver) publish 24 months. Lumi gives 12 months on hard-wall pods and the Mini Chiller 2, and 6 months on the inflatable Pod Max Ultra.

Are these brands British?

Brass Monkey (Wetherby), Chill Tubs (Chesterfield), Lumi (Torquay) and Monk (London) are all UK companies. Where the tubs and chillers are manufactured is not stated on their product pages; our hands-on tests will look at chiller badges and manuals to check.