Cold therapy machines are a go-to source for pain management among professional athletes, physicians, and physical therapists alike. If you’re anticipating a need for constant, reliable cold packs—such as following a surgery—then a cold therapy machine might be a worthy investment.
5 Best Cold Therapy Machines
Like many healthcare devices, cold therapy machines range widely in price, features, and effectiveness. Don’t waste your money on a machine that leaks or fails to stay cold. Below are 5 of the best cold therapy machines on the market, from most to least expensive.
1. Game Ready GRPro 2.1
The biggest name in mechanized cold therapy has to be GameReady, a company that specializes in pain management and injury recovery. Their GRPro 2.1 machine takes cold therapy to another level by providing intermittent air compression through a supremely cold, circumferential wrap. Just like cold therapy, compression helps reduce swelling and promote proper blood flow, so using both at once doubles your efforts to reduce inflammation.
This machine includes a timer and preset programs you can tweak to ensure every therapy session is the perfect length and intensity. Despite showing up in many sports clinics and hospitals, the GRPro 2.1 is not a bulky machine, and it’s portable and simple enough to use anywhere.
The only drawback to this machine is that it’s prohibitively expensive—think thousands of dollars—to own. But with the right prescription you can rent the unit instead, with pricing by the day or week.
In short:
- Sustains supremely cold temperature (41ºF)
- Includes circumferential wraps that surround the body part
- Provides intermittent air compression therapy
- Includes preset programs for on/off, with different pressure settings
- Available to rent at ~$200/week
- Game Ready Accelerated Ice Therapy Unit
- Post Op rehab
2. Breg Polar Care Wave
Breg is well-known for its braces and boots, so it’s no surprise they have one of the best cryotherapy machines available. Like the GRPro, their Polar Care Wave unit offers air compression as well as cold therapy in various degrees.
You don’t need an additional barrier for their wrap, which comes either as a universal pad or in specific shapes for your shoulder, knee, foot, back, or hip. You can buy these pads in combination with the unit or separately, in case you have a different injury later on.
To buy the Breg Polar Care Wave from their website, you’ll need a prescription, and the machine can get pricey when bought in combination with specific pads. But when you’re in pain, cold therapy this good, this customizable, is worth every penny.
In short:
- Supplies cold therapy of 45ºF or 50ºF
- Provides air compression (25mmHg–50mmHg)
- Stays cold for 6-8 hours
- Accommodates multiple pads and a y-shaped bilateral adapter
- Requires a prescription to buy from the website: ~$200 for just the cooler or ~$300 for pad combo (shoulder, knee, or universal, e.g.)
3. Polar Active Ice 3.0
Without air compression, the price of cold therapy machines goes down considerably. The Polar Active Ice 3.0 has all the features of the Breg cooler, minus the compression, for almost $100 less.
It looks like a regular cooler you’d tote to the beach, but this 9-quart machine will work wonders for your pain. Simply fill it with frozen water bottles, top it off with water, and set the digital timer for the specific treatment time you need, in 10-minute increments. Not only can you program how long it should run, you can also program how long it should rest, so that it kicks on and off at regular intervals.
When you order the Polar Active Ice machine, you can select the specific shape pad you need, such as for your knee, ankle, back, hip, or shoulder.
Additional pads are sold separately.
In short:
- Includes customizable timer for on and off
- Accommodates a universal pad or a specific pad (knee, ankle, back, hip, shoulder, etc)
- Holds 9 quarts of ice water
- $220 on Amazon
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4. DonJoy ICEMAN Classic3
The DonJoy ICEMAN is a great choice for someone needing a reliable machine without too many bells and whistles. With its hose stirrup and smaller footprint, this lightweight unit capitalizes on portability and ease of use. All you have to do is plug it in to enjoy immediate cold relief.
Despite its simple design and low price, the ICEMAN Classic3 delivers cold temperatures on par with its costlier competitors. With two pumps instead of one, this machine ensures the water recirculating in your machine is thoroughly cooled before flowing back to your injury.
When you buy this cooler on Amazon, you’ll likely receive the universal wrap, which can cover most any injury. But for optimal coverage, check out the DonJoy website for their complete line of cold wraps, including 11 wrap-on pads, 10 cold pads, and 4 sterile dressings, all which fit this unit.
- Simple plug-and-play design
- Features a dual pump for more effective recirculation
- Includes a universal wrap, but you can order additional wraps and dressings from the DonJoy website
- $190 on Amazon
- Cold therapy unit helps reduce pain and swelling, speeding up rehabilitation
- Helps provide extended cold therapy to aid in a variety of indications and protocols as directed by a medical professional.
