Newbie Question

[SaltyD]

Big newbie question. We have never owned a hot tub but are planning on redesigning and rebuilding our deck and I want to add a hot tub to it. I'm so overwhelmed by brands - so many to choose from. I need help figuring out the best rated ones so I can determine which one to buy. Can you guys help me?

[Roger]

Big newbie question. We have never owned a hot tub but are planning on redesigning and rebuilding our deck and I want to add a hot tub to it. I'm so overwhelmed by brands - so many to choose from. I need help figuring out the best rated ones so I can determine which one to buy. Can you guys help me?

Here's my personal list of a few reputable manufacturers.

Dimension One

Marquis

Beachcomber

Jacuzzi

Sundance

Caldera

Arctic

Hot Springs

Artesian

Take a look and see who close to you and then come back and let us know who you found.

[north_of_boston]

I concur.... when we made our purchase in late 09, the decision was difficult -- not because of the lack of quality - but because we found SO MUCH of it, we had a difficult time deciding.

One thing - above all - DEALER SUPPORT. You WILL need it after the sale and installation. Confidence in your dealer is a must.

[bdot72]

Hi all,

I too am a newbie and have begun researching our first hot tub purchase. We have looked at Marquis and were impressed with the Signature line, in particular the Mirage. We have not wet tested anything yet but will do so when we get a few options lined up. I think we'll also look into D1 as there is a dealer about 45 mins away (the Marquis dealer is 30 mins and been around a long time however switched from Jacuzzi to Marquis only 1.5 years ago).

We looked at Sunrise last year - I have found very little on them. Anybody out there with an opinion and better yet experience? They use ROXUL as opposed to the full foam that Marquis uses. As per their website:

GreenGuard 4-Chambered Thermal Retention

Our proprietary insulation technology combines the insulating properties of air chambers with our unique bagged ROXUL insulating panels layered around the interior of the spa cabinet including the base.

And the wood cabinet also contains 20mm thick heat-reflective Styrofoam slabs.

We have not sat in these yet but will. I have read too much I think and am now quite confused on foam filled vs. not foam filled. It makes sense to me that you would want access to the underside of the tub in case of issue, but then again, in a reputable tub like a Marquis, is that a real concern? I also see the logic in that wet foam will turn into a mouldy mess.

Thoughts on the above 3 brands and full foam vs. Roxul is greatly appreciated. Next I'll have to try to full understand all the info on circulating pumps I just read on this forum!

Thanks

[Roger]

There are hundreds of little know local brands out there. They don't sell nationally so not a lot of people have heard of them. The best rated ones people have heard of. They are listed above. Don't let the full foam versus thermal pane insulation debate get you confused. The reputable manufactures make whichever insulation method they choose work. Those who aren't reputable I would never consider.

[Spa_Guru]

Manufacturers often give their insulation fancy names or claim they are "unique" when none of them are, Jacuzzi was using bagged insulation 20 years ago. All full foam is not created equal, and no spa, regardless of type of insulation is effortless to repair, consequently the neccessity of the dealer having a good service dept.

Roger's list was;

Dimension One

Marquis

Beachcomber

Jacuzzi

Sundance

Caldera

Arctic

Hot Springs

Artesian

Of these, Jacuzzi, Sundance, and D1 are all one company, now manufactured in Mexico,

Caldera and Hot Springs are manufactured by Watkins, also in Mexico.

Beachcomber and Arctic are made in Canada.

Artesian and Marquis are American made, if that matters to you.

[Hot Spring Ace]

Manufacturers often give their insulation fancy names or claim they are "unique" when none of them are, Jacuzzi was using bagged insulation 20 years ago. All full foam is not created equal, and no spa, regardless of type of insulation is effortless to repair, consequently the neccessity of the dealer having a good service dept.

Roger's list was;

Dimension One

Marquis

Beachcomber

Jacuzzi

Sundance

Caldera

Arctic

Hot Springs

Artesian

Of these, Jacuzzi, Sundance, and D1 are all one company, now manufactured in Mexico,

Caldera and Hot Springs are manufactured by Watkins, also in Mexico.

