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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 more than a 6 person one, and that is not an isolated case. I'll show you which criteria actually matter, and what to check before you buy, whatever the model and whoever the seller.
The number of seats does not set the price
It is one of the questions 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 € 8.152. The BL-801 seats 6 and costs € 5.819. The smaller tub is the one that costs more.
The main reason is the equipment. The BL-802 has 111 jets, the BL-801 has 39. What you pay for here is not space: it is equipment.
Across our hot tubs the cost per seat tends to fall as the size goes up, as far as 7 seats. You can see it by dividing the price by the seats on these models, among the cheapest of their size:
- 4 person: the BL-828, € 5.623
- 5 person: the BL-830C, € 5.101
- 6 person: the BL-801, € 5.819
- 7 person: the BL-818, € 6.683
The jet count tends to go the other way, rising with size: across our hot tubs the average goes from 33 jets on 4 person models to 93 on 7 person ones. At the same seat count, it is mainly the technical equipment that makes the price difference.
The practical consequence: on a fixed budget, a larger tub with simple equipment can cost you less than a small one with many more jets. 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 more space than a seat and changes the experience.
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, four models out of five have at least one lounger. Among 6 person ones it is three out of six. 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 most models have a lounger
- 6 person hot tubs, the family size
- 7 person hot tubs, where the cost per seat is among the lowest
- 8 person hot tubs, for entertaining
The 7 person size deserves a note, because it shows the point above well. The three models in our catalogue all seat 7, yet they range from € 6.683 to € 8.071, 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 has to be kept at temperature all the same, even if only two of you use it.
Five checks before you buy
"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, ourselves included.
The control system should come from an identifiable manufacturer
This is one of the most important criteria and it often goes unchecked. Some cheap hot tubs use control systems with no stated make or model, hard to trace back to a supplier. If that supplier closes or changes model, finding the spare part can become difficult, and without its control system the tub does not run.
Look for components from specialist manufacturers, with a stated make and model. On nearly all our hot tubs and swim spas built to order the spec sheet states a Balboa TP600 panel. Our in stock models may instead have a Joyonway PB553 panel, which is also a list option: each model's spec sheet says which. Spare parts for both are in our catalogue and the manuals are on our support site. Before ordering, whoever you buy from, ask which panel your tub will actually have.
When you read a spec sheet, if the control panel is not named, ask for it.
Free shipping: ask what it includes
In our catalogue a hot tub weighs roughly 250 to 600 kilos empty. The BL-801 weighs 387 kg empty. Moving a crate like that has a cost, even when you do not see it written down.
When you read "free delivery" on a crate that size, ask what vehicle it travels on: a standard parcel carrier usually has neither a tail lift nor a pallet truck.
Ask three things before ordering: whether delivery is by appointment, whether unloading uses a tail lift, and whether the goods are insured in transit. And ask how far the delivery goes: to the address or all the way to the installation point.
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 probably buying from a general importer, not a specialist.
The difference usually shows up after the sale: ask whether there is a spare parts warehouse, whether there are technicians who know the product, and who answers when you call because the panel is showing an error code.
The photos should be real
Photos that are all renders and never real are 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, ask to see one.
The same goes for spec sheets: three generic lines instead of measurable data do not tell you what you need. A complete 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. Look for the about page and the terms of sale. If you cannot find a clear registered office, or it is outside the European Union, ask yourself who you would turn to if there were a defect and what it would cost you to do so.
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 a great deal, because the product sits outside all year, through rain and frost.
On our new models the warranty is 24 months for private buyers and 12 for businesses, as set out in the terms of sale, and for private buyers, in the cases it covers, it includes labour. The question to ask any seller is exactly this: what does it cover, and is labour included? Warranties are not all alike, and on a home visit labour can weigh as much as the part.
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
Among the components to think about over time are filters, which are cleaned and changed periodically, and jet nozzles, which wear with the years.
Insulation and running costs: the heaviest cost over time
The purchase price is paid once. Electricity is a cost that comes back every year, 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 three of our swim spas carry two. Capacity varies a great deal: the BL-801 holds 1,100 litres, while swim spas start above 5,000.
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.
One of the most effective levers on running costs is not heater power, it is the thermal cover: an uncovered tub loses heat from the surface continuously. 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 normally a single moulded shell: it does not come apart and it often 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, the solution is often a mobile crane. On the jobs we have followed, a three axle truck with a 20 to 30 metre boom usually reaches from the second to the fourth floor, and a simple lift generally takes between 30 and 60 minutes. 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 a 6 person tub with essential equipment starts from € 5.819, and the price rises with the equipment. Below 4,000 euros, ask what has been saved on: the control system, the delivery or the after sales support. The five checks in this guide help you find out.
How much does a hot tub cost to run?
In the calculation in our running costs guide, between 3 and 7.5 kWh a day, meaning 25 to 63 euros a month at the Italian regulator ARERA's price for the first quarter of 2026, depending on insulation, cover, climate and tariff. The range is wide because it depends a lot on two things: how well insulated the tub is and whether the cover seals properly. The calculation with your own figures is in the guide linked above.
Can you use a hot tub in winter?
Yes. 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 has to be kept at temperature all the same, even if only two of you use it. If you want a lounger, check the spec sheet: some 2 and 3 person models have one and so do most from 5 person upwards, while the 4 person ones have upright seats only.
How long does an outdoor hot tub last?
There is no number that holds for every tub: it depends on use, maintenance and climate. Over time it is mainly filters and wearing parts that need looking after or replacing. Whatever the brand, the useful question is one: will spare parts still be available in a few 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 can go 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, and is designed to hold temperature all year. An inflatable one usually loses more heat through the walls, and that difference shows up on running costs.
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 equipment: 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 check the spec sheet: 4 person models do not have one
- Ask for the control panel model and whether spare parts are available
- Check that delivery includes an appointment, a tail lift and insurance, how far it goes, and that the seller is a specialist with a reachable address
- Ask what the warranty covers, labour included
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.