5. Polar Vortex Cold Therapy Machine
It’s hard enough to find a cold therapy machine under $200, let alone have a choice between two machines. The Polar Vortex shares a similar simplicity with the DonJoy at a near equivalent price.
Besides the $10 discount, you may prefer this machine for its transparent cooler, which lets you visually check on your ice levels without having to pry it open. Just like the DonJoy, the Polar Vortex machine comes with a universal wrap to use for a knee, elbow, or shoulder injury, but additional joint wraps are available and sold separately.
For a few dollars more, some models of this unit include reusable cold cubes that you can rotate in your freezer for a quick refill, sparing your ice cube tray of periodic depletion.
In short:
- Includes universal wrap; additional joint wraps sold separately
- Features a clear basin for quick inspection
- Reusable cold cubes available in some models
- $180 on Amazon
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The Benefits of Cold Therapy
When you’ve got a fresh injury, your first instinct should be to control the swelling and curb the pain. One of the best ways to accomplish both of those is through applying ice in a technique we call cryotherapy or cold therapy.
Cryotherapy creates a stark change in temperature to the skin, numbing pain receptors and helping tamp down the pain response. The cold temperature will also restrict blood flow to the area, reducing painful inflammation and swelling. Ice doesn’t “heal” an injury, but it can make it significantly less painful and even reduce the compounding effects of inflammation and stiffness that come from too much swelling.
Whether you’ve sprained your ankle, overdone it at the gym, or recently come out of surgery, cryotherapy is a key tool to combat painful inflammation. I’ve had many of my PT patients use a cold therapy machine as part of their pain management routine, at the clinic and at home.
What Are Cold Therapy Machines?
Unless you’re a professional athlete or are particularly accident prone, you may not already be familiar with cold therapy machines. These units consist mainly of a large cooler, full of ice and water, that connects to a wearable wrap.
Running on electricity or battery power, the cooler circulates the water from its ice reservoir to the interior of the wrap and back again, ensuring that the wrap stays as cold as possible, as evenly as possible, for as long as possible.
Do Cold Therapy Machines Work?
At first glance, you may assume that a cold therapy machine is no better than your trusty bag of ice. Besides, these units can get expensive, running from $200–500 on average, whereas a bag of ice is virtually free.
But cold therapy machines have a lot to offer. They’re really easy to use and can save you the hassle of handling melted, leaking zip-top bags.
One of the biggest draws for using a cold therapy machine is that they deliver colder temperatures for longer than an unplugged ice pack. Due to its active recirculation, cryotherapy from a machine stays at a consistent temperature and is evenly distributed throughout the wrap.
Another reason to ditch your ice baggie is that it can be difficult and awkward to make a glob of ice cubes conform evenly to your injury. With a cold therapy machine, you’ll use a comfortable wrap that embraces your body, whether a bilateral joint like your knee or a large area like your shoulder or back. Plus, these wraps usually include straps so you can enjoy your cold therapy hands-free.
When you’re recovering from an injury and need ice consistently, every day, for an extended period of time, you’ll be glad you got a cold therapy machine. In fact, research suggests that patients who use a cold therapy device are more satisfied, more consistent, and more likely to keep up with their therapy than those who use ice alone.
How to Use Cold Therapy Machines
Most cold therapy machines are remarkably simple to operate. First, open the cooler and add ice and water to the fill line. In some cases you can add frozen water bottles instead of ice cubes.
Next, apply the device-specific bandage or wrap that fits your injury, ensuring there’s a barrier (clothing or a towel) between your skin and the pad. You’ll then connect the wrap to the machine through its special tubing and plug in or power on the machine.
For each therapy session, set a timer and be sure to follow your doctor’s instructions for how long you should apply ice.
Important Safety Information
As a PT, I’d be remiss to not include some safety information you should follow when using cold therapy at home. As mentioned before, always use a barrier between your skin and the cold pad, unless there’s one already built in. Cryotherapy machines get really cold—enough to cause frostbite or tissue damage.
Secondly, do not wear the wrap for too long. Extended exposure of cold temperature can also cause tissue damage, so do not fall asleep with the cold therapy machine running. Make sure you track the time, and as a general rule stick to 20 minutes or less of cold therapy at once.
Summary
If you’ll soon be recovering from a surgery and applying ice every day for several weeks, a cold therapy machine like the ones listed above can save you a great deal of time and hassle. For athletes as well, cryotherapy is an indispensable method of pain relief, and ice baggies just can’t stand up to the wear and tear you’ll need when training.
Besides a cold therapy machine, however, you can enjoy the benefits of intermittent cryotherapy through wearable ice packs. Check out this post for a roundup of some of the best ice packs available online.
