Caldera Martinique vs Limelight Flair

[newguy35]

hey all.  i've been lurking on this site on and off for a while, trying to educate myself in all things hot tubs.  i have never owned one before, but have been looking to pull the trigger at some point, once i've satisfied my research.  basically i'm looking at the caldera martinique and limelight flair.  anybody own either of these?  are they comparable tubs?  any noteworthy differences would be appreciated.  warranty, insulation, jets, etc.  i know ultimately i have to make the decision, but some experienced, knowledgeable insight would be a huge help.

thanks!

[TwinCitiesHotSpring]

your in luck, I know both tubs pretty good, here are some differences between the two:

Filter Size: 50sq ft. on the Mart. vs 65sq ft. on the Flair
Pumps: 1.5hp and 2.0hp on the Mart. vs 2.0 and 2.0 on Flair
Jets: 34 on Mart. and 41 on the Flair
Tub Depth: 34" on Mart. and 36" on the Flair

both have waterfalls, 24hr circ. pumps and a split breaker GFI panel

Now those are some differences on paper and they may or may not mean anything to you personally but depending on your height, I highly highly recommend sitting in both tubs because me at approx. 5'11/6' tall find that the Martinique is a little "cramped" esp. in the lounger, the Flair is a newer tub so I feel the lounger is a little more updated and spacious than the Martinique, also the extra 2" of depth is nice, again this is all subjective and that is why I highly recommend sitting in both...good luck

edit: insulation is the new 2lb fibercor on both

[Hot Spring Ace]

hey all.  i've been lurking on this site on and off for a while, trying to educate myself in all things hot tubs.  i have never owned one before, but have been looking to pull the trigger at some point, once i've satisfied my research.  basically i'm looking at the caldera martinique and limelight flair.  anybody own either of these?  are they comparable tubs?  any noteworthy differences would be appreciated.  warranty, insulation, jets, etc.  i know ultimately i have to make the decision, but some experienced, knowledgeable insight would be a huge help.

thanks!

I would consider them to be a good comparison but there are always differences though nothing major. Same manufacturer for both and the warranties are similar so besides any cost differences you see between the two, the only real differences I'd concern myself with is that its 2 different dealers so you'll want to factor that in if 1 stands out above the other and the fact that while I think you'll find the seating/jets to be excellent in both no 2 spas feel exactly alike; they're different enough so that a wet test would be wise. The Flair is a little deeper (though for most that shouldn't mean much if anything unless you're tall and even then it may not matter) and the sizes are similar though one is rectangular and the other square but to most that means nothing. The lounges face in different directions relative to the front of the spa if that matters based on where you place it in your yard. Overall, you can’t go wrong with either.

[d00nut]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the Flair actually has a better warranty than the Martinique? 
5 years on the components of the Flair vs. 3 on the Martinique.
Shell is 10 years on the Caldera, vs. 7 on the Hot Spring.

Both are awesome, I'd go with the dealer you like more.  The components are actually the same underneath the hood

[TwinCitiesHotSpring]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the Flair actually has a better warranty than the Martinique? 
5 years on the components of the Flair vs. 3 on the Martinique.
Shell is 10 years on the Caldera, vs. 7 on the Hot Spring.

Both are awesome, I'd go with the dealer you like more.  The components are actually the same underneath the hood

you are correct, can't believe I didn't include that...component on Flair is 5yr vs 3yr on the Caldera...shell SURFACE warranties are the same 7yr and 7yr

[d00nut]

you are correct, can't believe I didn't include that...component on Flair is 5yr vs 3yr on the Caldera...shell SURFACE warranties are the same 7yr and 7yr

Plus, you can get ACE on the Flair!!!

On the Matinique you can get!   ..... Spa Frog built in.... oh well, that wasn't that exciting.... 

[outrag1]

I'm in a similar situation and here is where I am with my research:

1) Wet tested a Martinque and liked it very much.  Thought the lounger was fine and I'm 5' 11"

2) Dry tested a Flair and liked the look and feel, but am concerned that the lounger may be too short.  The loungers are configured differently between the two tubs, the Flair is more sculpted like a reclining chair vs the stretched out style of the Martinique

3) I'm also looking at the Caldera Tahitian as it has the same dimensions as the Flair (7x7) but adds stronger pumps (2.5 and 2.5) and better warranty than the Martinique and also has Ozone standard. 

I have not even dry tested a Tahitian yet.  I LOVE the dealer for the Flair, so we will likely go back and wet test the Flair before we pull the trigger on anything.

One concern I do have however is the power from the jets on the Hot Spring models.  Again, I have not wet tested the Flair yet, but as an example, I wet tested the lounge in the more expensive Aria, and found when the calf and foot jets were on max simultaneously, they did not have the power output of the Caldera Martinique (and I'm assuming the Tahitian as well).  The main reason I want a lounger is for strong jets on my calfs and feet bottoms at the same time.  I will wet test the Limelight Flair and see what the jets feel like there and obiously ensure the lounge is long enough, but I'm definitely going to get a wet test on a Tahitian as well...

-Bob

[outrag1]

As a follow up to my prior note, we ended up dry testing a Tahitian today.  The lounger length from the foot jets to the foot was about the same as the Flair in my estimation, so I think the Flair may be a solid contender as long as the power is there with the calf and foot jets (like it was in the Caldera product).  I think I'll be wet testing the Flair next Saturday and maybe the Tahitian this Thursday night.