What Is The Best Time To Buy A Hot Tub?

One of the best ways to get a good deal on a hot tub is to buy it at the right time. Today, we will go over a typical year to show you the best times to buy your new hot tub!

What Time Of Year Should You Buy Your Hot Tub?

Early – Mid Spring

For those looking to get the best deal on a hot tub featuring the latest and greatest technology, early-mid Spring is the time to buy. There are two reasons for this:

1. This is the time when most retailers get their new stock from hot tub manufacturers. Hot tub manufacturers typically have minimum order quantities and offer large discounts on high volume orders. For this reason, hot tub retailers will typically have more hot tubs in stock than they can handle and will be looking to offload a few.
2. Hot tub sales are typically very low in the winter so retailers are motivated to sell once the weather begins to warm up.

Late Spring – Early Summer

Once late Spring hits there are less deals to be had on hot tubs as many hot tub and pool retailers begin to switch focus to pools. That said, it is still worth checking in to see if there are any available floor models that the retailer is looking to offload. If they have any left over stock from the previous year, most retailers will be more than willing to give a great deal to make room for new models.

Late Summer

By late Summer, most hot tub and pool retailers will switch their focus back to hot tubs and start planning their Fall hot tub sales. Since hot tubs typically take around 6 weeks to be built and shipped, retailers have to order their hot tubs well in advance of the actual sale. This is a good time to check with the owner or manager of the retailer to see what they will be bringing in for their upcoming sales. Most are more than happy to pre-sell a few of these hot tubs, allowing you to get the first pick of the incoming hot tubs while also locking in the sale price!

Fall

Fall is typically the most popular time to buy a hot tub. For this reason, it is also the most common time of year to see hot tubs sales. By late Fall, however, most hot tub sales are over. That doesn’t mean you can’t get a good deal, however. Check with retailers to see if they have any leftover sale hot tubs or floor models that they are looking to get rid of. Most would rather sell of their inventory at a discount rather than keep it over the winter where sales are low.

Winter

Winter is typically the least popular time to buy a hot tub in Canada as the cold weather and frozen ground make delivery and installation almost impossible in most cases. For that reason, there typically aren’t many hot tub sales during this time. That doesn’t mean that there are no deals to be had, however.

Winter is a great time to get a great deal on a floor model hot tub. With retailers not selling much during the Winter and having to make room for the new models going in the Spring, most are more than willing to give a great deal on a floor model, sometimes even below sale pricing!

So When Is The Best Time To Buy A Hot Tub?

As you can see, it typically doesn’t really matter what time of year you’re looking to buy a hot tub. With the exception of Early to Mid-Summer, there are usually great deals to be had at most hot tub retailers, especially if you don’t mind buying a floor model.

Just as important as timing is knowing the right questions to ask. There is almost always a deal to be had; no matter what time of year it is.

If there isn’t a hot tub sale on when you’re looking to buy, talk to the owner or manager of the retailer to see if there are any other deals to be had. Specifically, you can ask:

• Do they have any floor models they are looking to get rid of?
• Do they have any sales coming up soon?
• Do they have any hot tubs ordered for those sales? Would they be willing to sell any of them before the sale starts?

How Is COVID-19 Affecting This Information?

As with many industries, COVID-19 has caused some challenges in getting the materials needed to manufacture hot tubs. This combined with an increase in hot tub sales has lead to a nationwide shortage of hot tubs in Canada. This shortage is so great that hot tubs being sold in the Summer of 2020 won’t be delivered until the Spring of 2021!

For this reason, there are very few hot tub sales and finding good floor models can be very difficult. That said, there are still some deals to be had for those willing to look for them. Talking to the owner or manager of the retailer is your best way to find the few deals that remain. Although you might have to wait awhile to get it delivered, you won’t be overpaying for it!

Other Things To Consider

While buying at the right time can save you money, purchase price isn’t everything. To truly get a good deal on a hot tub, you also need to make sure that it is right for your family, and won’t cost you an arm and a leg down the road. How can you do that? Ask yourself these three questions.

1) Why Are You Buying A Hot Tub?

With so many different hot tub makes and models available, it can be hard to figure out exactly which one will best meet your needs. To help this, you should always define exactly why you’re buying a hot tub before you start looking.

Defining your needs first allows you to pinpoint which hot tubs have the features that will best suit those needs, and which ones do not. For example, if you’re just looking to relax after a long day, there is no point buying a hot tub with 100 jets. If you want to entertain and the hot tub you’re looking at only has 3 seats, it’s probably not going to suit your needs.

2) What Are The Ongoing Costs Of The Hot Tub?

One of the biggest mistakes that first-time hot tub buyers make is putting too much emphasis on the purchase price of a hot tub; without also considering its ongoing costs. While the purchase price is definitely important, only focusing on initial costs can cost you a ton of money over the life of the hot tub.

When purchasing a hot tub you also need to consider the long-term costs of the hot tub; that is how much it will cost to run, maintain and fix over its entire life. While a given hot tub might be $2000 less to purchase than another, it could also cost an extra $4000 or more over its lifetime in extra energy costs and extra repair bills.

While you definitely need to be mindful of how much your new hot tub will cost to purchase, you also need to make sure that it is well built, uses quality parts, and is energy efficient.

3) Who Are You Buying The Hot Tub From?

Poor after-sales service can ruin any hot tub buying experience. If something goes wrong, you want to make sure that the issue will be resolved quickly and professionally. For that reason, it’s important to consider who you’re buying the hot tub from. How long have they been in business? What is their reputation? Do they service what they sell or subcontract the work out? Answering these sorts of questions can go a long way towards ensuring that you aren’t left disappointed by your after-sales service.