Are Inflatable Hot Tubs Worth it?

Inflatable hot tubs are incredibly popular but, are they any good? Do they last a long time, are they actually nice to be in and are they expensive to run? Some people describe inflatable hot tubs are being disposable hot tubs – but is this really fair and is it worth buying an inflatable hot tub or not?

This seems to be a contentious issue, there are many who swear by inflatable hot tubs and also others who just seem to see them as almost glorified paddling pools. If you are thinking of buying an inflatable hot tub then it makes the decision a tricky one.

I decided to do some thorough research and to put all of the pros and cons together to help you come to an informed decision as to whether an inflatable hot tub is right for you or not.

So, are inflatable hot tubs worth it? Inflatable hot tubs are good if you want to try hot tubbing out or know that you just want a simple portable hot tub to use for a few weeks a year. If you know that you want to use a hot tub all year round several times a week and you want to have the hydrotherapy benefits a hot tub can give you then they are not a good idea.

In fact, if you have a look at the figures, in certain circumstances, it is possible that over a number of years of use that an inflatable hot tub could actually end up costing you more than a traditional hardshell hot tub. More on that later on………

Inflatable hot tubs pros and cons

So what are the pros and cons of inflatable hot tubs v hardshell hot tubs??

Inflatable hot tub pros:

Cost – The obvious advantage of an inflatable hot tub is the cost. Basic models are available for around $300 making this around 90% less expensive than even the least expensive hardshell hot tub.

You can check out some of the best prices on Amazon here.

There is little hassle in buying one. A large number of supermarkets and DIY stores sell them so you can literally pop out and get one or, if you prefer just buy one online for home delivery. The home delivery option is not a bad idea as you can generally only see the outside of the box anyway when you buy in a store.

Bear in mind that even the smallest inflatable hot tub has a dry weight of around 40KG making home delivery even more attractive if you don’t want to have to do any heavy lifting.

Speed of set up – Once you have your inflatable hot tub at home you can just blow it up, fill it with water and jump in! (Although the water will be cold and you will have to wait for it to warm up!)

You can plug an inflatable hot tub directly into the mains, there are no special electrical requirements like with a traditional hot tub and you don’t need to set up a special base.

Portability – If you want o move your hot tub to a different spot it’s not really a big issue. Just empty it of water and move it! You can obviously deflate it when you aren’t using it and save space in your garden and you could even take it away with you if you have a holiday cottage or stay with friends and family.

Clearly a hard shell hot tub can’t do any of this! Once it is set up it is a permanent feature. It takes up space in your garden all year round, even when not being used. In fact, I often think that empty unused hot tubs are a bit of an eyesore, they use up a huge amount of space for the short amount of use that they actually get.

Value for money – Let’s face it, for only a few hundred dollars you are getting the potential of a heck of a lot of pleasure! In terms of bang for your buck inflatable hot tubs are great! If you spend 10 or 20 times as much on a hard shell hot tub do you get 10 or 20 times more enjoyment? I’m not so sure about that!

It’s a great introduction to hot tubbing – if you aren’t sure that hot tubbing is for you, then getting an inflatable hot tub is a great introduction for relatively little money. If it doesn’t work out or you realize that you only want to hot tub in the very height of summer for a few weeks a year then a portable hot tub may be perfect.

Alternatively, you might realize that you want to hot tub all year round on a more regular basis and an inflatable will have offered a great introduction to the world of water chemistry and hot tub maintenance. It may well also give you a bit of insight into the features that you would really like on a hard shell hot tub if you choose to upgrade as well.

There is also the possibility that you will seriously hate the thing! In that case, then you have only spent a few hundred rather than a few thousand dollars. In fact, you might even be able to sell your poor unwanted inflatable hot tub on Ebay if it is in reasonable condition.

Inflatable hot tub cons:

I don’t want to be unnecessarily negative about inflatable hot tubs but, if you read a lot about them online most websites do stress the positives. Of course, many websites have a vested interest in doing this as they are selling them as well but I thought it would be a good idea to try to balance the argument.

Durability – This really is the big one. But what do you actually expect for $300??!! It seems that you can expect an inflatable hot tub to last maybe two years. Reading reviews online you will see that most customers love their inflatable hot tubs when they are working and think that they are great value for money.

However, there are endless complaints of a lack of durability and operating issues. In fairness, the manufacturers are clearly answering complaints and working to address issues but, realistically, your inflatable hot tub is likely to wear out/break pretty quickly.

This is why some people refer to them as disposable hot tubs. The problem is that they are not really disposable……..

Environmental issues – So, your inflatable hot tub is damaged beyond repair and the only option you have for disposal is the local landfill. This is a lot of plastic to be just sitting there essentially forever. With thousands upon thousands of inflatable hot tubs bought and disposed of each year this is a sizable issue. If you add in the added energy usage when running an inflatable hot tub then you can see how the issues mount up.

