I have research things on the internet for years. I research things to death. We are getting ready to buy our first hot tub (8 people) and I feel more lost today than I did when I started this process 3 days ago. I visited two dealers today who gave me their pitches. They sounded good and logical. When I came home I found info online that told me the complete opposite of what they said. Even my good friend Amazon.com let me down with limited reviews. Where can one go to find honest reviews on quality build construction, Salt vs non-salt, quality customer support, big box vs dealer, Cal Spa vs Hot Springs etc. This is the craziest industry I've ever seen. I can tell you anything about any car manufacture and their cars but I can't tell you anything about the various hot tub manufactures or their models. I'm hoping the folks on this forum can point me in the right direction!!!
It is a tough one. The sales pitches from the quality manufacturers are biased and made by the manufacturers. Have you ever had a manufacturer tell you there products faults? Independent reviews are also bought and paid for by manufacturers. Manufacturers also go a long ways to skew any online videos they produce to make you believe theirs is the best and the only way to make a quality product. They all do it, some more than others.
These forums are also full of dealers and reps from manufacturers that try their hardest to steer you to the brand they sell. And they use deceit to do it. But that doesn't mean they are all bad. Sales is sales and no one has the exclusive to it.
Do you have any independent repair guys in your area you can call? See what brands they work on the most and should steer away from.
Of the 2 you mentioned I can tell you from my experience servicing these things for almost 30 years that Hot Springs and Cal Spa are in different classes. Not to say Cal Spa is a bad spa just not the same as a Hot Springs. And it should be reflected in the price, warranty and energy consumption.
Here are some quality brands to start looking at if they are in your area. Hot Springs, Marquis, Dimension One, Sundance, Caldera, Bull Frog, Arctic, Artisan and Jacuzzi. There are others.
Big box store tubs can offer value but it to comes at a price of longevity, power consumption, noise and comfort. But you pay less. You should pay less, your getting less.
The best place to start is with your budget and local dealers. Then comfort should be the deciding factor. And while your working on comfort work on the noise, is it loader than the other one. Is it easy to operate.
DO NOT let the fluff spun by salesman steer you to a particular brand. There are some unbiased people here with a lot of experience.
Good luck and slow down and enjoy the process.
