Spa pools and hot tubs are one of those luxury items that serve a dual purpose. They act as both a social hub and a private sanctuary for self-indulgence. Both of these offer their own versions of relaxation.
If you've already got your fire pit, hammock and BBQ set up, it makes sense that a hot tub would be your next move to give your garden a true sense of a safe haven for unwinding. You could even opt for an inflatable hot tub if you don't want it present all year round.
Lay-Z-Spa is one of the best companies in the business - and for good reason. With years of experience under its belt, it knows what's what when it comes to hot tubs. The hot tubs are made of high-quality material, come in a variety of designs and have a wide range to suit all budgets.
Lay-Z-Spa Miami
The best Lay-Z-Spa hot tubs at a glance:
• Best for fast inflation: Lay-Z-Spa Miami Hot Tub - Buy now on Amazon UK
• Best with coloured LED lights: Lay-Z-Spa Paris Hot Tub - Buy now on Amazon UK
• Best for gatherings: Lay-Z-Spa Hawaii Hot Tub - Buy now on Amazon UK
Although they're selling out left, right and centre at the moment, we've managed to find some hot tubs that you can still buy online. You'd better be quick, though!
Here are the best Lay-Z-Spa hot tubs:
Best for fast inflation
This model is one of Lay-Z-Spa's top sellers. Its modest size is perfect for two to four people to socialise comfortably. It also means the Miami doesn't take up too much space on your patio or in your courtyard. The black colour is classy and blends into most surroundings. You also get the benefit of important features such as fast five-minute inflating, rapid heating, a Freeze Shield for year-round use, and sturdy DuraPlus material.
Pros
- Speedy to set up
- Heats quickly
Cons
- Base is a bit thin
| Inflated size: | 180cm x 66cm |
| Capacity: | Two to four adults |
| Jet count: | 120 AirJets |
- Customer review: "Easy to inflate and assemble. Really impressed with the quality, the spa jets are really good, and the pump is not as noisy as I thought it would be. Retains heat well even on the coldest of evenings. Perfect for two adults (probably two adults and two children would be ok.) Not too expensive to run either! Happy customer."
Lay-Z-Spa Paris
Best with coloured LED lights
Get a taste of paradise with the Lay-Z-Spa Paris. This unique model comes with a range of multi-coloured LED lights, creating a soothing and ambient mood, with different colours to match all occasions. The invigorating AirJet massage system will give you that much-needed rejuvenation after a long and hard day. Simply crank up the heat to a blissful 40°C for full relaxation, and enjoy.
Pros
- Brilliant for dark nights
- Soothing massage
Cons
- Needs frequent cleaning
| Inflated size: | 196 cm x 66 cm |
| Capacity: | 4-6 people |
| Jet count: | 87 AirJets |
- Customer review: "Great product. Good size for four adults or five at a squeeze. The lights look great. Need to clean and change filters every week, also buy multi-use chlorine tablets to put in the float. I have changed the water once since May, just keep it maintained weekly, checking ph as well. Everyone that has seen it wants one!"
Lay-Z-Spa St Moritz
Best for look
Elegantly designed with a realistic rattan design, this inflatable Lay-Z-Spa St Moritz hot tub will fit right in with your garden. With a capacity of up to seven, this is a great choice for family gatherings, anniversaries or birthday parties. Therapeutic bubbles delivered by the AirJet system will send you into full zen mode while giving you a full body massage. The expert Freeze Shield technology will lock the heat in, making it appropriate for chilly winter nights, too. The easy set-up is the perfect cherry on top of the cake, with no tools or complex manuals required.
Pros
- Maintains heat well
- Great capacity
Cons
- Filters aren't the longest-lasting
| Inflate size: | 216cm x 71 cm |
| Capacity: | Seven people |
| Jet count: | 150 |
- Customer review: "Excellent quality product - we have had great fun and lots of use of this over Christmas - perfect for destressing. Comfortably fits 7 could even fit an 8th person. Just keep it topped up with a couple of teaspoons of chlorine every day, and it's ready to use."
Lay-Z-Spa Hawaii
Best for gatherings
You'll feel the Hawaiian spirit in an instant with this next choice. In a hot tub that fits up to six people, the Lay-Z-Spa Hawaiian is the best way to socialise with friends and family. You can heat it up to a toasty 40°C and plan your spa session in advance with an efficient power-saving timer. The AirJet massage will help you relax, and the easy set-up system means no hassle at all on your side.