That’s not to say that a traditional hardshell hot tub is much better. However, there are at least some options in this area with manufacturers becoming much more aware and also the fact that hard shell hot tubs do last for at least 10 times longer than inflatables.

You can read more about hot tubs and the environment in my post here.

Expensive to run – The heating elements in inflatable hot tubs are rather basic and inefficient when compared with hard shell hot tubs but, more importantly, they don’t have any insulation.

The side walls of inflatable hot tubs are obviously filled with air which is a good insulator but it’s nowhere near as efficient as the foam insulation that comes in hard shell hot tub. This means that the water cools much more quickly in an inflatable hot tub and it takes a lot more energy to keep the temperature up.

An inflatable hot tub will also most probably only have a thin cover over it. We all know that warm air rises and heat will also escape through the cover quite easily. Again in a more traditional hot tub you are likely to have a much more heat efficient cover fitted and this will save you a lot in your heating costs.

Basic filtration – Inflatable hot tubs are built to a particular budget and this does mean that generally speaking their filtration systems are quite basic. This is fine for a short time but it does mean that you will have to change the water relatively frequently and work hard to keep the filters clean.

Check out a great selection of replacement filters on Amazon here.

This can also mean that you are more at risk of sitting in dirty water in an inflatable hot tub. If you use it a lot or let dirt get into it you will find that the water starts to smell or go off-color quite quickly.

Basic sanitization – Linked to the basic filtration issue above is the fact that most inflatable hot tubs rely on a simple floating dispenser of chemicals to sanitize the water.

The floating dispensers are not particularly accurate in terms of giving a regular and correct chemical dose to the water so, unless you are very vigilant, you could well find that you are sitting in over or under sanitized water.

Both of these extremes are problematic. If you haven’t enough sanitizer in the water then it will quickly become dirty and unhygienic. This won’t be helped by the basic filtration issues as we looked at above.

At the other extreme if you have too much sanitizer in the water then it could cause skin irritation or even respiratory issues. Deposits of chlorine will start to form on the hot tub walls and will quickly start to attack the liner.

Cold air jets – One issue that you might not realize is that an inflatable hot tub only blows air through the jets and the air will be at the ambient air temperature. This may well not be a problem if the air temperature is in the 30’s but if it is lower it will quickly lower the temperature of the water and you will feel the cold.

On a traditional hot tub you would have warm water jets that offer some hydrotherapeutic benefits. This is great if you want a warm water massage on stiff or aching joints or muscles – this isn’t a feature on an inflatable hot tub.

Having said that though the jets on an inflatable hot tub can supply a very pleasant sensation. It is supplied by air bubbles but does give a sense of relaxation and movement of the water.

Obviously, there isn’t any way to direct the bubbles and it’s basically an on or off scenario. There generally isn’t any control over the air jets on an inflatable hot tub.

You can’t have the heater and the air on together – Which brings us to another slight issue in that, due to the smaller, portable nature of an inflatable hot tub’s pump, you can’t have air and hot water heating on at the same time.

The pump can either blow bubbles or it can heat the water. Again this may not present too much of a problem in warm weather. However, if it is relatively cold then the cold air being blown into the water will cool it very quickly and you will have to stop the bubbles to reheat the water.

Basic seating – Part of the joy of a hard shell hot tub is being able to lay back or sit in a comfortable supported way. Inflatable hot tubs don’t come with any seating, although you can buy basic inflatable cushions/seats for them and you essentially sit on the floor.

This isn’t as uncomfortable as it may sound as the floor of the hot tub is soft and your body is supported by the water. However, it is a very different experience from sitting in a hard shell hot tub. You may well find that once you are in it is very comfortable. The sides will give a little and the edge may well be a good height to support your head.

Sometimes traditional hot tubs can feel hard and unforgiving, as well as being slippery. An inflatable hot tub can feel a bit more welcoming in this respect.

Three season use only – Finally, inflatable hot tubs are only designed for three-season use. In fact, they should not be used when the temperatures drop as this can damage the hot tub.

Traditional hot tubs are usually fully designed to be used all year round and winter hot tubbing is one of life’s unexpected, if often rather bracing, luxuries!

Should I buy an inflatable hot tub?

So, we now know the positives and negatives of inflatable hot tubs. But how do you put all of this together and decide if an inflatable hot tub is worth buying for you? Let’s have a look in a bit more detail.

You should consider buying an inflatable hot tub if:

You will never be able to afford a hard shell hot tub – Hard shell hot tubs are expensive. In fact, they can be the same price as a good second hand or even lower priced new car. You could also go on several very nice holidays for the cost of one or feed and clothe your family for a very long time.

