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Who needs two weeks in Mallorca? The best inflatable hot tubs will bring the cool calm of an infinity pool on the Med to your back garden (almost). They’re certainly more glamorous than a paddling pool, and can be just as useful for cooling off in a heatwave, if you keep the water icy cold.
An inflatable hot tub requires a fraction of the cost and commitment of solid-sided models. Most people prefer to drain and store them for winter – indeed some models will get damaged when the temperature drops below freezing – but others have been designed with anti-freeze technology so they work all year round. What should you know before you buy? We asked an expert, John Devlin, author of the website Inflatable Hot Tub Guide.
His answers are in the FAQ section at the bottom of this feature, where John discusses how long a hot tub takes to heat up, how much they cost to run, how easy they are to maintain and how long they last. If you’re in a hurry, here’s a quick look at Devlin’s top five:
Which are the best inflatable hot tubs in 2024? At a glance
How we chose the best inflatable hot tubs
Usually a Recommended product review will feature ten or more different manufacturers, but there are only a few companies active in this market. In order to show the range of sizes, features and prices available, we have included more than one model each from major players Lay-Z-Spa, Intex and MSPA.
We took expert John Devlin’s recommendations and tried a few ourselves so that we could rank the hot tubs for how easy they were to set up, comfortable seating, efficient heating and a good number of powerful jets. We also took into account durability, the variety of spa settings, luxury extras like underwater lighting and – importantly – how easy they were to maintain
If you’re spending more time in the garden this summer, by the way, you may want to read our guide to the best fire pits next.
Best inflatable hot tubs
1. Lay-Z-Spa Helsinki hot tub
Best inflatable hot tub overall, 10 out of 10
We like: the clean Nordic design
We don’t like: heat is lost through the lid when not in use
