Contrast Hot + Cold

738 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL

Contrast Hot + Cold is a purpose-built recovery studio in River West that does exactly one thing: alternate far-infrared heat with cold water. The Community Room is a shared infrared sauna at 150°F and a bank of cold plunges for a small group, while the Private Rooms give an individual or a couple their own sauna, plunge and shower. The plunges sit at 45-55°F and can be dropped to 39°F for the brave, and the studio is unusually transparent about its water care: no chlorine or bromine, enzyme treatment, daily testing and drains every two to three days. It is built for athletes and anyone training hard, with a Monday-morning run club, group recovery sessions and a marathon-season Sunday long-run special. Community sessions are $39 (or $34 in a five-pack), private suites $59, and memberships run from $99 for four community visits to $149 for unlimited community-room access and $239 for unlimited private suites; the first visit is free. Sessions are booked online or in the studio's app, with a bathing suit required in the shared room and clothing optional behind the closed door of a private suite. With a 4.9 Google rating and a reputation for a spotless, well-designed space and a staff that will coach a first-timer through the 4:1 protocol, Contrast is the most accessible entry point to contrast therapy on the Near West Side.