6 Most Reliable Hot Tubs of 2024

By Harry RamosLast update: 2024-03-10

Soaking in a hot tub is one of the best ways for relaxing because its bubble therapy can soothe your sore muscles. If you don’t have any pain, this model can help you unwind with your family and your close friends. However, be sure that you choose the most reliable hot tubs for the best performance:

Here are the most reliable hot tubs you can buy in 2024:

  • Easy To Assemble (Inflatable Hot Tubs): Coleman
  • Best For Bigger Families (Inflatable Hot Tubs): Intex
  • Best For Smaller Families (Inflatable Hot Tubs): Bestway
  • Sturdy (Non-Inflatable Hot Tubs): Essential Hot Tubs 20-Jets
  • Energy-Efficient (Non-Inflatable Hot Tubs): Essential Hot Tubs 40-Jets
  • Budget Option (Non-Inflatable Hot Tubs): LifeSmart
6 Most Reliable Hot Tubs
Easy To Assemble
Coleman
  • Inflatable Hot Tubs
Best For Bigger Families
Intex
  • Inflatable Hot Tubs
Best For Smaller Families
Bestway
  • Inflatable Hot Tubs
Sturdy
Essential Hot Tubs 20-Jets
  • Non-Inflatable Hot Tubs
Energy-Efficient
Essential Hot Tubs 40-Jets
  • Non-Inflatable Hot Tubs
Budget Option
LifeSmart
  • Non-Inflatable Hot Tubs

Easy To Assemble: Coleman

Pros
  • Quiet
  • Comfortable cushion
  • Effortless to use, clean, and maintain
  • Fast to heat
  • Cheap
Cons
  • Terrible instruction

Don’t you have time for a hot tub installation? Or aren’t you good at assembling a hot tub? If yes, the Coleman inflatable hot tub can help you save more time and effort on your part for installing it.

There are all essential tools for installing, parts, accessories and an explicit instruction in the box, so you don’t have to prepare extra tools.

If you can’t understand the instruction, just follow the basic steps below:

  • Use an included pump to inflate your hot tub and its cover
  • Connect water in and out water lines, and air pump line
  • Attach filter and water outlet
  • Fill to minimum water level line

This installation just takes you about 30 minutes.

Or you can refer to the assembly videos on the Internet.

Coleman Specifications

Dimension

77 inches x 77 inches x 28 inches

Water Capacity

242 GAL

No of Air Jets

114

Heat Range

104 degrees Fahrenheit

Highlight Features

Digital control panel

PVC material and I-beam construction

Lift handles

Verdict

The Coleman Inflatable Hot Tub allows you to install it quickly and easily by yourself, so you can save a lot of time and effort.

Best For Bigger Families: Intex

Pros
  • Comfortable
  • Easy to install and maintain
  • Straightforward to follow direction
  • Quiet
  • Durable and sturdy
Cons
  • High price

Do you want to relax with all members of your family at the same time?

If yes, the Intex inflatable hot tub is large enough for 6 people to soak. It also has up to 170 jets that are powerful enough to massage all 6 people at the same time.

Despite its enormous size, this product doesn’t take up much space. When not in use, you can deflate and store away.

Intex Specifications

Dimension

85 inches x 28 inches

Water Capacity

290 GAL

No of Air Jets

170

Heat Range

104 F

Highlight Features

Easy-to-use, tilt-adjustable control panel

Built-in hard water treatment system

Insulated cover, heater water system, multi-colored LED light, 2 filter cartridges, 2 headrests, thermal ground cloth, inflation hose

Verdict

The Intex Inflatable Hot Tub is large enough for a large family and it is powerful enough to massage all of them at the same time.

Best For Smaller Families: Bestway

Pros
  • Easy to set up
  • Quiet
  • Comfortable to sit on the padded bottom
  • Fast to heat
  • Well insulated
Cons
  • Lacks information about what chemicals and how much to use in the instruction

If your family is small with fewer people, you don’t need to invest in a large model that costs more money and takes up more space. Instead, consider the Bestway inflatable hot tub that is spacious enough for a couple, especially, its small size doesn’t take much space when in use. If you want to know how small it is, here is the size: 67 inches x 26 inches.

Bestway Specifications

Dimension

66.93 inches x 66.93 inches x 25.98 inches

Water Capacity

160 GAL

No of Air Jets

110

Heat Range

104 F

Highlight Features

Easy-to-reach digital control panel

DuraPlus material

Power Saving Timer

Verdict

The Bestway Inflatable Hot Tub is small but spacious enough for 2-3 people to use at the same time.

