The best hot tubs used to be seen as a luxury item that most people could only dream of owning, but today they're more common in properties of all shapes, sizes and prices – and there are more models than ever to choose from, everything from affordable inflatable home spas to more expensive, classic Jacuzzis available.
Their popularity shows no signs of slowing down, and to help you get your dream hot tub, we've put together a guide to where to find the best hot tub deals online. You'll also find out picks for the very best models in the list below, so you should be able to find something that meets you need and budget (and is still in stock too).
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Garden hot tubs: what you need to know
While some hot tubs require rather lengthy installations, we’ve managed to pick out a range of the best hot tubs that don’t require that much fuss below – you can simply plug and play, turning your garden into a luxury spa in an instant.
Depending on the level of luxury you're going for, you can get hot tubs with different jet speeds, mood lighting and even built-in sound systems. But before you get too excited, there are a few things you need to consider when purchasing the best hot tub for your garden.
Space is an obvious consideration: ensure you have plenty of room to fit the hot tub, as well as easy access to a power source, and enough leeway to safely get in and out of the water. Some hot tubs need to be installed on a pedestal that isn't directly touching the ground, while other inflatable or "pop up" hot tubs don’t require this kind of groundwork (even so, it may be in your best interests to place your hot tub on decking or a patio to protect your grass).
If you want a little more versatility from your hot tub, then swim spas are also a popular choice for gardens. These are somewhere between a Jacuzzi and a swimming pool, allowing for both exercise and relaxation. Most hot tubs and spas can accommodate between four and eight people, and usually come with a step and cover to keep your hot tub in pristine condition.
Below we've picked out some of the best hot tubs on the market that can transform your garden into a luxury spa, not just for the summer but (as long as you're fairly hardy) for the whole year round...
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The best hot tubs for all budgets
We like just about everything that the Bestway Lay-Z-Spa Singapore has to offer: from the premium drop-stitch material on the outside, to the spacious five-person capacity, it's got a lot going for it, and it definitely earns its place right at the top of our best hot tubs list. What's more, the price is on the reasonable side as well.
Bestway has managed to fit 140 jets in here, so you're guaranteed a relaxing soak in this hot tub, and it has plenty of modern technology built in too – you can turn it on, turn it off and set the temperature right from your phone, and there's a 40°C rapid heating system installed so you don't have to wait around to take a dip in this.
The Lay-Z-Spa Singapore is able to heat, massage and filter at the same time, and it comes with Freeze Shield technology included as well – that means if the temperature of the water gets too low, it'll automatically be kept above a certain level, so you can ensure that you're able to enjoy your hot tub whenever you like.
There are some good customisation options included as well, such as the adjustable pressure of the jet system coming out of the sides and the centre of the tub, and yet at the same time it's also very easy to set up – once it's in place you can really be up and running in as little as five minutes, which is another reason it stands out.
All in all it's a fantastic hot tub and one that we can wholeheartedly recommend. You can get cheaper models (see below for some of them) but in terms of value for money, the scope of the features, the aesthetic appeal of the design, the capacity for five people and everything else we've mentioned, this is definitely a winner.
We have a number of luxury hot tubs below for bigger budgets, but when it comes to affordability, we think the popular Bestway Lay-Z-Spa Miami Hot Tub is the best hot tub you can buy at the moment.
This inflatable hot tub has been earning rave reviews from customers. It's slightly smaller than some of the other options in our best hot tub guide, seating up to four people (although customers have said it's more like three at a push), and it doesn't come with the fancy lighting of its more advanced sibling – the Bestway Lay-Z-Spa Paris hot tub, below. However, you do get a very similar air jet system, and the fast and easy set up that you get with the more expensive model.
The Bestway Lay-Z-Spa Miami Hot Tub boasts a sturdy construction, reducing the risk of puncture or leakage. As a result, you can expect this hot tub to stand the test of time in your back garden, and at less than £400 it's fantastic value.
You can compare this hot top to another top competitor in our Bestway Lay-Z-Spa Miami vs Bestway Lay-Z-Spa Helsinki comparison feature.
The Helsinki AirJet from Lay-Z-Spa is a Nordic inspired inflatable hot tub which can be used all year round thanks to the innovative Freeze Shield technology that's built in. The tub is easy to set up and features a rapid heating system, which will heat the water to a toasty 40-degrees centigrade (or less, if you desire). You and up to six (at a squeeze) of your friends or family will be enjoying the 87 Airjet massage system in no time.
