Best of the Best of the Best

[Oliver Shahery]

What would you say is the cream of the crop and top of the line outdoor spa? Something big that can fit 6 people easily 

Currently am leaning towards Marquis because it's American made and I like the designs. I've read some bad reviews on the maintenance required and hassles with Jacuzzi. Open to Caldera and any other suggestions any of you may have. 

Price is less of a concern than is build quality, longevity, and aesthetics 

Thank you sooo much 

Cheers

 

[castletonia]

There is no best of the best.  My personal list of top brands in alphabetical order is: Arctic, Artesian, Bullfrog, Caldera, Dimension One, Hot Spring, Jacuzzi, Marquis, and Sundance.  This doesn't mean that there are not other quality brands, these are just the ones that have a long history of quality.

I currently sell Hot Spring and Caldera and think very highly of each brand.  I also sold Marquis from 2014-2016 and then again in 2019.  My experience in 2014-2016 was infinitely better than in 2019 but I still consider Marquis to be a premium brand.  I personally don't care whether the hot tub is made in Mexico, United States, or Canada.  I care about the quality.  The other part of the equation is the dealer.  The dealer can influence what type of ownership experience you have since they are the one taking care of you after the sale, not the manufacturer.

I would see what is available to you locally because if the brand isn't available near you, then its not even an option.

[ratchett]

In many cases (but not all), the dealer you buy from is responsible for warranty labor costs not the manufacturer.   You'll be stuck with the dealer for the duration of the warranty so better do your research before buying.  Doesn't matter if you *really* want a spa from XYZ brand and the only dealer in town has a reputation for sh!tty customer service with techs known to do more damage in the process of fixing something else - you're gonna have a bad time. 

I personally am a fan of the Hotspring Highlife series - they are built to have a long lifespan (when properly cared for natch - tubs have the best lifespan when left running 24/7/365 with balanced/sanitized water).  But Hotspring's biggest claim to fame is their proprietary motomassager jets which some love and others could care less - after wet testing a Highlife class spa I was sold on them, but not everyone is (which is cool - they're not for everyone).

 

If the Highlife class doesn't do it for you, there are several other brands which build flagship tier spas - Caldera, Jacuzzi, Sundance, Marquis, Beachcomber, Nordic, Bullfrog, etc.   Just make sure you're buying from a dealer you can trust to do the job right when you need the spa serviced.   Last thing you want is to buy from a hottub traveling circus expo with dealer's located in another state who call out the lowest bidding spa tech in town to service your spa.

 

Last piece of advice - pay attention to the internal construction.  The industry standard is choice for framing materials is pressure treated lumber which was previously treated with arsenic to resist rot, however since 2002 all new PT lumber is made with copper instead of arsenic.  Not a big deal.... until the wood is exposed to water/mildew/rodents/bugs etc and then it'll rot much faster than older tubs made before 2002.   That's why you'll notice many of the top flagship spas from the top brands have started moving towards a tool-grade polymer frame material which will not rust/rot.      This isn't a big deal if you're planning to upgrade every decade to the latest and greatest, but if you want something built to last 20+ years, it's something I'd consider.

[RDspaguy]

Best of the Best of the Best

With honors... 😂

[Julz7]

ratchett - Besides Hot Spring Highlife & Bullfrog, do you know which ones use the tool-grade polymer frame material vs. the pressure-treated lumber or metal frame?

[ratchett]

10 hours ago, Julz7 said:

ratchett - Besides Hot Spring Highlife & Bullfrog, do you know which ones use the tool-grade polymer frame material vs. the pressure-treated lumber or metal frame?

I believe either Sundance/Jacuzzi, or maybe it was Marquis that has also started using a polycarbonate tool-grade plastic frame on their flagship tier, but I can't recall which it was and their websites aren't indicating.

Actually looking at Marquis, it sounds like they use cedar in some of their framing which would be superior to conventional pressure-treated pine which is found in many mid to budget grade spas.

