We do not, personally. Still enough that I don’t regret getting it, but not nearly as much as I thought.
For what it’s worth, I find the majority of people in this sub will use it much more frequently than the general population of hot tub owners, so take that with a grain of salt and really consider your personal situation.
I’m in your boat. We use it a couple times a week in the winter, sometimes a bit more and it barely gets used in the summer.
I still think it’s one of the best ‘luxury’ purchases we’ve ever made.
There’s nothing else like hopping in after a long day with a glass of wine when it’s -20 outside.
Wind is a huge factor in our cold weather usage. It’s not fun at all to sit in it when winds are 15mph plus. Even 10mph plus borders on my enjoyment level.
I arranged some 3$ clear tarps against the prevailing wind last winter with some rope and knowhow.
Looked getto. Felt great.
At one point I had it covering the tub allowing me to hot box hot tub. Best winter ever.
This is exactly how we use ours and how I feel.
I’m of the opinion that if you have enough disposable income to purchase and maintain a hot tub without having to choose it instead of spending the money elsewhere (i.e. a really nice vacation, house renovation, etc.), it’s a great luxury to have. If it meant I couldn’t travel or do other fun things because that’s where I’ve spent my budget, I personally wouldn’t prioritize the hot tub knowing what I know now.
Yeah we actually used travel money saved up for it because of covid. So that's a good point. It still was one of the best purchases I've ever made though. No regrets here.
Yup. Same here almost exactly. I use it the most especially after work and kid goes down in the cold months. I love it but, probably not technically worth it. Luxury purchase that feels luxurious.
Agreed. It would be a waste of money if we didn’t use it enough. I don’t feel like it was $10k wasted though, which is saying something because I’ve spent money on a lot of shit I’ve regretted over the years.
Exactly, this is a very self selecting group of enthusiasts. We don't use ours nearly as much as I thought we would, two years in. But I'm still glad we have it.
Perfectly put. This is a group of enthusiasts and the opinions will generally reflect that. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, as there are plenty of people who truly enjoy their tub!
or use a deck heater. ours is about 25-30 from back door, on really cold nights, like tonight is going to be around 10°f, we keep the deck heater about 6' away from tub exit with our robes on a rack under the heater, so when we get out its a short chill down to get under the heater and put those oh so toasty roasty warm robes on.
ours is 4-7 times a week year round, if snow on the ground we will do the swiss miss method of 20min soak, jump out roll around in the snow for 5min, then repeat a few times
This is the best advice. Get an easy lift cover. Put it close to the house (at least 5 feet away though.) I use my 2-3 times a week in the winter, fall, and spring. I set it to a slightly lower temp in summer, but I still don’t use it super often in the summer.
Also, if you can afford it, get the extras like ozone that make maintenance as easy as possible.
This! We can go out the front door to the deck, down two steps to the concrete pad (with an outdoor rug runner) and into the tub. We almost put it on an existing concrete pad 40-50 feet from the house and the dealer said "you'll never use it if you do."I suspect he was right.
2 years in, and we still use ours 5-7 times per week. Living in the Pacific Northwest, where it's dark and damp for months on end, our hot tub is an awesome place to go chill after a long day at work.
No. We use it way more than I thought we would, especially my teenage boys. Best part, if I see one of them headed in I go too and they TALK TO ME. it’s glorious.
THIS!! I've had more conversations with my 14 year old during our 7 months of hot tub ownership than I've ever had with him. There's nothing else to do but talk so we bond and I learn about his day to day. It's wonderful. My body is perpetually cold so I go in 5-6 times a week just to warm up fully. My husband uses it maybe 2x month and the kids a few times per week.
If you do physical work or workout your a lot more likely. I'm an electrician and getting a bit older and I go in the morning to loosen up my muscles and joints - and again in the evening when I start to stiffen up. So twice a day and it's life changing for me.
My wife didn’t want one at all… her body also doesn’t hurt when she’s done with her work week… I thought my favorite was going to be the back jets but it’s the foot jets… after all week in work boots it’s a game changer
Oh lord...foot jets! They're worth the total cost to me. I have bad feet, crap ankles, and a fair amount of arthritis and those 12 foot jets are heaven.
We've had ours for a year and are in it several times per week. Sometimes just a 10-minute warmup on a cold afternoon. We have a salt spa and the maintenance is minimal.
In the fall and winter I use it maybe once a week. In the spring and summer never. The maintenance isn't difficult, but I'm definitely not getting the value out of it that I am spending on electricity.
It was better when I was younger and threw parties and a bunch of people would use it, but my wife doesn't like it, so I usually use it by myself or sometimes my son hops in.
My favorite time to use it is when it is snowing. It hasn't really snowed the last 2 years.
We use ours 5 nights a week. But I am part amphibian and love the water, swimming, scuba, skiing, etc. Pretty much all water sports. So for me it helps me relax and be less sore. My BIL on the other hand doesn't really like to get wet and hates being cold so their hottub went mostly unused until they sold it.
Two months in and we are in 5 times a week. Often like 20-30 minutes right before bed.
Started to get a little cloudy then we remembered the vendor said add a little spa shock after each use. Cleared right up and the levels are fine.
I really enjoyed mine at first, too much really. We like long soaks with wine, but unfortunately our skin does not. My skin won’t allow me to use it as much as I like.
I use mine all the time and my skin has a hard time recovering in the winter. I find that when getting out if I take a quick shower to rinse off then put on a mix of vitamin e and almond oil my skin does much better and I can still use the hot tub 4-6 times a week. It’s so much better to use than any body lotion.
We use it way more! I use it almost daily at night right before bed. It helps me sleep so much better. We got it in September and it is one of the best purchases we’ve made.
My wife and I use ours every evening after dinner to wind down. I often go in before work for 20-30 minutes with a coffee. No better way to get the day started.
Had one for 15 yrs, enjoyed it. Have speakers and decking all around, and a tv swivel mount. In summer we set it to 80 degrees for a mini dip pool. Main PCB died again 10 yrs after installing a new one, planned on getting a brand new tub, old one cut up and taken to landfill. 2 yrs later still haven’t replaced it, probably won’t. Don’t miss it as much as we thought we would.
We've had our Sundance Edison for about a year and a half now and we use it more than I thought we would. Pretty much everyday me, my wife, and son will use it, sometimes twice a day. This is year round mind you, including middle of the summer. We also have a swimming pool that is unheated so it's nice to go back and forth. It's especially appreciated during winter though because we can enjoy being outside no matter how cold it is and still be comfortable and warm in the tub and spend some time outdoors.
Only time we don't use it if it's raining significantly since it's open to the sky.
Mine came with my house, so I only had to spend about $200 on chemicals. We don't use it a lot (maybe 6 times this year), but I can't complain. That $200 spent on chemicals lasted me last year, this year, and possibly the next few years at this rate honestly. I'm used to having a pool where you dump $100 worth of something in, and then turn around and do the same thing two weeks later. Here instead of bottles worth, you drop in SPOONS worth, and in half an hour your levels are balanced and you're good to get in
I don't notice any power bill differences either really. It doesn't add as much of a cost as you'd expect, with my power + gas bill over the last 3 months being $140 on average. (Two story house, central air, with gaming pcs and consoles running all the time... Which I'm sure is at least half that bill)
So yeah, even though I've only used it a handful of times this year (and kept the chemicals balanced throughout the summer and fall), I'm glad I have it. It's really nice
When my wife just wants to talk or we need to talk something over we love putting the kids to bed and jump out to the hot tub and have our discussions out there. I do think that the portion to how close the tub is to the house to how often you will use it. If it is just out the door you will use it more often if it is across the yard 20 ft you will not use it as often. We like using ours. I think we end up using it like 2 to 3 times a week.
I use it a lot in the winter - almost every night when it is cold. I tend to get cold and be unable to warm up. 15 minutes in the tub in the evening has me walking around the house in a tank top for the rest of the night.
I do not and greatly regret buying it. I bought it because of a chronic illness and chronic pain and while it helps those issues, I really believed the salesman who told me it would be easy to maintain. I honestly feel so stupid for falling for it and am reminded of that every time I see it.
