The Best Inflatable Hot Tubs – UK Buyers Guide & Reviews

Lay-Z-Spa Vegas Portable Hot Tub

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You could call the Lay-z spa Vegas the slightly bigger brother of the Miami. It measures 196cm wide by 61cm high and can comfortably be used by up to 4-6 people, making it the ideal ‘social’ hot tub for small get-togethers with friends or family.

It was the UK’s best selling inflatable tub of 2013 and certainly has a lot of positive reviews to back up this claim. With many people citing the Vegas as easy to setup, being very sturdy and well built and an excellent treat to relax in.

Easy To Inflate & Strong

Following a procedure similar to many Lay-spa inflatables the pump unit can be used as a handy way to inflate the device. All you need to do is connect the pump to the tub using the supplied hose and let it do the job for you. The setup process requires no tools and you can inflate the Vegas in as little as 5 minutes.

Once inflated the Vegas tub is very sturdy. This is thanks to its quad horizontal ring construction. This construction consists of 4 separate inflatable rings inside its outer casing. This method of construction ensures the tub stays firmly upright even with 6 people leaning against its sides. It also provides excellent rigidity for an inflatable tub.

How To Use The Vegas

Unlike regular hot tubs, inflatables, for the most part, do not have any controls embedded inside the tub itself. This is why you’ll often see a small, barrel-like device situated next to the tub. This is the pump and the Vegas’ pump is used to heat the water and drive the air-jet system. On top of the pump is a sealed blister-button control panel. This not only makes it safe to use when you’re inside (no need to worry about wet hands frying the controls) but also puts the panel within in your reach, allowing you to turn on the jet system or activate the heating should the ambient temperature drop.

87 Jet Massage System

Just like the Miami the Vegas has an air jet massage system. 87 jets produce a torrent of bubbles and creates the jacuzzi-like experience most people love about hot tubs. In order to keep this running effectively, the Vegas has a filtration system to catch any debris or dirt which may be brought into the spa. With regular use, you should ideally clean the filter every day or two to keep it running at peak efficiency. Lay-z spa have included two filters in the box so you have a spare for when you’re cleaning the other or if you just can’t be bothered to clean the first one!

Insulating Inflatable Cover

Whilst we are on the subject of keeping the spa clean you will also find an inflatable cover is included. This not only helps keep the pool cleaner, and therefore reduces maintenance, but will also help trap heat during the heating process. Plus the cover can be clipped to the sides of the tub – so you’ll never need to worry about it blowing off and into your neighbors garden!

What We Think

The Vegas has all the benefits of the Miami but is that bit larger, making ideal for social butterflies or for those people who just enjoy a bit more room. If you do decide to buy this tub it is worth remembering that it weighs 1100 kg when full, so if you plan on placing it on your decking or other raised surface, make sure it can take the weight.

MSpa Silver Cloud D-SC04 Inflatable Hot Tub

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With the MSpa Silver Cloud, you will be able to enjoy the relaxing experience of hot water massaging away strains of the day, thanks to its soothing 118 jet massage system. Better yet, you can do so under the cover of a beautiful starry night sky with a glass of wine at hand and the fresh outdoor air filling up your lungs.

In this guide, we’ll lift the lid the MSpa Silver Cloud and find out exactly what you’ll get if you opt to buy this inflatable hot tub.

Setting up the MSpa Silver Cloud

One thing that the MSpa inflatable round tub has going for it is its size. The tub measures 70cm high by 180cm wide and 140cm on the inside width. With these dimensions, the tub can be set up virtually anywhere, even in smaller gardens.

As with all hot tubs, make sure the space you select has a flat smooth surface devoid of sharp objects. With this tub, you are presented with the option of buying an additional heat insulating matt to ensure a smooth surface. The mat also helps to lower heat loss when your MSpa tub is left outside overnight.

Once you find the perfect set-up space, the rest is easy when it comes to assembly. You will not need a pump (or anything else for that matter) to inflate the tub. This process is entirely automatic. You just need to connect power to the tub and press the inflate button on the provided control panel. After 2 minutes, you will have a fully inflated hot tub ready to be filled up.

Filling the tub with water takes about 10 minutes. Simply connect the provided garden hose to a water supply and you will be good to go. The same hose is what you will use when emptying the tub.

Using the MSpa Silver Cloud

Any shopper looking through hot tubs (inflatable or otherwise) usually has comfort at the back of the mind. This is where the MSpa brand really shines. Their inflatable tubs are renowned for being cosy and easy to use.

The Silver Cloud’s signature user-friendly design comes in the form of a built-in control box with a mini wired control panel. Featuring ON/OFF, Bubble, Filter, Heater, and Temperature Adjustment buttons, the panel places all the controls of the tub in the palm of your hands. There is even a storage pouch for the control panel situated within arms-reach on the outside of the tub. So, once inside the tub, you will not have to get out if you decide to adjust settings.

Capacity

Compact is not a word you want to hear associated with an inflatable hot tub you are eyeing. It paints the picture of a tiny structure with just enough space to accommodate one person. Luckily, that is not the case with this MSpa Silver Cloud blow up tub.

