Beyond Cold co-founder Eric Salage on building American-made chillers that bring elite cold-plunge recovery into everyday homes.
Story By Kirk Edwards
Appeared in Cityview Magazine, Vol. 42, Issue 5 (September/October 2026)
For years, cold plunge therapy lived almost exclusively in professional locker rooms and high-end wellness spas — a tool reserved for elite athletes chasing every recovery edge. Beyond Cold is changing that. The company builds cold plunge tubs with built-in chillers designed for home use, putting a technology once out of reach within arm’s length of anyone serious about their health. As more people look for ways to take control of their own recovery and long-term wellness, at-home cold therapy has moved from niche curiosity to mainstream investment.
We sat down with Eric Salage, co-founder of Beyond Cold, to learn what sets the company apart, and why he believes cold therapy deserves a permanent spot in the modern wellness routine.
The name itself carries a message. “Beyond Cold is a play on words,” Salage explains. “It’s about the experience going beyond just the cold itself.” That philosophy extends to the company’s roadmap: Beyond Cold plans to expand into red light therapy, sauna, compression, and massage guns, building toward a full recovery ecosystem rather than a single product.
Interestingly, Salage wasn’t always a believer. “I wasn’t initially a fan of cold therapy,” he admits. It was his business partner, who has deep experience building chillers, who convinced him to give it a real try. His first plunge was intense and, by his own account, not exactly enjoyable. His wife, for what it’s worth, still prefers the sauna. But the results won him over, and that firsthand journey from skeptic to convert now shapes how he talks to customers who are on the fence.
What separates Beyond Cold from a crowded cold-plunge market is manufacturing. The chillers are designed and built in the United States, a detail Salage says matters more than most people realize. “We know every component,” he explains, which means every unit ships with a one-year warranty and can be repaired in-house rather than swapped out or shipped overseas for service.
Functionally, the chiller works much like an air conditioner, pulling heat out of the water instead of the air. For safety, the system locks out at 37 degrees Fahrenheit, cold enough to deliver results without crossing into dangerous territory.
And the results, according to Salage, are real. Regular cold exposure is linked to reduced inflammation, sharper mental clarity, and increased alertness. He also points to less commonly discussed benefits, including stimulation of brown fat and improved metabolic function, both of which play a role in how efficiently the body regulates energy and recovers from physical stress. Despite being the face of a cold plunge company, Salage doesn’t preach daily immersion. He uses his own tub a couple of times a week, and says short sessions of just two to three minutes are enough for most people to feel the benefits.
Beyond Cold currently offers three models built for different budgets and spaces: an inflatable, portable option; a sturdier metal-frame unit; and a flagship model, with prices ranging from $2,999 to $6,999. The company sells primarily direct-to-consumer through its website, with a small network of resellers, and every order ships free. Setup is straightforward, though Salage notes buyers will need a dedicated 15-amp circuit to run the chiller.
Maintenance is simpler than people expect. Every model includes a built-in filtration system, with the flagship unit featuring an upgraded paper cone filter. Salage recommends adding a small amount of chlorine to prevent bacterial growth in standing cold water, and suggests draining and refilling the tub every few months to keep it performing at its best.
For Salage, the pitch isn’t about extremity or discomfort for its own sake. It’s about giving people a reliable, at-home tool to activate what their bodies already know how to do. “You’re not chasing pain,” he says of the philosophy behind Beyond Cold. “You’re activating what you need to activate to make your body healthier.”
As recovery culture moves out of professional training rooms and into everyday households, Beyond Cold is betting that American-made reliability, straightforward maintenance, and a founder who understands the skeptic’s perspective will be what keeps customers coming back, three minutes at a time.
Beyond Cold tubs are available directly through beyondcold.com, with free shipping and a one-year warranty on every unit.
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