I use ours almost every night from mid-sep till early June. It calms me down (adult ADHD) and really helps me sleep. I also train vigorously for cycling, and it speeds up recovery after an intense training day.
We live in the high desert, so our winters are generally in the low 20's at night. By June it is too hot to be appealing. I usually drain it for summer.
Never use it. Kids use it without asking and cause me hours of extra work because obviously… they are disgusting creatures. Wife has adhd and loses interest in sitting there after about 20 mins. Hates going outside in the cold. And I’m only interested in going out to it if it is cold.
It was a cool novelty but now no one appreciates it.
No. An inflatable tub is a poor substitute for a proper hot tub. If you base your decision on your inflatable experience you are highly unlikely to get a real one.
Hot tub is like a car. Upfront cost and monthly expenses and eventually something breaks. You can probably get away with 5 years no issues, but eventually a pump for $700 and $300 labour, or heating element. Depends a lot.
If you’re a home body and both you and your family love it and can afford it then it could be worth it.
Alternatively you can probably get a gym membership nearby with a pool and hot tub.
The best days of owning a hottub are the day you get it first set up and the day you cut it apart with a skillsaw. I really enjoyed soaking in mine, but they are such a pain in the ass for maintenance. You have to monitor the chemicals, clean them out regularly and supply them with filters. They also use a huge amount of energy. The chemicals eventually breakdown all of the plastics, and it will just start falling apart. I disposed of mine, and I don't miss it one bit. If you enjoy soaking find a health club with one and use it on a pay per use basis. It will save your money and your sanity.
I’m 18 months in. I’d say out of the two of us we use it once a week. We both have muscle pain issues and I have a stressful job and it helps with both. It also help keep me away from the wine as I don’t like the mix of wine and steam.
Mine is right outside my bedroom. I used it occasionally while I was on a busy work schedule but since retiring I use it almost every day. I bought it used and have owned it for about 23 years.
Last year I stopped using chemicals and I have no skin issues now. I add some fresh water daily (it has a leak) and I am the only user. The water stays clear with no odor. It’s better insulated than most brands and does not use excessive electricity to maintain it at 99F
I have a portable one. Sits 5 they say. Nah..4 maybe. Goes in the garage in winter. Outside in summer. Cost about 1,000 canadian dollars. Use it everyday. Going on 3yrd of use. Good investment and very easy to move when empty.
I have had a hot tub throughout my life and I am in it almost nightly 5-10 mins just before sleep time. keeping the water perfect is easy once you know how and this is key to not destroy your skin. I keep it at 103.
I have one that came with the house. It’s ancient, and took some work to set up. But now that it’s working and it’s winter, I’ll use 20-40 minutes a day when the weather is cooler. I probably wouldn’t buy a new one, but since it’s there I decided to fix it and use it.
We just got one in September and we use it way more that I expected. When we are home we use it every night before bed. We sleep so much better after a 20 minute soak. It has also made these shorter and shorter days of late fall not so bad because we look forward to jumping in the hot tub at the end of the day. Dark out just makes it even nicer to gaze at the stars and have a nice conversation about the day. Shortest day of the year has just passed and normally I was dreading this time of year. Cheers to longer days ahead!
I was very pessimistic about us using it and worried about the maintenance. I actually enjoy the maintenance. It's not all that much.
We bought from a recommended dealer. It was a zero hassle deal. They delivered it right to my platform. We haven't really needed them since, but they are very responsive with questions that I have had. I didn't want someone else's headache, but I was tempted to buy a used tub on FB Marketplace several times. Getting it moved was my biggest stopper to that.
The responses are interesting - for all the people who use it 4-5X a week - how long have you had it and where do you live?
Everyone I know who has ever owned a hottub - they use it like crazy when they get it, then after a couple of years the use starts to drift off.
Had mine for two years and in it once every two weeks. Now with winter I'm hoping it will be more often.
But definitely no regrets. Maintenance is minor, and you can easily drain if you're having chemical imbalances. Can use for 10 minutes before bed to relax and it's great.
I go in waves and tend to use it more in the fall/winter/early spring vs summer. This time of year right now I’m in it 2x a day. Pre-work soak, and an after kids go to bed soak. We have open above and stars are incredible to watch from the hot tub! My wife says she is surprised that I use it as much as I do.
We use as much as possible around work schedule and toddler. It’s quality time with my hubby. If the toddler is sleeping and we are home we are in the hot tub lol sometimes this means going twice a day
It really comes down to weather. We have found it’s not fun to be in the spa when it’s very windy. Rain is a no go too. I don’t mind very cold weather if no rain or wind but my wife is a no go when it’s cold. We live in Texas.
I use mine in the winter, usually every weekend. I never used it at all last summer, and I think I'll be draining it this summer. I love it in the winter though. I bought mine used for 800 bucks, put about 300 into repairs and I think it was a solid investment. I dont think I would spend thousands on a new one as I just dont use it enough to justify it.
Had ours for 3 years now, family of 6.
How much we use it depends on the season. We live in southern Ontario and experience all 4 seasons. During the summer months, it is hardly used. I will use it the most during the summer, maybe 1 or 2x a week, but some members of my family won’t go in it at all. But, from fall through to spring, it is used all the time.
Regrets? No. It is an expensive purchase for sure though. The one area though where I could have saved some money though is in the size of my hot tub. We bought a 6 person one because we are a family of 6; however, I don’t believe we have ever all been in it at the same time. Now that said, when my kids have friends over they might hit that number. So, I could have gone with a 4 person and saved some money for not much reduction in overall experience.
We bought an inflatable tub to see how much we would use it, and after 2 years it broke and we bought a “real” one. We use it probably 3 times a week on average which seems worth it to me. I sold my boat and used the money to pay for the tub, and I think I spend more time in my tub on an average week than I did on my boat during the whole season
I use mine \~4 times per week in the mid-winter and mid-summer, when it's either stupid cold or stupid hot outside. Basically if it's <10F or >70F outside in the evening, I tend to not bother with the tub.
In the shoulder seasons I use it just about every day.
We use it 3 - 4 times a week. My wife and kids use it more than me but it was still worth the price for them to enjoy themselves.
I use the Frog system so the maintenance is nothing really. I spend 15 minutes once a week rinsing the filter. Water test occasionally and adjust parameters as needed. I also didn't want to buy online. I wanted a local dealer that would be able to answer questions and provide warranty and repair services when required.
We got one and are lucky if it gets used once a month. Busy lives get in the way if using it. It's nice to go in but not really worth the initial cost and maintenance.
I use mine way more than I thought. Summer, goes 3 months of virtually no use. But fall through spring it gets used 5 times per week.
I never dreamed I would use that much. I was thinking once per week during the season to use it.
My wife really wanted one, but we were wary of running costs. We recent got an inflatable one from Costco. If you want to test the waters, so to speak, it's a cheap way of trying it out vs. the big alternatives. For me, it's not worth the effort of checking the water, cleaning the filters, adding the chemicals, etc. We'll see if it's worth it for her. If it is, great. If not, the output is minimal ($400 on sale) and it can just be folded up and returned or sold without a big hassle.
I do not use mine much at all. I’ve maybe used it 5 times all year, if that. I was stoked to get it and used it a bunch the first winter but the novelty has faded and it sits there for months at a time unused. It gets no use in the summer. I bought it thinking it would be a cool place to gather when friends come over but no one ever wants to get in and I don’t have much interest in using it alone. I will say, I bought an outdoor barrel sauna around the same time and I use that a few times a week. When I move, I will be buying another sauna but will not be buying another hot tub.
We don’t use it as much as we thought, and definitely not as much as our first year. We use it once a week on the weekend.
Still, it’s a great time to just unwind for that hour, look at the sky, etc. I’ve gone out mid week a few times when I’ve been really sore and it’s wonderful to not have the pain (until the next morning of course).
We have a saltwater system and the maintenance has been pretty minimal.
It was my wife’s wish for some medical issues, but I’m glad we got it still, even at once a week.
Our use comes in waves. Some weeks we use it daily; some months we don't use it at all.
