In the garden or on the patio: flat ground above all
In the garden, your first move is to find the flattest surface you can. Paving slabs, a patio in good condition or well-compacted ground work better than a domed lawn: once filled, the tub holds about 330 kg of water, and ground that sinks on one side tilts the wall and puts strain on the six support tubes. Clear away stones, twigs and anything that could damage the base, then make sure the surface is clean before unfolding the tub on it. Leave some space around it too: you need to be able to walk round it to open the lid and reach the side drain hose.
Choose a shady corner, at least for the hottest hours: direct sun warms the black wall and the water. Shade from a tree has a downside, though, with leaves, blossom and insects dropping in. The insulated lid deals with both problems at once: closed, it keeps leaves and dust out of the water and shields the surface from the sun. Get into the habit of closing it as soon as you get out. The box also contains a thermal dust cover, which works alongside the lid.
On a balcony or upstairs: weight comes first
On a balcony, the real question is not space but weight. When full, the tub holds about 330 litres, or about 330 kg of water, plus the weight of the person sitting in it. That load rests on a circle 85 cm across, rather than being spread over the whole floor. Before filling anything, ask your building's managing agent, the freeholder or your landlord what load the balcony can take. The answer depends on the building: do not go by how the floor looks, or by a figure found elsewhere. The same reasoning applies to an upstairs room, whether in a house or a flat.
If the answer is yes, decide straight away where the water will go when you empty the tub. The side hose, with its valve, needs to reach a drain: the balcony's own outlet if there is one and the building's rules allow it, or a nearby shower if the hose reaches that far. Badly placed, the water can flood the room or leak through to the neighbours below. Filling a little less also reduces the load: at 250 litres, leaving room for your body, there is about 250 kg of water.
| Garden or patio | Balcony or upstairs | Indoors (garage, utility room, basement) |
|---|---|---|
| Ground: flat, compacted surface, clean and free of stones | Ground: flat floor, allowed load confirmed by the managing agent, freeholder or landlord | Ground: flat and load-bearing, floor covering protected by a tarpaulin if needed |
| Emptying: through the side hose to a corner of the garden that can take the water | Emptying: to the balcony outlet if allowed, or to a shower | Emptying: bottom plug over a floor drain, or hose to a shower |
| Sun and shade: shady corner, lid closed against leaves and sun | Sun and shade: shade in the hottest hours, lid closed between baths | Sun and shade: no direct sun, lid closed against dust |
| Check first: how flat the ground is | Check first: the load the balcony can take | Check first: where the water will drain |
Indoors: garage, utility room or basement
Indoors, the tub is out of the sun and away from falling leaves, but the water becomes the main issue. The best spot is a room with a floor drain, such as a utility room, a garage or a fitted basement: the bottom drain plug can then sit just above the grate. Otherwise, set the tub up near a shower so the side hose reaches it without a detour. The floor must still be flat and load-bearing, as anywhere else, and an old floor deserves the same question as a balcony. Protect the floor covering, for example with a tarpaulin, if that floor does not cope well with water.
To empty the tub, always use the hose with its valve, or the bottom plug over a drain, and never tip the tub: full, it is far too heavy, and the support tubes can slip if it is tilted. When it arrives, a 24-hour leak test, with the tub filled on a protected floor, lets you spot any leak before the first bath. Two repair patches come in the box.
Summer: slowing down how fast the water warms
In summer, the water in an insulated tub warms up, especially in the sun: it does not hold the cold like a tub connected to an electric chiller, which this model does not have. The useful habits are simple. Keep the lid closed between baths, put the tub in the shade, away from paving warmed by the sun. Add ice just before you get in rather than several hours ahead. No reliable figure can tell you how long the water stays cold: it depends on the air, the ground and the sunshine.
To estimate how much ice you need, a physics calculation gives an order of magnitude. For 250 litres of water at 20 °C, you need about 13 kg of ice to bring it down to 15 °C, about 22 kg for 12 °C and about 28 kg for 10 °C. These values ignore losses to the air, the ground and the sun: in practice, you need more. A bath thermometer of your own, not included in the kit, lets you check the temperature before you get in.
Winter: never let the water freeze
The supplier states a usage range for the material of -20 °C to 60 °C. That refers to the wall of the tub, not to a recommended water temperature, and it does not mean the tub can stay full through a hard frost. The care rule is clear: the water must never freeze in the tub. As soon as the forecast warns of hard frosts, empty the tub using the hose or the bottom plug, let it dry completely with the lid open, then fold it away.
Folded, it goes into its zipped carry bag of about 75 x 44 cm, which fits in a cupboard, a cellar or a car boot. Drying it before folding means you never store a damp wall. Between cold spells, nothing stops you setting it up again, since one person can put it up without tools. Throughout the months you use it, change the water regularly too: the supplier advises doing so every 10 to 15 days.
Safety outdoors: lid, children and never alone
A 330-litre tub in a garden, on a patio or on a balcony is a drowning risk for young children. A US public product safety body points out that drowning is the leading cause of death for children aged 1 to 4, and that bathtubs, buckets and hot tubs in the home are part of that risk. Hence some simple rules: lid closed whenever nobody is bathing, tub emptied when nobody can watch it, and never a child nearby without an adult. The tub is not for children.
For the bath itself, never be alone: someone present and attentive stays close by. Get in gradually, breathe calmly, keep your head above the water and start short, 1 to 2 minutes, getting out at the first sign of feeling unwell. No alcohol, drugs or medication that makes you drowsy before or during the bath. If you want a tub ready to set up, the Ice Bath Tub shop sells a single model, this insulated foldable tub with a lid, as a complete kit (the contents of the box: the tub and its 6 tubes, lid, dust cover, pump, cushion, drain, repair patches and carry bag), delivered free from stock held in the UK.
Frequently asked questions
Can the tub stay outside all year round?
The supplier's stated range for the material runs from -20 °C to 60 °C, but the rule that matters in winter concerns the water: it must never freeze in the tub. A simple approach is to leave it in place through the milder months, lid closed, then empty it, dry it and store it folded in its bag before the hard frosts arrive.
Can you really set it up on a balcony?
Yes, if the balcony can carry the load: about 330 kg of water when the tub is full, plus the person. That capacity depends on the building, and it is for the managing agent, freeholder or landlord to tell you what is allowed. Until you have that answer, do not fill the tub, and plan where the water will go when you empty it.
What about rain and leaves?
The insulated lid, closed between baths, keeps leaves and dust out of the water, and the dust cover supplied adds a further layer. The outer wall is PVC-coated nylon, which is water-repellent. If debris gets in anyway, remove it before your bath, and change the water regularly, every 10 to 15 days according to the supplier.
Sources
Our guides are based on the supplier's product listing and public documentation. We have not tested the tub ourselves.