Beachcomber and Arctic are made in Canada.

Artesian and Marquis are American made, if that matters to you.

If you want to state where spas are made that’s fine obviously but please correct your Hot Spring comments because all Jetsetter, Prodigy, Sovereign, Vanguard, Aria, Envoy, Vista and Grandee spas have always been and continue to be made in the Vista California plant just north of San Diego. I think I corrected this once before with someone here and I'm not sure if someone gave you that misinformation but that is a fact if that matters to you. This is not any recent change, some half-truth or anything other than a simple fact and any Hot Spring dealer who visits the plant can attest to that fact.

[Dan The Spa Man]

As a Catalina dealer, of course I always like to toss our brand into the ring. Made in Perris, CA, they are one of the few brands that are privately owned and American made. And we boast the most competitive warranty on the market.

However, as echoed by others on this feed and elsewhere on this site, brands are only half of the equation. Your local dealer will be a huge factor in the decision, as they are going to provide you with service, warranty work, water chemistry advice, and so on.

Most of your upper-echelon brands are of great quality so the dealer in your market will most likely be the deciding factor. Be sure to find out a brand and model that is what is best for you, and not what is best for the dealer.

Good luck moving forward...

[Roger]

Yea Catalina is also a top notch brand. Just no dealer in Northern Minnesota so I never see them.

[Hot Spring Official]

Big newbie question. We have never owned a hot tub but are planning on redesigning and rebuilding our deck and I want to add a hot tub to it. I'm so overwhelmed by brands - so many to choose from. I need help figuring out the best rated ones so I can determine which one to buy. Can you guys help me?

Hi Salty D,

We are happy to hear you are looking at a hot tub purchase. We are happy to help you find a hot tub that is perfect for your new deck (and help you design that deck too)! You can reference our deck design tool to help you place your spa in the perfect spot outdoors (http://www.hotspring.com/planning-tools/hot-tub-deck-design-tool).

Here is a link to find a Hot Spring dealer near you: http://www.hotspring.com/find-a-dealer

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to call our customer service team and they can help point you in the right direction: 1-800-999-4688, extension 8432.

Thank you!

The Hot Spring Hot Tub Team

[Thunderpig]

Hi. Clearly I am new.

I live in Sioux Falls, SD. Do any of these brands make more sense for my environment/region?

I have looked through the forums and it seems clear that finding a dependable dealer seems to be central to this whole process of buying a hot tub. I am looking to get a hot tub as a gift for my wife soon and have been doing some research. In addition to the brands being overwhelming, there are issues of reliability that seem to keep coming up in the reviews.

How long should I expect a good quality hot tub to last? I have seen many complaints of problems in 3 - 5 years (multiple models) with surface lining breakdown, and endless problems with jets, jets, water leaking, jets, heater failure, jets...

Coast Spa does not seem to be on anyone's list? It showed up on a few (maybe one) top ten lists from the internet.

Not to offend anyone (potentially sensitive car analogy upcoming), but I am looking for a quality luxury vehicle of a hot tub for my wife. I do not want the pimped out Escalade. I want a nicely refined, understated is okay with me, luxury ride with a dependable name that I can rely on like a BMW or Mercedes.

This is me: I still drive a 2003 toyota tacoma but I bought my wife a 2012 Audi Q7 last year.

Can anyone decipher my gibberish and make some recommendations for me?

[Hot Spring Ace]

Hot Spring is a leader in the spa industry with a long standing reputation for quality. I suggest you use the dealer locator below to see if a Hot Spring dealer might be in your area.

http://www.hotspring.com/find-a-dealer

[yellowdog]

Big newbie question. We have never owned a hot tub but are planning on redesigning and rebuilding our deck and I want to add a hot tub to it. I'm so overwhelmed by brands - so many to choose from. I need help figuring out the best rated ones so I can determine which one to buy. Can you guys help me?

