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Tiger River has a higher density foam in their spas. Another difference is that the Caldera sheets are done in Mexico and shipped to California for plumbing as opposed to being done all on the same line like Tiger River.
I've read that tubs can be noisier and may cause vibration when on a deck, don't know how true it is. My tub is on a stand alone deck so if there is any vibrations I don't notice it.
The primary reason they use different densities of insulation is the difference in their structure.The Tiger River is not backed with fiberglass. The higher density foam is applied to the ABS backing and then layers of different density levels is used to provide structural support.The Caldera is backed with fiberglass. The fiberglass then acts as the shell's structural support. Thus, no need for all the different layers of different density foam.Both are highly energy efficient. Caldera may use a little more energy since it has a circulating cycle that runs water through all the jets. Hot Spring/Tiger River uses only the circulation pump.Both are great choices. They are pretty similar. I personally think Caldera is a bit more comfortable. Good luck in your research and purchase.
This is excellent information because many times there is confusion regarding the different density foams and why they are used.
Tonywith this info, what spa tiger or caldera would you go with???John 104 Degrees
I would go with either one. It all depends on your budget and what feels best. Both are excellent spas. Caldera spas have models that match more closely to some HotSpring models where Tiger River does not. Tiger River spas filter more like a Caldera than a HotSprings spa. There is a misconception that because HotSpring and Tiger River spas use high density foam they insulate better. This was expressed in the first post. Vanguard gave us good clarification on this. Both ways work well.