BLUF
PlungIT was never one fixed product. I tested a roughly 72–75 gallon one-person tub, a larger 105–115 gallon design, complete systems with chillers and pumps, and tub-only packages. I sold roughly a dozen units, mainly on eBay. Customers were satisfied, but every increase in size or completeness also increased cooling, shipping, support, and warranty complexity.
The One-Person Tub Became the Practical Center
The documented one-person design was approximately 52 inches long, 27½ inches wide, and 24½ inches deep. Filled to the planned level, it held around 72–75 gallons and weighed about 22 pounds empty.
That size was portable when empty, roomy enough for one adult, and a good match for the quarter-horsepower Active Aqua chiller’s stated 40–92 gallon reservoir range. It represented the clearest version of the original goal: an integrated personal plunge without a $3,000 price tag.
The Larger Tub Changed More Than Comfort
The two-person design was approximately 77 inches long and held roughly 105–115 gallons. It provided additional room—and produced the memorable private garage test that my wife and I jokingly called “true love at 40 degrees.” That video remains in the family archive and will not be published because it reveals too much of the space.
The larger tub also demonstrated why dimensions are engineering decisions. More water means more filled weight, more thermal mass, longer cooling, a potentially larger chiller, more demanding portability, and higher shipping costs. A roomier product can become a substantially different system.
Complete System or Tub Only?
A tub-only listing was easier to ship and placed fewer technical components under my responsibility. The buyer could receive the inflatable tub, hand pump, repair kit, and carrying bag, then choose separate cooling equipment.
The complete system better expressed the PlungIT concept. It included the tub and lid, chiller, pump, insulated hoses, fittings, and operating knowledge. It also created more ways for the customer to need help. A question about temperature might actually be a question about ambient heat, pump flow, a blocked hose, insulation, fitting leakage, or chiller sizing.
That is the hidden difference between selling a component and supporting a system.
The Last Documented eBay Sale
The latest eBay transaction I could still retrieve was July 5, 2025. It was a tub-only package sold for $100, with the buyer paying $131.84 including shipping.
The listing described:
- a PlungIT portable inflatable cold-therapy tub;
- PVC construction;
- approximately 59 inches long, 24 inches wide, and 24 inches high;
- a hand pump, repair kit, and carrying bag;
- suitability for sports recovery and cold plunges; and
- a one-year warranty.
That 59-inch listed length differs from the approximately 52-inch one-person development specification preserved elsewhere in the archive. Rather than blend them, I am retaining both as records from different stages or listings.
Warranty Language Evolved
Some early notes mentioned a three-year warranty. The later eBay listing offered one year. Those terms should not be presented as though they applied to every PlungIT unit.
This is another lesson from small product businesses: warranties are not merely marketing copy. They are commitments involving product durability, replacement inventory, shipping, customer communication, and the continued existence of the seller.
What Customer Satisfaction Meant
I remember the buyers as satisfied, and selling approximately a dozen units proved that the product moved beyond prototype status. People exchanged money for it, received it, and used it.
That is meaningful without pretending the business was larger or more profitable than it was. A small run can validate that a product works while simultaneously showing that its margins and support model are not sustainable.
What I Would Sell Today
If I repeated the idea, I would make every configuration explicit. Tub-only would be described as a component. A complete system would name the exact chiller, pump, hose diameter, fittings, supported water volume, test conditions, and warranty for each part.
The one-person product would remain my preferred starting point because it offered the best balance of volume, portability, equipment sizing, and ordinary use. The larger tub was fun and memorable, but the smaller design made a clearer product.
Part of the PlungIT archive. Read the pillar story. Previous: the economics of small-volume sourcing. Next: the final 2026 PlungIT sale in San Antonio.
