★★★★★ 5.0 from 33 verified reviews
Hot, then cold, then quiet.
Sauna, cold plunge, red light bed and compression boots, in a room booked to you and nobody else. Come on your own, or bring someone.
Your first visit, bring someone freeNormally $30. New clients, one guest per person.
Nervous about the cold? Book the room, use the sauna, and leave the plunge alone. Nobody will say a word.
Click here to book your first visitOne room, one booking at a time. Once a slot is taken it is gone for the day, and the after-work and Saturday ones go first.
Very pleased with my first time going into Ruku. We are definitely going back again.Sunny R. Every review from a verified booking. Read all 32 (opens in a new tab)
Sauna and Cold Plunge
from $49
Not a bench in a shared room with somebody from work two feet away. The whole room is booked to you.
Warm enough to sweat properly. Cool enough to sit and hold a conversation. Not the kind that makes you grit your teeth and count to sixty.
Cedar lined, so the whole room smells like cedar. Music through the speaker if you want it, silence if you do not.
Then the cold, whenever you are ready. We are not going to pretend this bit is pleasant. The first three seconds are horrible, for everyone, every time. Then your breathing settles and it is fine.
A minute is a good first go. Two is plenty. Nobody is out there watching the clock.
30 minutes$49
45 minutes$59
1 hour$79
“Such a beautiful place, I loved it.”HAILEY S.
Click here to book your sauna and cold plunge
Ruku Light
$69
Twenty minutes lying in a warm bed of red light. That is the whole thing.
Something like lying in the afternoon sun, without the sun. No UV, so nothing to burn and nothing to tan. Four fans inside if you run hot, eye covers on, and we set the brightness for you instead of leaving you guessing.
Nothing to do afterwards. Get dressed and go. The only full-body one in Taranaki.
“They took the time to explain the process and make sure I was comfortable. The space was clean, calming and welcoming.”LISA H.
Click here to book the red light bed
Ruku Boots
$45
You sit back, legs out, and the boots zip up from your feet to your hips.
They squeeze and release, squeeze and release, travelling up one section at a time from your feet to the top of your thigh. Then everything releases at once, and it starts again. A full pass takes about three minutes.
Seven settings, and you control how firm it goes. Half an hour with your legs up and nothing else to do.
Click here to book the compression bootsEverything in one visit
Reset Hour
$129- An hour in the sauna and cold plunge room
- Twenty minutes on the red light bed
Booked separately this costs $148.
Click here to book a Reset Hour
Ruku Immersion
$159- An hour in the sauna and cold plunge room
- Twenty minutes on the red light bed
- Thirty minutes in the compression boots
Booked separately this costs $193.
Click here to book a Ruku ImmersionNever done this before?
Most people who walk in have never sat in a sauna, and it is the cold that worries them. Here is the whole visit, before you book.
You arrive
Come five minutes early. Park on the street. We show you the room, show you how it works, and leave you to it.
You get changed
Togs, underwear, or nothing. It is your room and the door is shut. Bring a towel to sit on.
The sauna
You sit. That is it. Ten or fifteen minutes is plenty the first time. Step out whenever you want.
The plunge
Feet first, sit down, shoulders under. Breathe out slowly and the gasp passes in about fifteen seconds.
You finish
Dry off, drink the water we leave out, sit for a minute before you drive. No upsell at the door.
What to bring
TowelOne each. Bring a second if you want one to sit on.
TogsOr underwear. Or nothing. The room is yours.
JandalsThe floor gets wet. Slides or jandals are easiest.
WaterFill up before you go in. There is water here if you forget.
Your playlistBluetooth speaker in the room. Bring your own music or use ours.
Wet bagFor the togs and the towel on the way home.
How the studio runs
Booking and paying
You pay when you book, on Fresha. That is what holds the room for you, because only one booking runs at a time.
Changing your mind
Move or cancel any time up to 24 hours before. Inside 24 hours the session is charged, because the slot cannot be refilled that late.
Arriving
Five to ten minutes early. If you are late we shorten your session rather than run into the next booking.
Phones and noise
Phones on silent before you come in. The whole point of the place is that it is quiet.
If you are unwell
Move your booking. No charge, no questions. Just tell us before the 24 hours if you can.
Scent
Skip the perfume and aftershave. The rooms are small and it lingers.
Your things
Bring what you need into the room and keep anything valuable with you. We cannot look after it for you.
Add to any booking
| Bring a guestShares the sauna and cold plunge. Up to two. | $30 |
| Add the bootsAdds 30 minutes to your visit. | $40 |
| Make the 45 an hourOn a 45 minute session. | $20 |
The red light bed and the boots hold one person, so a guest does not use those. First visit, your guest is free.
Weekly plans
| One a weekOne 45 minute session every week. | $45a week |
| Two a weekTwo 45 minute sessions every week. | $79a week |
Twelve weeks minimum, then carry on or stop. Both plans include one free guest once a month.
Click here to start a weekly planPackages
Paid up front, used whenever suits. Most people who keep coming buy one, because it costs less a session and you are not thinking about money every time you walk in.
| Package | Per session | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 3 x 45 minutes3 months to use | $53 instead of $59 | $159 |
| 5 x Ruku Light3 months to use | $55 instead of $69 | $275 |
| 10 x 45 minutes6 months to use | $47 instead of $59 | $470 |
Questions people ask first
How cold is the plunge?
Cold enough that the first three seconds take your breath. One minute is a good first go, two is plenty, and you can get out whenever you want.
Do I have to do the cold plunge?
No. Plenty of people book the room and only use the sauna. The plunge is there if you want it.
What do I wear?
Togs, underwear, or nothing. It is your room and the door is shut. For the red light bed you lie in your underwear, because it is about how much skin the light reaches.
Can I come with someone?
Yes, in the sauna and cold plunge room. Up to two guests at $30 each, free on your first visit. The red light bed and the boots hold one person.
Do I need to book ahead?
Yes. One room, one booking at a time, so we cannot fit walk-ins. Weekends and after-work slots go first.
Where are you?
Waitara, fifteen minutes from New Plymouth, with parking on the street.
Before you book
- No alcohol before or during.
- Never get into the plunge head first.
- Start short and build up.
- Drink water afterwards.
- Tell us first if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, are pregnant, or feel unwell.
- Feeling light headed can happen after a session as well as during one. Take a minute before you drive.
A session at Ruku should not replace advice or treatment from your registered health practitioner, nor should it delay or postpone you seeing your health practitioner about a health problem.
Hot, then cold, then quiet
Sauna, cold plunge, red light and compression boots in Waitara, fifteen minutes from New Plymouth. Your first visit, bring someone free.
Click here to book your first visitBuying for somebody else? Ruku gift cards start at $50.