Sturdy: Essential Hot Tubs 20-Jets

Essential Hot Tubs 20-Jets
Essential Hot Tubs 20-Jets
Pros
  • Easy to set up
  • Well-made cover
  • Beautiful
  • Powerful jets
  • Quiet
Cons
  • Not explicit instruction

Compared to inflatable hot tubs, non-inflatable hot tubs are more durable and sturdier because they are made from harder materials. And the Essential hot tub 20-Jets is one of them. Let’s discover what makes this product sturdier:

The exterior is not only well-insulated but also impact-resistant. Apart from the hard wall side, this model comes with a heavy-duty cover that increases the sturdiness when not in use.

Essential Hot Tubs 20-Jets Specifications

Dimension

80.5 x 80.5 x 34.5 inches

No of Air Jets

20

Highlight Features

6 seats

Heavy-duty, insulated tapered cover

Verdict

The Essential Hot Tubs 20-Jets Non-inflatable Hot Tub is the sturdiest model on this list thanks to its heavy-duty side wall and cover.

Energy-Efficient: Essential Hot Tubs 40-Jets

Essential Hot Tubs 40-Jets
Essential Hot Tubs 40-Jets
Pros
  • Straightforward to install and use
  • Beautiful
Cons
  • Not well design

Do you want to have relaxing moments in your hot tub without increasing your electricity bills, right?

The Essential Hot Tubs 40-Jets non-inflatable hot tub comes with a 5 Peak HP, 2-speed energy-efficient pump that helps you save a lot of energy, but it is still powerful enough to heat the water and circulate the water.

Essential Hot Tubs 40-Jets Specifications

Dimension

74 inches x 74 inches x 35 inches

Water Capacity

300 Gallons

No of Air Jets

40

Highlight Features

Stainless steel adjustable jets

5-6 seats

5 peak HP pump

Heavy-duty, insulated tapered cover with locking clips

Verdict

The Essential Hot Tubs 40-Jets Non-inflatable Hot Tub is energy-efficient without badly influencing its performance.

Budget Option: LifeSmart

Pros
  • Reasonable price
  • Comfortable for 2 people
  • Heavy-duty
Cons
  • No steps

Do you have a tight budget but still want to enjoy relaxing moments in a hot tub, right?

If yes, choose the Life Smart non-inflatable hot tub. Despite a cheap price, it has enough basic features and functions of a hot tub such as 13 jets, 4 seats, effortless-to-use digital control center, and LED lights.

LifeSmart Specifications

Dimension

70 inches x 61 inches x 32 inches

Water Capacity

205

No of Air Jets

13

Highlight Features

4 seats

Multi-color LED light system

Thermal friction heating system

Verdict

Although the LifeSmart Non-inflatable Hot Tub is cheap, it has many helpful features and functions.

How To Choose The Most Reliable Hot Tub?

How Many People Do You Buy A Hot Tub For?

Your answer will show you how large your hot tub should be. Below are the detailed information:

A small-sized hot tub is large enough for 2-4 people. So, you can consider this size range: 163 x 165 x 74cm - 213 x 207 x 89 cm.

Meanwhile, 5-6 people require a medium-sized hot tub (201 x 195 x 84 cm - 241 x 241 x 98 cm).

For over 7 people, you need to invest in a larger-sized hot tub (213 x 213 x 91 cm - 274 x 280 x 97 cm).

Which Features And Accessories Do You Need?

Different hot tubs come with distinct features and accessories. Some are useful with a group of people while they can be useless to you. Thus, you need to determine your needs and learn the features and functions of a hot tub to know which one works best for your case: Roll down to check:

Jets are used to mix water and air together to massage your body. You might think that the more jets the better. In fact, enough jets are good, and too many jets can decrease pressure. Meanwhile, only a large energy wasting motor can solve this problem, but it costs you more money.

The better the insulation system is, the warmer and longer the water can keep. Plus, this helps you decrease energy usage. For me, the best solution is 100% full foam insulation.

If your family has children, you had better invest in a unit with steps which help them get in and out of your hot tub safer.

No matter what you want to use your hot tub for, a cover is very essential because it can conserve energy when the heat increases to help you save more money on your power bills. This accessory can protect the inside from dirt and other elements better.

If you want to soak in your hot tub longer, a seat with a cushion helps you sit more comfortably for a long time.

You should consider a model with a towel rail on the side wall of the tub because you can hang your dressing and towel on this place.

Lights on hot tubs are useless for some people, but they are helpful for those who dip at night without the lighting sources around.

Wi-Fi helps you control your hot tub through your cell phone or tablet from afar.

Sound system allows you to listen to your playlist, TV channel, podcast wirelessly while soaking in the tub.

