Build a Vacation in your Backyard

Imagine, you get home after a long and stressful day at work. Your boss was nagging you all day about deadlines and your co-workers weren't pulling their weight making you overwork. You think to yourself, I need a vacation. So, why not take a quick escape onto your back deck or outside patio? Now, you are leaning back in your personal hot tub paradise looking out at the burnt orange sunset with a glass of rosé in your hand. Ahhh, the jets are messaging the tension right out of your back. Your spouse joins you with your kid and you chat about the better parts of your day while gazing out at the view. Your kid tells you about how he hit his first home run today at school. Suddenly, you forget all about work and that you were even stressed. You found your vacation in a hot tub.

Know your Purpose For a Hot Tub

Now that you know you want your next vacation to be in a hot tub, it is important to know exactly why you are buying a hot tub because it depends on the style, features, and size you will get.

• For recreational and entertainment: if you are buying a hot tub where you will spend quality time with your family and/or friends, you will want to consider buying a hot tub with a bench or a lounger. You may want to consider adding certain features such as lights, aromas, and little fountains to add to your conversations with your friends and family while you vacation in your hot tub. You may want to lay back in your lounger and enjoy the flowers and trees in your backyard.
• For health and wellness: if you are buying a hot tub where you want to get some agility work in to help with strengthening or recovering tired muscles, you may want to consider buying a swim spa. You will have the extra space and current to move around for certain exercises.

Know What You are Buying

There are two main factors when considering which kind of hot tub is right for you.

First: do you want a hot tub or a swim spa? What is the difference?

• Hot Tub: a hot tub is your basic small pool with jets, lights, aromas, or other features you can add to relax and enjoy your family, friends, and the outdoors.
• Swim Spa: think of a swim spa as an upgraded hot tub. It's larger and allows you to swim and do agility work. A swim spa is a full aquatic fitness system. You can set it up to have rowing equipment, arm and leg bands for resistant training, a current to walk against, etc.

Second: do you want a lounger or a non-lounger/bench?

• Lounger: a lounger allows you to sit back comfortably in your seat. It gives you extra relaxation where you can kick out, lean back, and let the jets message your sore and tight muscles. Think of it as a reclining chair!
• Bench: a bench is for normal sitting and accommodates more people. Think of this as your couch. More people can sit on the couch and only one person can sit in the recliner.

Know your Price Range

It is important to give yourself a budget depending on what you can afford and what your purpose is for the hot tub or swim spa. Hot tubs can start out as low as $5,000 and go all the way up to $35,000. Here are our hot tubs less than $15,000 and more than $15,000. Factors such as size, condition, features, and brand play a part in price. Make sure you know the price range you are willing to spend before you buy your hot tub. Other prices include the following:

• Electricity (depends on the voltage your hot tub uses)
• Water maintenance/chemicals/salts (about $200 annually)

Know your Electrical Capacities

Remember to know your electrical capacities at home and what you are willing to spend. For example, if you are buying a standard patio series plug-in, expect to be expending about 115 volts, which is a standard, three-pronged outlet and is like your in-home outlets. A space heater plug-in is the same. The higher-end hot tubs take up to 230 volts and are required to be wired by an electrician. These are your three-pronged outlets and are similar to a washer and dryer outlet.

Test out your Hot Tub or Swim Spa

Bring your family and bathing suits to test out sitting in different hot tubs with and without water to see what is the most comfortable for you, your spouse, and your kids. It's always a good idea to try out a hot tub before purchasing just as you would try out laying on a bed at the mattress firm before buying your mattress. As always, you should be confident in knowing you will love your hot tub. Also, you will be making the decision with your family so you know everyone will be happy.

For more questions about everything hot tubs, check out our Frequently Asked Questions page.