Best Inflatable Hot Tub for 2024 – Top Buyers Reviews

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There’s some great new inflatable hot tubs out there

Lots of improvements and new innovations are popping up in older models too. Now the best inflatable hot tubs really do stand comparison with their much more expensive hard moulded cousins.

So a new breed of hot tub is emerging. After years of spinning their wheels inflatable hot tub manufacturers have started to move forward with some brilliant new designs, updated user interfaces, and lot’s of great new features and functions.

There’s smart phone remote controls, variable jet intensity levels, freeze control for winter hot tubbing as well as a new radical approach to the internal architecture making elegant thin walled tubs a reality.

Our experts have curated and reviewed this years top rated portable hot tubs, There’s some old friends here but lots of exiting new blow up hot tubs too.

Let’s dive straight in……

INFLATABLE HOT TUB REVIEWS

	VANCOUVER Bestway Saluspa	SIZE: 61" x 61" x 26" SEATS: 3 - 6 Persons CAPACITY: 213 Gallons	140 x Air Jets	READ REVIEW
	GREYWOOD Intex Hot Tub	SIZE: 88" x 85" x 28" SEATS: 6 Persons CAPACITY: 294Gallons	170 x Water Jets	READ REVIEW
	HELSINKI Bestway Saluspa	SIZE: 71" x 71" x 26" SEATS: 4 -6 Persons CAPACITY: 297 Gallons	83 x Air Jets	READ REVIEW
	BAIKAL MSPA Elite	SIZE: 71" x 71" x 28" SEATS: 4 -5 Persons CAPACITY: 184 Gallons	118 x Air Jets 4 x HydroJets	READ REVIEW
	CLASSIC GREEN Coleman Saluspa	SIZE: 77" x 77" x 28" SEATS: 4 -6 Persons CAPACITY: 254 Gallons	114 x Air Jets	READ REVIEW
	PURESPA Intex Hot Tub	SIZE: 77" x 77" x 28" SEATS: 4 - 6 Persons CAPACITY: 210 Gallons	120 x Air Jets	READ REVIEW
	MIAMI Coleman Saluspa	SIZE: 71" x 71" x 26" SEATS: 2 - 4 Persons CAPACITY: 177 Gallons	120 x Air Jets	READ REVIEW
	HAWAII Coleman Saluspa	SIZE: 71" x 71" x 28" SEATS: 4 - 6BPersons CAPACITY: 210 Gallons	114 x Air Jets	READ REVIEW

SaluSpa Vancouver Inflatable Hot Tub 

PACKED WITH BRILLIANT NEW FEATURES

Bestway have really raised the inflatable hot tub bar with this tub.

The Vancouver is just bristling with new features and the latest technology.

It’s the first inflatable to have jets in the centre of the base as well as around the perimeter. A total of 140 bubble jet in all. It really does provides full body coverage.

But it just gets better, it can also be controlled from your mobile phone via the neat new Smart Hub app. You can activate it’s functions from wherever you are.

Amazing.

For us “old fashioned “ folks the flip up control panel sits neatly recessed into the redesigned pump/heater tower. It’s at a nice convenient height for access from inside the tub.

Because it uses the new drop stitch fabric and updated internal architecture the side walls are just 2 inches thick.

It measures just 61 inches across but holds 213 gallons of water and easily accommodates 4- 5 persons, That means it’s a large volume tub with a small footprint in your outdoor space.

To fully inflate the tub some light manual pumping is required.

If you’re planning to run the tub in the cooler winter months there is Freeze Shield technology built in to automatically start the heater if the temperature gets too cold.

We’re just blown away with this tub. It’s a real masterstroke at an affordable price.

Intex PureSpa Greywood Deluxe 

6 SEATER TUB WITH REMOTE CONTROL

The jewel in the crown of the Intex inflatable Hot Tub range.

A 6 seater tub with a striking design. We really like the soft exterior grey tones of the tub and the new compact heater and pump unit. 