Hi Salty D,

We are happy to hear you are looking at a hot tub purchase. We are happy to help you find a hot tub that is perfect for your new deck (and help you design that deck too)! You can reference our deck design tool to help you place your spa in the perfect spot outdoors (http://www.hotspring.com/planning-tools/hot-tub-deck-design-tool).

Here is a link to find a Hot Spring dealer near you: http://www.hotspring.com/find-a-dealer

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to call our customer service team and they can help point you in the right direction: 1-800-999-4688, extension 8432.

Thank you!

The Hot Spring Hot Tub Team

I hope all hot tub companies come on here to advertise for free. Sweet deal.

[Dan The Spa Man]

Hi. Clearly I am new.

I live in Sioux Falls, SD. Do any of these brands make more sense for my environment/region?

I have looked through the forums and it seems clear that finding a dependable dealer seems to be central to this whole process of buying a hot tub. I am looking to get a hot tub as a gift for my wife soon and have been doing some research. In addition to the brands being overwhelming, there are issues of reliability that seem to keep coming up in the reviews.

How long should I expect a good quality hot tub to last? I have seen many complaints of problems in 3 - 5 years (multiple models) with surface lining breakdown, and endless problems with jets, jets, water leaking, jets, heater failure, jets...

Coast Spa does not seem to be on anyone's list? It showed up on a few (maybe one) top ten lists from the internet.

Not to offend anyone (potentially sensitive car analogy upcoming), but I am looking for a quality luxury vehicle of a hot tub for my wife. I do not want the pimped out Escalade. I want a nicely refined, understated is okay with me, luxury ride with a dependable name that I can rely on like a BMW or Mercedes.

This is me: I still drive a 2003 toyota tacoma but I bought my wife a 2012 Audi Q7 last year.

Can anyone decipher my gibberish and make some recommendations for me?

As a dealer, I find that at least half the problems with hot tubs are related to or a direct result of water chemistry imbalance. It is true that some spas are of greater quality than others. Yes, I am a Catalina dealer and yes (like many other users of this site) I like my brand. But in all there are many great quality brands out there, and they will all fall apart in an equally short amount of time if the water chemistry is neglected. And since water chemistry is a direct result of the customer's usage (and *not* typically covered by the manufacturer), the onus is on you to make sure that your spa continues to be cared for so that will last as long as possible. If you are mindful of your water chemistry and you select an upper-end brand, it is more than reasonable to expect 10+ years out of your hot tub with not too much back end investment on repairs.

Ironically- I don't particularly care for message board complaints. When the right questions are asked, I have found that most complaints are either baseless (born out of insufficient overall hot tub education, misguided expectations, etc) or are a result of neglect on the customer's end. These forums, like many on the internet, are filled with some very knowledgeable responders, some that are out to only promote their product, and everywhere in between. So use caution when making your decision if your sources are primarily online user-generated material.

As I posted on this thread above, my advice is to look for the dealers in your area and to visit their showrooms. Your local dealers are immensely important to the overall decision-making process.

Good luck moving forward.

[Thunderpig]

Hi. Clearly I am new.

I live in Sioux Falls, SD. Do any of these brands make more sense for my environment/region?

I have looked through the forums and it seems clear that finding a dependable dealer seems to be central to this whole process of buying a hot tub. I am looking to get a hot tub as a gift for my wife soon and have been doing some research. In addition to the brands being overwhelming, there are issues of reliability that seem to keep coming up in the reviews.

How long should I expect a good quality hot tub to last? I have seen many complaints of problems in 3 - 5 years (multiple models) with surface lining breakdown, and endless problems with jets, jets, water leaking, jets, heater failure, jets...

Coast Spa does not seem to be on anyone's list? It showed up on a few (maybe one) top ten lists from the internet.

Not to offend anyone (potentially sensitive car analogy upcoming), but I am looking for a quality luxury vehicle of a hot tub for my wife. I do not want the pimped out Escalade. I want a nicely refined, understated is okay with me, luxury ride with a dependable name that I can rely on like a BMW or Mercedes.