Despite its compact size, the round interior of this tub is spacious enough to hold 2-4 adults easily. This means you have plenty of room to relax in after an exhausting day and can even invite a couple of friends to join in on the fun.

Heat up Time

With the average heat up time for inflatable hot tubs placed at 12 to 24 hours, the Mspa D-SC04 is one of the fast ones. Its heating rate stands at 1.5 – 2 Celcius per hour. So, if the temperature of the water is at 20°C when you start, it will take roughly to 11-15 hours for the water to reach the tub’s maximum temperature of 42°C before your first use.

Extra Features

Verdict

The MSpa Silver Cloud D-SC04 Inflatable Round Hot Tub has a lot to offer and all at an affordable price. Therefore, it is safe to say that the tub is without a doubt a good buy. With it, you will be able to enjoy the same experience of a standard spa (and on a daily basis if you wish to) without breaking the bank or making permanent changes to your home or property.

Intex Octagonal Bubble Spa Hot Tub

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Measuring 200cm wide by 71cm high the Intex Octagonal Spa is certainly very roomy. Intex states it can hold 2-4 people but we think it might be possible to squeeze another 1-2 people inside. Especially considering the similarly sized Lay-z spa Vegas can hold up to 6 people.

The Octagonal also gathers generally very positive reviews. Many reviewers were impressed with the Octagonal’s low running costs, ability to hold its temperature well, sturdy construction and authentic hot tub experience.

Fiber-Tech technology

With this increase in capacity, it is important the Intex Octagonal Spa is strong. This will not only ensure the unit is sturdy enough to be used, without the sides collapsing or being too soft, but also to ensure it lasts a long time too.

To meet this end Intex have used Fiber-Tech technology in its construction. We did some digging and found out that this technology uses thousands of high strength fibers that are woven into the construction material. This increases the structural stability of tub – without compromising on comfort. Intex have also used 3ply laminated material in the construction, which further makes this hot tub durable and resistant to punctures.

How Easy Is The Intex Octagonal To Setup?

Setup of this tub is very simple and follows a similar procedure to most inflatable tubs and can be achieved using the air jet system – which means you won’t need to get out a foot pump and manually inflate it. Once inflated you can fill the pool and start heating the water. The heating unit can raise the temperature of the water by around 1.5 – 2.5 degrees per hour – which is about average. So, for your first use, you will need to plan in advance and allow around 10 hours for the tub to heat up, depending on your selected water temperature, which you can set from as low as 20 degrees up to 40 degrees.

Insulating Ground Cloth and Cover

To help keep the tub clean and reduce heat loss when it’s not in used an insulated ground cloth and cover are supplied. The ground cloth is a very nice touch because it will also act as a protective barrier between the base of the tub and the floor and will help reduce the chance of punctures and general damage caused by wear and tear.

How To Use The Intex Octagonal

Lastly using the controls on the tub are very simple and allow you to do anything from activating the air jet system to turning on the heating system or adjusting the target temperature of the water. Not only that but the control panel features a flip-down cover to help protect it from the elements and from generally becoming dirty.

The jet system is a feature we’re sure most people will love and 120 small holes around the base of the unit help froth the water into relaxing jacuzzi-like experience.

Built In Hard-Water Treatment

If you live in a hard water area you’ll probably already be familiar with some of the problems it can cause. To prevent hard-water related problems this Intex Spa features an in-built hard water treatment system which changes the structure of minerals present in the water. This reduces limescale build-up and helps make the water crystal clear.

Convenient Storage

If you use your hot tub outside it will need protecting during the winter. Many manufacturers recommend that you do not leave the tub outside in temperatures below 4 degrees and this one is no different. So, it is good to see that Intex have supplied a very convenient storage bag to safely stow everything away when the days get colder.

Despite featuring run-of-the-mill controls and heat up time, the Intex Bubble Spa impressed us with some of the smart ‘tech’ built into the device. All of which is designed to prolong its life by dealing with common problems such as limescale and wear and tear. If you’re looking for a durable unit which gives you a comfortable hot tub experience whilst being able to withstand the some of the heavy use family life, and kids, can throw at it the Intex Bubble Spa might just be what you’re looking for.

Lay-Z-Spa Palm Springs HydroJet Inflatable Hot Tub

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The Palm Springs HydroJet is one of Lay-z Spa’s premium models and comes with two features which you will not find in their mid range and entry models: an in-built salt chlrorinator and their hydrojet system.

The Basics

Before we move onto those we’ll take a quick look at the ‘core’ requirements so you know what to expect from the HydroJet tub. To begin with, this tub is rather roomy and measures 196cm wide by 71cm high. It can hold 4-6 people making it the ideal party tub or a cozy getaway for couples who appreciate a bit more room to stretch out in.

As with many of Lay-z Spa’s range, the interior of this tub is reinforced with I-beams for increased strength and rigidity. These provide superior stability. So much so that people can sit on the sides of the tub without them collapsing.

This tub also features Lay-z Spa’s unique TriTech technology. This technology consists of 3 layers and sandwiched between two outer laminated PVC layers is a polyester mesh. This configuration helps ensure this Hydroject is durable and can take the strains of heavy use.

