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If you are choosing an outdoor hot tub, the first thing to know is that the number of seats is not the criterion to look at first. In our catalogue a 5 person hot tub can cost 3,661 euros more than a 6 person one, and that is not an exception: it is the rule. I'll show you which criteria actually move the price, and how to tell a hot tub that will last fifteen years from one that will last six months.
The number of seats does not set the price
It is the question I get most often: "does more seats mean a higher price?" The answer will surprise you, and here it is with two models from our catalogue.
The BL-802 hot tub seats 5 people and costs € 9.750. The BL-801 seats 6 and costs € 6.089. A smaller tub that costs almost four thousand euros more.
The reason is the equipment. The BL-802 has 111 jets, the BL-801 has 39. What you pay for is not space: it is hydrotherapy.
Across the whole catalogue, the cost per seat falls as the number of seats goes up:
- 1 person hot tubs: from about 2,200 euros per seat
- 4 person hot tubs: from about 1,680 euros per seat
- 6 person hot tubs: from about 1,015 euros per seat
- 7 person hot tubs: from about 1,000 euros per seat
The jet count goes the other way, rising steadily: a 1 person tub averages 6 jets, a 6 person one 55, a 10 person one 193. Technical equipment moves the price, not capacity.
The practical consequence: on a fixed budget, a larger tub with simple equipment costs you less than a small one with advanced hydrotherapy. Decide which of the two you actually want before you start comparing.
4, 6 or 8 person hot tub: how to choose the size
The seat count hides a distinction almost nobody checks: how many seats are upright and how many are loungers. A lounger takes the space of two seats and changes the experience completely.
In our catalogue the pattern is clear: every 4 person model has upright seats only, no lounger. If you want to lie down, 4 person is not your size.
Among 5 person hot tubs, three models out of five have a lounger. Among 6 person ones the choice is wider. The BL-801, for example, has 5 seats plus 1 lounger.
To compare sizes you can start from these pages, where you will find the models available in each:
- 4 person hot tubs, the couple-plus size, all upright seats
- 5 person hot tubs, where the first lounger appears
- 6 person hot tubs, the family size
- 7 person hot tubs, where cost per seat hits its lowest
- 8 person hot tubs, for entertaining
The 7 person size deserves a note, because it proves the point above better than anything else. The three models in our catalogue all seat 7, yet they range from € 6.994 to € 9.653: 2,659 euros apart at identical capacity. The BL-818 has 29 jets and 7 upright seats, the BL-876 has 157 jets, 4 seats and 3 loungers. Same size, two different products.
One criterion worth more than the number: count the people who will use the tub regularly, not the ones who come for special occasions. An 8 person tub used by two costs the same to run as one used by eight.
How to spot a hot tub that will not last
"I found outdoor hot tubs online for 3,000 euros, why should I spend more?" I get asked this often and it is a fair question. Here are five criteria you can check before you buy, and they work with any seller.
The control panel must be an industry standard
This is the most important criterion and almost nobody checks it. Many cheap hot tubs use proprietary control systems tied to a single supplier. If in two years that supplier closes or changes model, the spare part no longer exists and the tub becomes unusable.
Look for components from manufacturers that supply the international brands. Our hot tubs use the Balboa TP600 control panel as standard, one of the most widely used in the industry: spare parts are available everywhere and stay available for years.
When you read a spec sheet, if the control panel is not named at all, that is already an answer.
Be wary of free shipping
An outdoor hot tub weighs between 300 and 500 kilos empty. The BL-801 weighs 387 kg empty. Nobody ships that for free.
When you read "free delivery" on a crate that size, it usually means a standard parcel carrier with no tail lift and no pallet truck. The result is a kerbside drop, and often a damaged crate.
Ask three things before ordering: whether delivery is by appointment, whether unloading uses a tail lift, and whether the goods are insured in transit.
Check whether the seller is a specialist
Open the seller's catalogue and look at what else they sell. If you find hot tubs next to light fittings, barbecues and bicycles, you are buying from a general importer, not a specialist.
The difference shows up after the sale: a general importer has no spare parts warehouse, no technicians who know the product, and no answer when you call because the panel is showing an error code.
The photos should be real
Photos that are all renders and never real is a warning sign. A render costs little and can show a hot tub that does not exist. If nowhere on the site there is a photograph of the actual product installed in an actual garden, nobody selling it has ever seen it.
The same goes for spec sheets: three generic lines instead of measurable data means the data is not there. A serious spec sheet states water capacity, empty weight, jet count, pump power and control panel model.
Check where the company is based
This is the quickest check and the most revealing. Look for the about page and the terms of sale. If the registered office is in Hong Kong, in Malaga or in a tax haven, the warranty you are buying is worth about as much as the distance between you and whoever should honour it.
We are based in Rimini, Italy, and the spare parts warehouse is there.
Warranty and spare parts: what to ask before you sign
On an outdoor hot tub the warranty matters more than on any other appliance, because the product sits outside all year, through rain and frost.
All our hot tubs carry a 2 year warranty, with no exceptions. But the question to ask the seller is a different one: is labour included? There are warranties that cover the part and invoice you for the technician, and on a home visit labour is the expensive half.
The other two questions are about spare parts:
- where the spare parts warehouse is, and how many days a part takes to arrive
- which components wear out, and whether those are held in stock
Three components need replacing over time: filters, which are cleaned and changed periodically, jet nozzles, which wear with the years, and the control panel of the electronic system. How to look after them is covered in the guide on how to clean a hot tub.
