Guide · 9 min read
Home recovery: saunas, cold plunges and compression
The part of a health club membership people actually miss when they leave, priced for the home. What each piece costs to buy and to run, what it needs from your electrics, and where the evidence is honest.
Updated September 2026 · Running costs at 25p/kWh
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Cost to buy and run
| Item | Price | Power and running cost | Electrics | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infrared sauna, 1 to 2 person | £2,500 to £6,000 | 1.5 to 3kW · ~£0.75/hr | Plug-in 13A for small units; 16A for larger | Gentle heat, 45 to 60°C, 30 to 45 min sessions |
| Traditional sauna, 2 to 4 person | £4,000 to £12,000 | 4.5 to 8kW · £1.50 to £2/hr | Dedicated circuit; 3-phase for large | 80 to 95°C; closest to a club sauna |
| Cold plunge, chilled | £4,000 to £9,000 | 0.5 to 1kW continuous · £30 to £60/mo | 13A plug; outdoor rated | Holds 3 to 10°C; filtration and ozone |
| Cold plunge, unchilled tub | £150 to £900 | None; ice £5 to £10 per session | None | Ice and water; fine for occasional use |
| Compression boots | £600 to £1,200 | Negligible | 13A plug | Legs; 20 to 30 min; good evidence for perceived recovery |
| Massage gun | £100 to £400 | Negligible | USB-C | Targeted; the most-used recovery item in any home |
| Steam room kit, shower conversion | £3,000 to £8,000 | 3 to 6kW · £1 to £1.50/hr | Dedicated circuit; plumbing | Needs a sealed enclosure; installer required |
Start with the club maths
Bannatyne at £60 a month gives you sauna, steam and a warm pool. A home infrared sauna and chilled plunge is £8,000 to £15,000 installed and £60 to £100 a month to run. Over five years the home option is £12,000 to £21,000 against £3,600. Nobody buys home recovery to save money; they buy it because it is there at 21:30 on a Tuesday.
Sauna: infrared or traditional
Infrared is cheaper to buy, plugs into a normal socket at the small end and runs at a gentler 50°C. Traditional is the club experience at 85°C, needs a dedicated circuit and an installer, and costs more to run. If you want the ritual, traditional. If you want to sit and read, infrared.
Cold plunge: chilled or not
A chiller holds 3 to 10°C indefinitely, filters the water and costs £30 to £60 a month in electricity. An unchilled tub needs 10 to 20kg of ice per session. If you will plunge three times a week, the chiller pays for itself in ice within two years. If it is a Sunday thing, buy the tub.
Compression and percussion
Compression boots have decent evidence for perceived soreness and are the most-used piece of kit in a recovery corner after the massage gun. Neither needs anything from the room. Buy these first and the sauna second.
Electrics, ventilation and floor
Anything above 3kW wants its own circuit from the consumer unit and an electrician’s certificate. A plunge full of water weighs 500 to 700kg and must sit on a slab. Saunas and plunges both produce moisture; the room needs extraction or the mould arrives within a year. Our garden gym rooms guide covers the building side.
What the evidence supports
Heat for cardiovascular and sleep benefits: reasonably good. Cold for perceived recovery and mood: reasonable. Cold immediately after strength training for muscle growth: probably counterproductive. Contrast for anything measurable: weak. Buy for how it makes you feel, which is a perfectly good reason.
A sauna in the garden is not a health intervention. It is the reason you will still be training in February.
FAQs
Common questions
How much does a home sauna cost to run?
Infrared around 75p an hour; traditional £1.50 to £2 an hour at 25p per kWh. Three sessions a week is £10 to £25 a month.
Do cold plunges need a chiller?
Only if you plunge more than once or twice a week. A chiller costs £30 to £60 a month to run and saves buying ice; an unchilled tub is fine for occasional use.
Can I plug a sauna into a normal socket?
Small infrared units up to about 2.5kW, yes. Anything larger or any traditional sauna needs a dedicated circuit installed by an electrician.
Is home recovery cheaper than a club?
No. A Bannatyne membership with sauna and steam is £60 a month; a home set-up is £8,000 to £15,000 plus running costs. Buy it for convenience, not savings.