For many people forking out this sort of money simply isn’t an option and a hot tub is not a financial priority.

The good news is that, depending on your outlook in life, a $300 inflatable hot tub really does give you a huge amount of bang for your buck. In fact, you might be pleasantly surprised at how much you enjoy it and, with careful care and maintenance how long it lasts.

Is a $3000 hard shell hot tub 10 times better?? Maybe not.

Is a $10,000 hot tub proportionately better?? I’m not so sure.

Inflatables get you a lot of fun for a low price and they are a massive improvement on not having a hot tub at all!

You haven’t got the space for a permanent hot tub – Many back yards just don’t have the room for a permanent hot tub set up. If this is the case then an inflatable can be a good compromise.

Remember hard shell hot tubs need proper bases and electrical connections and they just demand more landscaping and hassle. Inflatables are plug and play and you can then just fold away and store for next time.

You don’t really know if you like hot tubs – You might like the idea of having a hot tub but feel that paying out several thousand dollars just to try it could be an expensive experiment.

A relatively inexpensive inflatable hot tub could be great for a year or so allowing you to get an idea of just how often you use it and how much you enjoy it.

You will also get a good introduction to water chemistry and maintenance and these skills will be directly transferrable to a hard shell hot tub.

If after a year or so you find you are not really using the hot tub then it will only have cost you a few hundred dollars. Alternatively, you might find yourself hankering after a more luxurious hard shell tub in which case you will be able to buy with a lot more confidence after your inflatable hot tub experience.

You know you will only use it for a few weeks a year – If you know for a fact that you will only use your hot tub during the height of summer for example then it makes little sense to spend a fortune on a hard shell hot tub.

Maybe you only just want it when the grandchildren come over to stay or perhaps at weekends when the weather is warm. Whatever the reason, if you know that you are going to be a relatively light hot tub user, then an inflatable hot tub could be the perfect solution.

An inflatable hot tub probably isn’t the best idea if:

You want the hydrotherapy benefits of a hot tub – If you know that you want to use your hot tub to ease aching muscles or joints then bear in mind that inflatable hot tubs don’t have any hydrotherapy capabilities.

You will get a pleasant bubbling effect with an inflatable hot tub but they do not have controllable jets or give any sense of a hydrotherapy massage. The only way to get this is to buy a hard shell hot tub. Many hard shells can be specifically tailored to your particular preferences in terms of placement and types of jet as well.

You want to hot tub all year round – Inflatable hot tubs are not designed to be used in low temperatures and are not particularly thermally efficient. They will use a lot of energy to keep warm when the weather is colder and will have to be switched off during the winter.

In contrast, hard shell hot tubs are designed to run all the time in all weather conditions. They have highly efficient heating and insulation systems and can retain heat really well. They will also not wear out the more you use them unlike the liner of an inflatable hot tub which essentially has a relatively short life and is prone to wear and tear.

You want ultimate comfort, peace of mind and luxury – To a certain extent you get what you pay for, and realistically a hard shell hot tub will last longer, be more comfortable, more reliable than an inflatable hot tub.

Once it’s installed a hard shell hot tub will probably take less looking after also as the filtration and sanitization system will be much more comprehensive than in an inflatable hot tub.

You are concerned about the environmental impact of your hot tub – OK, so no hot tub is going to be incredibly good for the environment however, there are a number of things that hard shell hot tub manufacturers are doing to minimize the impact.

You can also sanitize your hot tub and heat it in a more environmentally friendly way and many of these options are more easily achieved on a conventional hard shell hot tub. Have a read of my post here for more information.

However, the biggest problem comes when it’s time to dispose of your hot tub. As far as I know, an inflatable hot tub can’t be recycled and it will just sit in landfill forever. That’s not to say that a hard shell hot tub is much better, although many manufacturers are incorporating recyclable materials into their builds.

The issue is that with the relatively short life of inflatable hot tubs it is a more acute problem. Many hardshell tubs will last between 10 and 15 years. As we have already seen inflatables come nowhere near that amount of time for their average lifespan.

Hopefully, if you have read this far, this post will have helped you in your decision making!

Finally, before you go, I did an interesting price comparison in this post here between running a regularly used inflatable hot tub and the cheapest hard shell hot tub.

Over a 7 year period, the hard shell hot tub worked out at only $26 per month more. My maths may be slightly flawed but you can plug your own figures in based upon your own research – you might be slightly surprised at what the result is.

The main issue is that the energy usage of a hot tub over a long period of time is a critical expense. If you know that you are going to use a hot tub regularly and would like to keep it for a number of years then a budget hard shell could actually work out only marginally more expensive or even very similar in price to an inflatable hot tub.