Types of hot tubs: rec's for cheapest options?

[ChelleSte]

I've been thinking about getting an inflatable hot tub but I'm wondering what other budget styles are available that people like? Preferably $1k or less.

 

[Mdragger88]

I know this isn’t what you’re asking but….
since you’re more up north & will likely have a fairly long hot tub season (although I use mine year round even in the south) you may be better served with a permanent tub. The roto molded plug & play ones can be had for about $2k. Some have the option to be 110v or 220v.
I personally wouldn’t spend more than a few hundred dollars on an inflatable tub. Spending more doesn’t really get you higher quality or a better experience like a permanent one unless you’re looking at a softub type which costs thousands $$$ & are more or just as expensive as a roto molded or big box store spa.
The parts for the bestway/coleman/intex ones aren’t cheap when they go out. Many parts aren’t individually replaceable. They are meant to be temporary/disposable. The shells are fairly durable but that’s where the pro’s end. The filters, heaters, & jets are all meh .
Do you need it to be temporary?

 

[Methuselah]

My better half's coworkers were jealous when she told them about her new hot tub, and two of them that were thinking about doing the same bought inflatable tubs. Both of them regretted it. One of them had to return the first one and both of them disliked how small they were. I believe they said there was no seat, and the "jets" are just basically circulation, no power to speak of (no therapeutic value), and too crowded.

We spent waaaay too much for ours, including a concrete slab and gazebo with canvas curtains, electrical wiring including lights and outlets, and a few extras. Then I started reading through here and what I found out is many folks have buyers remorse and sell fairly new units at a fraction of what it cost new (because the market won't pay top dollar for a used tub). If you can find one locally that isn't too old, that someone is willing to fill or has it filled already so you can check that it works and isn't leaking, you will probably find something you will appreciate a lot more than an inflatable.

Just know you will have to have electrical service, and that it is best to have that set up in advance because you can't drain a hot tub fully and stuff grows in its plumbing quickly.

That's my $.02, overcharging such as it is

 

[Newdude]

+1 on buyers remorse. I had a $4500 middle of the road hot tub. It was a big resin one, but it was 110v. Each seat only had 4 jets and they had no oooomph. Being 110v, it couldn't keep up with the cold once uncovered, so long soaks were impossible. To gain another 15 mins, I cut up an old pool solar cover and would tuck under it like a floating blanket, with only my head sticking out.

If you want a bubbly bathtub that cools off quick, something is always better than nothing. There are many folks out there that still like them, but it won't be a fraction of the 'spa experience'. Go in with your eyes wide open.

 

[Mdragger88]

I have this one

Lifesmart Reward (LS50) 5-Person 9-Jet Plug and Play Spa - Blem - OutletSpas.com

With 9 Whirlpool jets and seating for 5, the LS50 has a unique bench seat configuration. Also includes a waterfall, LED lighting & thermal friction heating.

outletspas.com

I paid $1800 for it a few years ago on wayfair.
It was worth every penny.
My climate makes the 110v aspect not really a problem- that said, last year during the “polar vortex” & 1 degree days I used it every day. I keep mine at 104 degrees & stay in until it drops to 99 or 100 when it’s cold outside. It always makes it’s way back up to temp by the following morning/evening when we are ready to use it again.
Since it’s rotomolded me & my teen daughter can move it easily when it’s empty. Since it’s round I can put it on it’s side & roll it if necessary (although I don’t really have anywhere else to put it).
The shape also helps it fit less intrusively on my patio.
The jets & their accompanying force are plenty strong enough for me, when both me & the hubby are in it he gets the back jets. The rest are just singles. I had used a couple different roto molded ones @ vrbo’s so I knew what to expect. I figured it would be our “starter spa” & if we liked it & used it we could upgrade to something larger & more robust & expensive later.
It has been a great experience, we use it pretty much daily (sometimes twice a day) except in the very dog days of summer where it’s 100 degrees at night. In the shoulder seasons for the pool it gets a lot of use, swim/float a little then warm up in the hot tub. This helps extend our pool season.
As mentioned above you really should have a dedicated gfci circuit whether you get a 110v or a 220v tub even if it’s an intex kind of tub.
The inflatable ones aren’t horrible for the money if you get one for $200-$300. They are just not a great substitute for the real thing & they have their quirks.
They do have their role & that is to determine whether or not a hot tub is something you will actually use for little coin whilst being storable if that’s a thing you require.
In your climate & with a small budget I recommend a plug & play that has the option to be either 110v or 220v (220v allows you to have heat & jets at the same time w/120v it’s one at a time)
Or a nice used one you can verify is operational as mentioned above. There are several offered here everyday on fb marketplace.

