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Update: Wife and I wet tested the Hotsprings Jetsetter, Prodigy, Flair, and Vanguard this weekend. Since we'd like to have friends and family join us occasionally, the mid-size 4-5 person tubs were the best fit. Loungers in general were great, especially the ones that had the calf and foot jets. Moto-Massage was nice, but only for a few minutes. The Highlife tubs felt a lot more solid in the controls than the limelight tubs which were louder and made some strange rattling noises when changing the flow. At the end of the day, we both really liked the size and layout of the Flair. Lounger was amazing for me, but was too deep for the wife. Deep seat had great lower back jets that I really enjoyed. The no-bypass filtration system on the Highlife tubs was also a big benefit, especially with the prospect of children in the tub in the near future. So I'm really interested in finding a Flair-equivalent in the Highlife series....Dealer suggested the Sovereign, but I think the Aria is more what I'm looking for in terms of jet layout (has the calf and individual foot jets, as well as a deep seat with good lumbar jets). Sovereign is only 1 pump vs the Aria's 2. Next step is to find out when the dealer will get the Aria and/or Sovereign in stock to wet test. I can't imagine buying something like this without a wet test first. QUESTION: Anyone know if the Aria lounger is shallower than the Flair? Anybody regret paying the Highlife premium instead of just going with a Limelight? I'm thinking this will be in our backyard for 15+ years, so trying to make the best decision possible.
Quote from: ski bum on September 13, 2015, 05:57:43 pmUpdate: Wife and I wet tested the Hotsprings Jetsetter, Prodigy, Flair, and Vanguard this weekend. Since we'd like to have friends and family join us occasionally, the mid-size 4-5 person tubs were the best fit. Loungers in general were great, especially the ones that had the calf and foot jets. Moto-Massage was nice, but only for a few minutes. The Highlife tubs felt a lot more solid in the controls than the limelight tubs which were louder and made some strange rattling noises when changing the flow. At the end of the day, we both really liked the size and layout of the Flair. Lounger was amazing for me, but was too deep for the wife. Deep seat had great lower back jets that I really enjoyed. The no-bypass filtration system on the Highlife tubs was also a big benefit, especially with the prospect of children in the tub in the near future. So I'm really interested in finding a Flair-equivalent in the Highlife series....Dealer suggested the Sovereign, but I think the Aria is more what I'm looking for in terms of jet layout (has the calf and individual foot jets, as well as a deep seat with good lumbar jets). Sovereign is only 1 pump vs the Aria's 2. Next step is to find out when the dealer will get the Aria and/or Sovereign in stock to wet test. I can't imagine buying something like this without a wet test first. QUESTION: Anyone know if the Aria lounger is shallower than the Flair? Anybody regret paying the Highlife premium instead of just going with a Limelight? I'm thinking this will be in our backyard for 15+ years, so trying to make the best decision possible.I had narrowed things down the to Bullfrog R6L, R7L, Hotspring Flair and Aria.... I've put a deposit on the Aria. Comparing the Flair to The Aria, the Aria just seems to beat it out everywhere. The corner seat is fantastic but I was surprised that I found all the seats comfortable. You really can enjoy the extra 3 inches in the foot well as it's not as crowded as the Flair. The two foot jets in the well are fantastic and positioned perfectly. I did wet test both. I'm sorry but I don't remember the differences in the loungers, just that I liked them both. One thing we discovered in the Aria (which may seem a little strange) was you could sit the opposite way on the lounger. It put the foot jets on your lover back (instead of the moto) and the calf jets are nice on your thighs. It was really nice to be able to sit both ways and get multiple uses out of the jets. You couldn't do this with the Flair due to the filter being at the foot of the lounger. All in all, even though the Aria is the most expensive of our "final four", we feel it will be the best for us in the long run... Like you, I plan on having it for at least 15 years!
Just under 11K out the door... That includes sales tax, cover lifter, steps, delivery and chemicals. It already comes with ozone and sub panel. I'm passing on the ACE system. Try and wet test and sit in reverse on the lounger... it will surprise you!
Really wanted to talk the Wife into the Aria, but man that is 3k more than the Soveriegn if that price holds similar.
Isn't the A series Bullfrog a better comparison to the tubs you're considering?
Quote from: av8r on September 16, 2015, 02:28:17 pmIsn't the A series Bullfrog a better comparison to the tubs you're considering?The dealer only had the R-series filled so that's what we had to try. However, the size and jets would be the same from the A to R series, so no change there. You're right that the fit and finish might be a little better.