Titan Hardcover For Evolution Spa

[iwannaspa]

I am interested in getting a spa and yes I noticed the Evolution at Costco, and after researching it I found this forum. I understand the concern from buying from a Big Box outlet but I did see one unique option and was wondering if other manufacturers have this as well. When looking at the Strong Pools and Spa web site I saw their Titan HardCover hard insulated shell cover with brackets for lifting that comes with a lifetime warranty. I called them and asked if I could order it if I bought it through Costco and they said yes and it would cost $800. additional if I ordered it with the spa and shipping would be free as it is included in the Costco price. I also saw a video of it on youtube and it looks pretty solid with about 10 people standing on it. Do other manufacturers sell a similar product? ...as this is leaning me towards the Evolution. Any reason not to go with this kind of cover? Thanks.

[ttrublue]

Unless you plan on having your friends over to dance on top of the hot tub I would be more concerned about

the r-value/insulation just my thoughts

[Roger]

I am interested in getting a spa and yes I noticed the Evolution at Costco, and after researching it I found this forum. I understand the concern from buying from a Big Box outlet but I did see one unique option and was wondering if other manufacturers have this as well. When looking at the Strong Pools and Spa web site I saw their Titan HardCover hard insulated shell cover with brackets for lifting that comes with a lifetime warranty. I called them and asked if I could order it if I bought it through Costco and they said yes and it would cost $800. additional if I ordered it with the spa and shipping would be free as it is included in the Costco price. I also saw a video of it on youtube and it looks pretty solid with about 10 people standing on it. Do other manufacturers sell a similar product? ...as this is leaning me towards the Evolution. Any reason not to go with this kind of cover? Thanks.

IMO there are one heck of allot more things to steer away from Costco type tubs than there are to steer to them. A hard cover affects neither the fit and finish, the comfort or reliability of the tub. It doesn't make it more comfortable on your butt which is the most important part of buying a hot tub. With the reputation of past tubs sold through Costco I find it hard to believe your considering them because of a hard cover. The cover will work well as a work bench or place to put flower pots in a few years when the tub goes to junk. There is an up side.

[iwannaspa]

Well...Does anyone know if any other spa manufacturer or spa cover manufacturer sells a hard plastic insulated spa cover. I thought this one looked well insulated, reminded me of an igloo cooler cover and is filled with 3# closed cell foam. Is that good or not? I have seen other spa covers disintegrate from the sun after a few years, and this one has a lifetime warranty. Also since buying a spa from Costco is frowned upon, does anyone know if Strong Spa's like these are sold at local spa stores? I live in southern California. Thanks.

[Roger]

Also since buying a spa from Costco is frowned upon, does anyone know if Strong Spa's like these are sold at local spa stores? I live in southern California. Thanks.

Buying spas from Costco is NOT frowned upon. Costco has a great return policy on tubs supposedly. Thinking your getting anything more than a 3-4 thousand dollar tub from Costco is what is frowned upon. Allot of people come out of Costco with a 3-4 thousand dollar spa and think they saved 4-5 grand over a quality dealer tub when that is simply not the case.

[reeffreak]

Iwanna- $800 upcharge for the hard cover sounds rich to me, especially on a $3500 spa. Don't forget you're trading in your soft cover, that's a $1-200 cost item for them, so really you're talking about a $900-1000 lid. Strong does have a dealer network that sells their Strong branded line (that's why they call the costco line "evolution" and you have to work to discover that it's a strong product). But I don't think their dealer network is as big as some of the other lines. Call Strong- they will give you a list for your area.

As far as shopping at Costco- on average, you WILL get more for your money. Be it TV's, chicken nuggets, whatever. They haven't had a lot of luck with spa mfg's in the past however, and the folks on this board have good memories. I have zero direct experience with Strong, but I'm a cup-half-full kind of guy and I like what I see. The closest "dealer" spa I've seen to the $3500 strong is the Viking Supreme, which sells for $1k+ more in my town, but is still written off as a value spa on this forum.

Your igloo cooler analogy is dead-on. Strong came from the recreational cooler / hardbox industry, and they rotomold these lids and foam inject just like a cooler. I don't think anybody else is doing that, and I doubt there are many in the field yet. I would be curious (1) how much it weighs, and (2) how tightly it seams up in the middle. You need pretty good R value on top of your spa.