inflatable hot tub with seats

Are you looking for an inflatable hot tub with seats? Well, this guide will walk you through exactly what you should look for in an inflatable hot tub as well as reviewing the top 5 inflatable hot tubs with seats. These 5 models are the only ones we recommend you even consider.

Unlike other reviews online, this review is part personal review as well as part meta-review (we research the web and are reporting what other people are stating about the best inflatable hot tub with built-in seats). The benefit of this to you is that you save time, as we’ve done all the legwork and bring everything you need to know into one article! Read on as I share with you some amazing hot tubs.

What To Look For In An Inflatable Hot Tub

Apart from how many seats the hot tub has, there are certain other features you need to consider before choosing which one you are going to buy. These are:

• size and capacity
• construction of the hot tub
• set up and heating time
• water capacity and filled weight
• massage system
• extras and accessories

Size and Capacity of Your Inflatable Hot Tub

The first thing you need to keep in mind is that when a hot tub manufacturer says their hot tub is, for example, a 4 person model, they are talking about how many people can sit in the hot tub, side by side, with their knees up.

The same is true of how many seats each hot tub has!

What we prefer to look at is how many adults can comfortably fit into the hot tub, relaxing back with their legs stretched out. This is how most people use their hot tub, as we do, so we believe our figures are more realistic.

So, even though the MSpa Camaro has four internal seats and it’s advertised as a 4-person model, it’s much better to see it as a 2-person inflatable hot tub. You definitely can fit four people in the hot tub, but you will all be sitting and not leaning back stretched out.

The number of adults you can comfortably fit into a hot tub depends on the internal floor space. This is generally related to the overall size of the hot tub – the bigger the hot tub, the more people will fit in.

There is an exception to this, however, with the Canadian Spa Swift. You’ll see that it’s about the same size as the MSpa Camaro. However the walls of the Canadian Spa Swift are 5 inches of insulated foam, while the walls of the inflatable MSpa Camaro are 8 inches thick. This means the Swift has more internal floor space and – along with the extra depth – means you can fit in 3 more adults!

As we just mentioned, apart from the internal floor space the other factor you keep in mind is the depth of each hot tub. Many inflatable hot tubs are 26 inches deep. But you’ll see that each of the MSpa models is 28 inches deep, while the Canadian Spa Swift is 29 inches.

These extra inches are important, as it means you don’t have to stretch out and sink down in the hot tub so that the water will cover your shoulders – something you have to do with the 26″ deep models.

You’ll see on websites that the external measurements of each hot tub is given, but you have to search around for those equally important internal dimensions. We have therefore put together a table which shows the external and internal dimensions, and from that we give our own capacity of how many adults can stretch out in the hot tub without feeling cramped.

	External dimensions	Internal dimensions	Real capacity	Min. space needed
MSpa Luxury Exotic 6 Person	80 inches diameter 28 inches deep	63 inches diameter 28 inches deep	4 adults	10½ feet x 10½ feet
Canadian Spa Swift	72 inches diameter 29 inches deep	63 inches diameter 29 inches deep	4-5 adults	10 feet x 10 feet
MSpa Super Camaro	80 inches diameter 28 inches deep	63 inches long 28 inches deep	4 adults	10½ feet x 10½ feet
MSpa Luxury Exotic 4 Person	71 inches diameter 28 inches deep	55 inches diameter 28 inches deep	2 adults	10 feet x 10 feet
MSpa Camaro	71 inches diameter 28 inches deep	55 inches diameter 28 inches deep	2 adults	10 feet x 10 feet

You can see on the table that we also give the suggested minimum space needed to site each hot tub. We recommend leaving about 2 feet all around your hot tub. This is so you can access it from all sides, to get in and out easily, and also so that you can put the cover on without reaching over uncomfortably.

The space also means that if you need to clean the outside or your hot tub, or if something falls down the back, say, you can reach it easily.

If you prefer to place your hot tub closer to a wall or fence, or even into a corner, that’s fine. A lot of people do that. Just make sure it’s not rubbing against any surface, as that will weaken the skin and could lead to cracking or a puncture.

