Ad Sauna and cold plunge on a budget UK 2026: hot and cold setups from £348.99
Five budget ways to get a home sauna and a cold plunge in the UK, from a sauna blanket and an inflatable tub to a garden sauna with an inflatable tub, with real prices checked on 10–11 November 2026 and the running costs.
Quick answer
The cheapest hot-and-cold setup we found is an infrared sauna blanket (£299.99) with a £49 inflatable tub filled from the cold tap or with ice: £348.99 in total. For a sit-in sauna, The Pod Company's plug-in portable Sauna Pod (£399) and Ice Pod (£49) come to £448, or £997 with Pod's chiller and Pro tub. A plug-in infrared cabin with a portable plunge starts at about £1,744, and the cheapest garden sauna with a heater we've listed, the SaunaPlunge Brontë at £2,900, plus a £49 tub comes to £2,949 before the electrician. None of these needs a plumber, but chillers and saunas still use electricity.
Safety first
The RNLI warns that water below 15°C can cause cold water shock, which raises heart rate and blood pressure and causes an involuntary gasp. Talk to your GP before trying saunas or cold immersion if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure, or you’re pregnant. Never plunge alone, and cover tubs when children are around.
You don’t need £10,000 for a garden sauna and a chilled plunge. Here are five budget setups, cheapest first, built from products sold by UK retailers. We haven’t tested any of them. Prices are retailer prices checked on 10–11 November 2026.
Five setups at a glance
| Setup | Hot | Cold | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Blanket and tub | Lifepro RejuvaWrap blanket £299.99 | Ice Pod Standard £49 | £348.99 |
| 2. Portable sauna and tub | Pod Sauna Pod £399 | Ice Pod Standard £49 | £448 |
| 3. Portable sauna and chilled tub | Pod Sauna Pod £399 | Pod Chiller with IcePod Pro £598 | £997 |
| 4. Infrared cabin and portable plunge | CenturaHeat Double infrared £1,349 | PortaPlunge CUBE £395 | £1,744 |
| 5. Garden sauna and tub | SaunaPlunge Brontë with 4.5kW heater £2,900 | Ice Pod Standard £49 | £2,949, plus an electrician |
The Pod Company shows its prices as sale prices against higher “regular” prices that we haven’t verified, so we only quote what you’d pay now.
1. Blanket and tub: £348.99
Cheapest heat
Lifepro RejuvaWrap infrared sauna blanket
From £299.99 at Healf
£299.99 (pre-order for 27 November 2026 when checked). Price checked 11 November 2026.
- Heat
- 35–80°C over 9 levels; 5–60 minute timer
- Power
- 600W; UK plug
- Size
- 180 × 180cm
- Warranty
- Lifetime (as listed)
An infrared sauna blanket, not a sauna you sit in. £299.99 at Healf, on pre-order for 27 November 2026 when we checked. It’s listed at 600W, so even an hour at full power costs about 16p. See best sauna blankets for alternatives.
- Comes with a cotton face towel, five disposable wraps and a carry bag.
- Instructions say no more than 60 minutes in 24 hours.
Specs are as published by the retailer. We have not tested this product.
Cheapest tub
The Pod Company Ice Pod (inflatable tub)
From £49 at The Pod Company
£49 Standard (320 litres) or £69 Pro (420 litres, chiller valves). Price checked 11 November 2026.
- Capacity
- 1 people
- Heat
- No chiller: ice or cold tap water (chiller bundles available)
- Size
- 80cm diameter; 70cm (Standard) or 75cm (Pro) tall
- Warranty
- 12 months
An inflatable tub at £49 (Standard, 320 litres) or £69 (Pro, 420 litres, with valves for adding a chiller). Fill it from the cold tap or add ice.
- Listed as a sale price against a higher "regular" price we have not verified.
See current price at The Pod Company Ad
Specs are as published by the retailer. We have not tested this product.
2. Portable sauna and tub: £448
Cheapest sit-in sauna
The Pod Company Sauna Pod (portable, 1 person)
From £399 at The Pod Company
£399. Price checked 11 November 2026.
- Capacity
- 1 people
- Heat
- 1,500W electric hot-air heater; up to 85°C stated
- Power
- Standard UK plug
- Size
- 95cm diameter × 172cm tall; 14kg
- Build
- Cotton canvas on a steel frame, folding chair included
- Warranty
- 1 year
A one-person, canvas pop-up sauna with a 1,500W hot-air heater, a folding chair and a standard UK plug, at £399. Pod states temperatures up to 85°C. An hour at full power costs about 39p at the current price cap. It’s a portable tent, not a timber sauna, and there are no stones for steam.
- Listed as a sale price against a higher "regular" price we have not verified.
See current price at The Pod Company Ad
Specs are as published by the retailer. We have not tested this product.
3. Add a chiller: £997
Cheapest chiller we found
The Pod Chiller
From £499 at The Pod Company
£499 chiller only; £598 with an IcePod Pro tub. Price checked 11 November 2026.
- Heat
- Cools to 5°C; no heating mode stated
- Power
- Standard UK plug; 280W stated
- Size
- 29 × 29 × 32cm; 18kg
- Warranty
- 1 year (extendable)
£499 on its own, or £598 with an IcePod Pro tub. It’s listed at 280W, cools to 5°C and plugs into a standard socket. On the daily energy figures in our chiller guide, a small chiller like this costs about 37–47p a day to run.
- Listed as a sale price against a much higher "regular" price; we have not verified the higher price.
- The listing gives an example of 1.4–1.8kWh a day with a 25°C room and 8°C water.
See current price at The Pod Company Ad
Specs are as published by the retailer. We have not tested this product.
