hot tub booster seat

You won’t get nearly the amount of enjoyment you want from your hot tub if you can’t stay comfortably anchored in your seat.

And it’s not just kids that struggle—the lighter and more petite adults among us commonly find ourselves being pushed forward by the jets, and floating up and out of our desired location.

The solution? A booster seat.

While you might be picturing childlike seats for toddlers, hear me out: these seats are designed for adults, and are actually the ideal way to keep you in place, so you can focus on enjoying that nice jet massage that was the whole point of getting a spa.

We’ll get into the specifics that make this particular seat (and a few others of comparable quality) the best options in a moment. But first, a little about our testing process.

How we picked

There are a number of factors that go into identifying what makes a good hot tub booster seat, not least of which is actual testing by people who need them (see: those have trouble with floating in hot tubs). So, we had a 5’1″ woman and an 8-year-old try these out in a home spa, and report on how much each booster seat helped.

Beyond that, we also looked at the durability of each booster seat. You want to purchase something you know will last in the long run, and therefore any hot tub booster seat should be rugged and able to withstand extended underwater use.

We also considered the different price points for these products. While there wasn’t a huge difference in any of the models we considered worth buying, we did our best to include options that even a customer on a budget could reasonably afford.

Best overall

What we loved

• Stays in place: Thanks to the non-slip rubberized micro bottom, you won’t find this sliding out from under you.
• Structurally sound: Has six separate weighted sections, so it doesn’t rely on marbles or pebbles or require you to add any extra weight; it’s ready to go as is.
• Quick drying: It doesn’t hold water, so you don’t have to worry about mold or mildew building up. That said, it also has a handy machine-washable cover so you can get rid of any external dirt easily.

What we didn’t

• Bright color: The most conspicuous of the seats we tried, it’s pretty obvious when you have this in your tub. That’s a small price to pay for all the benefits this seat offers though.

Best budget

What we loved

• Price point: Of the hot tub booster seats we considered worth recommending, this was the only one priced under $50.
• Stays put: The seat is the heaviest of the ones we tried (9 lbs!) and made of a rubbery material all over, so it stayed in place perfectly throughout all the wriggling we could try in our test soaks.

What we didn’t

• Not as thick as described: It’s supposed to be 5″ tall, but the reality is more like 3″ (this could be good for you if you just need a little boost, however).
• Non-removable cover: This makes it less easy to clean than the other options.

Best lightweight

What we loved

• Good buoyancy prevention: This seat has a 2-lbs weighted inner compartment, which means that although it’s the lightest cushion we tested, it still stays down on its own.
• Easy to clean: This booster seat has an easy-to-clean surface, thanks to its removable, machine-washable cover.
• Reasonable price point: It fell in the middle of the price range among the seats we tested.

What we didn’t

• Can slip out of place: Unlike our top pick, this seat doesn’t have any kind of non-slip underside, so it did shift around (especially problematic for kids who don’t like to stay still).
• Questionable quality: While we didn’t have any issues with the one we tested, some other reviews do mention issues with the attached handle stitching coming loose.
• Cheaper options exist: This wasn’t outrageously priced by any stretch of the imagination, but our budget pick actually had a few advantages over this seat.

FAQs

Why bother with a hot tub booster seat?

Aside from issues of floating for shorter people—particularly in deeper spas—booster seats can also provide extra padding.

If you find hot tub seats a bit hard or bucket-like, adding a cushion might be all you need to make your life a lot more comfortable.

What about inflatable spa cushions?

The cheapest kind of spa cushion you can find is the ‘inflatable’ variety. These are actually meant to be filled with water by a hose for spa use, not air (otherwise they’d easily float out of place). They then have suction cups on the bottom to help them stay in place.

We considered including one of these in our testing, but as the surface of my home spa is textured, the suction cups would not have worked.

If you have a smooth spa, one of these might be worth trying out if you don’t mind keeping it filled with water.

Closing thoughts

Based on our testing, the right booster seat can definitely improve your spa experience. However, it’s not the only solution.

If you struggle with staying put in your seat, be sure to check out our other tips to stop floating so you can enjoy your hot tub to the max.