 

[Methuselah]

In your climate & with a small budget I recommend a plug & play that has the option to be either 110v or 220v (220v allows you to have heat & jets at the same time w/120v it’s one at a time)
Or a nice used one you can verify is operational as mentioned above. There are several offered here everyday on fb marketplace.

@ChelleSte, Mine's 220V and unless it can be "reconfigured", the heater will not come on with the main jets on high. It might drop 1 degree during the 15 minute cycle in 40 degree weather and I don't recall seeing this "feature" in the manual. Just figured I'd mention it...

 

[phonedave]

When we were looking at hot tubs, we looked at a bunch. Honestly, inflatable ones were never in our picture, but just about everything else was. We ended up with a Bullfrog, which is far from inexpensive, but it was the tub we really liked. We looked at it as we were going to be spending a chunk of change on it, no matter what we chose. By trying to save a few bucks we were just going to be disappointed in what we got.

So, figure out what matters to you in a hot tub. If what matters is going to cost you $1,500, then trying to only spend $1,000 is likely just going to result in a bad experience.

 

[dschlic1]

Another alternative: We have a jetted tub in our master bath. Use it just about everyday, year around.

 

[phonedave]

Another alternative: We have a jetted tub in our master bath. Use it just about everyday, year around.

When I remodeled my one bathroom, my wife asked for a jetted tub, she used it 5-6 nights a week, for about 8-9 years. Then we got the hot tub - she has not been in it since.

 

[Mdragger88]

As a house cleaner I can verify that 99% of people who have jetted tubs never use them. They are often just a large basin that collects dust & clutter.

 

[ChelleSte]

I know this isn’t what you’re asking but….
since you’re more up north & will likely have a fairly long hot tub season (although I use mine year round even in the south) you may be better served with a permanent tub. The roto molded plug & play ones can be had for about $2k. Some have the option to be 110v or 220v.
I personally wouldn’t spend more than a few hundred dollars on an inflatable tub. Spending more doesn’t really get you higher quality or a better experience like a permanent one unless you’re looking at a softub type which costs thousands $$$ & are more or just as expensive as a roto molded or big box store spa.
The parts for the bestway/coleman/intex ones aren’t cheap when they go out. Many parts aren’t individually replaceable. They are meant to be temporary/disposable. The shells are fairly durable but that’s where the pro’s end. The filters, heaters, & jets are all meh .
Do you need it to be temporary?

I don't need it to be but I wanted to try the inflatable (cheaper) just to make sure I actually use it enough before investing in a more expensive one.

 

[ChelleSte]

I have this one

Lifesmart Reward (LS50) 5-Person 9-Jet Plug and Play Spa - Blem - OutletSpas.com

With 9 Whirlpool jets and seating for 5, the LS50 has a unique bench seat configuration. Also includes a waterfall, LED lighting & thermal friction heating.

outletspas.com

I paid $1800 for it a few years ago on wayfair.
It was worth every penny.
My climate makes the 110v aspect not really a problem- that said, last year during the “polar vortex” & 1 degree days I used it every day. I keep mine at 104 degrees & stay in until it drops to 99 or 100 when it’s cold outside. It always makes it’s way back up to temp by the following morning/evening when we are ready to use it again.
Since it’s rotomolded me & my teen daughter can move it easily when it’s empty. Since it’s round I can put it on it’s side & roll it if necessary (although I don’t really have anywhere else to put it).
The shape also helps it fit less intrusively on my patio.
The jets & their accompanying force are plenty strong enough for me, when both me & the hubby are in it he gets the back jets. The rest are just singles. I had used a couple different roto molded ones @ vrbo’s so I knew what to expect. I figured it would be our “starter spa” & if we liked it & used it we could upgrade to something larger & more robust & expensive later.
It has been a great experience, we use it pretty much daily (sometimes twice a day) except in the very dog days of summer where it’s 100 degrees at night. In the shoulder seasons for the pool it gets a lot of use, swim/float a little then warm up in the hot tub. This helps extend our pool season.
As mentioned above you really should have a dedicated gfci circuit whether you get a 110v or a 220v tub even if it’s an intex kind of tub.
The inflatable ones aren’t horrible for the money if you get one for $200-$300. They are just not a great substitute for the real thing & they have their quirks.
They do have their role & that is to determine whether or not a hot tub is something you will actually use for little coin whilst being storable if that’s a thing you require.
In your climate & with a small budget I recommend a plug & play that has the option to be either 110v or 220v (220v allows you to have heat & jets at the same time w/120v it’s one at a time)
Or a nice used one you can verify is operational as mentioned above. There are several offered here everyday on fb marketplace.