There’s a newly designed detachable wireless control panel, it charges from the pump/ heater unit and has a 16ft working radius . Expect 48 hours of operation per full charge. Now that’s pretty cool !!.

The model shown has 170 bubble jets count and a water volume of 290 gallons. Fortunately Intex has fitted a 1300W heater so it can heat the the tub up at a very respectable 2- 3º F per hour.

There’s an automatic hard water system built in making the water gentler on your skin and bathing clothes. It helps prolong the life of the filter and tub plumbing system too.

The LED mood lighting feature is just the icing on this pretty substantial cake.

At the time of writing the Greywood Hot Tub comes bundled with 2 headrests, 2 filter cartridges, thermal ground cloth, inflation hose, carry bag, floating chlorine dispenser, and a test strip.  Everything to get you up and running. You’ll have to provide the water though !!

Inflatable hot tubs don’t get much better than this beauty.

SaluSpa Helsinki Portable Hot Tub

 ENJOY YEAR ROUND HOT TUBBING

The SaluSpa Helsinki hot tub is certainly a bit of a show stopper.

We love its Nordic themed livery, and if your looking for a hot tub that looks just like a hot tub, then the SaluSpa Helsinki is hard to see past.

But this hot tub isn’t just a pretty face, it’s a bit of a revolutionary.

The Helsinki hot tub walls are much thinner, much thinner than other inflatable hot tubs on the market. They’re made from a drop stitch material with thousands of interwoven fine threads and are super rigid and sturdy.

Be aware that some light manual pumping is required to fully inflate this tub.

Six people can enjoy this hot tub in comfort, and 180 soothing bubble jets give the bathers a really rejuvenating hot tub experience. The built in water softener also adds to bathing pleasure.

This tub has a cushioned base adding a touch of extra comfort when you’re soaking.

A striking addition to any garden or patio.

MSPA Hot Tub | Elite Baikal

4 x HYDRO-THERAPY JETS

The MSPA blow up spa just oozes build quality, innovative design and visual elegance.

The most striking design feature to notice is that all the hot tub components ( with the exception of the control panel ) are housed within the hot tub carcass.

That makes for a really modern and appealing minimalist look. We just love it.

But this hot tub isn’t just style over substance. It not only has 118 bubble jets for a soothing spa experience, but also has four hydro jets set in banks of two.

Brilliant for those looking to combine a more powerful and therapeutic hot tub session with soothing, relaxing air jets. This tub just exudes quality combined with thoughtful engineering. 

We particularly like the zipped cover that can be conveniently secured with the digital lock provided in the kit.

Also included is a ground cover, and an inflatable bladder to lay on top of the water to reduce heat loss.  Nice!!

Not a huge tub it measures 71 x 28 inches, big enough for four adults, for but to really enjoy the full benefit of all the jets we think just two would be perfect.

The powerful heating element can raise the temperature at an impressive 2.5 -3.5º/hr given a reasonable ambient temperature. So a quick initial heat up and then rapid reheats.

We think the MSPA Hot Tub Elite Baikal is well named. It’s an inflatable hot tub for folks looking for the very best.

An Elite hot tub for the connoisseur.

Coleman Inflatable Hot Tub  

 BEST SELLING BLOW UP SPA IN USA

No best tub recommendations would be complete without a Coleman Saluspa Inflatable hot tub.

Although the it comes with a very reasonable price tag this classic model still has all the features that you are going to need for an enjoyable and relaxing spa experience.

At least from a sales point of view this is the best inflatable hot tub in the USA.

The manufacturer claims it seats 4-6 people, but in reality four is plenty.

Because of its budget price the “bells and whistles”  that the high-end tubs offer are not included. So no water softener, or hard water treatment with this tub.

Not having these features are not a show stopper though, they can easily be picked up during routine chemical treatment.

A nice features of the hot tub that is the cushioned base. It’s more comfortable, and also helps with the thermal insulation. 

The built in timer allows you to program the water heating schedule to suit your schedule.

This is a feature that some other inflatable tub manufacturers don’t offer. For a great a bubble massage the Coleman Saluspa hot tub  is hard to beat.

