Hot tub - shall we get one?

[PyjamaFan]

We're thinking of getting a hot tub and I'm wondering how much looking after/cleaning etc they need?

Also inflatable versus solid? (Or whatever the other type are called).

I would love to hear some opinions!

Tia

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MNHQ

We love ours. It’s a hard sided one. We keep it at 38 degrees all year round and use it a few times a week. Have to chuck chlorine in a couple of times a week, no real faff. We change the water every 3-4 months.

Thank you, that sounds great. I was worried it would take a lot of upkeep, which would no doubt fall to me!! But I can handle that.

We have an inflatable one. It is expensive to heat and generally needs emptying and cleaning out every 4/5 uses, but on the upside it is good fun and the initial outlay was £350 rather than 10x that or more.

You could try an inflatable first of all or rent a proper one and see how much use you get out of it. We found we used ours a lot when we first got it, but the novelty wore off quite quickly. Neighbours have a proper one - think it cost around £5000 that they got a few years ago and don't use often.

I have a lazyspa and wouldn't be without it. I bloody love it. I dose with chemicals daily, takes 5 minutes Max and use it daily. Electricity Is about £20 weekly but I've spent a fortune on insulation etc to reduce costs.

Mumsnet HATES hot tubs. Sex ponds. Bacteria soup. Anti social monsters that ruin being able to enjoy your garden in silence. Plague of the rear yard etc 😂.

May be worth looking locally to see if you can find one to hire for a weekend to try? The inflatables are great and under warranty for 2 years so great to start out with. Solid body is much much more expensive so I'd want to be sure before I committed.

I wouldn't. The environmental impact of every bugger keeping theirs running all year round, for starters. (No doubt someone will now jump on saying unless I live in a yurt with no electricity and grow my own food, I'm in no position to judge.)

Renting one is a good idea, thank you.

We have a lazy spa one too and absolutely love it. So do the kids! Highly recommend!

We usually keep it at 37 for the kids but turn it up to 38 for us in the evening. One time I accidentally set the heat to 40 degrees and it was like a hot bath! It was amazing but DH made me turn it back down the shit!

We’ve just bought one. It’s not actually arrived yet and we still have some work to do in the garden before we’re ready for it but I can’t wait to get in it and relax in the hot bubbles under the stars.
We got a hard standing one although I’ve been in a friend’s inflatable one and it was good, but the temperature seemed to drop fairly quickly. I’ve not had that experience in other hard standing ones I’ve been in.
I cancelled my gym membership and I also had spa membership in with it, I realised the thing I missed from the entire package was sitting in the outdoor jacuzzi at night with my book.
No one other than ourselves will be using it (not that I know anyone else who would be remotely interested in getting in ours!) and we’ve had big pools before (not the dug in ones, the big Intex blue ones) so are quite familiar with keeping the PH and chemicals balanced in cold water... I’m sure it will be a learning curve but we’re happy about our splurge!

Sorry OP but I can never get this out of my mind whenever any mentions hot tubs

www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/hot-tub-owners-pretending-its-not-a-nasty-sex-pond-2013042266204

We use ours daily. Several friends have also bought tubs and realise them.
Ours is solid and sunken. We’ve been through various cleaning methods but have settled on an enzyme based one. Chlorine gave my husband hives.
We are fussy about cleanliness and only immediate family use it. Basically us and the children occasionally. The work isn’t onerous and involves cleaning the filter each week. We top up with vinegar to maintain the chemical balance and have a scoop net for any leaves.
It’s emptied and refilled twice a year usually.
We use it Year round at 38 degrees in winter 37 in summer. Environmentally, it’s not too awful as it’s so well insulated. It doesn’t use much electricity at all. I’d think total running costs are around £5 per week.
We bought it to ease aching joints and stiff muscles. It’s brilliant and better than drugs. We found it’s impossible to be angry in the tub and it really helps with communication. It sets aside time each morning for talking.
Highly recommend.

I'm getting an m spa one. Has anyone got one?

We are building the housing for the back garden this week.

I was sniffy about them, caved in last March when lockdown was on the horizon. So glad we did. Great place for us and the teenage kids to sit and chat together. Have used it all year round 40 degrees in winter and 36 in summer.

We’ve just bought a lay Z spa. Bottom end of range - cost £300 (Miami). Am worried it will be a novelty. But I was so disappointed not to have got one last year I grabbed at the chance as soon as shop had one in stock! Not actually set it up yet! Will be this weekend. If we use it regularly I may upgrade to a better version. But I guess if you are unsure, get a lower end inflatable one and see how you get on? You can sell second hand and upgrade to a bigger / hard side one later down the line?