Patent-pending NipTide Vortex

Thermal Layer Disruption

"The circulation actually is key" says neuroscientist and tenured Stanford professor Andrew Huberman.

Because, if you stay completely still in a cold plunge, your body warms up the water that is touching your skin. So if you don't move, it gets a little warmer for you, making it more comfortable but robbing you of the full benefits of cold plunging.

Huberman and Joe Rogan of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast discuss the Morozco Forge and the BlueCube, specifically how the BlueCube has a built in function to disrupt that thermal layer. (Video below — Contains strong language. Viewer discretion advised.)

Although we were unable to find evidence that any of Morozko’s current models include an active circulation system to disrupt the thermal layer, they start at over $9000 and go above $30,000. BlueCube's models that include their thermal layer disruption start at $16,000 and go up from there.

Active thermal-layer disruption is what our NipTide Vortex is all about. We have designed a system that gives you consistent cold, every second of your plunge — without the premium price tag.

Video below contains strong language. Watch the entire discussion on Spotify on the Joe Rogan Experience.


Cold water only does its job if your skin keeps experiencing true cold. When water sits still, a warm “thermal layer” forms around you and blunts effectiveness. Keep the water moving, and those cold receptors keep firing, which research links to spikes in norepinephrine, dopamine, and β-endorphins—changes tied to sharper mood, focus, and a stronger “I can do hard things” mental boost.

Emerging work also shows cold triggers “cold-shock” proteins (like RBM3/CIRP) that help cells adapt to stress. Studies of cold-water immersion report improvements in affect and well-being, while classic physiology papers measured large norepinephrine (~5×) and dopamine (~2.5×) increases during cold immersion. In short: active circulation prevents the thermal layer from forming, keeps the stimulus honest, and helps you reap the mental and physiological payoff people seek from a plunge.

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A Polr Plunge is shown here with a cutaway view to show the full active NipTide Vortex inside.

Polr's patent-pending tapered design mimics a vortex's shape in nature, maximizing that thermal layer breakage and bringing you constant, reliable cold-therapy right when you need it.

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*Product animation is designed to demonstrate design, not demonstrate exact results.