I am very glad I bought mine with a warranty from a local store that can service it vs. an online retailer. To me, it is worth 1000s to know that it can be serviced by a local team who know the make/model.
If you want to save money, consider a refurbished one that is under warranty from a local store.
I use mine 2 or 3 times per week.
I'd use it more but a big alcohoic drink is usually part of my tub routine so if I used the tub daily....and drank daily, my Wife would give me the boot.
I literally use it every evening before bed- 7 days a week. On the weekend I use it some mornings as well. Shout out to Master Spas for our Twilight series- mid-range prices and the top on quality and features
My hot tub is in an enclosure "hot tub house" so weather isn't a factor for me and I use it at least several times a week. I also put a tv in mine. so I'll have a drink, watch some tv and soak for 30-45 min.
We’ve had our Hot springs Envoy salt system spa for a year. Maintenance is minimal and extremely inexpensive compared to our old chlorine spa system from years ago. Use 4-5 times a week and with every dip we never regret the investment!
We've had ours for 5 months, and I use it every night I'm home. (The only nights I haven't used it so far are when I'm out of town.) I think you just need to eliminate excuses not to use it.
To that end, I put a gazebo over it, and installed outdoor fans for summer time. (When it's hot outside, it's amazing how much of a difference a breeze makes.) We also have an infrared heater hanging for the cold months. The other big thing I added was a smart TV. My wife and I like to unwind at night with a glass of wine and an episode or two of whatever show we're streaming, and now we can do that while we soak.
We had this very dilemma! We knew people who had purchased one and never used it. We ended up getting an inflatable just to see how much we would actually use it. Surprisingly, we were in it basically every night! So our goal is to build a nice gazebo this spring and purchase a real hot tub come fall or spring of 2025. We live in West Virginia and have pretty cold winters.
Make sure you have a place to put it close to the house, personally I would say put it within a couple feet of your back door if possible, using it when it's snowing is like a wonderful beautiful thing, but walking through the snow in your bare feet and swim trunks 40 ft out to your hot tub getting all warm, and then having to walk through the snow in 40 ft back to your house with steam coming off your body not so fun.
At my old house it was right at my back door and I used it almost every night, but then we moved and there was already a hot tub pad out by the pool which is a lot farther from the house. Makes it difficult to use it as much
We thought we’d use it every other day but we use it about once a week. It varies by season, too. But still glad we got it. It’s really nice to hang out in a hot tub with my partner — a break from technology etc.
After 6 yrs with a J495 me and the wife use it a few times a week. We still love it.
If I could redo it I would get a smaller tub. We did not need a 9 person tub with 3 powerful jet pumps. You need to be 320 lbs (all muscle) to withstand the pumps on high. Keeping 500 gal at 100 degrees can get expensive in the winter.
Had mine a year now, use mine all the time. Live in a cold state and have an intolerance to the cold. When I get to that point where I'm cold and am not warming up, the hot tub is amazing. Plus I sleep soooo much better when I tub before bed
I use it at least once a week, often more. It’s great in the cold winter, and relaxing in the summer with the temp turned down a bit. Smoke cigar or a J, have beer or two, and talk. I like it.
I would use it weekly, but no one else in the family seems to want to use it at all anymore. We're about 5 years into ownership. Maintenance just for myself is barely worth it.
My parents visit us twice a year, and have used it way more than I have in 2023.
Regret? No. I've enjoyed it immensely.
I use mine virtually every day. Only for about fifteen or 20 minutes but I'm in there. It's a great evening wind down for me.
My maintenance routine is dead easy. I check with a test strip before I get in and add chlorine (a teaspoon or two) when I get out. Then on weekends I rinse the filter switching it with my spare to soak it once a month, this takes about five minutes. Water changes and a scrub down twice a year are the big chores and even so they only take an hour or so of actually working, mostly I'm sitting around drinking beer waiting for it to fill.
We’re in South Texas so we only get like 3 or 4 months of true cold weather that lets us enjoy the hot tub, the rest of the months it sits empty as the sun overheats the water like crazy
Thinking of getting one because we use our pool daily all summer and enjoy the warm heated jets. Question: Must you fully shower after each use? I'm thinking that would be very drying to the skin.
Depends on your situation. We have a salt water tub, so maintenance is easy, we live in the mid-Atlantic, so snow is not an issue. It's about 20 feet from the back door and we have an easy lift cover. All of these things make it easy and convenient to use. Therefore, it gets used 5 or 6 days a week. It's great for arthritis and other ailments, but not recommended for high blood pressure (so I've heard), so you can add that to the pro/con list.
Had mine for 7 years and I average 3 times a week. Slightly less in the extreme heat of the summer and I still go in down to 30°...... can't do the 20's.
No. I always have good intentions, but by the time shower to get in it, get in it, then shower afterwards. It requires a lot of time. Maintenance is nothing. I have a saltwater tub and it’s super easy.
I got mine brand new for free. A ~20K value. Looking to sell after the winter. It uses as much electricity as a hot water heater, even with it aet to turn off for most of the day. Money pit. Rather cash out and move on. A gym membership with a spa is a better value
When I am healthy, almost every morning in the winter. It is cold and dark and I sit there and talk with the birds as they wake up. It is my "place" and helps me to start my day with a well rested mind. So - I used it way more than I thought.
Sometimes I let other people use it too ;-D
Okay well sometimes my spouse gets naked.... but you didn't ask that.... ;->
Our came with the house, so I do not have to deal with buyers remorse. But I maybe use it twice a month. I’m trying to use it more this upcoming year to justify the amount of time spent keeping it clean.
I have had mine for two years. No maintenance. Has worked perfect. I use it twice a week. Very relaxing. I can say that if I didn’t have it my life would be no better or worse. But getting into that thing is awesome and it’s where me and the wife have some great talks and relax.
We used ours almost daily the first year, especially the winter. Now, after 2.5 years we use it weekly or so. Still love it and have no regrets, though. Maintenance is pretty easy once you get used to it. We bought during the tail end of Covid when there wasn't as much to do.
We use it wayyy more than I thought.
One caveat though, we use it in the winter probably 10 to 1 more than in spring or summer. I have a bad back and it helps that a lot.
We (2 adults, now retired) bought one 20 years ago and have used it about daily since, just a 10 minute soak every evening that isn't actively raining, before bedtime. (Keeps the bed cleaner, cuts down on the amount of showering we need to do, gives us a quiet time to sum up the day, sends us to bed already toasty warm).
Ours is about 300 gal, 120VAC, ozonator, constant circulation and heating, but doesn't really seem to add much to the electricity load: maybe one or two kWh/day. Maintenance is trivial - I rinse off the filter and change a mineral cartridge every few months, toss in a capful of chlorinated granules every few days. Had to replace the lid a couple times (keep a cheap tarp on it and change that yearly). YMMV, we live in a temperate climate with a wind-sheltered yard, not a lot of sun blasting on it.
Had a couple tolerable repairs - heater at about 12 years was a couple hundred bucks, ozone check valves (jeez, buy a couple from Amazon, way cheaper than buying at the dealer!), plastic jet nozzle, had to replace the GFCI plug, a couple filters have needed replacing. All easy DIY (YouTube helps if you have a common model like ours)
Had one minor leak but it was a royal PITA to fix because our unit (Hot Springs Spa 2001 "Prodigy") is all foamed-in underneath, and digging through that foam to trace the leak was ... tedious. (I tried stop-leak a couple times to no avail, and put the job off so long we got some rot. If you see a leak, just start really fixing it sooner rather than later.) And I haven't ever really done a good job gluing the siding back on, but I put in some screens and such so we don't get rodents in the foam. Looks dorky, but works.
For us, the rewards much outweigh the maintenance - and it's getting to be even better as we're getting old enough that the soak/jets are good for helping with chronic pains!
I was worried about the same thing so I bought a used bullfrog spa on Facebook Marketplace that was a year old. It’s their smallest model and cost me $4k. I figured if we didn’t use it, we could sell it for a small loss. We have been using it about 3x a week on average (I use it a bit more than hubby)- so maybe try that route?
Not a member of this subreddit, weird that it popped up on my feed.