This is me: I still drive a 2003 toyota tacoma but I bought my wife a 2012 Audi Q7 last year.

Can anyone decipher my gibberish and make some recommendations for me?

As a dealer, I find that at least half the problems with hot tubs are related to or a direct result of water chemistry imbalance. It is true that some spas are of greater quality than others. Yes, I am a Catalina dealer and yes (like many other users of this site) I like my brand. But in all there are many great quality brands out there, and they will all fall apart in an equally short amount of time if the water chemistry is neglected. And since water chemistry is a direct result of the customer's usage (and *not* typically covered by the manufacturer), the onus is on you to make sure that your spa continues to be cared for so that will last as long as possible. If you are mindful of your water chemistry and you select an upper-end brand, it is more than reasonable to expect 10+ years out of your hot tub with not too much back end investment on repairs.

Ironically- I don't particularly care for message board complaints. When the right questions are asked, I have found that most complaints are either baseless (born out of insufficient overall hot tub education, misguided expectations, etc) or are a result of neglect on the customer's end. These forums, like many on the internet, are filled with some very knowledgeable responders, some that are out to only promote their product, and everywhere in between. So use caution when making your decision if your sources are primarily online user-generated material.

As I posted on this thread above, my advice is to look for the dealers in your area and to visit their showrooms. Your local dealers are immensely important to the overall decision-making process.

Good luck moving forward.

Thanks alot for your answer!

The issue of local dealers is one I am still stuggling with. I have narrowed down my search to 3 brands available locally: D1, Jacuzzi, and Caldera. The brand I was most interested in learning more about is Arctic Spa but the closest dealer is 200 miles away. The Sales rep there said she would look into what kind of local support I could get after she spoke with a few vendors in the area and get back to me. I spoke with one of the stores here and he flatly said that they would be very hesitant to service a spa they did not sell. This contrasts the dealer 200 miles away, who said that they regularly service spas that they do not sell.

It seems to me that this industry is in-part sales and in-part service/maintenance/upkeep. When people stress the importance of dealer support, how much of this support has to be very local? Is hot tub service/maintenance/labor something that another dealer would contract into locally (if the warranty issues of parts were handled by my original vendor who may be far away)?

[Dan The Spa Man]

As Jacuzzi now owns D1, it wouldn't surprise me to see Sundance, Jacuzzi, & D1 sold or serviced from the same dealers in one form or another. This may not be the case now, but it could happen in the future. However, I may be completely off on my prediction.

Dealer support is key b/c the quality of the product is fairly consistent as it all comes from the same source: The manufacturer. Dealers, however, are not all the same. And as the dealer is going to be the one who services your spa, in or out of warranty, its critical to do your homework on your local providers. I cannot attest to every region but in my area and most areas I've visited, dealers tend to only service products that they personally sell. Most do not service other brands. They also have a radius in which they service. Some do not service spas outside that radius, while others may venture beyond that radius for an additional fee/trip charge. Other forum users may be able to expand on this with knowledge of what is the norm in their regions...

In my experience, most message boards/user reviews tend to draw those who want to report a negative experience, whereas those who have positive experiences seem to be less compelled to tell others/report it on a message board, etc. The Better Business Bureau and Angie's List are fairly reliable sources for checking in on your local businesses. Forums like this can provide great information as well. But as comments on this thread can attest to, many have an agenda to promote, so be careful.

Most dealers and industry followers can agree that the 3 finalists you have selected are pretty comparable in quality. If the dealers of the 3 products are all fairly reputable then it all comes down to the specific units you are looking at. Wet test each unit (if that option is available) to see which tub is the most comfortable (not just in terms of jet pressure but in physical comfort- Do you like sitting/lounging in one more than the other?). As I tell each of my customers- I can tell you all the great things about my brand but if you do not fit comfortably into the tub, its all a moot point.

I hope that this makes sense and helps you in narrowing your decision. Good luck moving forward.