Rookie Spa Buyer. Advice please???

[rob1975]

I am looking at buying my first spa. Pretty much clueless on hot tubs.. Just starting to do some research.
Can anyone tell me what are the top of the line spas? I got about 8 to 12k to spend on a spa. Like to get something reliable. Thanks for your help Rob

[wmccall]

Welcome to the forum, I think your in the right place.  I'm going to avoid naming the best brands, as it is somewhat subjective and we do have plenty of people here with more informed opinions that aren't shy of sharing them. We are a balanced bunch of owners and industry professionals.


One of the most common pieces of advice people will give in this forum is to "wet test" I think in your case, since you admit to this not being your strongest subject, this is especially true.  People have many misconceptions about hot tubs, find out for yourself.

My personal opinion is take your time, don't rush, its a buyer's market. Don't be afraid to visit the same store multiple times.  Besides brands, dealers and dealer's support is important.  That said, my dealer was in business 25 years and went out of business a little more than a year after I bought my tub. What I didn't know was they had represented 4 or more different brands during that time.

Finally, feel free to ask as many questions as you need, you will get that many opinions back.  Most of us here are genuinely interested in helping you and learning from your experience.

Your price range sounds reasonable, you should be able to find something in that range. How many people are in your family? Where do you call home? I'm guessing from your accent you may be Canadian?

[Water Boy]

Hello , and welcome. Some of the better spas made to date imo are Arctic Spas, Hot Spring, Sundance, Jacuzzi, Dimension One, & Marquis.  You can go to those manufactures websites and do local dealer searches to see who all is on your area. Also, be sure to do your research on your local dealer's. Your local dealer support can be as important if not more important than the brand of spa that you buy. Many will recommend wet testing to help you decide. With your price range, you should be able to get a very good spa from any of the above mentioned brands. Good luck.

[SpaGuy911]

master spa is a great line

[RUBADUBDUB]

I have had great luck with Coast Spas as well.  It's important to find a dealer you're comfortable with. Alot of Spas use the same parts so find one that suits your needs and budget.

[wmccall]

I have had great luck with Coast Spas as well.  It's important to find a dealer you're comfortable with. Alot of Spas use the same parts so find one that suits your needs and budget.

That is a good point, My Dynasty uses the same jets as many Coast Spas.

[ejf The Spa Guy]

rob1975
There are some great tubs out there on the market. A lot of which ones to look at are number the dealers and the brands available in your marketplace, Some of the brands to check out are D1, Sundance, Jacuzzi, Hot Springs, Marquis, Caldera to name a few, I would recommend going to the different dealerships in your area, see what the have, ask questions, get a felling for how they treat you, and if your comfortable with the salesman, the brand, you should be in good shape....

[PoolandSpatech]

Rob
There are many tubs out there in the market. Some of the brands to check out that i would recommend are Sundance, Dimension 1, Master Spas.  I think the most important thing for you is to find a dealer you like and one with a great backround.  It doesint matter how good the spa is, if the dealer you purches from can't help you out if and when there is a problem, then you are screwed.  When looking at hot tubs, no matter what the brand is, they all can have there flaws.  is your dealer going to get out there when a problem occurs is what really matters.

[2tubagain]

Choose how you will be tubbing,to help make your choice
Will you be mainly soaking? Then you will not need the fancy jet setup, a simple soaking tub will do!
OR Jetting to relieve stiffness and muscle ache? Then you must choose which area of the body to sooth and search the spa that will address that with jets, also choose jets that you can adjust the intensity.
As an example:
I was looking for therapy for stiffness, tight muscles for upper and lower back and neck,.
An air blower for those hot summer nights to cool the water down and agitate the joints some.
2 pumps so all jets are not running at the same time with diverters to isolate to a seat for max intensity.
And a lounger to lay and soak.
I wet tested four manufacturers, I tested at the dealers and asked for references and asked them how the dealer serviced there tubs, then I bought within my budget.
2004 caldera Tahitian paradise was what I ended up with and I took us 6 to 8 month’s to make that choice.
I do recommend taking your time; fight the urge to fast track a purchase!!!!!!!!
Oh; and get a cover assist of some sort they are heavy!!!!
Happy hunting.