Our recovery products testing methodology

Recovery is essential, not just for athletes but for anyone looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Whether through heat therapy in a sauna or cold therapy in a cold plunge tub, these methods can significantly enhance your recovery process. Choosing the right recovery products involves considering a range of factors to ensure they meet your specific needs.

Our process is comprehensive, combining physical product testing with expert input to assess everything from effectiveness and ease of use to durability and safety standards.

Whether you’re seeking the intense heat of a sauna to relax your muscles or the invigorating chill of a cold plunge tub for inflammation reduction, we’re here to guide you. After all, effective recovery tools can make a significant difference in longevity, health, and overall wellness.

Here’s why you can trust our recovery product reviews.

Every Fortune recovery product review features:

Physical product testing with custom images as proof.
Authors who are credible health experts.
Fact-checking and reviewing by qualified experts, such as sports medicine specialists, physiotherapists, and rehabilitation experts.
Medical reviewing by industry experts, including MDs and certified personal trainers.
Claims backed by trustworthy clinical research.

Fortune Recommends™ aims to test 100% of the recovery products we recommend so we can provide honest and objective feedback.

However, we may occasionally include products we haven’t yet had a chance to test. We update our reviews after we’ve tested those products for several weeks or even months. Until then, we rely on the expertise of our certified personal trainers to conduct thorough research when determining the best recovery products to include in our lists.

Even though we earn commission through affiliate links and sometimes receive free products for editorial consideration, all of the opinions we share are 100% our own. Not every product we test will make it to our published reviews—our main focus is recommending products that meet our high standards.

Learn how we test all product categories here.

Our scoring methodology for recovery products

We assign each product a score of one through five for each of the 15 categories we test. Rather than simply average those scores together, we weigh them based on what’s most important. We then average them to create a cumulative score.

For example, when evaluating recovery products, it’s essential to balance assessment between concrete specifications—such as temperature control, safety mechanisms, and build quality—and less tangible aspects like user interface and customer support. Precise temperature control in a sauna is crucial as it significantly impacts the therapeutic benefits, whereas customer support may enhance the user experience but won’t directly impact the quality of therapy.

Using these individual scores, we create an overall score on a scale of one out of five. A score of five is the highest possible rating, and one is the lowest.

Testing criteria

Performance (recovery effectiveness)—30%

A high-quality recovery product should deliver on its promise of aiding your recovery process. Performance encompasses various critical aspects, including the ability of saunas to reach and maintain desired temperatures for heat therapy and the capacity of cold plunge tubs to regulate water temperature for effective cold therapy accurately. Our testers assess various factors to reflect the functional aspects of the product as well as the user’s recovery experience.

Here’s what we’re looking for:

Temperature range: Our testers assess saunas’ ability to offer a sufficiently high temperature for deep heat therapy while also allowing lower settings for gentler warmth. For cold plunge tubs, they assess whether the tub can reach temperatures low enough to provide the benefits of cold immersion therapy and higher temperatures for more comfortable or varied uses.
Temperature stability: Fluctuations in temperature can diminish the therapeutic benefits and impact user comfort and safety. A sauna that can’t maintain a stable temperature may lead to a less effective detoxification process. A cold plunge tub that warms up too quickly may fail to offer the sustained cold exposure needed for optimal recovery.
Ease of use: Our testers examine how straightforward controlling the product’s features is. This includes clarity of control panels, simplicity of temperature settings, and the ease of setting times and customizing their experience, allowing users to focus on recovery rather than managing complicated settings.
Durability and material quality: High-quality materials are essential for ensuring the product can withstand the demands of frequent use, exposure to extreme temperatures, and contact with water, especially in the case of cold plunge tubs. For saunas, materials that provide effective insulation and heat resistance are vital for maintaining efficiency and safety. The construction and materials should withstand regular use, ensuring long-term reliability.
Power demand: Our testers assess the energy efficiency and electrical requirements of saunas and cold plunge tubs. This will help understand operational costs, their environmental impact, and compatibility with home electrical systems.

