Posts Tagged ‘buying’

This is the first post in a series called “The Top 5 Tips for Buying a Hot Tub or Spa.”  In this series we will discuss the most important considerations when choosing the hot tub that is perfect for you.  Each day we will cover one of the five tips with a new post and we encourage you to leave your comments, thoughts and opinions.

Tip #1 Comfort

Hot tubs have come a long way since the old, round cedar tubs with very few jets and straight-back seating.  Today, most models contain seating that is ergonomically shaped to cradle your body and offer a much more comfortable and relaxing spa experience.  In most spas, each seat will offer a different type of massage and target different muscles or areas of the body.  Things to look out for – are the jets recessed or are they poking into your back?  Does the spa offer a barrier-free seating arrangement?

How many people can the spa fit comfortably?

If the spa you are considering is a larger sized tub, another consideration is the size of the footwell.  Most of the time it is just two people in the spa, but when you want to have friends over for a relaxing soak, you want to be comfortable and not bumping knees or playing footsie with your next-door neighbor, Tom.  The size of the footwell is something you may notice at first, but try to imagine how much room you will have if each seat is occupied; in larger spas, that may be 7 or 8 pairs of feet.

Take it for a test-drive.

When you are shopping for a hot tub you will probably hear this over and over again, it is extremely important to wet test the spa that you are considering to purchase.  Sitting in a dry spa may give you some idea of the comfort, but it is a much different experience when it is full of water and you are buoyant.  It is much like test-driving a car; you want to make sure it feels good on the road, has the right amount of power, and is comfortable to drive.  Most spa dealers will have hot tubs that you can wet test.  Some even have private areas or “mood rooms” to allow you take a test soak during normal store operating hours.  If not, most dealers will be happy to accommodate potential customers after hours.  If they are not willing to allow you to wet test a certain spa or similar model, then you may want to consider looking elsewhere.  Most private sellers ought to be able to accommodate a wet test as well, if the spa is in working condition.

A hot tub is a large purchase and you don’t want your first time using it to be the day after it is delivered and then you realize that it is not the perfect fit.  At that point, it will be too late and you will be stuck with it.

If this post has been helpful to you, please leave your comments below.  We would also love to hear any thoughts or other ideas that we may have missed.

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Click here to read part two of the series.

–> Top 5 Tips for Buying a Hot Tub or Spa – Part Two: Therapy