Floating trays are used to hold your items such as snacks and your cell phone.

Drink holder can keep your drinks in place safely.

What Is The Most Durable Material?

Acrylic

Acrylic is the most durable material on the market, especially because it has good temperature retention abilities. Because of its heaviness, it’s difficult to move around. This beautiful option is more expensive than vinyl and roto molded plastic, but that's worth it, right?

Vinyl

Vinyl is inexpensive and common in hot tubs attached to in-ground pools. However, it comes with some drawbacks such as retaining heat badly, requiring motors to work harder, increasing money in your electricity bill. IN PARTICULAR, IT’S LESS DURABLE THAN OTHER MATERIALS.

Remolded Plastic

This material is lightweight and portable, but it performs better than vinyl tubs. But, this material is not good at retaining heat.

What Is The Best Type Of Hot Tub?

Above-ground is the most common hot tub on the market. Also, it’s cheaper to install because this type doesn’t require excavation. This type of hot tub is above ground, so it is easy to access and effortless to maintain.

In-ground is more expensive than another because you must hire professionals for installing this type of hot tub. However, this doesn’t mean that it is less common. If you choose this type of hot tub, it gives you more useful functions and features, especially; they are more beautiful and durable, so you can use them for a long time.

Which Brands Make The Most Reliable Hot Tub?

Intex

This is a reputable brand in the inflatable hot tub category because they aim to manufacture well-made and durable, and reasonable products that can withstand harsh weather. Although their bubble jets aren’t as powerful as traditional hot tub jets, they are strong enough for effective relaxing therapy.

FAQs

How long do most hot tubs last?

The lifespan of a hot tub varies depending on its quality and how you maintain and take care of it. Normally, most hot tubs can last from 5 to 20 years. However, a bad-quality hot tub that isn’t maintained properly can’t last over 5 years, while a good-quality hot tub with proper maintenance can last even over 20 years.

What type of hot tub is better?

Each type of hot tub has its own benefits and drawbacks. To determine which one is better for your case, learn the following information below:

Hard shell hot tubs

Whether you choose acrylic, plastic, wood, or metal material, this type of hot tub is permanently installed in a fixed position. Although you can’t move this model, it comes with many significant advantages.

The combination of a hard base and hard side panels create a durable unit.

Asides from an internal heating system, a hard shell hot tub has many jets, pumps, and lights. There are some useful features such as Wi-Fi, full foam insulation, and in-built sound system.

Finally, the price varies depending on the size and additional features of each model.

Inflatable hot tubs

If you need to move your hot tub around, the inflatable unit is what you are looking for. This type is inflated with air, so it’s lightweight. With this type of hot tub, there is always an external heater to warm the water and an air blower to inflate the side wall and power the jets.

Though these round tubs don’t have seats, users can sit on a padded base. The inflatable hot tubs don’t have as many features as the hard shell hot tubs, but some of them still come with a few helpful features such as lights, drink holders, and headrests.

Wood-fired hot tubs

This is another permanent hot tub, but it warms water by using a log-fired stove instead of electricity. This is a natural way of heating, so it takes time to heat and you can’t get an exact temperature all the time. This type requires you to stir the water because the content on the top is hotter than the water on the bottom.

Are Hot Tubs High Maintenance?

No.

Do Hot Tubs Increase Home Value?

Yes, if you incorporate it with an exterior landscape such as a deck, gazebo, or a stone pathway.

Are Salt Water Hot Tubs Better?

Yes because of the following reasons:

The moderate amount of chlorine in the salt water hot tub system can increase the softness of the water for a long time. Unlike harsh chemicals, the steady flow of the natural chlorine can minimize the risk of dry and cracked skin. Salt also improves the water buoyancy to bring a more soothing experience while soaking.

Salt water is more gentle on your sensitive skin, and eyes compared to chlorinated water.

Unlike the unpleasant odor of chlorine, salt water can prevent the chlorine mutation, forming chloramines that produce a foul smell. After using up natural chlorine molecules, they revert to salt or odorless sodium chloride.

The minerals of salt can help your water avoid the changes of alkalinity, calcium hardness, and pH.

The function of the salt system is sanitizing water, so you can save a large amount of money on maintenance.

Conclusion

For some people, hot tubs are a wasteful investment until they use this unit. The most reliable hot tubs can help you relax, massage, and relieve your pains. And this is also a significant chance for your family, your close friends and you to have comfortably relaxing moments together.

I’m Harry Ramos, who's crazy about all things green. I’m here to share some experience in my gardening adventure and how to choose the best products for your garden. Let's dig in, get our hands dirty, and celebrate the simple, earthy pleasures of the garden together!


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