That's exactly why I want a cheap one right now-- to see if I'll use it enough to invest in a better one. We have a hot tub store here that does sell used ones as well (the fancy spas and some molded ones) so that would probably be where I'd go. I'm just worried to make such an investment right now without knowing what kind of use it'll get.

 

[ChelleSte]

@ChelleSte, Mine's 220V and unless it can be "reconfigured", the heater will not come on with the main jets on high. It might drop 1 degree during the 15 minute cycle in 40 degree weather and I don't recall seeing this "feature" in the manual. Just figured I'd mention it...

Interesting. Even with 220v? I wonder why that is. We have very cold winters so a long soak would definitely need the heater

 

[ChelleSte]

When we were looking at hot tubs, we looked at a bunch. Honestly, inflatable ones were never in our picture, but just about everything else was. We ended up with a Bullfrog, which is far from inexpensive, but it was the tub we really liked. We looked at it as we were going to be spending a chunk of change on it, no matter what we chose. By trying to save a few bucks we were just going to be disappointed in what we got.

So, figure out what matters to you in a hot tub. If what matters is going to cost you $1,500, then trying to only spend $1,000 is likely just going to result in a bad experience.

My budget is much higher for a hot tub in general, I'm just worried to toss that out right away without knowing how much use it'll get. I'd like something cheaper to start with and then upgrade if it is getting enough use to be worth it. Bullfrog and similar ones are what I would probably get.

 

[ChelleSte]

Another alternative: We have a jetted tub in our master bath. Use it just about everyday, year around.

I have thought about this! I just thought a hot tub would be nice for when I have guests. I already have a projector and speakers for out back that I got for the pool, so it's all ready to just pop in a hot tub

 

[Methuselah]

I don't need it to be but I wanted to try the inflatable (cheaper) just to make sure I actually use it enough before investing in a more expensive one.

I can't really tell from your responses just what your experiences are, so maybe this is irrelevant ...

We knew we wanted to try the hot tub experience and when we decided to do a getaway weekend together with family, rented a secluded cabin and chose one with a hot tub. It's been a while but I believe there were pictures online. It was really nice, so we kept going back, then eventually decided to get our own. A try before you buy situation --- some hotels have them too, as do cruse ships. The ones in the cabins were the best ones, some of the others were disappointing to the point we didn't even get in (cruse ship).

Sanitation is important, so maybe bring a cheap test kit and bottle of plain unscented bleach with you (i.e. kroger's, Big Lots, Dollar General).

 

[Methuselah]

Interesting. Even with 220v? I wonder why that is. We have very cold winters so a long soak would definitely need the heater

Drop wasn't too much, from 100 down to 99 in 15 minutes, but some will heat with the pumps running others may not. Last weekend my better half had 3 friends in with her and it was uncovered/running 45 minutes and only dropped 2 degrees.

 

[Mdragger88]

I can't really tell from your responses just what your experiences are, so maybe this is irrelevant ...

We knew we wanted to try the hot tub experience and when we decided to do a getaway weekend together with family, rented a secluded cabin and chose one with a hot tub. It's been a while but I believe there were pictures online. It was really nice, so we kept going back, then eventually decided to get our own. A try before you buy situation --- some hotels have them too, as do cruse ships. The ones in the cabins were the best ones, some of the others were disappointing to the point we didn't even get in (cruse ship).

Sanitation is important, so maybe bring a cheap test kit and bottle of plain unscented bleach with you (i.e. kroger's, Big Lots, Dollar General).

This is exactly how I knew what I wanted & didn’t want & what helped seal my decision on a roto molded one!
Multiple vrbo vacays with different tubs - I wasn’t just there for the hot tub of course
I personally like the fact that they generally don’t have a million jets - too many & too strong is the opposite of relaxing to me. I also discovered I am too shortly torso’d to enjoy a lounger!

 

[Mdragger88]

Drop wasn't too much, from 100 down to 99 in 15 minutes, but some will heat with the pumps running others may not. Last weekend my better half had 3 friends in with her and it was uncovered/running 45 minutes and only dropped 2 degrees.

From my understanding for most of the tubs that are able to be 110 or 220v There may be a dip switch or something that needs to be changed in the equipment area that can sometimes be overlooked when being installed.
Perhaps start a new thread about it.

 

[Methuselah]

From my understanding for most of the tubs that are able to be 110 or 220v There may be a dip switch or something that needs to be changed in the equipment area that can sometimes be overlooked when being installed.
Perhaps start a new thread about it.

No 120V, just normal operation for this tub.