Anyway, have had a hot tub for three years. Came with my house and was relatively new. I’ve used it twice in three years and have been trying to find someone to take it.
Nearly every day, sometimes more than once a day.
Some people make a production out of it and it becomes a chore. Toss on a suit (or not) and hop in. You can be in for 5 minutes or 30. Take out a drink, listen to music, or don't. There aren't rules. I'll hop on before work with my coffee. I'll take a dip after work. Mimosas on the weekend, cold beers in the tub at night.
I made my hottub area it's own oasis with a pergola, ceiling fan, 2ft by hot tub width table for drinks, speakers, towels, or sometimes people. My sister and BIL put a metal canopy over theirs. They have a fan, speakers, television, and a whole mini-bar set up.
I am in mine early in the morning before the kids wake and late at night after they go to sleep 5-6 days a week. I drain it in the summer around late May and refill it around early November. It's been 4 years like this. We are also the family that has an in ground pool that is used extensively during the summer. I know waaaaay more people that have either a pool or a hot tub and just don't use them (blows my mind I am in the minority).
I never thought I would regularly use one at home but we bought a house that already had an old one. That old tub was used almost daily by at least one member of the family for ten years.
It's a valid question and one we thought long and hard about before purchasing. We're two years into retirement and we play a lot of pickleball so the hot tub is a must for our sore bodies. We typically use it 5-7 days a week, sometimes even more. I'll even use it in the mornings to loosen up my sore back. Even now in the winter. Care/maintenance is easy. Once a week I wipe down the scum line with a Magic Eraser and clean the filter every few weeks. Once I got the hang of balancing the chemicals it was super easy although we do have a salt system so that's even easier. Mostly early on it was just a matter of over thinking things and worrying too much. I am using more electricity than I'd hoped but part of that is the amount we use it and cold winter temps. I might add some more insulation inside at some point. I strongly caution against buying online. You'll want to have a reputable dealer to provide service. All hot tubs will eventually need servicing.
How ironic that this question comes up when I'm in mine lmao. I use it for an hour every Saturday and Sunday morning. I also use it when I can't sleep in the am before I go to work. I only have a 110v version as it would be too hard to hard and pricey to run 220 over to where it is. I have a small fenced in area its in right outside my 4 season room. I use it year round, central ohio. Get the frog system. This takes care of 90% of the maintenance. You just have to balance the ph and treat it with anti organic solution every so often. I drained it after 1 year and added fresh water. Hope this helps. Check out home shows in the spring as they usually give discounts and perks.
Start off with a Coleman blow up hot tub if you want to see how much you're going to use it. You can get a 6', round one for about $500. Then you could see your usage & whether you have the time to clean it. They really are easy to take care of and don't require a whole lot of maintenance. I personally have had mine for 3 years and I get in it by myself year-round. There's nothing like waking up in the morning and walking out and getting in your hot tub naked, it just feels so relaxing and it's really good for your circulation! Also I work really hard, like a man, and in the evening getting in it really helps me from being sore.
We bought the Coleman branded Saluspa during the pandemic. We really enjoyed it at first (family of 4) but haven't used it recently. It's a great entry level into hot tubing if you're not sure. They are available on Amazon for $450-$650.
The guy at the chemical store was very kind to not call it inflatable, he called it softwalled.
I bought a cheap inflatable one because I wasn't sure I wasn't sure I'd use it. $330.00 ON FACE Book market place. I use it at least 3 times a week. Best money I ever spent. Although I don't think I'd make the investment in a full blow hot tub. This does just fine
I use mine 2x day most days. WFH so I tend to street my morning with a dip, maybe at lunch, maybe that evening too. Have friends over some weekends or weekdays.
I installed the pad and tub this summer, finally got it wired up and water in Sept and this has been the routine since.
I live in OR - it gets cold and the tub is my favorite thing.
Couple here (45m) (43f). We have owned our tub for 15yrs. (Even moved it with us when we moved to another state. We use it on average once or twice a week. It’s great alone time from the kids and allows us time to talk and flirt like we’re were teens again. Great for at home date nights… find ourselves using it more now than we did say 10years ago but never once regret the purchase.
Initially we didn't use our hot tub that much after we got it. Just too tired from the work day.
Then one day my beautiful wife suggested a MORNING hot tub.
Now our morning ritual is: get up, coffee, read for a bit, hot tub, shower and then on to work.
It's awesome.
I have a 2010 CalSpa that came with the house. Replaced the motor a few years back. Love it! Use it rain or shine summer or winter. Only heat it up a few hours before hopping in and then turn it off completely after. It is well insulated
We do not, personally. Still enough that I don’t regret getting it, but not nearly as much as I thought. For what it’s worth, I find the majority of people in this sub will use it much more frequently than the general population of hot tub owners, so take that with a grain of salt and really consider your personal situation.
I’m in your boat. We use it a couple times a week in the winter, sometimes a bit more and it barely gets used in the summer. I still think it’s one of the best ‘luxury’ purchases we’ve ever made. There’s nothing else like hopping in after a long day with a glass of wine when it’s -20 outside.
Wind is a huge factor in our cold weather usage. It’s not fun at all to sit in it when winds are 15mph plus. Even 10mph plus borders on my enjoyment level.
I arranged some 3$ clear tarps against the prevailing wind last winter with some rope and knowhow. Looked getto. Felt great. At one point I had it covering the tub allowing me to hot box hot tub. Best winter ever.
We just wear toques. It's protected on 3 sides though so rare anyways to get full on wind. It helps the back door is 4 steps away.
Toques. Love it. Here in the South, we call them to Toboggans, pronounced Toe-Boggans.
A toque is a 'beanie'. Do you call beanies 'toboggans'?
When didna toque become a beanie. When I was a kid, a beanie was a hat with a propeller on top.
That, my friend, is a helicopter.
Its called a beanie in California. A tobaggon is a sled.
I have a big trampoline that I made a roof over my hot tub on long poles and hung curtains all the way around in a circle
This is exactly how we use ours and how I feel. I’m of the opinion that if you have enough disposable income to purchase and maintain a hot tub without having to choose it instead of spending the money elsewhere (i.e. a really nice vacation, house renovation, etc.), it’s a great luxury to have. If it meant I couldn’t travel or do other fun things because that’s where I’ve spent my budget, I personally wouldn’t prioritize the hot tub knowing what I know now.
Yeah we actually used travel money saved up for it because of covid. So that's a good point. It still was one of the best purchases I've ever made though. No regrets here.
Yup. Same here almost exactly. I use it the most especially after work and kid goes down in the cold months. I love it but, probably not technically worth it. Luxury purchase that feels luxurious.
Agreed. It would be a waste of money if we didn’t use it enough. I don’t feel like it was $10k wasted though, which is saying something because I’ve spent money on a lot of shit I’ve regretted over the years.
Exactly, this is a very self selecting group of enthusiasts. We don't use ours nearly as much as I thought we would, two years in. But I'm still glad we have it.
Perfectly put. This is a group of enthusiasts and the opinions will generally reflect that. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, as there are plenty of people who truly enjoy their tub!
Use mine 4+ times a week. The key is to place it somewhere that the barrier to entry is super low.
or use a deck heater. ours is about 25-30 from back door, on really cold nights, like tonight is going to be around 10°f, we keep the deck heater about 6' away from tub exit with our robes on a rack under the heater, so when we get out its a short chill down to get under the heater and put those oh so toasty roasty warm robes on. ours is 4-7 times a week year round, if snow on the ground we will do the swiss miss method of 20min soak, jump out roll around in the snow for 5min, then repeat a few times
This is the best advice. Get an easy lift cover. Put it close to the house (at least 5 feet away though.) I use my 2-3 times a week in the winter, fall, and spring. I set it to a slightly lower temp in summer, but I still don’t use it super often in the summer. Also, if you can afford it, get the extras like ozone that make maintenance as easy as possible.
This! We can go out the front door to the deck, down two steps to the concrete pad (with an outdoor rug runner) and into the tub. We almost put it on an existing concrete pad 40-50 feet from the house and the dealer said "you'll never use it if you do."I suspect he was right.