Is a chiller worth it? At 5–10kg of ice a session and 75p per kg, ice costs £3.75–£7.50 a go, or £585–£1,170 a year at three plunges a week. Against that, a chiller’s electricity costs roughly £134–£173 a year on the same figures. Plunge more than once or twice a week and the chiller can pay for itself.
4. Infrared cabin and portable plunge: £1,744
Cheapest 2-person cabin
CenturaHeat Double 2 person glass infrared
From £1,349 at Pro-Line Direct
£1,349 (listed as reduced from £2,367). Price checked 10 November 2026.
- Capacity
- 2 people
- Heat
- Infrared panels
- Power
- Plug-in, draws 10A
- Size
- 1200 × 1050 × 1900mm
A two-person glass-fronted infrared cabin at £1,349, listed as reduced from £2,367. Check whether it plugs into a 13A socket or needs its own circuit before you order.
See current price at Pro-Line Direct Ad
Specs are as published by the retailer. We have not tested this product.
One-person alternative
Kajo 1 full-spectrum infrared (1 person)
From £1,395 at Steam & Oak
£1,395. Price checked 10 November 2026.
- Capacity
- 1 people
- Heat
- 1,200W full-spectrum infrared; about 60°C max
- Power
- Standard 13A plug
- Size
- 900 × 900 × 1900mm
- Build
- Hemlock, 6mm tempered glass front
- Warranty
- 12 months
A one-person full-spectrum infrared cabin at £1,395 that plugs into a 13A socket, with a 1,200W rating and about 60°C maximum.
See current price at Steam & Oak Ad
Specs are as published by the retailer. We have not tested this product.
Sturdier portable plunge
PortaPlunge CUBE inflatable plunge
From £395 at Steam & Oak
£395. Price checked 10 November 2026.
- Capacity
- 1 people
- Heat
- No chiller: ambient water or ice
- Build
- Drop-stitched PVC
A drop-stitched inflatable plunge at £395 from Steam & Oak. There’s no chiller, so use cold water or ice.
See current price at Steam & Oak Ad
Specs are as published by the retailer. We have not tested this product.
5. Garden sauna and tub: £2,949 plus electrics
Cheapest garden sauna with a heater
SaunaPlunge Brontë 1–2 person cabin
From £2,900 at Outdoor Living 365
£2,900 including a 4.5kW Harvia Vega heater. Price checked 10 November 2026.
- Capacity
- 1–2 people
- Heat
- 4.5kW Harvia Vega electric heater (included)
- Power
- Dedicated 20A hard-wired supply; the retailer says it cannot run from an outdoor socket
- Size
- 1200 × 1100 × 2000mm (W × D × H)
- Build
- Thermo-treated spruce
A 1–2 person outdoor cabin in thermo-treated spruce with a 4.5kW Harvia Vega heater included, at £2,900. It needs a hard-wired circuit, so add an electrician (about £700–£2,000 for a garden sauna; see sauna electrics) and a base (see base options).
See current price at Outdoor Living 365 Ad
Specs are as published by the retailer. We have not tested this product.
Want wood heat with no electrician? The PortaSauna HEX is a four-person tent sauna with a wood-burning stove, at £1,850 from Steam & Oak.
Off-grid tent sauna
PortaSauna HEX 4 person portable sauna
From £1,850 at Steam & Oak
£1,850. Price checked 10 November 2026.
- Capacity
- 4 people
- Heat
- Wood-burning stainless steel stove (included)
- Power
- None needed
- Build
- Tent on fibreglass frame, cedar bench
See current price at Steam & Oak Ad
Specs are as published by the retailer. We have not tested this product.
Ways to save
- Use what you’ve got. A bath filled from the cold tap costs nothing extra. A sturdy, level patio can save the cost of a base.
- Buy the chiller later. Start with ice and see how often you actually plunge.
- Watch the sales, carefully. Black Friday offers run on several of these products. Compare against the price actually charged, not a “was” price.
- Price up the extras first. For garden saunas, the electrics and base can add £1,000 or more. See garden sauna costs.
For more choice, see best ice baths, best infrared saunas and best outdoor saunas under £5,000.
Frequently asked questions
What's the cheapest way to get a sauna and ice bath at home?
On 10–11 November 2026, the cheapest combination we found was a Lifepro RejuvaWrap infrared sauna blanket (£299.99 at Healf, on pre-order) with a Pod Company Ice Pod Standard tub (£49): £348.99. The cheapest sit-in option was Pod's portable Sauna Pod (£399) with the Ice Pod (£49): £448.
Do I need a chiller for a cold plunge?
No. You can fill a tub from the cold tap or add ice. But ice adds up: at 5–10kg a session and 75p per kg, it's £3.75–£7.50 a session. A chiller like the Pod Chiller (£499) keeps the water cold for about 37–47p a day in electricity on the figures in our chiller guide.
How much does a portable sauna cost to run?
The Pod Company lists its Sauna Pod at 1,500W. Running flat out for an hour, that's 1.5kWh, about 39p at the Ofgem cap of 26.32p per kWh. In practice the thermostat cycles the heater, so it's usually less.
Are cheap saunas safe?
Buy from a UK retailer, check the product has a UK plug, and follow the maker's instructions and time limits. Ask your GP before using a sauna or cold plunge if you have a health condition or you're pregnant.
Sources
We read each of these on or before 10–11 November 2026. Retailer links in this list are plain links, not affiliate links.
- Healf: Lifepro RejuvaWrap infrared sauna blanket
- The Pod Company: Sauna Pod
- The Pod Company: Ice Pod
- The Pod Company: The Pod Chiller
- Steam & Oak: PortaPlunge CUBE
- Steam & Oak: PortaSauna HEX
- Outdoor Living 365: SaunaPlunge Brontë cabin
- Ofgem: energy price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026
- RNLI: cold water shock