I believe Sunrise Spas and a few other budget brands use galvanized steel framing which is great for the manufacturer - it's strong and cost-effective.   Unfortunately steel is prone to oxidizing/rusting when exposed to water/moisture, so that doesn't exactly make it the smartest frame material for a spa which might eventually develop a leak.  They try to increase durability by galvanizing the steel (dipping in a hot acid bath), but this doesn't really help much at all.   At the end of the day, I'd avoid steel frame construction spas at all cost - not only do they leave the chance of rust spots on your patio afterwards, I also hear it's a PITA to properly reinstall access panels after the frames have started to rust through.  

Now if someone were to make an Aluminum framed spa that'd be a different story, but I'm not aware of any spa manufacturers using it currently.

[CanadianSpaTech]

Welded Stainless Steel frames coming out of China... Recently had the opportunity to get a look inside a brand new one and to be honest I kinda like what I saw, They are coming out of the largest hot tub manufacturing facility in the world (according to their website). All Balboa components, well insulated, plumbing was glued AND clamped with gear clamps, molded pan bottom, as mentioned stainless steel frame, locally made 6" - 4" cover, threaded Balboa jets and price fit. The retailer seems to have a steady supply. I think there is a shift coming and a willingness from consumers AND retailers. For consumers the spas are available sooner if not that day and for retailers that can't get spas for year or 2 and have nothing to sell. Parts are also becoming more readily available as well. NA Manufacturers and retailers in competitive markets better take note. JMO.. Time will tell

[RDspaguy]

🤐 🤨😠

That's all I have to say about that situation on a public forum.

[CanadianSpaTech]

I know I know but I see it happening. Deliveries are way up on these spas. People are buying. 

[castletonia]

Now I'm curious.  Someone want to PM who this is?

 

[ratchett]

21 hours ago, CanadianSpaTech said:

Welded Stainless Steel frames coming out of China... Recently had the opportunity to get a look inside a brand new one and to be honest I kinda like what I saw, They are coming out of the largest hot tub manufacturing facility in the world (according to their website). All Balboa components, well insulated, plumbing was glued AND clamped with gear clamps, molded pan bottom, as mentioned stainless steel frame, locally made 6" - 4" cover, threaded Balboa jets and price fit. The retailer seems to have a steady supply. I think there is a shift coming and a willingness from consumers AND retailers. For consumers the spas are available sooner if not that day and for retailers that can't get spas for year or 2 and have nothing to sell. Parts are also becoming more readily available as well. NA Manufacturers and retailers in competitive markets better take note. JMO.. Time will tell

As usual, I've seen this happen in multiple industries before.  And I have no doubt they look great right now fresh out of the packaging.  The real question is how they'll hold up 5-10 years from now. Just because they pass initial mustard doesn't mean they're actually using high grade materials built to last.  I still personally don't believe steel is an optimal solution for framing spas regardless what they do to protect it.  

I'm curious as well which mail-order brands these are, but again, I'm more interested to see how they hold up after 5-10 years of use/abuse by the average consumer.    

But hey, if these new tubs really do hold up for a decade and work as expected - awesome, competition is great for any industry - it drives prices down and forces companies to innovate to stay head of the competition.

[CanadianSpaTech]

As I said... Time will tell. 

[LynneA]

On 8/8/2021 at 10:20 AM, CanadianSpaTech said:

Welded Stainless Steel frames coming out of China... Recently had the opportunity to get a look inside a brand new one and to be honest I kinda like what I saw, They are coming out of the largest hot tub manufacturing facility in the world (according to their website). All Balboa components, well insulated, plumbing was glued AND clamped with gear clamps, molded pan bottom, as mentioned stainless steel frame, locally made 6" - 4" cover, threaded Balboa jets and price fit. The retailer seems to have a steady supply. I think there is a shift coming and a willingness from consumers AND retailers. For consumers the spas are available sooner if not that day and for retailers that can't get spas for year or 2 and have nothing to sell. Parts are also becoming more readily available as well. NA Manufacturers and retailers in competitive markets better take note. JMO.. Time will tell

CanadianSpaTech...you don't mention the manufacturer.  Did it happen to be Maax under the Vita Spa or American Whirlpool brand? 

[CanadianSpaTech]

1 hour ago, LynneA said:

CanadianSpaTech...you don't mention the manufacturer.  Did it happen to be Maax under the Vita Spa or American Whirlpool brand? 

no