Cold Bath with Cryotherapy | Storvatt

The Storvatt Cold Bath with Cryotherapy: Muscle Recovery Right in Your Garden

From elite locker rooms to morning wellness routines, the ice bath has become one of the most talked-about recovery tools of the past few years. What was once a niche ritual for professional athletes is now a daily practice for runners, weightlifters, and anyone looking to recover faster and feel sharper. The catch has always been access: finding a tub that reliably stays cold, season after season, without turning into a logistical project of its own.

Cold therapy is no longer reserved for elite sports facilities. With its solid Red Cedar cold bath fitted with cryotherapy technology, Storvatt brings cold water immersion home, inside a solid wooden tub designed and made in the French Alps since 1997.

Thanks to its Polytropic CRYO INVERTER heat pump, this Nordic bath reaches and maintains a water temperature of 5°C, whatever the outdoor conditions. No travel, no booking a slot: the benefits of cold therapy and muscle recovery are available on demand, in a setting as stylish as it is high-performing.

Why invest in a cold bath with cryotherapy

Cold water immersion activates blood circulation, reduces muscle inflammation, and speeds up post-exercise recovery. Long favoured by elite athletes, this practice is now becoming mainstream among amateur sportspeople and wellness-minded individuals alike. The main barrier has always been regular access to a tub kept reliably at a low enough temperature, a technical challenge few products have solved in a genuinely autonomous way.

The Storvatt cold bath addresses this directly: a tub built from noble wood, a technical unit engineered for intensive cooling, and a heat pump capable of maintaining water at 5°C in any season, with no manual intervention.

The Polytropic CRYO INVERTER: cold on demand

Unlike a standard pool heat pump, which is designed to warm water, the Polytropic CRYO INVERTER was specifically engineered for intensive cooling. Its compressor, oversized PVC/Titanium condenser, and anti-corrosion treated evaporator are all dimensioned to reach and hold water at 5°C, the temperature recommended for cryotherapy and muscle recovery protocols.

This heat pump operates across an outdoor temperature range of -10°C to +43°C, delivering consistent performance in every season. Thanks to its Full Inverter technology, it continuously adjusts output to the actual needs of the basin, achieving up to 30% energy savings compared with a fixed-speed heat pump, while also extending compressor lifespan by eliminating repeated start/stop cycles. In BOOST mode, at 32°C outdoor air, it delivers an EER of 2.7 for water held at 5°C.

Installation is straightforward, identical to a standard pool heat pump: the Storvatt cold bath comes fitted with an integrated bypass for direct connection to the CRYO INVERTER, with no modification to the tub or complex groundwork required. Once connected, the unit operates fully autonomously, maintaining the target temperature without manual intervention.

Originally developed for healthcare, sports, and physiotherapy professionals, the CRYO INVERTER is also built for intensive, repeated daily use. Its UV-resistant ABS casing, 3-year parts warranty, and cycle-reversal defrost system make it just as reliable in a private garden as in a professional facility.

A solid Red Cedar tub, built for intensive use

The Storvatt cold bath is crafted from Red Cedar Clear 2 Vertical Grain, a wood selected and graded to be clear of all knots, imperfections, and flat grain, chosen for its exceptional resistance to moisture and extreme temperatures. Impervious to freeze-thaw cycles, it doesn't warp, doesn't crack, and requires no chemical treatment, where other materials would quickly degrade under intensive outdoor use.

The tub is built from 38mm-thick staves held by three stainless steel hoops, and includes an interior bench and an access step. A two-part wooden cover protects the basin between sessions. The technical unit includes a silent 10m³/h circulation pump and a 4.3m³ cartridge filter, keeping the water clean at all times.

On delivery, every cold bath comes with an installation manual, a user and maintenance manual, a complete HTH water treatment starter kit to get you off to a safe start, and a spare Pleatco PRB50-IN filter cartridge. The wood and hoop structure is guaranteed for 5 years, with a lifetime guarantee against frost (machinery excluded); the machinery itself carries a 2-year guarantee.

Sauna and cold bath: the complete Nordic ritual

Alternating heat and cold sits at the heart of Nordic wellness tradition. After the intense warmth of a sauna, plunging into the Storvatt cold bath triggers a beneficial thermal shock: blood vessels contract then dilate, stimulating circulation, helping flush out toxins, and leaving a lasting sense of vitality.

In practice, the ritual follows cycles of 10 to 15 minutes in the sauna to warm the body, followed by a 1 to 2 minute cold plunge, repeated 2 to 3 times with a short rest between each round. Practised for centuries across Scandinavia, this ritual finds a natural home in any French garden thanks to the complementary sauna and cold bath ranges from Storvatt: the same craftsmanship, the same wood, for a complete wellness experience right at your doorstep.

Using your cold bath safely: temperature and precautions

The recommended temperature for a cold Nordic bath generally ranges between 5°C and 15°C. This range helps stimulate circulation and support recovery without being too harsh on the body. Beginners are advised to start around 10–15°C before gradually lowering the temperature as the body adapts.

Immersion time should also build up gradually: 1 to 3 minutes for a first session, up to 5 minutes for more experienced users, depending on individual tolerance. The key rule is to listen to your body and step out immediately at the first sign of discomfort or intense shivering. Staying well hydrated beforehand is recommended, and anyone with heart conditions, blood pressure issues, or other specific medical conditions should seek medical advice before starting. It's also best not to bathe alone, especially during the first few sessions.

Give your recovery a reliable ally, all year round

With the Polytropic CRYO INVERTER, the Storvatt cold bath turns cryotherapy into a simple, autonomous, and accessible ritual right at home. Whether you use it on its own for sports recovery or alongside a sauna for the complete hot-cold ritual, our team is on hand to help you choose the right model for your project.

Explore the cold bath with cryotherapy configurator or contact our advisors for a personalised quote.