But it's the Freeze Shield tech which is the star of the show here, allowing you to use the hot tub on the coldest winter nights. It keeps the pump running at all times in a power saving mode, stopping the water from freezing in the pipes and motor. This, coupled with a durable drop stitch construction, insulating inflatable lid, and a realistic wooden design, make it a great alternative to an acrylic spa.
- Read T3's Lay-Z-Spa Helsinki Hot Tub review
This acrylic hot tub is probably the closest thing you’ll get to a real Jacuzzi in your garden. It seats up to 6 people, and features a whopping 35 jets including 5 hydro-massage seat jets for maximum luxury. It comes equipped with an Mp3 sound system and LED lighting to complete the look, meaning you can expect to throw some awesome garden parties with this hot tub.
Perhaps the best thing about this particular model is that it doesn't require any lengthy installation, so if you want to do it yourself you can. Users say the manual is a little limited, but this hot tub is simply plug and play, and most have had no issues with set up.
The M-Spa Silver Cloud 2021 hot tub is an excellent mid-range choice – one that's worth looking at if you don't want to spend huge amounts of money but you do want a decent size and a respectable level of features. With a 700-litre capacity and the option to deflate it when not in use, it's great for more occasional use.
You can fit up to four people in here if needed, and there are a total of 118 jets installed for that perfect, soaking hot tub experience. The water is kept at a cosy 40°C level, and the control box is worth mentioning as well: it makes the hot tub very straightforward to use and maintain, and that includes the one-press inflate option.
Obviously there are hot tubs out there with more features and more capacity – if you happen to have more than three friends – but they're also going to cost you more money, so it depends what you're after. If you don't need something that's permanently installed in the back garden, then this is absolutely worth a look.
If an acrylic hot tub is a little too big of an investment for you right now, then the Lay-Z-Spa is the next best thing you can buy. This inflatable hot tub is easy to set up, with a clear instructional DVD, and this particular model is loved by customers for its atmospheric multi-coloured lighting – making it the ideal place to wind down in the evenings.
Users have said it accommodates four people comfortably but six can be a bit of a squeeze, although not completely impossible. You can run both the heaters and the bubbles at the same time and it can be controlled via a wireless remote.
This hot tub has a whopping 120 jets which users say recreates a proper Jacuzzi-style spa in their home. Add to that an adjustable temperature between 20 and 40 degrees centigrade, and a control panel to set the performance of the bubbles, and you can see why this makes our list of the best hot tubs.
It's not the most stylish hot tub we've ever seen (we’re still undecided on the beige colour), and it doesn't come with any embellishments like LED lighting – but considering everything that you do get, and the price that it's going for, we'd say that it's an easy inclusion here.
Lay-Z-Spa makes a further entry on our list with the Monaco hot tub: this one is the largest of the lot, with seating for up to eight people (and this time customers say that's actually a fair assessment). If you want to have room for plenty of friends, then this might be the hot tub for you.
Despite its size, this is still simple to inflate and deflate as and when you need to, but remember it will require a lot more water than the smaller models, so that's something else to bear in mind. There are 86 jets packed in here, which means a soothing experience is guaranteed.
This Canadian Swim Spa is pretty pricey, but we think that if you're looking for pure luxury then this is it. It says it only seats six people, despite being the largest tub, but this means you can expect to have your own personal space intact when relaxing in this particular model.
The idea of this swim spa is allow you to swim as well if you want: it can be separated into two sections, so you can use the hot tub section on its own on some occasions if preferred. The jets provide a swim current so you can practice resistance swimming in this pool as well, and you get all the swish extras including an MP3 sound system and LED lighting too. Worth the money, if you’ve got it.
If you have been thinking about trying out a hot tub but don’t want to splash too much cash, then users have said great things about this basic spa that you can pick up from Tesco. Okay, you don't get any frills such as LED lights or sound systems, but it is surprisingly powerful, with over 100 jets built in.
This is the cheapest option on our list of the best hot tubs, but that doesn't mean you have to worry about it falling apart or lacking in terms of its build quality: on the contrary, you can expect excellent value for money in terms of its durability as well as its ease of use.
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