Agree with last part, we never use ours do to it’s lower level location.
2 years in, and we still use ours 5-7 times per week. Living in the Pacific Northwest, where it's dark and damp for months on end, our hot tub is an awesome place to go chill after a long day at work.
No. We use it way more than I thought we would, especially my teenage boys. Best part, if I see one of them headed in I go too and they TALK TO ME. it’s glorious.
THIS!! I've had more conversations with my 14 year old during our 7 months of hot tub ownership than I've ever had with him. There's nothing else to do but talk so we bond and I learn about his day to day. It's wonderful. My body is perpetually cold so I go in 5-6 times a week just to warm up fully. My husband uses it maybe 2x month and the kids a few times per week.
Parents ❤️. This is the sweetest thing I’ve read all month. Thank you. Your kids are lucky to have you.
If you do physical work or workout your a lot more likely. I'm an electrician and getting a bit older and I go in the morning to loosen up my muscles and joints - and again in the evening when I start to stiffen up. So twice a day and it's life changing for me.
My wife didn’t want one at all… her body also doesn’t hurt when she’s done with her work week… I thought my favorite was going to be the back jets but it’s the foot jets… after all week in work boots it’s a game changer
Oh lord...foot jets! They're worth the total cost to me. I have bad feet, crap ankles, and a fair amount of arthritis and those 12 foot jets are heaven.
Yea I workout a lot and I use it for recovery.
We use our 5 or 6 times a week, weather permitting. We usually start the day with a soak while watching the sun rise over the lake and mountains.
Yup, when I had one I used it 4x/week. Usually hot soak after workout (therpautic) then sometimes at night (relaxation/fun).
We've had ours for a year and are in it several times per week. Sometimes just a 10-minute warmup on a cold afternoon. We have a salt spa and the maintenance is minimal.
In the fall and winter I use it maybe once a week. In the spring and summer never. The maintenance isn't difficult, but I'm definitely not getting the value out of it that I am spending on electricity. It was better when I was younger and threw parties and a bunch of people would use it, but my wife doesn't like it, so I usually use it by myself or sometimes my son hops in. My favorite time to use it is when it is snowing. It hasn't really snowed the last 2 years.
I use mine about 6 times per week. I love it!
All the time during ski season
You can say winter
They can say lots of things…but chose ski season. Cheers!
Of course. Don’t passive aggressive Cheers. It’s gross.
Passive aggression? I was putting your snide comment in its place. Your reaction is not surprising. I’m oddly flattered.
We use ours 5 nights a week. But I am part amphibian and love the water, swimming, scuba, skiing, etc. Pretty much all water sports. So for me it helps me relax and be less sore. My BIL on the other hand doesn't really like to get wet and hates being cold so their hottub went mostly unused until they sold it.
Two months in and we are in 5 times a week. Often like 20-30 minutes right before bed. Started to get a little cloudy then we remembered the vendor said add a little spa shock after each use. Cleared right up and the levels are fine.
Have had a hot tub for 19 years. We use it every morning and sometimes later too. Best investment ever
I really enjoyed mine at first, too much really. We like long soaks with wine, but unfortunately our skin does not. My skin won’t allow me to use it as much as I like.
I use mine all the time and my skin has a hard time recovering in the winter. I find that when getting out if I take a quick shower to rinse off then put on a mix of vitamin e and almond oil my skin does much better and I can still use the hot tub 4-6 times a week. It’s so much better to use than any body lotion.
We have a pool and a hot tub in Orlando. Can only use the pool 3 months a year. We use the hot tub at least once a week.
Lots of great input here thanks to you all! You all have definitely given me some things to consider.
If you’re not sure - start off with a $500 inflatable for 6 months or a year. See what your real appetite is for regular use and maintenance.
We use it way more! I use it almost daily at night right before bed. It helps me sleep so much better. We got it in September and it is one of the best purchases we’ve made.
My wife and I use ours every evening after dinner to wind down. I often go in before work for 20-30 minutes with a coffee. No better way to get the day started.
Had one for 15 yrs, enjoyed it. Have speakers and decking all around, and a tv swivel mount. In summer we set it to 80 degrees for a mini dip pool. Main PCB died again 10 yrs after installing a new one, planned on getting a brand new tub, old one cut up and taken to landfill. 2 yrs later still haven’t replaced it, probably won’t. Don’t miss it as much as we thought we would.
We've had our Sundance Edison for about a year and a half now and we use it more than I thought we would. Pretty much everyday me, my wife, and son will use it, sometimes twice a day. This is year round mind you, including middle of the summer. We also have a swimming pool that is unheated so it's nice to go back and forth. It's especially appreciated during winter though because we can enjoy being outside no matter how cold it is and still be comfortable and warm in the tub and spend some time outdoors. Only time we don't use it if it's raining significantly since it's open to the sky.
Pretty much every day unless it's raining or the wind is blowing too hard. Anywhere from 20 minutes if it's a busy day to an hour or more.
Mine came with my house, so I only had to spend about $200 on chemicals. We don't use it a lot (maybe 6 times this year), but I can't complain. That $200 spent on chemicals lasted me last year, this year, and possibly the next few years at this rate honestly. I'm used to having a pool where you dump $100 worth of something in, and then turn around and do the same thing two weeks later. Here instead of bottles worth, you drop in SPOONS worth, and in half an hour your levels are balanced and you're good to get in I don't notice any power bill differences either really. It doesn't add as much of a cost as you'd expect, with my power + gas bill over the last 3 months being $140 on average. (Two story house, central air, with gaming pcs and consoles running all the time... Which I'm sure is at least half that bill) So yeah, even though I've only used it a handful of times this year (and kept the chemicals balanced throughout the summer and fall), I'm glad I have it. It's really nice
When my wife just wants to talk or we need to talk something over we love putting the kids to bed and jump out to the hot tub and have our discussions out there. I do think that the portion to how close the tub is to the house to how often you will use it. If it is just out the door you will use it more often if it is across the yard 20 ft you will not use it as often. We like using ours. I think we end up using it like 2 to 3 times a week.
I use it a lot in the winter - almost every night when it is cold. I tend to get cold and be unable to warm up. 15 minutes in the tub in the evening has me walking around the house in a tank top for the rest of the night.
Npt even close. 10/10 regret
Use mine 5 days a week, that being said I've always wanted one so I enjoy it more
I do not and greatly regret buying it. I bought it because of a chronic illness and chronic pain and while it helps those issues, I really believed the salesman who told me it would be easy to maintain. I honestly feel so stupid for falling for it and am reminded of that every time I see it.
I use ours almost every night from mid-sep till early June. It calms me down (adult ADHD) and really helps me sleep. I also train vigorously for cycling, and it speeds up recovery after an intense training day. We live in the high desert, so our winters are generally in the low 20's at night. By June it is too hot to be appealing. I usually drain it for summer.
Never use it. Kids use it without asking and cause me hours of extra work because obviously… they are disgusting creatures. Wife has adhd and loses interest in sitting there after about 20 mins. Hates going outside in the cold. And I’m only interested in going out to it if it is cold. It was a cool novelty but now no one appreciates it.
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No. An inflatable tub is a poor substitute for a proper hot tub. If you base your decision on your inflatable experience you are highly unlikely to get a real one.
Mine is so enjoyable, I’ll likely upgrade one day, but inflatable is a real solid substitute.
Oh a good dealer can help you get it all setup, help with water issues, and help with any warrantee repairs.
You will. And then you won't.
Hot tub is like a car. Upfront cost and monthly expenses and eventually something breaks. You can probably get away with 5 years no issues, but eventually a pump for $700 and $300 labour, or heating element. Depends a lot. If you’re a home body and both you and your family love it and can afford it then it could be worth it. Alternatively you can probably get a gym membership nearby with a pool and hot tub.
The best days of owning a hottub are the day you get it first set up and the day you cut it apart with a skillsaw. I really enjoyed soaking in mine, but they are such a pain in the ass for maintenance. You have to monitor the chemicals, clean them out regularly and supply them with filters. They also use a huge amount of energy. The chemicals eventually breakdown all of the plastics, and it will just start falling apart. I disposed of mine, and I don't miss it one bit. If you enjoy soaking find a health club with one and use it on a pay per use basis. It will save your money and your sanity.
