Portable vs. Inflatable Hot Tubs | Relax and Retreat Hot Tubs

Portable vs. Inflatable Hot Tubs

Inflatable Hot Tubs vs. Hardshell Hot tubs

The Key Differences & Our Top Picks

Sections

Hardshell vs Inflatable Hot Tub Overview

Before you get lured into the hype and low initial prices of inflatable hot tubs, here’s everything you need to know about the reality of owning an inflatable hot tub and how they stack up against traditional hard shell hot tubs in 2020.

While inflatable hot tubs usually draw consumers in with lower prices starting at around $800-1,500, low energy efficiency, small water capacity, slow heat-up times, weak filters, misleading capacity ratings, and the dreaded “leg overlap” issue have left many inflatable hot tub owners regretting their purchase. It isn’t all bad however, so let’s go over some key differences to help you choose the perfect hot tub for your home.

Inflatable Hot Tubs

PROS

CONS

Misleading Capacity Ratings
Shallow Water Level
Overlapping Legs
90 degree seating position
5-7 year lifespan
Energy Hog (usually uninsulated)
Unsanitary Water due to small filter & small water capacity

Hardshell Hot Tubs

PROS

20+ Year lifespan
Bench Or Lounge Seating
Insulated & Energy Efficient
Internal Filter & Heater
Plugs Into Standard Outlet
Nation-wide Service Available
Large & Deep
Modern Styling
More Jets & Massage Features

CONS

Jets & Comfort

This category is a large differentiator between inflatable hot tubs and hard shell hot tubs. Again, you get what you pay for. One of the biggest differences between inflatable hot tubs and hardshell hot tubs is the seating position. In inflatable hot tubs, there is no ledge to sit on and therefore you sit bent at a 90-degree angle with your legs straight in front of you resting on the bottom of the tub. To make things worse, this seating position means everyone’s legs clash in the middle and ultimately have to rest on top of or below everyone else’s legs.

Hardshell Portable Hot tubs are typically taller and larger than the average inflatable hot tub and feature bench or lounge seating with ample legroom. This makes for a much more sustainable and comfortable seating position while avoiding the need to rest your legs on someone else’s. On top of this, hardshell tubs feature a multitude of back, neck, leg, foot, & hand massage jets and massage settings while inflatable hot tubs usually only feature 0-4 jets.

Hardshell vs. Inflatable Hot Tub Lifespan

While leading portable hot tub brands such as fantasy spas and leading inflatable hot tub brands such as Intex share a 5-year shell warranty, inflatable hot tub warranties usually do not cover punctures, and repairing them is left to the consumer. When considering the lifespan of your new hot tub, you can expect to receive around 5 -7 years of use out of an inflatable hot tub compared to 20+ years of use from a hardshell hot tub.

Heating & Filtration

Heating and filtration is another area where inflatable hot tubs fall short. With a lack of insulation, inflatable hot tubs leak out their heat energy and will wreak havoc on your energy bill if kept heated. The alternative is to heat up your inflatable hot tub every time you want to use this. Even with its small water capacity, your water will only heat up at a rate of around 2-3 degrees per hour.

One of our biggest gripes with inflatable hot tubs beside the seating position and leg overlap issue is the water quality. Water in your inflatable hot tub can become unsanitary fairly quickly with such a weak filter. Chemicals can only go so far to clean such a small amount of water that is used again and again.

Hard-shell hot tubs however have a higher water capacity, professional and powerful filters, integrated heating, and full foam insulation. This means it will cost you less to keep your hot tub hot, and your water will always be clean and clear.

Best Portable & Inflatable Hot Tubs

If you are looking to buy the perfect small-sized affordable hot tub for your home, here are our top picks for the best inflatable and hard-shell hot tub of the year.

Best Inflatable Hot Tub

Intex Purespa 6 Person Hot Tub

We chose the Intex Purespa 6 person spa for our best inflatable spa of the year due to its 5-year shell warranty, trusted name, available add ons, and low initial price. If you want to comfortably fit 4 people we would recommend opting for the 6 person model.

Best Portable Hot Tub

Fantasy Premier 2020 Enamor

The Enamor spa offers comfortable bench seating for 4 adults with ample space in the foot well and perfectly placed foot jets. This spa also features a serene waterfall, an LED underwater light, and Plug-N-Play technology so that you can simply plug it in, fill it up, and start relaxing.