Another good experience yesterday while wet testing
Also confirmed that our dealer is on here, which we had thought might be the case 👍🏼
Kingston was great. Very nice tub. Definitely a more modern cabinet and the layout was nice. Entry is so smooth - with the sun deck (sorry, I forgot the actual name), it’s great. The glass panel is noticeably better to control than the dated alternatives. Stil not up to the Hot Spring remote, but it’s better than the alternatives.
Optima jets are probably the best so far; the Kingston was a bit underpowered and it was a major bummer realizing that 2 of the main seats have to shut down to have the foot dome on. Jacuzzi’s 400 series also has great jets, we were able to confirm that again. A third pump in the Kingston might be a good addition from Sundance.
Kingston was a bit shallow and the seats were not as sculpted as I’d like. We did not have float issues, but we did not feel “hugged” or like we were totally letting go to relax. The Aspen looks much better in this regard - a dry test showed much deeper seats (could actually use the leg jets, in the Kingston I couldn’t get them to hit my calves because my knees were bent at such a sharp angle due to the shallow floor). The Aspen is also significantly more sculpted in terms of seats, compared to the Kingston. Ultimately, I feel like Sundance would have a clear “leader of the pack” if they’d combine the top features of the Aspen (3 pumps, depth, sculpted seats, entry/exit handles, whirlpool jets) and Kingston (topside panel, lighting, cabinet, sun deck).
We do definitely like the Kingston and are keeping it on the list. It’s a bummer that the functional aspects of Aspen seem so great but the ambience features (cabinet, lights, topside controls) are a bit behind - because that would have otherwise been a great option.
The 500 series from Jacuzzi is also still on the list. We like the 400 series and wife really loves the ambience Jacuzzi creates (lets be honest, I totally agree). We’re a bit concerned that the 500 series may not be as sculpted inside compared to the 400 series... and no wet test is a concern of course.
We are also going to wet test the Hot Spring Envoy, sounds like that will be next weekend. A bit nervous about Hot Spring’s “flat” interiors and not being very sculpted; and we’re also not totally sold on the lounger in the Envoy, but we really want to give Hot Spring one more chance (remember, the Grandee fell down for us with float issues).
We’re also thinking we’ll bite the bullet and make the trip to see a D1 dealer. The loungers in their Bay collection tubs are differentiators and might work for us. Their tubs also look to be very sculpted (including cove-like cutouts in some of the seats, like what the J-400 series have, which we liked). They of course have all the bells and whistles, too. D1 Amore Bay. Sarena Bag, Lotus Bay, and their Executive are all interesting. The closest dealer has two stores and offered to drive us back and forth between the two locations once we get out there (a bit of a drive for us to get there...) so that we can test the tubs - nice touch from that dealer.
One last note - in terms of service and professionalism, the Sundance/Jacuzzi dealer (hi!) has done a great job of being patient with us and accommodating requests. My father is a small business owner and has been in sales his entire life, so I grew up around the sales industry and have a deep appreciation for quality service and for professionals who go above and beyond. I have a high level of confidence in ongoing support and service with the local Sundance/Jacuzzi dealer, which is an absolute factor in the decision.