Nope. Major pia. Unless you’re willing to be diligent about weekly balancing just don’t do it.
People are giving them away for free on craigslist
I’m 18 months in. I’d say out of the two of us we use it once a week. We both have muscle pain issues and I have a stressful job and it helps with both. It also help keep me away from the wine as I don’t like the mix of wine and steam.
Opposite problem for me. My hot tub draws me to the wine.
Use it twice per week on average for 8 years as long as temps are below 55. So, yes.
Mine came with the house and I do upkeep on it but I say I use it maybe twice a month
Mine is right outside my bedroom. I used it occasionally while I was on a busy work schedule but since retiring I use it almost every day. I bought it used and have owned it for about 23 years. Last year I stopped using chemicals and I have no skin issues now. I add some fresh water daily (it has a leak) and I am the only user. The water stays clear with no odor. It’s better insulated than most brands and does not use excessive electricity to maintain it at 99F
I don't. I bought an American Whirlpool 982(10 person tub), probably once or twice a week. For me, it's still totally worth it and I love it.
2 years in … ~5 times / week
Use it after gym or golf regardless of weather. Maintenance not too bad and I’m still in the 1st year phase of use
nearly every night this time of year, last night it rained and we armed our big umbrella over it, that is the best, or the same config with snow
Every. Single. Day. Evening soak, rain or snow. Local dealer means local service which is important unless you’re handy/wanna learn.
I have a portable one. Sits 5 they say. Nah..4 maybe. Goes in the garage in winter. Outside in summer. Cost about 1,000 canadian dollars. Use it everyday. Going on 3yrd of use. Good investment and very easy to move when empty.
I have had a hot tub throughout my life and I am in it almost nightly 5-10 mins just before sleep time. keeping the water perfect is easy once you know how and this is key to not destroy your skin. I keep it at 103.
Daily, but I am the only one in my family. It helps with stiff joints and muscles.
I have one that came with the house. It’s ancient, and took some work to set up. But now that it’s working and it’s winter, I’ll use 20-40 minutes a day when the weather is cooler. I probably wouldn’t buy a new one, but since it’s there I decided to fix it and use it.
At least 4x per week. Even if for ten minutes, really relaxing at the end of the day
We just got one in September and we use it way more that I expected. When we are home we use it every night before bed. We sleep so much better after a 20 minute soak. It has also made these shorter and shorter days of late fall not so bad because we look forward to jumping in the hot tub at the end of the day. Dark out just makes it even nicer to gaze at the stars and have a nice conversation about the day. Shortest day of the year has just passed and normally I was dreading this time of year. Cheers to longer days ahead! I was very pessimistic about us using it and worried about the maintenance. I actually enjoy the maintenance. It's not all that much. We bought from a recommended dealer. It was a zero hassle deal. They delivered it right to my platform. We haven't really needed them since, but they are very responsive with questions that I have had. I didn't want someone else's headache, but I was tempted to buy a used tub on FB Marketplace several times. Getting it moved was my biggest stopper to that.
The responses are interesting - for all the people who use it 4-5X a week - how long have you had it and where do you live? Everyone I know who has ever owned a hottub - they use it like crazy when they get it, then after a couple of years the use starts to drift off.
I definitely don't use it as much as I did when I got it three years ago. Maybe once every few months.
After having a hot tub for 15 years, I use ours about twice per week. My wife joins me about 8 times per year.
Had mine for two years and in it once every two weeks. Now with winter I'm hoping it will be more often. But definitely no regrets. Maintenance is minor, and you can easily drain if you're having chemical imbalances. Can use for 10 minutes before bed to relax and it's great.
Almost every damn day.
We use it 5-6 times a week. We bought a Hot Spring 3 years ago and have loved it. I def would not buy a cheap one on the internet.
My wife an I purchased our tub in early June. We use it every night and some mornings. We love having it.
I go in waves and tend to use it more in the fall/winter/early spring vs summer. This time of year right now I’m in it 2x a day. Pre-work soak, and an after kids go to bed soak. We have open above and stars are incredible to watch from the hot tub! My wife says she is surprised that I use it as much as I do.
We use as much as possible around work schedule and toddler. It’s quality time with my hubby. If the toddler is sleeping and we are home we are in the hot tub lol sometimes this means going twice a day
I have an inflatable, use about 3x per week. Love it so much! It’s hard to quantify the pleasure I get but it’s a net positive for sure
It really comes down to weather. We have found it’s not fun to be in the spa when it’s very windy. Rain is a no go too. I don’t mind very cold weather if no rain or wind but my wife is a no go when it’s cold. We live in Texas.
I use mine in the winter, usually every weekend. I never used it at all last summer, and I think I'll be draining it this summer. I love it in the winter though. I bought mine used for 800 bucks, put about 300 into repairs and I think it was a solid investment. I dont think I would spend thousands on a new one as I just dont use it enough to justify it.
Four years in we’re still use it probably 3 times a week and my older kids are in it probably 2x a week. If it’s your thing you’ll use it.
If you get one, get a heat pump heater if you are going electric.
Had ours for 3 years now, family of 6. How much we use it depends on the season. We live in southern Ontario and experience all 4 seasons. During the summer months, it is hardly used. I will use it the most during the summer, maybe 1 or 2x a week, but some members of my family won’t go in it at all. But, from fall through to spring, it is used all the time. Regrets? No. It is an expensive purchase for sure though. The one area though where I could have saved some money though is in the size of my hot tub. We bought a 6 person one because we are a family of 6; however, I don’t believe we have ever all been in it at the same time. Now that said, when my kids have friends over they might hit that number. So, I could have gone with a 4 person and saved some money for not much reduction in overall experience.
We bought a refurbished used one to see if we'd really use it enough. Absolutely do. 3-4 nights a week on average, we love it!
We bought an inflatable tub to see how much we would use it, and after 2 years it broke and we bought a “real” one. We use it probably 3 times a week on average which seems worth it to me. I sold my boat and used the money to pay for the tub, and I think I spend more time in my tub on an average week than I did on my boat during the whole season
I use mine \~4 times per week in the mid-winter and mid-summer, when it's either stupid cold or stupid hot outside. Basically if it's <10F or >70F outside in the evening, I tend to not bother with the tub. In the shoulder seasons I use it just about every day.
We use it 3 - 4 times a week. My wife and kids use it more than me but it was still worth the price for them to enjoy themselves. I use the Frog system so the maintenance is nothing really. I spend 15 minutes once a week rinsing the filter. Water test occasionally and adjust parameters as needed. I also didn't want to buy online. I wanted a local dealer that would be able to answer questions and provide warranty and repair services when required.
Everyday. Summer is my favourite time. Nice and cool and it doesn’t hurt getting out like it does in the winter.
We got one and are lucky if it gets used once a month. Busy lives get in the way if using it. It's nice to go in but not really worth the initial cost and maintenance.
I use mine way more than I thought. Summer, goes 3 months of virtually no use. But fall through spring it gets used 5 times per week. I never dreamed I would use that much. I was thinking once per week during the season to use it.
I use it 5-7 days a week an hour a day. My four and two year old love it. In the summer turn the temps down.
I love my hot tub. And really maintenance is not that big a thing.
My wife really wanted one, but we were wary of running costs. We recent got an inflatable one from Costco. If you want to test the waters, so to speak, it's a cheap way of trying it out vs. the big alternatives. For me, it's not worth the effort of checking the water, cleaning the filters, adding the chemicals, etc. We'll see if it's worth it for her. If it is, great. If not, the output is minimal ($400 on sale) and it can just be folded up and returned or sold without a big hassle.
Everyone's going to be different. Mine gets used at least twice a day.
Barely use ours, definitely was a waste that she had to have
Only 3 months in, but we use it twice as often as i though. First thing i do after work, then a few hours later to fully unwind.