Design and safety—30%

Alongside effectiveness, design is paramount for a positive recovery experience. It factors in how these therapies support and enhance the user’s overall well-being, whether sitting in a sauna or immersed in a cold plunge tub. The health and safety aspects are also critical, especially for products used in close contact with the body or for therapeutic purposes like saunas and cold plunge tubs. This category scrutinizes the measures and features implemented by manufacturers to protect users from potential hazards while also assessing the health-promoting aspects of the products. We evaluate:

Size: Our testers evaluate the size of recovery products like saunas and cold plunge tubs as it directly impacts the user’s ability to comfortably and effectively utilize the product for its intended therapeutic benefits. The dimensions and spatial design must accommodate the physical needs of the users, allowing for ease of movement, adequate personal space, and the ability to engage in the therapy without feeling cramped or restricted.
Accessibility features: Comfort includes examining how accessible the product is for all users, including those with physical limitations or disabilities. Features such as low-entry tubs, ergonomic seating in saunas, and touch-sensitive controls can make a significant difference in making recovery practices inclusive and accessible to a broader audience.
Material safety: The emphasis on non-toxic materials eliminates exposure to harmful chemicals that can off-gas at room temperature or when heated, such as formaldehyde in wood products or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in plastics and foams. Our testers examine that the products are designed with non-toxic materials to safeguard users from potential respiratory irritants and skin sensitizers, contributing to a safer wellness experience.
Certifications: Our testers evaluate the credibility and safety of recovery products by reviewing the certifications. For electrical-powered products, like saunas, certifications like the Underwriters Laboratories or Intertek’s ETL Mark indicate the product has been tested for safety risks associated with electrical components. The OEKO-TEK® Standard 100 Certification verifies that the textiles used in saunas or cold plunge tubs are free from hazardous chemicals.
Safety features: To ensure users have a safe experience while using recovery products, our testers evaluate them for features such as automatic shut-off, non-slip surfaces, emergency access, safety warnings, stable construction, and materials that are safe to use in extreme temperatures.

Value—20%

This category delves into the intersection of quality, performance, durability, and the financial investment required to identify products that offer significant health and wellness returns without the financial burden. This offers a holistic view of the product’s worth by balancing the initial investment against the quality, benefits, and ongoing costs associated with its use. This approach helps consumers make informed decisions, identify products that meet their recovery needs, and represent a wise and sustainable financial investment.

Customer experience—20%

The overall purchasing and ownership experience can significantly impact satisfaction with a recovery product. This category focuses on consumers’ journeys, from initial interest to post-purchase support. The assessment goes beyond the physical attributes and considers the entirety of the process, including shipping, customer support, assembly, and more.

Our factors in this rating include:

Shipping: Our testers evaluate the time it takes for the packages to arrive during the promised time frame, the product’s condition upon arrival, what type of delivery services are offered (such as white glove), shipping costs, and tracking updates.
Assembly: Products like saunas and cold plunge tubs often require some setup before use. This part can significantly influence the overall experience for the user. Our testers evaluate the clarity of instructions, ensuring the assembly process begins with clear, concise, and easy-to-follow instructions. They also evaluate the simplicity of assembly, quality and organization of components, and the time and effort required to assemble.
Warranty: A comprehensive and transparent warranty policy not only serves as a safety net for consumers but also reinforces the value of their investment. Our testers evaluate the length and coverage of the warranty policy, as longer warranties cover a wide range of potential issues and bring peace of mind to customers. They also assess that the warranty is clearly stated and easily accessible to potential buyers.
Customer support: Effective customer support goes beyond resolving issues—it encompasses proactive engagement, providing information, and fostering a positive, supportive relationship throughout the customer journey. This factor influences customer satisfaction, loyalty, and the likelihood of recommending the brand to others. Our testers evaluate the availability of customer support through multiple channels such as phone, email, live chat, and social media. They also assess the speed at which inquiries are acknowledged and the representatives’ expertise in the products, allowing them to offer accurate and helpful information.