Monk Ice Bath, The Latest Luxury Home Amenity

A ‘cool’ trend that’s fast becoming the latest luxury home amenity

The dawn of a new ice age has emerged with the latest wellness trend. Having gained significant popularity amongst celebrities and athletes in recent years, plunge pools and ice baths have swiftly taken the fitness and wellness industry by storm. Many fitness enthusiasts are embracing icy temperatures and the surge in popularity has seen home installations of ice baths fast become the latest luxury home amenity. An on-trend addition to any home gym or spa. We’ve immersed ourselves in the world of cold water therapy to find out more…
Whether you are fitness enthusiast or simply enjoy a spa visit, it would seem that the benefits of cold water immersion aren’t exclusive to athletic endeavours. As well as reducing inflammation and aiding recovery, it is said that exposure to the cold can improve sleep quality, mood, speed up metabolism and improve immune response.

Far from a fad, cold water bathing actually has its origins in Ancient Greece. While elite athletes have been using cold therapy to aid recovery for decades. Paula Radcliffe famously attributed her 10,000m gold medal in 2002 to ice baths. Their recent surge in popularity is the perfect storm of a post-covid increase in at-home fitness and a greater awareness of wellbeing, amplified by social media and celebrity use.

For those wanting to ‘test the waters’ there are many ways in which to indulge in cold water therapy, including cold showers or an outdoor swim. While for those that are ready to ‘take the plunge’, there are many brands that have come to market offering ice bath solutions. However, for those looking for a sophisticated solution that slots in to their stylish home set up, only a few brands have added a sense of premium to ice plunges.

With its sleek design and faux-concrete shell, Monk’s ice bath would look at home in any high-end spa. This UK brand have combined style and ergonomics to create a statement centrepiece for your home. The Monk ice bath feels worlds apart from a plethora of inflatable options at the other end of the spectrum. And it’s not just the design that is setting the Monk ice bath apart. According to Monk’s website, it’s the world’s first smart ice bath, with its own app to control the temperature, track your ‘plunge data’, connect to wearable fitness devices such as Whoop and Oura, and even access your own personalised cold water therapy coach.

We spoke with Monk CEO Laura Fullerton to find out a little bit more about this opulent ice bath.

What led you to create Monk?

Pure frustration! When I experienced the benefits of cold water therapy first hand, I wanted to make it part of my regular wellness routine, but I soon realised how inaccessible it was.
I bought endless bags of ice for my bath at home – which was a great way to get started, but not sustainable or convenient. I jumped in frozen horse water troughs, took hours out of my day travelling to a wild swimming spot in winter, and I needed something more convenient.

When I realised that tens of thousands of people (now hundreds of thousands) were creating their own large, ugly, and imprecise DIY solutions because there’s nothing in the market meeting their needs, I knew I had to create Monk.

Is the monk ice bath predominantly designed for home installations or commercial use?

We’ve designed Monk for both homes and hotels alike. It’s built for indoor and outdoor usage – we’ve had a few customers who’ve built custom wellness suites with a sauna and space for their Monk.

What is it about the Monk ice bath that makes it more suited to a prime property, luxury home gym/spa set up, above and beyond competitors?

A beautiful design you’d be proud to have in your home. It was important to us that not only was Monk a better functional product than anything on the market, but it also needed to look beautiful and premium – something you’d be proud to have in your home or garden. It’s compact enough to fit through doorways, and the ergonomic design makes you feel safe and cocooned inside it, unlike a large cold tin that leaves you rattling around. There’s an internal light that guides you on how to breathe, a timer, and you can control the temperature at the touch of a button. With the smart functionality on our app, you can set schedules so that Monk will be at the temperature you want, when you want it.

It’s also self teaching – with our programmes and guided plunges, you’ll learn how to use cold water therapy safely and effectively to get the most benefits with confidence.

How easy to install? Are there any considerations to the homeowner for installing one?

Monk is ‘plug and plunge’ – there’s no plumbing needed. It only requires a conventional plug socket. Customers just need to fill it up with a hose (supplied with your Monk) and choose what temperature they want it, and Monk will take care of the rest. It’s ‘self cleaning’ with ozone sanitisation (more powerful than chlorine with no chemicals), and the water needs changing every 2-4 months depending on usage.

Monk’s ice bath starts at £5,995. You can find out more by visiting www.discovermonk.com.