Insulation and running costs: the heaviest cost over time
The purchase price is paid once. Electricity is a cost that stays with you for fifteen years, and on outdoor hot tubs it weighs more than on indoor ones, because the water is fighting the outside temperature all year round.
The two figures to look for on the spec sheet are heater power and water capacity. Our hot tubs use a 3,000 W heater as standard, and the largest models carry two. Capacity varies a great deal: the BL-801 holds 1,100 litres, while models with a swim area go past 6,000.
More litres means more water to bring up to temperature and to keep there. That is not a flaw: it is a choice to make knowing what it costs to maintain.
The most effective lever on running costs is not heater power, it is the thermal cover: an uncovered tub loses heat from the surface continuously. Real consumption figures, calculated in kWh and in euros, are in the guide on hot tub running costs.
Where it goes: the criterion decided last that matters first
An outdoor hot tub is a single moulded shell: it does not come apart and it does not fit through doors, stairs or hallways. Before choosing the model, check that it can physically reach the spot.
There are two measurements to take, and neither is the tub's. They are the width of the narrowest point along the route and the manoeuvring space at the installation point. The BL-801 measures 210 cm by 220 cm: that is the footprint that has to pass, upright or flat.
If there is no way through, there almost always is a solution, and it is a mobile crane. A three axle truck with a 20 to 30 metre boom reaches from the second to the fourth floor without difficulty, and placing the tub takes between 30 and 45 minutes from the truck's arrival. In a historic centre or a restricted traffic zone you need permits to occupy the street temporarily, applied for in advance.
The other figure to check before buying is the weight in use, meaning tub plus water plus people. For the BL-801: 387 kg empty, plus 1,100 litres of water weighing as many kilos, plus the people. The total goes past 1,600 kg. On a balcony or a suspended floor that number has to be compared with the load capacity stated in the building's design, and the full calculation is in the guide on hot tubs on a balcony.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an outdoor hot tub cost?
In our catalogue prices start around 6,000 euros for a 6 person tub with essential equipment, and rise with jet count and insulation. Below 4,000 euros the price is almost always held down by cutting on the control system, the delivery or the after sales support: the five checks in this guide tell you where.
How much does a hot tub cost to run?
Between 25 and 63 euros a month depending on insulation, cover, climate and tariff. The range is wide because it depends almost entirely on two things: how well insulated the tub is and whether the cover seals properly. The calculation with your own figures is in the running costs guide linked above.
Can you use a hot tub in winter?
Yes, and that is when it earns its keep. It does need proper insulation and a thermal cover: that is the difference between a tub designed to live outside and an indoor one placed outdoors. If instead it will sit unused through the cold months, it should be winterised properly, not simply switched off.
How many seats do I actually need?
Count the people who will use it regularly, not the ones who come for special occasions. A large tub used by two costs the same to run as a full one. If you want a lounger, start from 5 person models upwards: the 4 person ones have upright seats only.
How long does an outdoor hot tub last?
A tub with industry standard components and regular maintenance runs for years without structural work. What gets replaced over time is filters, jet nozzles and the control panel. The deciding variable is not the brand of the tub: it is whether spare parts will still exist in five years.
Do I need a concrete base under a hot tub?
You need a rigid, level surface able to carry the weight in use, which for a mid sized tub goes past 1,600 kg. That can be an existing slab or a dedicated base: a surveyor decides on site. On a balcony or a suspended floor, use the load calculation in the guide linked above.
What is the difference between a hard shell hot tub and an inflatable one?
A hard shell tub has a structural frame, insulation and a fixed plant, so it holds temperature and works all year. An inflatable one loses heat through the walls and needs emptying often. On running costs, that difference is the whole cost of ownership.
What to do, in order
- Measure the narrowest access point and the installation spot before looking at models: it is the constraint that rules out the impossible options
- Decide whether you want space or hydrotherapy: those are two different prices, and the seat count will not tell you which
- Count the people who will use it regularly, not the ones who come for special occasions, and if you want a lounger start from 5 person models upwards
- Ask for the control panel model: if it is not an industry standard, the spare parts will run out before the tub does
- Check that delivery includes an appointment, a tail lift and insurance, and that the seller is a specialist with a reachable address
- Ask whether the warranty includes labour, not just the part
The most common mistake is choosing the model by seat count and price, and only then checking whether the tub can reach where it has to go. Do it the other way round: measure the narrowest point and the installation spot first, then choose among the models that fit. A perfect hot tub stuck in the street is a problem that costs a crane.
If you want to narrow the catalogue down starting from your space and how you will use it, answer four questions about space and use. To compare models, or to find out how one would reach your home, you can write to customer support.
The catalogue figures in this guide (weights, dimensions, capacity, jet count and prices) are read from the product sheets and update with the catalogue: what you see is the current value. They remain indicative because they refer to standard configurations, and they vary with trim, cabinet and options. Weights refer to the empty product: weight in use includes water and people and must be calculated separately. Price comparisons between models describe the catalogue at the moment you read it and are not an offer. Installation times, crane capacities and transport service costs are averages that vary with the site and access conditions. Nothing here replaces a structural assessment by a qualified engineer for your specific case, or the site survey needed to define delivery arrangements.