How Easy is The Palm Springs Hydrojet to Setup?

Setup of this tub is relatively straight forward. It comes with an air pump for inflation, although the only downside is that you need to manually finish pumping the unit by hand. The reason for this is to prevent over-inflation. It is a bit of a shame. But, because the pump will have completed most of the hard work this shouldn’t present too much of a problem.

Once fully inflated the SPA pump and hydrojet nozzles are connected. These are simple to insert and are twist-locked into place. Although there is a supplied setup DVD should you need some help.

The warm-up time for this tub is around average and it will take about 10-12 hours depending on the ambient temperature and the target temperature of the water (this device can heat the water up to 40 degrees).

To help make the heating process more efficient Lay-z spa have supplied an ‘air-pad’ floor mat to sit underneath the machine and an inflatable cover to sit on top. These act as additional insulating layers and the lid will also help keep debris from getting into the water. Once heated the auto-heat system can be configured to keep the pool at a temperature of your choosing – so you can use it whenever you want!

Hygienic Water And Unique Cleaning System

Keeping the water hygienic is a real must when you own a hot tub. Often chemical floaters are used which distribute cleaning solutions into the water to kill bacteria and keep the water clear. However, the Palm Springs features a very hi-tech method of cleaning the water: a salt chlorinator.

This nifty little device is inbuilt into the SPA pump and turns salt water into natural chlorine. All you need to do is add 2kg of salt into the water and activate the hydrojet system. Once the salt has dissolved you can switch on the salt chlorinator which will begin to transform the salt solution into chlorine. This nifty solution reduces the required maintenance of your pool, meaning you can spend more time enjoying, rather than cleaning, it.

Soothing Hydrojet System

So far, we’ve covered the more ‘functional’ aspects of the tub. But one of the ways it really differs from previous models in this guide is that it uses a hydrojet system to create a relaxing, massaging sensation. Instead of pushing air into the water to create bubbles, 8 powerful water jets circulate water into the tub for a more soothing experience. The jets can be pivoted in any direction and you can even control the flow to for a customised massage experience to your preference.

What We Think

The Palm Springs Hydrojet is a truly exceptional unit. It certainly isn’t the cheapest around but it still far cheaper than a ‘traditional’ hot tub and its low maintenance, sturdy build, HydroJet system and spacious size more than compensate for the slightly larger price tag. We believe you would be hard pressed to find a better inflatable hot tub.

Lay-Z-Spa Monaco Inflatable Portable Rigid Hot Tub

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Despite appearing very much like a hard-plastic hot tub the Lay-z Spa Monaco is still an inflatable unit. Its solid appearance comes from its specially reinforced walls which become rigid when inflated. The walls are constructed using a drop-stitch material which effectively tethers one side of the wall to the other using thousands of threads. The end result is an incredibly study material.

This type of construction also means the walls are much thinner when compared to other inflatable hot tubs. This allows you to fit more people in the tub and have a more spacious spa experience – without the tub taking up extra room. This is why even though the tub shares similar dimensions to others we have reviewed (measuring 201cm wide by 69cm high) it can hold 6-8 people instead of 4-6 as you might expect.

According to Lay-z Spa this type of material and its construction was the result of 6 years R&D. It is designed to provide all the benefits of a rigid tub with the cost-saving advantages of an inflatable. The only downside is that because the walls are so thin the impressive HydroJet system usually found on Lay-z Spa’s other premium models is absent on the Monaco. It, instead, features the AirJet system.

How Easy is The Monaco To Setup?

If you’ve read any of our reviews above you’ll already have a good idea on how easy it is to setup this kind of tub. The SPA pump can be attached to the side of the unit for automatic inflation. The only difference here, when compared to some others, is that the Monaco requires you to finish inflating the tub by hand. This is a minor inconvenience however, they do supply the hand pump so you won’t need to buy one yourself should you choose this unit.

The lid of the unit also needs to be inflated and this acts as a heat trap to help keep the tub warm and to speed up the initial heat time. It can also be securely clipped to the sides to prevent it being blown away on windy days and it also stops leaves and other garden debris from getting into the water while you’re not using it.

How to Use The Monaco Hot Tub

The control panel of this tub is mounted on top of the SPA pump and this can be easily accessed from the pool. The controls are very easy to use and you can switch on nearly of the Monaco’s functions with a single press. The temperature of the pool is also adjustable and you can configure it to heat the water up to a balmy 40 degrees. You can also activate the AirJet system which forces a steady 86 streams of bubbles from the bottom for a soothing, relaxing experience.

What We Think

The Monaco is clearly designed to be the closest thing to a regular hot tub you can buy whilst still offering the excellent value provided by inflatables. It comes with all the advantages you would expect from Lay-z Spa such as the AirJet system, easy setup and simple controls.

However, it also comes with the added bonus of providing you with a more spacious hot tub experience without taking up extra, thanks to its thin walls. It is ideal for those who want a big a tub as possible without it taking up extra room. The only real downside we can see is the missing HydroJet system.