Renu Therapy Review 2023
Yes, Renu Therapy’s price point is quite high (although not nearly the highest in the industry). However, they make up for that in design, modernity and craftsmanship. Additionally, their in-depth video guides and overall customer support is second to none. The company isn’t a fad either, as they have invested heavily as can be seen by their patents and trademarks. If you can afford it, we strongly recommend them.
Renu Therapy Pros & Cons
- Programmable thermostat
- Long Warranty
- Range of self-maintenance products
- Cold & hot models sold separately
- Expensive
- Heavy
- Curbside shipping (not in-home)
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Renu Therapy is definitely one of the more intriguing cold plunge companies out there. At first glance, the price point seems…wild. While there are more expensive companies out there, $10,000 is nothing to brush aside. Yes, that is the base price for three of their four models. The fourth model? It’s around $1,000…hence the aforementioned word “intriguing”. We have never seen a company offer what seems to be similar products but at such a massive difference in price. Is the $10,000 price justified? Is the $1,000 version even a viable long-term plunging solution? Let’s take a look.
Renu Therapy was founded by Bill Bachand before COVID-19 (in 2019). The company is based out of Costa Mesa, California. But other than that, like Polar Monkeys, Renu Therapy does not receive a lot of media coverage, and that’s especially a shame with a brand like this. As we all know, most products in the world are manufactured in China. It’s just the way of the world. Not Renu Therapy. All their plunges are handmade in the USA, which kind of explains the price point. Products like these can likely be manufactured for cheaper, but it seems like Renu Therapy wanted total control of the manufacturing process in order to guarantee quality. We’re not going to argue with that, but we would like to see the price come down a bit, even at the expense of profits. Other than that, though, we wouldn’t be surprised to see them eventually take over as the leader in this industry should they execute a marketing strategy the right way. We’re confident in their products; let’s see why.
Renu Therapy is likely the easiest cold plunge to use on the market. No plumbing required? Check. Easy to change filters? Check. No setup required? Check. Not only do they have videos to walk you through any questions you may have, but they also offer a step-by-step PDF quick start manual that comes with instructions and images. The ease does not stop at their high-end products. The $1,000 ‘Traveling Stoic’ is just as easy to use, albeit different.
Guess the industry average warranty time for cold plunges. Any takers? It’s one year, two if you’re lucky. Renu Therapy offers a 5-year limited warranty on all their plunges. That alone tells you all you need to know about the durability and build of the product. Aside from the wood being handcrafted in the USA, it’s not only treated with all-natural tong oil and beeswax, but some of the wood (depending on what you choose) are treated with an ancient Japanese waterproofing technique called Shou Sugi Ban. It is then reinforced with UV protective coating. Honestly, we get it. It seems like adding a cool name to a waterproofing technique seems like a gimmick in order to slap on a few extra thousand dollars to the price. But that is not the case here. These plunges can last in any weather for an extended period of time. Another great feature about the build is that all of their plunges can hold people who are six foot five inches, at least (6’7 and 6’8 on the three other models).
The maintence is pretty intuitive. Setup is a breeze and should take around thirty minutes at most. Chaging the filter, maintaining the water chiller, or draining the Renu Therapy cold plunge is simple as well. We don’t think you’ll need any help with that, but should you run into issues, the website offers a plethora of in-depth videos on how to do all of that.
As you would expect, the three expensive plunges come with an upgraded insulation system, a very efficient integrated chiller, an advanced filtration and ozone purification system, and is meant for harsh conditions. The $1,000 Traveling Stoic option comes with all of the above-mentioned features, except the chiller is portable, and it comes with an air pump and repair kit – pretty nifty for a low-cost portable option. Too bad that this specific tub seems to constantly be sold out!
On the wood models, you have the option to choose from different wood finishes – California Redwood, Pacific Cedar, Shou Sugi Ban Dark Burn or Shou Sugi Ban Tiger Stripe. You can also choose from six different base colors.
Empty weight on the wood models are around 400 pounds and as much as 1,500 pounds when full. The portable models is well under 100 pounds empty and around 1,100 pounds full. Keep in mind that the portable option is actually viable when traveling, with very little hassle. It can fit in any hotel room, Airbnb, RV or campsite.
The only potential downside is the temperature range, which is around 36° to 59° on the wood models, and as low as 39° on the portable model. This is because Renu Therapy offers hot tubs separately from the cold tubs. They are essentially the same models as the cold tubs, but for hot plunges. Temperatures on those can go as high as 104°. And yes, the price point on those are more or less the same as the cold options.
All that said though, if you’re looking for elegance and an outright sleek design, look no further. In our opinion, they are one of the leaders in design and aesthetics.
Renu Therapy offers 7 models total – four cold plunges:
- Cold Stoic (Standard Size) – $9,699.99
- Cold Stoic 2.0 – $9,699.99 (currently on sale)
- Siberian Cold Plunge – $13,399.99
- The Traveling Stoic – $995.00
Three hot soaks:
- Hot Stoic Japanese (Standard Size) – $8,999.99
- Hot Stoic 2.0 Japanese – $8,999.99 (currently on sale)
- Hot Siberian Japanese – $12,499.99
Again, all of these options come with a five-year warranty – one of the best on the markets by far.
Look, at the end of the day, we can’t beat around the bush. $10,000 is a lot of money considering the other options on the market. But is the value there? In our opinion, Renu Therapy products are regularly priced. Essentially speaking, it’s a fair value. Nothing incredible and nothing overpriced. For what it’s worth, at least Renu Therapy offers top-tier quality products, so it doesn’t feel like you’re overpaying for anything. However, you’re certainly not going to walk away feeling as if you got the deal of a lifetime.
We love the high-end quality offered by Renu Therapy on all of their products. We’re a little confused as to the price difference between the wood models and the portable one but hey, we’re not complaining either. It’s also a bit strange that they did not integrate the hot options with their cold plunge products.