If you do site your hot tub near to a wall or fence, you need to remember that if you want to access the side of the tub, for cleaning or repairs, you’ll have to drain the hot tub before you can move. As you’ll see shortly, that’s because when your inflatable hot tub is filled with water, it weighs around 2,000lbs!

Construction of Your Inflatable Hot Tub

Inflatable hot tubs have come a long way since the early days, when they were more like over-sized kids’ paddling pools! These days, the construction of even a basic model makes it sturdy and strong enough to last for years. That’s because of advances in the skins of the hot tubs and the inner construction.

Because of their superior build, each of the inflatable hot tubs we look at here can be used all-year round, even in sub-zero temperatures. If this is something you are interested in, we have an article which looks at all you need to know about the topic: 4 Season Inflatable Hot Tubs (opens in a new tab).

Skins of Inflatable Hot Tubs

The majority of inflatable hot tubs – the ones which don’t have seats – have a triple layer of PVC. This is strong enough to survive everyday bumps and scrapes. However, each of the four MSpa hot tubs on our list has 6 layers of laminated PVC, called Rhino-Tech™. This has been developed for the rigorous demands of the marine industry, and it’s UV resistant, super-strong, and it’s also frost resistant and suitable for use in all weather climates.

As we mentioned before, the Canadian Spa Swift has 5 inch thick foam walls which are covered with a reinforced vinyl skin.

What all of this means is that each of these inflatable hot tubs is covered with super-strong skin which means that, with the right care, they will last you for years.

Internal Construction

Inside the walls of inflatable hot tubs these days, such as the four MSpa models we are looking at here, there is a clever internal construction. This consists of horizontal panels of PVC that are flexible enough to keep the walls comfortable, but sturdy enough when the hot tub is inflated to provide great strength and support. In fact the walls of inflatable hot tubs these days are strong enough so that you can sit on the sides without them giving way or even buckling.

This is great news for anyone who is unsteady on their feet and needs the hot tub walls to support them as they get in and out.

As we have seen already, the walls of the Canadian Spa Swift hot tub are made of 5 inches of insulated foam. This is in large part because this hot tub is designed to be used outdoors all year-round – even in sub-freezing temperatures.

What it means, though, is that we do not recommend sitting on the walls of the Swift. The sides are certainly strong enough to support anyone getting in and out of the hot tub; it’s just that they are not designed to be sat on.

Set Up and Heating Times

Inflatable hot tubs are what is known as plug-and-play. This means you lay your hot tub out, attach it to the motor and it will inflate in a few minutes. Then it’s a matter of filling it with water, putting the cover on, and then heating the water to your preferred temperature, up to a maximum of 104F.

When you have set up a hot tub a few times, you’ll be able to have it laid out and inflated in ten minutes or even less. However, the first time you do it, plan on it taking anywhere between 30 minutes and an hour, as you’ll be learning as you go (and most likely referring to the instructions continually!).

From there, it will take about another 30 minutes to fill the hot tub with water.

When we talk about filling your hot tub, this means filling it about 80% full. You’ll see that on the inner wall of every hot tub there is a minimum fill line and a maximum fill line.

It’s important that you do not fill your hot tub above the maximum line. That’s because you need to leave space in the hot tub for the water level to rise when you get in, and space for the water to bubble when you turn on the massage system.

Leaving room for the water level to rise also means you won’t have water spilling over the sides of the hot tub when you get in. This is definitely something you want to avoid if you have your hot tub indoors.

When the hot tub is full, you should put the cover on and press the heater button on the control unit to heat up the water. As a general rule, the water heats up at about 2-3F per hour. So it can take 24 hours or even more to heat the water up to 104F.

