Hot Tub Buying Tips

For many people, buying a hot tub can be a complex and confusing process. With so many different hot tub brands and features available, picking the right hot tub can be challenging. It doesn’t have to be that way however. That’s why we’ve compiled these 7 helpful hot tub buying tips!

UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’RE BUYING A HOT TUB

Our first, and most basic, hot tub buying tip is to first understand why you’re buying a hot tub in the first place. Generally speaking, people buy hot tubs for one of three main reasons:

• To relieve pain.
• To relax.
• To entertain.

While some things, like energy efficiency, will be of concern to most hot tub buyers, others might not matter. Understanding which category you fall in will help you focus on what is important and help you narrow down your selection later on in the buying process.

For example, if you’re buying a hot tub to simply relax and relieve stress, the amount of jets a hot tub has isn’t all that important. Remembering that can help you focus on looking for hot tubs that have more features that will help you relax, like ones that require less maintenance.

UNDERSTAND WHO YOU’RE BUYING THE HOT TUB FOR

One of the first things that you need to decide on is how many people the hot tub will need to be able to fit. Are you buying it for you and your significant other or will you have to fit a family of 5?

Think about how many people will use the hot tub 90% of the time and buy one that can comfortably fit that amount of people, while still offering a couple of extra seats for when company comes over.

PICK A LOCATION

Before looking at your first hot tub, pick out a spot in your backyard to put it. If you can’t decide between two spots, pick the one that is closer to your back door. When the temperatures start dropping you’ll want that hot tub as close to the door as possible!

Once you have a spot picked out you’ll want to measure it. Nothing worse than falling in love with a hot tub only to discover it won’t fit where you want it to go!

You should also consider what type of base the hot tub will be sitting on. Planning on putting it on a deck? You’ll want to make sure that will be able to hold the weight of the hot tub. Have an existing concrete base? Double check that it is level before putting a hot tub on it.

CONSIDER YOUR OVERALL BUDGET

While most people know what they’re willing to spend on a hot tub, few fully consider their overall budget. This includes:

• The purchase price of the hot tub.
• The cost of installing the hot tub.
• The ongoing costs of the hot tub.

When choosing between different hot tubs, it’s important to consider the overall cost of a hot tub, rather than just it’s purchase price. While one might be $1000 less to purchase, it might end up costing you an extra $2000 over its lifetime in extra energy costs, extra maintenance and extra repairs.

To ensure a lower overall cost, make sure that the hot tub you buy is as energy efficient and maintenance free as your initial budget will allow. You can also take a look at where the hot tubs are manufactured. The closer they are to you, the cheaper replacement parts will be.

NARROW YOUR FOCUS

The more stores you go to and the more hot tubs you see, the harder it is to eventually choose which one you want to buy. It is very easy to get overwhelmed when trying to decide between 10 different hot tubs. When you only have to choose between 3 though, your choice becomes much easier to make. That is why it is important to continually narrow your focus throughout the buying process.

As you go through each showroom, remember the reason why you’re buying a hot tub in the first place. Concentrate on what is important to you and eliminate any hot tubs that don’t meet your basic criteria. Narrow down your choices to 2-3 hot tubs and then sit in all of them. Make sure that they can fit everyone comfortably. If they’re not comfortable without water, they won’t be comfortable with water!

Pick your favourite hot tub in the store then move on to the next store. Repeat the same process, then compare your favourite from that store with the favourite from the previous store. Pick a winner then move on to the next and so on.

WET TEST THE HOT TUB

Wet testing is a free service that most hot tub retailers offer where you can go to the showroom and try out a hot tub before buying it. Wet tests are great simply to confirm that you do in fact like the hot tub. If you can’t choose between two hot tubs, wet testing both is a great way to find out which one you prefer.

You wouldn’t buy a car without first test driving it, so why buy a hot tub without wet testing it?

RESEARCH THE RETAILERS

Another way to help decide between two different hot tubs is to take a deeper look at the retailers that are selling them. What are other people saying about them? How long have they been in business? Do they service what they sell? What do they include with delivery? Poor after sales service can ruin any hot tub buying experience. Doing a bit of research now can save a lot of headache later!

NEGOTIATE

After you’ve picked which hot tub you want to buy, it’s time to start negotiating. The first price you get on a hot tub is rarely the best price. While you may not get any money off you can usually at least get some free accessories or extra chemicals thrown in! For negotiation tips and more, check out our article on how to get the best deal on a new hot tub.

WRAPPING UP

While buying a hot tub can seem daunting at first, it doesn’t have to be. Following these hot tub buying tips will not only help you choose the right hot tub for your needs, it will also make your buying experience as stress free and simple as possible!