Pros
- Great temperature control
- Power-saving timing
Cons
- Sides are quite thick
| Inflated size: | 180 x 71 cm |
| Capacity: | 4-6 people |
| Jet count: | 120 AirJets |
- Customer review: "Love love love! Wasn't sure we would get use out of this, but it's amazing, been in it every night. Very easy to assemble and easy to use, not too expensive to run."
Lay-Z-Spa Helsinki
Best for large families
This Lay-Z-Spa Helsinki hot tub is big, seating seven people, so it's ideal for families. Inspired by the hot tubs of the Alps, it's equipped with Freeze Shield for year-round, all-weather use. The integrated 180 AirJet system provides a lovely massage experience. It heats the water to 40°C and is easily set up in five minutes.
Pros
- Great adult capacity
- Suitable all year round
Cons
- Somewhat power-hungry
| Inflated size: | 180cm x 66cm |
| Capacity: | Five to seven adults |
| Jet count: | 180 AirJets |
- Customer review: "We ordered this hot tub for New Year's Eve. Wanted it to have a fun family experience in lockdown. What a great hot tub. Three weeks later and we have been in it every evening. Customer service from Argos and Lay-Z-Spa was second to none. Had to mention this as it added to how much we have enjoyed buying this."
Lay-Z-Spa Bali
.png?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
Best for couples
www.argos.co.uk
The Lay-Z-Spa Bali hot tub is suitable for two to four people, while the 120 AirJet massage system delivers a relaxing hot tub experience. It's made from premium DuraPlus material and is puncture-resistant and durable. It comes with a cover, and there's a built-in seven-colour-changing LED lighting system, which is pretty cool if you ask us.
Pros
- Very sturdy and durable
- Nice lighting
Cons
- Capacity is on the smaller side
| Inflated size: | 180cm x 66cm |
| Capacity: | Two to four adults |
| Jet count: | 120 AirJets |
- Customer review: "Easy to set up. Lovely when lit up on an evening. Bubbles are a lot more powerful than expected. Worth every penny."
Lay-Z-Spa Cancun
Best stylish hot tub
The Lay-Z-Spa Cancun is stylishly designed, has a 120 AirJet system and reaches 40°C. You'll have this one set up in ten minutes without any tools. It has a cushioned floor, reinforced DuraPlus material, an insulated cover and ground fault detection system. Plus, it has the ability to schedule your hot tub session.
Pros
- Great value
- Looks great
Cons
- Takes a bit of time to get up to peak performance
| Inflated size: | 180cm x 66cm |
| Capacity: | Two to four adults |
| Jet count: | 120 AirJets |
- Customer review: "Been using this for 2 weeks and absolutely love it. Easy to set up. Takes a few days to get into a routine of doing the chemicals, but well worth it. Still have cold nights, but it's holding the temperature well. Looks good, and really recommend it."
Searching for an alternative brand? Here are a few of our favourites:
CosySpa Inflatable Hot Tub
Best affordable alternative
This affordable CosySpa Inflatable hot tub is great for anyone, thanks to its different sizes. Choose from a four or six-person (priced here) hot tub, as well as a number of accessory packs, too. It's easily set up in five minutes, comes with 130 air jets, reaches 42°C and comes with a ground cover and lockable top cover.
Pros
- Budget-friendly
- Sets up quite quickly
Cons
- Controls are so-so
| Inflated size: | 210cm x 65cm (six person); 165cm x 65cm (four person) |
| Capacity: | Two to six adults |
| Jet count: | 130 (six-person) or 110 (four-person) |
- Customer review: "Love our hot tub, a perfect way to relax with the comfort headrests, drink in the holder and bubble jets on! It's enjoyed by all the family, we couldn't imagine the household without it now. It was delivered on time & easy to set up, definitely recommend this hot tub."
Canadian Spa Grand Rapids Plug and Play Hot Tub
Best for heat retention
Like the Miami, Bali, and Cancun Lay-Z-Spas, this Canadian Spa is a modest-sized hot tub that will give four people room for comfortable socialising or two people for quiet relaxing. For efficiency, it has a thermal blanket and insulating skirt to help retain heat.