There are a few factors which can affect this: the temperature of the water at the start, the temperature of the air, and of course how hot you want the water to be. This table gives you a general idea of how long it will take:

Air Temperature	Water Temperature	Target Temperature	Heating Time
50°F	50°F	104°F	32 hours
59°F	59°F	104°F	26 hours
68°F	68°F	104°F	20 hours
77°F	77°F	104°F	14 hours
86°F	86°F	104°F	9 hours

One thing you can do to speed up the time it takes is to add hot water from your household supply when you fill your hot tub. Some people even fill their hot tub with hot water, so that it’s ready to use straight away. Just make sure you don’t fill it with boiling water, though, as this can damage the hot tub skin.

Water Capacity and Filled Weight

Something to bear in mind when you choose your inflatable hot tub is how much water it holds and how heavy it will be as a result.

This is especially important if you plan on putting your hot tub on decking or even indoors, as you must check that the floor is strong enough to support 2,000lbs or even more. If you are not sure, we recommend getting an expert in for advice. Alternatively, you can visit the decksgo website, where they have a lot of useful advice (opens in a new tab).

A gallon of water weighs over 8lbs. So when you see that the smallest inflatable hot tub with seats, the MSpa Luxury Exotic 4 Person, holds 184 gallons, that means it weighs over 1,605lbs – and that’s without anyone in it!

This also means, as we mentioned before, that when your inflatable spa is filled with water, it is far too heavy for you to be able to move it. That’s why you’ll need to make sure it is exactly where you want it sited before you fill it with water, and that you do leave access all around.

Model	Water capacity (80% full)	Weight (hot tub + weight of the water)
MSpa Luxury Exotic 6 Person	320 gallons	2,781 lbs
Canadian Spa Swift	333 gallons	2,833 lbs
MSpa Super Camaro	245 gallons	2,122 lbs
MSpa Luxury Exotic 4 Person	184 gallons	1,605 lbs
MSpa Camaro	184 gallons	1,597 lbs

Massage System

The massage system in almost all inflatable hot tubs consists of a ring of holes inside the bottom of the hot tub walls. When you turn on the motor, it blows air through these holes, creating a powerful stream of bubbles that give you an all-over massage.

The only exception to this, of our 5 inflatable hot tubs with built-in seats, is the MSpa Luxury Exotic 6 Person, which has 8 adjustable hydro jets. These are the same as the ones you get in a traditional spa and they can be directed to give you a specific deep tissue massage.

Besides the number of air bubble jets in your hot tub, the strength of the massage system also depends on the water flow through the holes. This is determined by how powerful the motor unit is that comes with your hot tub.

	No. of bubble jets	Water flow (gallons per hour)	Our Massage Rating
MSpa Luxury Exotic 6 Person	8 hydro jets	400	10/10
Canadian Spa Swift	88 + 4 hydro massage seats	400	10/10
MSpa Super Camaro	138	400	9/10
MSpa Luxury Exotic 4 Person	118	400	9.5/10
MSpa Camaro	110	380	9/10

Inflatable Hot Tub Accessories and Extras

The final feature you need to consider when choosing your hot tub is the extras and accessories you get included in the price.

As a minimum, we always recommend you should only buy an inflatable hot tub if it comes with:

• a digital control panel
• an insulated cover
• an insulated ground mat
• a chemical float
• a spare filter cartridge (or two)
• repair patches

Happily, each of the 5 inflatable hot tubs we are looking at here includes these – and more! To make it easier to compare the models, and help you make your choice, we have put together an easy-to-read table.

Best Inflatable Hot Tub With Seats – Your Guide To The Accessories Included In The Price

	MSpa Luxury Exotic 6 Person	Canadian Spa Swift	MSpa Super Camaro	MSpa Luxury Exotic 4 Person	MSpa Camaro
Digital control	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Extra-strong massage system	✓	✓
Super-strong exterior	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Insulated lid or cover	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Insulated base		✓
Insulated ground mat	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Chemical floater	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Spare filter cartridge	✓	✓	✓	✓	v
Instruction DVD	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Repair patches	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Best Amazon Deal	Check it out	Check it out	Check it out	Check it out	Check it out

Conclusion

We hope this guide has helped you understand what is required when you are looking for an inflatable hot tub with seats. We also hope it helps you choose the hot tub that is exactly right for you. Thanks for reading!