A budget price tag makes it a top seller in inflatable tub market.  

Nothing here not to like. A brilliant hot tub.

Intex PureSpa Inflatable Hot Tub 

 ORIGINAL 4 PERSON HOT TUB

Elegantly finished in a fresh light beige with a white interior.  

The Intex PureSpa really is quite an appealing sight, It comes in this 77 inch option holding 210 gallons or there’s an 85 inch tub that comfortably hold 6 people.

This blow up spa has 120 bubble jets around the base perimeter and a powerful pump and heater combination to drive them.

Having a good heater is fundamental to a hot tub. If it’s inefficient, what we’ve got is a warm tub! That’s not we signed up for.

Given an ambient temperature of 60ºF it should easily be able to raise the tub water temperature at 2-3º/hour.

There’s a water softener built into to tub so nice silky water that’s easy on the skin and bathing suits.

This inflatable hot tub isn’t packed with features but there’s plenty of after cool Intex accessories available to add a little luxury to the tub. 

What you’re buying with the Intex PureSpa is well proven build quality, and powerful core components. It’s one of the originals in the Intex range, and it’s as good today as it’s always been.

A solid reliable choice for summer hot tubbing.

SaluSpa Miami Blow Up Spa 

 PERFECT FOR TWO BUT CAN HOLD FOUR

A small inflatable hot tub with a big heart.

It may have a footprint of just 71 x 71 x 26 but it definitely punches above it’s weight. It’s fitted with the same pump and heater as its larger cousins so faster initial heating and economical reheating.

This Miami hot tub has also been upgraded to 120 bubble jets set around the base, so bubbles in abundance.

Holding 177 gallons of water and weighing just 1534 lbs it’s an ideal hot tub for weight restricted decks or balconies.

An advance activation timer is built in to turn the tub on when you choose and the new Bestway chemical treatment system is fitted too..

The manufacturer claims this hot tub can hold four adults, it might, but for the best experience it’s definitely best suited for just two.

All in all the Miami inflatable hot tub is great for two and it’s been really enhanced with some of the new updates that Bestway has introduced. .

Coleman Square Inflatable Hot Tub 

 BEST SQUARE HOT TUB

When Coleman and Bestway collaborate on a product we expect something good

Their square inflatable hot tub doesn’t disappoint.

This best selling tub comes with everything bundled in the box to get hot tubbing fast. Filter, chemical treatment floater and all the tools required to build and inflate are all included.

Once set up, filled and heated you can start to enjoy this surprisingly spacious tub. It has 114 bubble jets around the base perimeter and a built in timer so the tub is waiting for you not you waiting for the tub to heat up.

Because of the shape this blow up spa does comfortably fit four adults and because of the tough fabric it’s manufactured from it can easily handle younger children playing in it too. (supervised of course !!)

There’s very few square portable tubs on the market, but if there were a lot of other options it’s still hard to see past this one.

This was an easy choice for us, we think it’s brilliant, and let’s face it hundreds of happy owners can’t be wrong.

ARE INFLATABLE HOT TUBS WORTH IT?

Before explaining all the elements of a blow up spa.

Let’s answer the question are inflatable hot tubs worth It. That’s an obvious place to start.

A blow up spa is a brilliant entry into home hot tubbing. Even the best inflatable hot tubs are thousands of dollars cheaper than their hard shell cousins.

But let’s look at some pros and cons of this type of tub. It should to help you decide if a blow up spa is for you. 

The established manufacturers of blow up spas have had many years of research and testing to refine their products.

The end result is an inflatable hot tub buyer can expect many years of pleasure from their purchase and of course a satisfying hot tub experience.

How long will they last?  Well that’s a hard one to answer. 

How many seasons a tub will last depends on the usage of course but probably the most important factor in any inflatable hot tubs longevity is how carefully it’s stored in the winter.

