BEST IN CLASS?

[Silent Water]

Everyone around here is the absolute best!  Thanks for all the opinions and fun facts!  Thanks as well to those diplomats among us that keep this whole branding issue in perspective.  

There must be a LOT of good manufacturers out there to have created such strong preferences for particular brands.  That kind of owner/dealer loyalty speaks volumes for the companies who supply their product. "Everyone" seems to be the best at something! In fact, one of the phrases I've read most is "best in class".

At the risk of opening up a can of worms, what consitutes a CLASS of hot tub? It is PRICE RANGE? Is it QUALITY?  And where do I find out what tubs fit into which class?

I think what might help me most in my search for the tub that best suits my family is placing each brand on a level with their peers/competition.

I don't need the flagship of hot-tubs.  Glowing jets and built-in entertainment systems are not for me.  At the same time, out-of-the-box, mass produced tubs don't appeal to me either. I'm looking for a comfortable, dependable, well-built tub with great manufacturer support for their dealers and consumers. That covers a lot of tubs! It also covers a price range (in Canadian $$) of about (not "a-boot" ) $7000 to $11,000.

I'm hoping that if I can compare tubs of similar quality, I can sort out the best value myself.  Not all tubs are created equal.  My loaded question is "Which ones are"? :-?

[Vanguard]

One can of worms now open...

If you are referring to the spas that have rankings as "Best of Class," my two cents is to ignore it.  From what I have been able to tell, and I'm pretty sure this will be backed up here, those rankings are bought and paid for.  If that is the case, then why do some choose to get 2 stars when 4 is available?  No idea.

As to getting opinions on the best in each class...you'll get a lot of those.

My recommendation is to find a brand that has a good reputation, find a good dealer, find the spa that meets your needs and then buy that spa.  If you find a brand and need to know the reputation, come back here with the name.  You'll get all the input on that brand that you could ever hope for...and then some.

If you've been reading the forum, you have seen a lot of the brands listed here.

Among the quality brands - and these are not all of them - here are a few:

Hot Spring
Caldera
Sundance
Marquis
D1


There are many more that I'm sure others will list.  That is just a start.  Good luck in your search.  Please ask all the questions you want.

[windsurfdog]

I suggest you realign your perspective re: "best in class".  IMHO, even trying to create a list of manufacturers that could be "best in class" could possibly filter out the right tub for you.  Here is, in order of importance, what I feel is the most important aspects to consider when buying a new tub:

1.  Tub therapy and how it feels to you.  Wet testing is the most important aspect of any tub purchase.  No matter anything else, if the tub is not comfortable to you, you either won't be happy with it or you may grow to be happy with it but will always have a degree of regret attached to your purchase...especially if you have a friend whose tub fits you nicely.

2.  Dealer.  Your dealer can make your purchase and "tub life" (not to be confused with love life! ) a joy or a pain.  Unless extraordinarily fortunate to be located in a market with most spa manufacturers represented, your tub choices will be somewhat limited but you should be able to find a dealer with whom you are comfortable...hopefully you will find both a comfortable tub and dealer.

3.  Tub efficiency.  Not all tubs are created equal.  And, like most things in life, "there's more than 1 way to skin a cat" (apologies to all cat lovers--no cats were injured in the utilization of that worn out phrase  .  Don't get hung up with the type of insulation, number or horsepower of pumps, number of jets, etc.  Be informed by scouring websites and bulletin boards such as this--read as much as you can about manufacturers...you'll soon learn which ones are perceived as building an efficient product.

And, lastly, take your time!  Nothing can be worse than rushing into a tub purchase because of pressure sales tactics.  As a matter of fact, run the other way if a dealer offers a one time deal, "take it or leave it today" offer...there's no room in this type of purchase for those type of tactics.

Good luck with your search. 8-)

[Mendocino101]

Just take the time and find whats best for you. You seem to be on the right track and that is that you are not interested in the eye candy the some makers hang their hat on. Any of the well built spas at the end of the day will cost "about" the same to operate each month. I have a bias to wards Marquis as I am a dealer for them. I think they meet all of your criteria and that their Hk40 jets are extremely comftable while providing tremendous therapy. But as you have mentioned there are other good makers who might be a better fit for you.

[ORANGEPEEL]

Sounds like you are in Canada.
We are in No. Wisc., and bought a canadian made tub; Pacific spa, made by Aber Mfg. in B.C.
We are very happy so far and think it was a great quality/value/fit purchase.
Can find them at www.pacificspas.ca
Ya-hey, works good for us, others may have different ideas.

[anne]

Unless you are looking for a Poodle, I'd ignore the "best in class" title.

[barshnik]

One can of worms now open...

If you are referring to the spas that have rankings as "Best of Class," my two cents is to ignore it.  From what I have been able to tell, and I'm pretty sure this will be backed up here, those rankings are bought and paid for.  If that is the case, then why do some choose to get 2 stars when 4 is available?  No idea.

As to getting opinions on the best in each class...you'll get a lot of those.

My recommendation is to find a brand that has a good reputation, find a good dealer, find the spa that meets your needs and then buy that spa.  If you find a brand and need to know the reputation, come back here with the name.  You'll get all the input on that brand that you could ever hope for...and then some.

If you've been reading the forum, you have seen a lot of the brands listed here.

Among the quality brands - and these are not all of them - here are a few:

Hot Spring
Caldera
Sundance
Marquis
D1


There are many more that I'm sure others will list.  That is just a start.  Good luck in your search.  Please ask all the questions you want.

For a Canadian made spa, couldn't you add Arctic to this list?

John F
LV,NV

[jim97219]

And Hydropool as well!!!

My 2¢ is one, eliminate the big boxes and any online (including eBay) stores.  Yes, the price will be right but the support you get from a dealer is virtually non-existent. Two, go see every dealer in town.  Talk with them, listen to what they have to say and see who you like and don't like.  Go to the BBB and get a rating on the ones you like; you can do it on the web.  Then go back and wet test. You'll never know what tub is best for you if you don't.

Good luck and have some fun with it!!!

Jim