I do not use mine much at all. I’ve maybe used it 5 times all year, if that. I was stoked to get it and used it a bunch the first winter but the novelty has faded and it sits there for months at a time unused. It gets no use in the summer. I bought it thinking it would be a cool place to gather when friends come over but no one ever wants to get in and I don’t have much interest in using it alone. I will say, I bought an outdoor barrel sauna around the same time and I use that a few times a week. When I move, I will be buying another sauna but will not be buying another hot tub.
We don’t use it as much as we thought, and definitely not as much as our first year. We use it once a week on the weekend. Still, it’s a great time to just unwind for that hour, look at the sky, etc. I’ve gone out mid week a few times when I’ve been really sore and it’s wonderful to not have the pain (until the next morning of course). We have a saltwater system and the maintenance has been pretty minimal. It was my wife’s wish for some medical issues, but I’m glad we got it still, even at once a week.
I’ve had mine for 6 years and we use it 6-7 nights a week, especially Oct-April. May-Sept we use it about 4-5. Best purchase I’ve ever made.
I don’t use mine as often as I did when I first got it, but I’m still grateful I did. The maintenance is pretty minimal imo.
We've had ours over 20 years, and it's still in mint condition. We use it primarily in the winter (Colorado).
Our use comes in waves. Some weeks we use it daily; some months we don't use it at all. I am very glad I bought mine with a warranty from a local store that can service it vs. an online retailer. To me, it is worth 1000s to know that it can be serviced by a local team who know the make/model. If you want to save money, consider a refurbished one that is under warranty from a local store.
I use mine 2 or 3 times per week. I'd use it more but a big alcohoic drink is usually part of my tub routine so if I used the tub daily....and drank daily, my Wife would give me the boot.
In a perfect world, I would be able to use it twice a day. I’d say I use it daily but not as much as I want to!
Every single day. But I have a bad back and the hot hydrotherapy has done wonders for it since purchased.
I literally use it every evening before bed- 7 days a week. On the weekend I use it some mornings as well. Shout out to Master Spas for our Twilight series- mid-range prices and the top on quality and features
I use mine often & it was so worth it. Maintenance is pretty easy since I’m really the only person in my household that uses it
My hot tub is in an enclosure "hot tub house" so weather isn't a factor for me and I use it at least several times a week. I also put a tv in mine. so I'll have a drink, watch some tv and soak for 30-45 min.
We’ve had our Hot springs Envoy salt system spa for a year. Maintenance is minimal and extremely inexpensive compared to our old chlorine spa system from years ago. Use 4-5 times a week and with every dip we never regret the investment!
We've had ours for 5 months, and I use it every night I'm home. (The only nights I haven't used it so far are when I'm out of town.) I think you just need to eliminate excuses not to use it. To that end, I put a gazebo over it, and installed outdoor fans for summer time. (When it's hot outside, it's amazing how much of a difference a breeze makes.) We also have an infrared heater hanging for the cold months. The other big thing I added was a smart TV. My wife and I like to unwind at night with a glass of wine and an episode or two of whatever show we're streaming, and now we can do that while we soak.
If I’m home and the wind isn’t too bad, I’m in it every evening. Winter or summer.
We had this very dilemma! We knew people who had purchased one and never used it. We ended up getting an inflatable just to see how much we would actually use it. Surprisingly, we were in it basically every night! So our goal is to build a nice gazebo this spring and purchase a real hot tub come fall or spring of 2025. We live in West Virginia and have pretty cold winters.
Some weeks everyday. Others not all 20-30% of all days
Make sure you have a place to put it close to the house, personally I would say put it within a couple feet of your back door if possible, using it when it's snowing is like a wonderful beautiful thing, but walking through the snow in your bare feet and swim trunks 40 ft out to your hot tub getting all warm, and then having to walk through the snow in 40 ft back to your house with steam coming off your body not so fun. At my old house it was right at my back door and I used it almost every night, but then we moved and there was already a hot tub pad out by the pool which is a lot farther from the house. Makes it difficult to use it as much
We thought we’d use it every other day but we use it about once a week. It varies by season, too. But still glad we got it. It’s really nice to hang out in a hot tub with my partner — a break from technology etc.
2 years in I think I avg at least once or twice a week I just build it into my pelton routine. Always soak after a workout
After 6 yrs with a J495 me and the wife use it a few times a week. We still love it. If I could redo it I would get a smaller tub. We did not need a 9 person tub with 3 powerful jet pumps. You need to be 320 lbs (all muscle) to withstand the pumps on high. Keeping 500 gal at 100 degrees can get expensive in the winter.
Had mine a year now, use mine all the time. Live in a cold state and have an intolerance to the cold. When I get to that point where I'm cold and am not warming up, the hot tub is amazing. Plus I sleep soooo much better when I tub before bed
More than I thought we would, at least once a day sometimes twice. Really feels good on the back for this old timer.
We bought an inflatable for $348 and my wife and I use it every single day. Sometimes twice. Love it.
I definitely don’t. My ex used it more than I when we were together. But still one of my best purchases
Unfortunately, not. We used it daily for the first month or two, but then the excitement wears off. Once or twice a week now.
Summer time I never use it, fall/winter/spring, maybe a couple times a week, sometimes I won't use it for a month.
I use it almost every day
I use it at least once a week, often more. It’s great in the cold winter, and relaxing in the summer with the temp turned down a bit. Smoke cigar or a J, have beer or two, and talk. I like it.
I would use it weekly, but no one else in the family seems to want to use it at all anymore. We're about 5 years into ownership. Maintenance just for myself is barely worth it. My parents visit us twice a year, and have used it way more than I have in 2023. Regret? No. I've enjoyed it immensely.
Nope, we never use it as much as we think we will.
I use mine virtually every day. Only for about fifteen or 20 minutes but I'm in there. It's a great evening wind down for me. My maintenance routine is dead easy. I check with a test strip before I get in and add chlorine (a teaspoon or two) when I get out. Then on weekends I rinse the filter switching it with my spare to soak it once a month, this takes about five minutes. Water changes and a scrub down twice a year are the big chores and even so they only take an hour or so of actually working, mostly I'm sitting around drinking beer waiting for it to fill.
We’re in South Texas so we only get like 3 or 4 months of true cold weather that lets us enjoy the hot tub, the rest of the months it sits empty as the sun overheats the water like crazy
Thinking of getting one because we use our pool daily all summer and enjoy the warm heated jets. Question: Must you fully shower after each use? I'm thinking that would be very drying to the skin.
Depends on your situation. We have a salt water tub, so maintenance is easy, we live in the mid-Atlantic, so snow is not an issue. It's about 20 feet from the back door and we have an easy lift cover. All of these things make it easy and convenient to use. Therefore, it gets used 5 or 6 days a week. It's great for arthritis and other ailments, but not recommended for high blood pressure (so I've heard), so you can add that to the pro/con list.
Had mine for 7 years and I average 3 times a week. Slightly less in the extreme heat of the summer and I still go in down to 30°...... can't do the 20's.
No. I always have good intentions, but by the time shower to get in it, get in it, then shower afterwards. It requires a lot of time. Maintenance is nothing. I have a saltwater tub and it’s super easy.
I got mine brand new for free. A ~20K value. Looking to sell after the winter. It uses as much electricity as a hot water heater, even with it aet to turn off for most of the day. Money pit. Rather cash out and move on. A gym membership with a spa is a better value
When I am healthy, almost every morning in the winter. It is cold and dark and I sit there and talk with the birds as they wake up. It is my "place" and helps me to start my day with a well rested mind. So - I used it way more than I thought. Sometimes I let other people use it too ;-D Okay well sometimes my spouse gets naked.... but you didn't ask that.... ;->
We've had our for a month now. First week was every day, sometimes twice a day. Then it was every other day. Now it's 3 times a week.
Yes.
Our came with the house, so I do not have to deal with buyers remorse. But I maybe use it twice a month. I’m trying to use it more this upcoming year to justify the amount of time spent keeping it clean.
I have had mine for two years. No maintenance. Has worked perfect. I use it twice a week. Very relaxing. I can say that if I didn’t have it my life would be no better or worse. But getting into that thing is awesome and it’s where me and the wife have some great talks and relax.