CHOOSING AN INFLATABLE HOT TUB

Features Explained

The best inflatable hot tubs, like we’ve reviewed here, do offer a whole range of exiting features, and the price difference between a basic portable hot tub and a high end model can sometimes be surprisingly small.

Before you go ahead and buy a hot tub it makes sense to be clear about what you’re going to need the tub to do.

It’s going to make bubbles and get hot, but let’s find out a little more about the functions and features current blow up spas have on offer as well. 

First let’s talk about size…

Inflatable Hot Tub Size

Unless you’ve got a space or weight restricted area that your hot tub is going to live on then hot tub size is all about how many people can fit in it. 

Manufacturers do tend to quote pretty optimistic numbers for this. By optimistic we mean they are probably true for some countries, and some folk.

But for the USA you can knock at least one, sometimes two off their maximum person number.

It makes sense to understand this if you want a real indulgent soak you’ll need space to stretch out and enjoy the bubbles.

Pump and Heater

The Beating Heart of the Hot Tub.

If these components are weak or mismatched you’re going to be frustrated with any hot tub. Instead of finishing your soak feeling rejuvenated you’ll simply feel underwhelmed and disappointed.

Bestway Hot Tubs. At the time of writing pretty well all the SaluSpa range use the same pump, heater and blower set up.

It’s powers the best selling Coleman Classic Green hot tub through to the smaller Miami inflatable tub.

It’s plenty powerful enough for the larger tubs so used on the smaller tubs in the range it’s even better.

The Saluspa pump can turn over 320 gallons per hour so that’s roughly 1½ x tub water volume which is good.

Intex Hot Tubs. In terms of pure pump power the new Greywood inflatable tub is the muscle car of the portable tub world. It’s able to turn over 460 gallons per hour which is pretty darn impressive.

Owners can occasionally be disappointed with the time it takes for the initial hot tub water heat up. Even the best inflatable hot tubs build temperature at around 2-3º per hour.

Remember a hot tub holds a high water volume and the heater runs from a 13A plug so it’s not too surprising.

Depending on the ambient temperature expect a 24 hour wait for any inflatable hot tub to build to 104ºF.

Type of Jets

Air jets:  Also known as bubble jets are pretty well standard on all inflatable hot tubs. They’re generally set around the perimeter of the base.

The number of jets, water volume and power of the blower directly affect your hot tub experience. All the tubs we’ve included in this review have well balanced systems set up by trusted manufacturers.

At the time of writing only the amazing Saluspa Vancouver offers two levels of jet power intensity. With all the others jets are just on or off.

The Vancouver tub also has jets set in the center of the base, which is brilliant.

Hydro-Jets: These are quite a rare feature these days. We have included one model though, the MSPA Baikal. It has four hydro-jets as well as 118 bubble jets. If you’re looking for a hot tub for a real intense hydro therapy session then best look at our plug and play hot tub reviews.

Bubble jets as fitted to most inflatable hot tubs give an refreshing and relaxing hot tub experience but the hydro-Jet give a deeper, therapeutic massage.

CHEMICAL TREATMENT

A simple floating chemical disperser has been the used for years to treat the hot tub water. It worked just fine, but was a little inefficient, it took time to dissolve tablets into the system.

Bestway have improved this on the Saluspa range of tubs with their Chemconnect system. The tablets are now placed in a container that’s attached to the plumbing, so water is pumped through them. It’s a great new idea, especially if the tub needs urgent treatment.

INFLATABLE HOT TUB FILTERS

Intex and Bestway both use the same basic type of filter. They’re easy to change and inexpensive.

Made from tough pleated polyester they work well in trapping debris and suspended oils, sun lotions, hair, dust and pollen.

They can be rinsed, washed and re-installed a number of times before replacing. Just check them periodically. Normally every couple of weeks is fine. When you notice damage or erosion it’s time to change them out. It won’t break the bank, they generally run at less than ten bucks each.

INFLATABLE HOT TUB FABRIC

3 Ply Fabric

When we hear the words; inflatable and water together most have an image of some kind of small beach ball, or a cheaply made floatation device.