Pros
- Able to maintain heat effectively
- Very comfortable
Cons
- Not the biggest
| Inflated size: | 180cm x 74cm |
| Capacity: | Two to four adults |
| Jet count: | 125 air jets |
- Customer review: "Really good quality product. Fairly easy to set up. Takes a while to heat, but that's to be expected. The jets are really good, loads of them and was much better than I expected really. Kids thoroughly enjoyed it, and so did adults. Had a few technical questions which were niggling me and got a great helpful response off their Chat function on the Canadian Spa website, so very pleased with service."
Inflatable hot tub accessories
Best ground protection for hot tubs
Protect your grass and pool liner with this ground cover from Bestways for your hot tub. It comes in two sizes, 50 x 50cm and 78cm x 78m. One pack of nine tiles will fit hot tubs up to 1.5 metres.
Pros
- Good insulation
- Good layer of protection
Cons
- Easy to accidentally overlap them
- Customer review: "I bought the matting to cover a deck, which an inflatable spa was to sit on. It covers any imperfections in the deck, cushions the spa base and importantly, adds a layer of insulation to maintain the spa temperature."
Best for adding ambience
www.ebay.co.uk
If you are looking to add some ambient lighting to your hot tub, then this starfish LED would be perfect. It floats above the water and is made with 10 bright LED lights. It also comes in multiple colours - red, green, blue, yellow, mint, purple and white.
Pros
- Nice variety of colours
- Ideal brightness
Cons
- Not the best for smaller hot tubs
- Customer review: "These have been out above ground pool for 2 days now. They work great so far. Super bright for such little lights. They float but the magnets work pretty well too."
Inflatable hot tub maintenance
Once your new hot tub has arrived, make sure to read the manufacturer's instructions so you know exactly how to look after your hot tub. This will include cleaning the tub itself, as well as the filter, plus testing the pH and alkalinity of the water.
pH and alkalinity
If your hot tub doesn't come with a test kit, you'll need to buy one to test the pH and alkalinity of the hot tub water at least once a week. You should aim for 7.4 to 7.6 pH for an inflatable hot tub - too acidic or alkaline, and you could damage the material and irritate your skin.
Best kit for cleaning hot tubs
Everything for maintaining hygienic and clean water. This Clearwater Lay-Z-Spa Chemical Starter Kit includes; 500g chlorine, 700 g pH minus 500 g pH plus, 500 ml foam remover, 25 test strips and a dosing guide.
Pros
- Simple to use
- Very effective
Cons
- Could do with more dip test strips
- Customer review: "Very good product with good details and easy to use. Keeping my water from the spa very clear."
FAQs
Cleaning
To clean the water, add a sanitiser like chlorine, which will come in tablet form or granules. Depending on your usage, you should look to add sanitiser to your hot tub every day or at least every couple of days. Chlorine should always be added immediately after use in order to kill the bugs we bring into the water before they get a chance to multiply. Check your specific instructions to find out which sanitiser your hot tub needs, and ensure to follow the recommended amounts so you can always use your hot tub.
Remove the filter weekly to clean it (some hot tubs require this to be done daily) with filter cleaner. Inflatable hot tub filters can become clogged a little more quickly than permanent hot tubs, so it's important to stay on top of it.
Every few weeks, you should drain your hot tub in order to clean it with liquid soap and water - again, your instructions will tell you the best formula to use.
Put simply, the easiest way to keep your hot tub healthy and clean is by being precise and fussy about the maintenance. A flippant approach almost always results in degradation and gross water.
Are inflatable hot tubs worth it?
Inflatable hot tubs are a great investment, given that they are relatively affordable and provide a full spa experience. From built-in massage jets to rapid heat-up systems, hot tubs are a great way to relax while reading a book or to enjoy with friends and family during a gathering.
Can inflatable hot tubs be used in winter?
While some may shy away from using an inflatable hot tub during the winter, the majority of contemporary models are equipped with a heat maintenance system that keeps the water warm even during the colder months. So - as long as it's not raining - you can use your inflatable hot tub for most of the year.
Are inflatable hot tubs expensive to run?
Inflatable hot tubs can be expensive to run, but this all depends on how often you intend to use your tub and which model you opt for. For example, newer models have high-tech energy-saving systems which maintain the temperature for longer.
The price will also depend on how high your temperature is set, as well as the outside temperature at the time of use.
Subscribe to the What's The Best Newsletter to keep up to date with more of the latest reviews and recommendations from the What's The Best team.
Jade Moscrop is a Deputy Commercial Content Editor for WhatsTheBest, specialising in lifestyle topics. She also writes for Closer, Heat, and Mother&Baby.