It makes a huge difference which manufacturer you purchase your new tub from. Are they a company making solid tubs or just a high-end marketing company that happens to sell hot tubs?
There are 3 kinds of hot tub companies:
- Ones that are great marketing companies building midgrade spas at stupidly high prices
- Ones that build mid-grade mid-priced spas.
- Ones that make great hot tubs in the middle price area.
This last group is always where you want to be because its the best value and the best tubs.
The great marketing ones are often owned by big corporate equity investment firms that apply a very simple business model that is very profitable for the shareholders but not a good thing for the guy buying the hot tub for a few very solid reasons.
The hot tub brands I consider to be in the messy group that IMHO is your worst options are:
HotSprings, Caldera, Limelight, Endless pools, Arctic spas, Dimension One, Sundance.
Their business model is this:
When you buy these overpriced spas you are really paying two things… You are paying half for the hot tub and half for the massive marketing and high-end retail costs… you literally are spending half your money on smoke and mirrors. and these tubs are nowhere near as well built as the really well-made spas.
The hot tub brands I consider to be in the middle group are:
American Whirlpool, Vita, Maxx, Viking, Dynasty, Premium Leisure, Pinnacle, Strong
Their business model is simple:
The hot tub brands I consider to be in Top Group:
Artesian, Twilight, Garden spas, getaway spas, elite, Master, Healthy Living, Clarity, PDC, Coast (pending factory inspection), and then a bunch of fringe guys like Bullfrog, Beachcomber, Nordic, Marquis (undergoing factory revamp and having issues right now)
These guys are in the sweet spot of building to a high standard with good quality control and not blowing their brains out on the shitty 90’s style marketing and branding bullshit.