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Are you looking for a hot tub with a more professional and permanent look than an just an inflatable?

And you don’t want the hassle and expense of installing a built in jacuzzi. Then the Lifesmart hot tub might be the answer.

The Lifesmart Rock Solid Simplicity is a good looking pre-assembled hot tub that gets delivered to your door ready to just plug in and enjoy.

This hot tub fills the gap between the simple inflatable hot tub and a fully built in jacuzzi spa.

Of course the Lifesmart hot tub range does have a higher premium to pay when compared to the top end of the inflatable market, but what is on offer here is a portable plug and play tub with a permanent feel and finish.

In this review we are looking at the Lifesmart Rock Solid Simplicity Hot Tub to see if it is worth its premium ticket .

At a Glance

Product:	Rock Solid Simplicity
Brand:	LifeSmart
Type:	Plug and Play
Seats:	4 persons
Jet Count:	13 x Hydro Jets
Capacity:	190 Gallons
Dimensions:	H 32in W 61in L 70in.

Balboa digital controls
13 Hydrotherapy jets
Excellent internal insulation
Water fall Feature
Red/Blue mood lighting
1.5 hp heat pump
4” thick insulated cover
Built in seats
EcoSmart technology

Lifesmart Rock Solid Simplicity Plug and Play Spa

FULLY REVIEWED

The first thing that strikes you about the Lifesmart Rock Solid Simplicity is the minimalist design, and the build quality. Without even getting up close for an inspection, the tub just looks well made, imposing and substantial.

We particularly like the textured Sahara sandstone colour option. It will fit unobtrusively into your garden or back yard. Or alternatively it could be made into a featured focal point. The artful design of this tub lends itself to either option.

But a hot tub should not be just style over substance. So lets look at some of it’s premium features and see if they stack up.

Rock Solid Simplicity Features in Depth

Jets: Lets look at the jets first. Lets face it the only real reason to buy a jacuzzi or hot tub are the jets. They are just fundamental. Without them what we’ve got is a hot bath! Well that’s nice too, but not quite as exciting or therapeutic as a full on spa experience. This Lifesmart hot tub is fitted with thirteen jets that can be adjusted for power and direction. Individual jets can be turned fully off, in which case the remaining jets become even more powerful. The comfort valves allow mixing warm air and water to your desired taste. They do produce a powerful.velocity if required.

Controls: Easy to understand controls, nothing complicated here. So no need to take a crash course in computer science to run your hot tub. The main control panel is made by the Balboa Water Group, whilst maybe not a household name, they are recognised as best manufacturer of hot tub controllers in the world. The panel is an elegant blister button digital design, situated within easy reach of everyone in the hot tub. It runs the jets, lighting and temperature.

Waterfall Feature: A nice built in feature of the hot tub. It’s a great feature but maybe one that you don’t want all the time. So the flow can be simply regulated from a control valve. Adjustable from full flow; through to a trickle and fully off.

Lights: Comes with blue and red lens caps. The lighting is controlled from the Balboa control panel.

Pump: It has a 1.5 horsepower friction pump. A really energy efficient unit because it uses the heat from circulating pump as well. Top of the range inflatable tubs can normally heat the water at around 2-3º per hour but according to actual user reports this Lifesmart hot tub can manage an impressive 4-5º per hour.

Insulation: This is a really well insulated hot tub. It has a complete foam insulation system between the moulded interior and the outer carcass. With its 4 inch thick cover all is designed to save on your energy bills, In fact it meets the strict California Energy Commission standards for hot tubs. So that means it’s very energy efficient indeed. To find out how to increase insulation to an even higher level, and decrease energy bills read our article on solar blankets.

Seating: Four individual seats are moulded around 6 inches from the base. They house different jet configurations so the user can choose which to sit in depending on the type of hydrotherapy they are looking for.

Filtration: In common with all high end hot tubs the Lifesmart Rock Solid Simplicity has what is known as a top loading filter which can be conveniently checked, cleaned or replaced without draining the spa.

Does the LifeSmart Hot Tub Stack Up?

2 Lifesmart hot tub Rock Solid Simplicity

We think LifeSmart have produced a well featured hot tub which does a good job in filling the gap between the fully installed built in spa, and a high end inflatable hot tub.

The quality of the Rocksolid uni-body shell construction is excellent, well proven, long lasting. Virtually indestructible in fact.

The only thing that may affect it is prolonged exposure to very hot sunlight (100º F or 38ºC) when buckling may occur. So if you happen to live in Death Valley CA, then this tub may not be for you!! Very hot sun is something to consider though before you purchase, but nothing a pop-up gazebo can’t take care of.

The internal components of the hot tub have been chosen to provide powerful but energy efficient heating by using the ecosmart energy management system,

We particularly liked that heated air is added to the jet stream to enhance the hydro massage experience. This will reduce the cooling effect on the water when the jets are running. makes for a longer and more pleasurable soak in the spa.

