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h2o Banff spa review - after 3 years


shoelace

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About 4 years ago I started anonymously using pool-spa-forum to do research for a new spa. It was always my intention to give back to the community once I had some experience to share. Hence, this review of the spa we finally chose almost 3-1/2 years ago. I also plan to post on the construction of our concrete slab on top of a sloped paver drive and my experience with our bromine salt generator system.

I purchased a Banff Luxury spa almost 3-1/2 years ago. It was the only spa that satisfied all my criteria. Specifically, it was small enough to fit in my small inner-city yard (80” x 80”) yet it had a full 40” depth – more than most spas and a depth that makes the smaller footprint feel very roomy even for taller folk. It also featured a 24-hour recirculation pump. This was important to me because I wanted a quiet spa that was better suited for use with a bromine salt generator system. I also liked the layout which featured 3 moulded corner seats plus a more open bench corner seat.

Unfortunately, being located in Montreal, there were no dealers close by. I called H2O spas in Vancouver and spoke to Mark who did not want to sell me the spa initially due to the lack of service in the city. Eventually, I convinced him to ship me one with only a 3-year parts warrantee & I would deal with any service issues myself.

After 3-1/2 years I am very pleased with my choice. Luckily, I have had no issues that would normally have been covered by a service warrantee. I have had to tighten a few fittings within the pump housing (very easy). Also, just before my parts warrantee was to expire the Gecko LED control screen failed. Mark sent me a free replacement right away & I was able to replace it within 15 minutes.

We use the spa 2 or 3 times per week and after 3 years it still looks and functions like new. The jets are powered by two 4hp pumps – so there’s always plenty of pressure. Each seat is configured differently so you get a nice variety of massage action.

This spa features entry steps moulded into the shell. Oddly, perhaps, we enter from the bench seat side of the spa and don’t use these steps. I think the steps would be best suited for when the spa is sunken into a deck & one entered the spa from above. Instead, we enter the spa from a small step on the side and it is easier to pivot a leg directly onto the bench seat. But, the steps have been great for our growing daughter that, instead of overheating, loved to sit on the top step to cool off. The steps actually don’t use up any functional space between the moulded seats.

I definitely consider this to be a high-end spa that should be considered against other such spas. It has been a great pleasure to be able to speak directly with the manufacturer when I had any inquiries. The manufacturer does not specifically recommend bromine salt generator systems – but I have been very happy with mine. You need to be patient in order to tune it properly, but, once you do, it’s pretty much maintenance free and no extra chemicals are required. The re-circulation pump is pretty quiet – and, when speaking with the manufacturer, I discovered there are ways to reduce the noise even further.

In summary, if a meteorite destroyed my Banff H2O spa tomorrow, I’d simply buy the exact same spa again (after a short period of grieving).

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  • 1 month later...

It's always nice to drive down to Vermont for skiing & hiking.  Nice state.

I'm very happy if my review was helpful to you.  I find that for two people this spa is luxury big - for three it is still very comfortable.  But if I were to have four people regularly I'd want something bigger.  And for four people the lounger version, the Radium, would not suffice.

I looked at some of the smaller two seater spas, like the bullfrog, but am happy I went bigger with a small but deep 4 seater.

I'm also glad I went with a spa that has a more open bench corner seat ... that is a bit higher for cooling down.  I find I actually spend the most time in this seat.

What spas are you looking at?  Have you decided?  I don't blame you for not considering an H2O spa due to the lack of dealers in the area ... but their website is quite helpful anyway.

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I found a Nordic Retreat spa which is 70"X80" and 34" tall on Craigslist.It is 2 years old and was set up  indoors.Was used sparingly.Comes with matching stairs and ozonator.Ended up paying $2650.The compact spas that I was looking at were in the $2000 range and operate on 110V.I think I avoided a serious case of buyer's remorse by going with the bigger spa.

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