Learn best practices for starting and running a float center:
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Something in the world of floating have you stumped?

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Show Highlights

How much does a float tank cost?

Short answer — roughly $18 – 43K.

The slightly longer answer — listen to today’s episode.

Show Resources

Listen to Just the Audio

Transcription of this episode… (in case you prefer reading)

Graham: Alright, welcome, everybody. Our question today from one of our listeners is: “How much is a sensory deprivation tank?”

Ashkahn: Okay. How much does a float tank coast, huh? It’s a big range, right? I think the full scope of the range, I would say, is probably $10 000 at the lowest to $80 000 at the highest, for a commercial tank. There’s a tank, there’s the Zen Tent, which is $1,900 something. But that’s not really made for commercial use.

Graham: Right. So I guess just to clarify; I assume, since this is a show for commercial float center owners, that this is more on the commercial side. On the commercial side, about $10,000 to $80,000, from the very lowest to the very highest.

And so then the more median range in there, the average range of tanks that people are investing in, what do you think those are?

Ashkahn: There’s only a handful around the $10,000 range, and there’s I think an even smaller handful in that higher $70-$80,000 range. So, really, the bulk of them are somewhere between 20 and 40. Maybe slightly under 20k and 40k, and slightly over 40k, like 17-43k or something is gonna be the large majority of commercial float tanks out there.

Graham: Yeah, I think $17,000 to $43,000 was actually weirdly the numbers that I had in my head. And that’s also for getting commercial set up for the filtration side of things, too.

There are some of these tanks that you can get that have the lower priced models and the higher priced ones, or ones that are meant for home use and ones that are more for commercial settings. So that price range also includes that backside, too; the filtration system and everything that you’d need to be able to put in.

Ashkahn: Yeah, there’s one or two manufacturers out there that will even just sell a tub and you can kind of build the rest of it, so we’re not exactly counting those into this list.

Graham: I’d even say that the shipping and installation is kind of worked into that, too, or if you work that in, maybe it goes just a tiny bit higher.

Ashkahn: Those are good things to consider. I mean, if you’re buying a float tank, those are the things that you might not be quite expecting right off the bat and can vary a lot from tank to tank. Like, if you’re buying a tank that’s being manufactured down the street from you versus being manufactured on a different continent. The shipping cost is probably gonna be different across those two models.

Some manufacturers require for you to pay for installers to come out, so two people will come out and be there and install the thing and teach you how to do it. Other ones will send you the equipment and you can install it yourself.

Graham: I should say that literally before doing this episode, we went and looked at our own tank comparison chart to get a sense for exactly where those numbers were. I totally recommend you go to Float Tank Solutions and download the tank comparison chart and actually get a good look at exactly what these tanks are, and kind of the full range there. You can actually view all the individual units in addition to just having this broad view of price.

Ashkahn: Outside of that, it’s really hard to break it down much further. You might think that cabins are more expensive than pod-style tanks, and I feel like that can be true. You definitely see more cabins in the higher end than you do in the lower end, but there are some cabins out there that are in that $17-18k range.

And there are some tank or pod models out there that are in the $30K-something range, so that’s not necessarily a completely true statement, either.

Graham: And I think that’s all there is to say about that.

Ashkahn: Yeah. Alright. Ship it.

Graham: Lick it and stick it.

Recent Podcast Episodes

When it’s time to fire an employee – DSP 65

When it’s time to fire an employee – DSP 65

Terminating an employee isn’t an easy thing to do. How do you know when to have that conversation? Obviously you don’t want to come off too strongly, but there also has to be a line somewhere. Graham and Ashkahn attempt to explain where the line is at for them and their personal philosophy on the subject. 

When it’s time to fire an employee – DSP 65

Tips for getting celebrities into a float – DSP 64

Celebrities carry a lot of weight with their opinions. Often times they can be trend setters, especially for things like alternative wellness or things that might traditionally be seen as a little “out there” by the standards of contemporary society. Getting one to float in your center is a huge boon, naturally, and can be a really effective way to get some marketing.

So how do you land someone like Steph Curry at your float center? Well, fortunately Graham and Ashkahn are all too familiar with this, having had dozens of celebrities come in and float at Float On. They share their tips on what they do (and don’t do) when having celebrities float at their center. 

When it’s time to fire an employee – DSP 65

What is the Model Aquatic Health Code? – DSP 63

The Model Aquatic Health Code is a major change to how the float industry is likely going to be regulated in the future. It has been the subject of lots of whispers and rumors throughout the industry, making it almost like a bogeyman for float centers. Ashkahn has worked closely and advocated for the industry along with members of the Float Tank Association and several others. 

He helps explain where it’s at in the process now that the version has been finalized, what that means for float centers, and what to expect after it becomes implemented. 

When it’s time to fire an employee – DSP 65

What’s your policy on floats for staff members? – DSP 62

Every float center wants their staff to be knowledgeable and experienced in the practice of floating. They need to be able to answer questions that customers may have, and sharing personal experiences in the tank can be an excellent tool, marketing wise. But how do you balance that with your need to run a business? Some float centers end up hiring their best customers to work the shop, does that help or hurt their bottom line? In this episode, Graham and Ashkahn talk about Float On’s liberal employee float policy and the philosophy behind it, as well as discuss some of the confusing legal quandaries that come with it. 

When it’s time to fire an employee – DSP 65

What’s your opinion on hiring friends or relatives? – DSP 61

Graham and Ashkahn over the years have made some difficult choices while running Float On. In this episode they talk about the fortunes and follies of hiring friends to work for them. They’ve had friends that worked on construction, in the shop, building websites… It hasn’t always been the best decision and they’ve lost some friends along the way. So, when is hiring friends the right thing to do? When is it the absolute worst? These guys share their thoughts on the matter. 

Latest Blog Posts

No Results Found

The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.