The jets can be adjusted to maximum power or turned off completely to suit the user. By selectively turning down or turning off jets the hot tubber can increase the power of the remaining jets.

Although the ozonator is a nice addition to have on board, it does not take care of all the tub maintenance, it just lessens the amount of chemical treating required to keep the hot tub water crystal clear and healthy.

The Lifesmart Rock Solid Simplicity does not come with a water softener, which we would have liked to see included. But that’s not really a show stopper. Hard water can be dealt with manually during chemical treatments.

So does it stack up? Is the Lifesmart hot tub value for money? We think so. It offers a package of almost instant high range hot tubbing. A really hassle free alternative to a portable or built in tub.

A well conceived, well made product that matches many much more expensive built in jacuzzis in power and quality. While not exactly fully portable in a real sense, it can still be easily be moved depending on the season to provide indoor or outdoor pleasure.

This really is a grown up tub. While it’s still portable; it’s on another level of power and luxury when compared to the inflatable tub range. A pretty serious addition to anyones lifestyle.

How does it Ship?

Before shipping anything first check that the vendor you are buying the Lifesmart Rock Solid Simplicity from ships to your state. Sound obvious but many vendors only ship within the 48 states in the case of the USA. (Alaska, Hawaii and US Territories are excluded). Most don’t ship outside the USA. Better to clarify before entering in a credit card anywhere. We all know it’s easy to pay and hard to reclaim.

So what to expect? How the Lifesmart hot tub is packaged can vary slightly, but expect a pallet with the main tub carcass strapped and bubble wrapped on it. The thermal cover is often sent as a separate package but on same truck. What doesn’t vary is the weight.

The tub weighs in at around 250 lbs after all the packaging is off. If no mechanical assistance is available to get the tub in position, then three guys can easily manage it. Make sure the base and everything is well prepared in advance. You want to get it from truck to final placement just one time. Avoid double handling if possible.

What We Think about the LifeSmart Rock Solid Simplicity

Our Good Bad and Ugly.!

A quick bullet point guide to what we found to be the most important and appealing points that the Rock Smart Simplicity has on offer There were some disappointments too, but the red list is pretty short.

Hassle free installation. If you know how to insert a plug into a socket, and how to turn on your garden hose then you are good to go with the LifeSmart hot tub. That’s it!!
Well featured. The high end features include adjustable hydro therapy jets, waterfall, built-in seats and mood lighting.
Quiet pump. The Rock Solid Simplicity pump has a very low audible impact. Remember you are sitting next to the pump so it`s important that the unit does not sound like a 747 on take off. The main “noise” from this tub comes from the bubbling jets when they are running. But hey no bubbling jets, no spa!
Powerful Jets. Directional and adjustable. They can be shut off if you don’t want them to run. Heated air when running comfort jets.
Winter Outside. Can be winterised to lay idle all winter. Better still can be run all winter long. Excellent thermal insulation properties of the tub reduce heat loss to minimum.
User reviews. Excellent owner reports. Difficult to find a bad recent user experience. One or two rogue tubs slipped through quality control some years ago though.

Water Softener. No built in water softening treatment. It needs to be done manually during routine chemical maintenance.
Children. We don’t think this is the most exiting hot tub for younger children. Not that it is unsafe. But with its bucket seating and hydro jets.
Lighting. Disappointing that in only comes with red and blue colour choices.

Wrap Up and Conclusions

Lifesmart offers a lot for the money with their Rock Solid Simplicity hot tub. But when you are spending over two thousand dollars for anything, you need to be sure you are getting it right, and getting value for that money.

Well to deal with the cost side first. We have no doubt that from a “feature / build quality to cost ratio” the hot tub works. Although it’s at the lower end of the Lifesmart hot tub “plug and play” range, it is still packed with all the features that you are going to need to get a great tub experience.

It does not have some of the bells and whistles of more expensive tubs, but does provide excellent hydrotherapy options with an element of luxury.

We particularly like the on board Ecosmart energy management system, and the fully insulated bottom and internal cavities of the tub. Energy cost are going to be kept to a minimum.

We can’t put an actual value on what Lifesmart calls “ plug and play ” though. It really is one of the best concepts in the home hot tub world. It allows the owner to seamlessly integrate a real hot tub into the family lifestyle with the minimum of stress and fuss.

The brilliant thermal insulation makes year round garden hot tubbing a low cost reality rather than an expensive dream.

The LifeSmart Rock Solid Simplicity occupies the middle ground between inflatable hot tubs and built in spa installations.

Inflatables are great, but everybody knows they have a limited life expectancy and often limited power. Built in installations are great too, if you relish the thought of a contractors truck on your property, and have upward of ten thousand dollars to spend.

We like where the LifeSmart Rock Solid Simplicity lives, between those two worlds, and giving you the best of both.

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