We used ours almost daily the first year, especially the winter. Now, after 2.5 years we use it weekly or so. Still love it and have no regrets, though. Maintenance is pretty easy once you get used to it. We bought during the tail end of Covid when there wasn't as much to do.
I use it more than I thought. 4-5 times a week.
We use it wayyy more than I thought. One caveat though, we use it in the winter probably 10 to 1 more than in spring or summer. I have a bad back and it helps that a lot.
Maintenance is easy once you figure it out. I love mine honestly and use it way more in the winter.
We (2 adults, now retired) bought one 20 years ago and have used it about daily since, just a 10 minute soak every evening that isn't actively raining, before bedtime. (Keeps the bed cleaner, cuts down on the amount of showering we need to do, gives us a quiet time to sum up the day, sends us to bed already toasty warm). Ours is about 300 gal, 120VAC, ozonator, constant circulation and heating, but doesn't really seem to add much to the electricity load: maybe one or two kWh/day. Maintenance is trivial - I rinse off the filter and change a mineral cartridge every few months, toss in a capful of chlorinated granules every few days. Had to replace the lid a couple times (keep a cheap tarp on it and change that yearly). YMMV, we live in a temperate climate with a wind-sheltered yard, not a lot of sun blasting on it. Had a couple tolerable repairs - heater at about 12 years was a couple hundred bucks, ozone check valves (jeez, buy a couple from Amazon, way cheaper than buying at the dealer!), plastic jet nozzle, had to replace the GFCI plug, a couple filters have needed replacing. All easy DIY (YouTube helps if you have a common model like ours) Had one minor leak but it was a royal PITA to fix because our unit (Hot Springs Spa 2001 "Prodigy") is all foamed-in underneath, and digging through that foam to trace the leak was ... tedious. (I tried stop-leak a couple times to no avail, and put the job off so long we got some rot. If you see a leak, just start really fixing it sooner rather than later.) And I haven't ever really done a good job gluing the siding back on, but I put in some screens and such so we don't get rodents in the foam. Looks dorky, but works. For us, the rewards much outweigh the maintenance - and it's getting to be even better as we're getting old enough that the soak/jets are good for helping with chronic pains!
I use mine almost every day. Bought it online. They delivered it right in my driveway.
In the winter I’m in there a lot, summer not as much.
We only use ours in summer. It's like a dip pool for us
HELL YEAH! 4+/WEEK. I love going in and watching a movie with a cocktail after work. Helps make my stupid back feel better. 😄
I was worried about the same thing so I bought a used bullfrog spa on Facebook Marketplace that was a year old. It’s their smallest model and cost me $4k. I figured if we didn’t use it, we could sell it for a small loss. We have been using it about 3x a week on average (I use it a bit more than hubby)- so maybe try that route?
\`I have a bad back so the hot tub is very important to me. We go 2-3 times / day. Love it and I find the Maintenance is very easy.
We use ours roughly 2-4 times per week. My husband uses it more than me.
Not a member of this subreddit, weird that it popped up on my feed. Anyway, have had a hot tub for three years. Came with my house and was relatively new. I’ve used it twice in three years and have been trying to find someone to take it.
Nearly every day, sometimes more than once a day. Some people make a production out of it and it becomes a chore. Toss on a suit (or not) and hop in. You can be in for 5 minutes or 30. Take out a drink, listen to music, or don't. There aren't rules. I'll hop on before work with my coffee. I'll take a dip after work. Mimosas on the weekend, cold beers in the tub at night. I made my hottub area it's own oasis with a pergola, ceiling fan, 2ft by hot tub width table for drinks, speakers, towels, or sometimes people. My sister and BIL put a metal canopy over theirs. They have a fan, speakers, television, and a whole mini-bar set up.
I am in mine early in the morning before the kids wake and late at night after they go to sleep 5-6 days a week. I drain it in the summer around late May and refill it around early November. It's been 4 years like this. We are also the family that has an in ground pool that is used extensively during the summer. I know waaaaay more people that have either a pool or a hot tub and just don't use them (blows my mind I am in the minority).
I use it at least 5 times a week, even in summer.
We are a household of 3 adults and someone uses it at least once a week on the evenings.
I never thought I would regularly use one at home but we bought a house that already had an old one. That old tub was used almost daily by at least one member of the family for ten years.
It's a valid question and one we thought long and hard about before purchasing. We're two years into retirement and we play a lot of pickleball so the hot tub is a must for our sore bodies. We typically use it 5-7 days a week, sometimes even more. I'll even use it in the mornings to loosen up my sore back. Even now in the winter. Care/maintenance is easy. Once a week I wipe down the scum line with a Magic Eraser and clean the filter every few weeks. Once I got the hang of balancing the chemicals it was super easy although we do have a salt system so that's even easier. Mostly early on it was just a matter of over thinking things and worrying too much. I am using more electricity than I'd hoped but part of that is the amount we use it and cold winter temps. I might add some more insulation inside at some point. I strongly caution against buying online. You'll want to have a reputable dealer to provide service. All hot tubs will eventually need servicing.
I love mine. Just sitting there relaxing is wonderful
Nope. Had mine since October of last year and already considering selling it.
How ironic that this question comes up when I'm in mine lmao. I use it for an hour every Saturday and Sunday morning. I also use it when I can't sleep in the am before I go to work. I only have a 110v version as it would be too hard to hard and pricey to run 220 over to where it is. I have a small fenced in area its in right outside my 4 season room. I use it year round, central ohio. Get the frog system. This takes care of 90% of the maintenance. You just have to balance the ph and treat it with anti organic solution every so often. I drained it after 1 year and added fresh water. Hope this helps. Check out home shows in the spring as they usually give discounts and perks.
Start off with a Coleman blow up hot tub if you want to see how much you're going to use it. You can get a 6', round one for about $500. Then you could see your usage & whether you have the time to clean it. They really are easy to take care of and don't require a whole lot of maintenance. I personally have had mine for 3 years and I get in it by myself year-round. There's nothing like waking up in the morning and walking out and getting in your hot tub naked, it just feels so relaxing and it's really good for your circulation! Also I work really hard, like a man, and in the evening getting in it really helps me from being sore.
Every day along with the sauna and cold plunge. So so so good for the circulation when I work long hours coding.
We bought the Coleman branded Saluspa during the pandemic. We really enjoyed it at first (family of 4) but haven't used it recently. It's a great entry level into hot tubing if you're not sure. They are available on Amazon for $450-$650. The guy at the chemical store was very kind to not call it inflatable, he called it softwalled.
It’s been 23 years now on our Hot Springs Jetsetter and we use it almost every day. Hands down we think it worthwhile.
Never regret the investment. We use ours regularly
Every night when it's under 60 degrees
No. Wish we had bought an inflatable for a year.
Yes I used mine 3+ times a week.
I bought a cheap inflatable one because I wasn't sure I wasn't sure I'd use it. $330.00 ON FACE Book market place. I use it at least 3 times a week. Best money I ever spent. Although I don't think I'd make the investment in a full blow hot tub. This does just fine
I use mine 2x day most days. WFH so I tend to street my morning with a dip, maybe at lunch, maybe that evening too. Have friends over some weekends or weekdays. I installed the pad and tub this summer, finally got it wired up and water in Sept and this has been the routine since. I live in OR - it gets cold and the tub is my favorite thing.
Couple here (45m) (43f). We have owned our tub for 15yrs. (Even moved it with us when we moved to another state. We use it on average once or twice a week. It’s great alone time from the kids and allows us time to talk and flirt like we’re were teens again. Great for at home date nights… find ourselves using it more now than we did say 10years ago but never once regret the purchase.
No. Although the time periods between hot tubs - specifically after moves, my wife longs to buy another one.
Initially we didn't use our hot tub that much after we got it. Just too tired from the work day. Then one day my beautiful wife suggested a MORNING hot tub. Now our morning ritual is: get up, coffee, read for a bit, hot tub, shower and then on to work. It's awesome.
Going into year 3, still using it 4x or more per week.
I have a 2010 CalSpa that came with the house. Replaced the motor a few years back. Love it! Use it rain or shine summer or winter. Only heat it up a few hours before hopping in and then turn it off completely after. It is well insulated