Search the Community

HI. We need your opinions & advice please. First, I'll say that this is a much shorter version of my first more detailed post which explains why & who will be using our spa/hot tub. (see here:http://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=45231 We had narrowed our large pool of spas down to 3, but were only able to wet test 2, which we did this past weekend. They were the Caldera Makena & the Vitaspa Envie. My husband wants the Caldera because he likes the lounger better & felt there was more control over each seat, & I want the Vitaspa because I was disappointed when I was in the Caldera Makena because it didn't give me a therapeutic massage. I was very impressed when I was in the Envie with how great and massage like the jets were (even my husband & son agreed) I also didn't float out of the lounger like I did with the Caldera Makena. They also felt the Envie was bigger, which it is, and with my family being 6'4 and 6'6, I'm not sure why they prefer the Makena. Both have excellent warranty & great service which is how we narrowed it down to these 2, so it's not really a factor. Both salesman have gone over & above in trying to please us with big discounts. Caldera Makena: http://www.calderaspas.com/en/shop/paradise/makena/ $8200 with tax ($10000 regular price). Dealer is throwing in their best cover & cover lifter, steps, ozone & 3 Hotsprings robes. Comes with spa frog bromine system & outdoor panel. Has 46 jets, & 3 pumps, including circ pump. Pumps are only 2 hp. Has lounger and volcano foot jet. Also colored lights and fountain & lighted handle. It has speakers but no stereo installed. Not much of a cool down seat. Even though smaller than the Vitaspa envie it did feel deep enough, but then again there was so much water in there it was overflowing on the floor. I am willing to wet test it again tomorrow to see if I can get the jets to have a better massage. I'm not a hot tub person because of the heat, but I was looking forward to using it for the massage aspect. Vitaspa Envie: http://vitaspa.com/2011/05/envie/ $8500 with tax ($8300 regular price) Owner also giving us steps & cover lifter & gave us a big discount on ozone & UV. Doesn't come with outdoor panel, so that would be extra, but gives cost on it & the wire. Crown has great warranty & service too. I just like the Envie better. It has steps & a cool down seat, & a very comfy lounger. It has only 2 pumps though, but they are 3 hp. It has 54 jets - 8 more than the Makena, & gave a great massage. We can also change out the jets if we like. Has colored cupholders & a fountain & the color & cabinet is more to our liking. The dealer suggests we use Enzymes with our spa. My husband says the control for strength of jets only controlled one side of the tub at a time, which is why he likes the Makena better. Sooo, I told my husband the spa is really for him & he should choose, but then he chose the Makena, & I guess I was disappointed because I didn't enjoy being in it. Which means I probably won't use it much. It's wrong for me to try & change his mind though since I told him it was his choice. Saturday after wet testing the Envie, he couldn't make up his mind, & I told him & still feel that we should try the Makena again. Maybe I'll change my mind, or it will solidify his decision. So, what does everyone think. Spafrog bromine & ozone & circ pump, vs UV & ozone. I have folliculitis, psoriasis, and sometimes get rashes to chemicals in hygiene products, so I liked the idea of the uv & ozone to kill bacteria and maybe help with skin conditions. Spa frog means always buying bromine & mineral cartridges, whereas uv means a $100 light once a year. Does the circ pump make a big difference? One last thing; a tiebreaker could be the Alps Olympus spa, but the dealer who is new & selling out of her home says we can't wet test it. We can sit in it though. Here's its info: Alps spa Olympus model: http://www.jetsensationhottubs.com/#!olympus/cpyc $8300 with tax, price on website $7995. The warranty on it is ok, but not as good as the others. This tub is larger and deeper, & has ozone included (their standard) and 2 6hp pumps (breakpower I'm guessing). It has 3 pumps (circ of course), full lighting package including cup holders. lighted hand rail (like the Makena) and even a stereo system. Comes with a cover lifter & breaker panel & she would give us a deal on ionizer & steps. This one has 2 loungers though, so I don't know if we'll like it, or if the lounger is long enough (looking at the pic, the end of the lounger looks short & part of the tub space looks unusable at end of first lounger. With 72 stainless steel jets, I would hope they would give a good massage. The problem is these are in her back yard, (new & packaged though) and she hasn't opened an actual store or warehouse yet, so we're concerned about warranty in the future. She said Alps would still take care of us if she stopped selling them. I'm hoping she changes her mind & lets us wet test it. Well, sorry it wasn't as short as I thought it would be. I've just lived and breathed this forum & anything to do with hot tubs & spas for the past few weeks. I have barely gotten any sleep & I just want it to be over & the decision made & the hot tub on its way. I should add, all of these hot tubs are available to get right away, since we're taking the floor model. Only the Caldera Makena has been on the floor with water in it. The dealer added water to the Envie just for us to test. (He also installed ozone & uv just for us, so I'd feel really bad if we don't choose it) Thanks for your help, advice, & opinions. Cheers.