Put that out of your mind when you are thinking of an inflatable hot tub.

Most of todays generation of inflatable hot tubs are made from a puncture-resistant 3-ply laminate that provides comfort, support and durability. The polyester mesh core is encased in two layers of laminated PVC

Drop Stitch Fabric

A number of the newer Bestway Saluspa inflatable hot tubs are manufactured with thin side walls using a drop stitch fabric and a modified I-Beam internal construction.

This has a number of brilliant benefits to using this construction technique and the thin walls don’t sacrifice rigidity.

Now thinner side walls allows a larger volume of water in a small footprint. More water means space for more hot tubbers to climb on board and enjoy the tub.

At the time of writing the Saluspa Helsinki and the Vancouver both use the drop stitch fabric and as they have the Freeze Shield system on board they can operate quite low temperatures.

According to the Bestway Helsinki Freeze Shield section of the instruction manual they state – ” Do not use the spa when the ambient temperature reaches 14°F(-10°C) “

Which we find astonishing.

INFLATABLE HOT TUB INTERNAL ARCHITECTURE

Let’s take a look at the hot tub’s internal construction.

This is where the magic happens. It’s the ingenious I-Beam construction that makes the hot tub walls so rigid and strong. No bending or buckling, they actually have the feel of a well padded car seat.

OUTDOORS or INDOORS?

Well thats the beauty of owning a blow up spa, you get to choose when ever you want to re- locate your spa.

You can move it with the seasons.

Outdoors

In the warmer months most inflatable hot tub owners set the tub up outside in the garden or on the patio. That’s what they’re made for after all. Spring, summer and early fall hot tubbing is great.

In the middle of the season in high summer be a little cautious of too much hot a sun though. One of the very few things that can damage a hot tub is prolonged exposure to really hot sun. The tub can deform and the fabric’s life is will surely be shortened.

Setting up under a gazebo is a perfect solution, they’re surprisingly cheap, and really make your hot tub look special. See our Best Gazebo guide >>

Indoors

If you’ve space indoors for your portable hot tub then lucky you, year round hot tubbing !!

Of course indoors doesn’t have to mean warm indoors. Lot’s of folk set up in somewhere like a spare garage space or somewhere inside from the elements but still cold.

For most hot tubs temperatures of below 40ºF are not recommended by manufacturers. There’s two reasons for this.

First the tub heater can’t heat the water faster than it’s cooling so the heater will run all day to produce a lukewarm tub.

Second the most important and most obvious. Really cold, freezing temperatures will ice up and damage the heater and pump.

Inflatable hot tub fabric also becomes brittle in temperatures approaching and below zero so climbing in and out of your lukewarm tub will damage it.

Are there ways round this? Sure there are, we’re going to cover them in the next section.

Now If you have a nice warm space inside for your tub, great news. Lets make sure its the right space.

Firstly will the interior floor cope with the weight of the tub?  Is the space large enough to enter and exit the tub safely? Ideally you should be able to walk around the tub, and have easy access to the pump and heater unit.

Remember that your hot tub produces a lot of heat, humidity and splash so be sure there’s plenty of ventilation and at least a water proof mat below the tub.

CAN YOU USE INFLATABLE HOT TUB IN WINTER

Continuing to use your inflatable hot tub outside in the colder months is a possibility but needs some thought, and preparation.

Two Bestway hot tubs the Helsinki and Vancouver have a Freeze Protection function that automatically starts the water heater when the ambient temperature falls to 42ºF. This stops the plumbing from freezing.

That’s great, but how hot is the water inside the tub?

An inflatable tub needs thermal insulation not only to survive colder temperatures but also to ensure the heater is able to raise the water temperature efficiently.

We have written a complete article on the subject of winter hot tubbing here >>

Briefly any inflatable hot tub should be either protected from wind chill or moved out of the wind.

Placing it on a thermal isolation board and wrapping the exterior in a thermal blanket is vital, and laying a solar blanket on top of the water will also help to retain heat and stop heat thieving evaporation.

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