Skip to content
English/GBP
Hot Tub 101
The Cover Story

The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Your First Hot Tub

Buying your first hot tub is exciting yet daunting because your tub is a significant investment. There’s much to consider before purchasing the spa that fits your needs, preferences, and lifestyle.

Accessories like a quality hot tub cover can enhance your tubbing experience in many ways. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the essential considerations for selecting your first hot tub and explain why products from The Cover Guy should top your list for a hot tub cover and hot tub accessories.

Why own a hot tub?

Owning a hot tub provides a trifecta of benefits: it acts as a sanctuary for relaxation and stress relief, serves as a social hub for gatherings with family and friends, and offers health advantages like improved circulation, relief from arthritis pain, and post-exercise recovery, enhancing your overall well-being.

Discovering your hot tub priorities

Before diving into the vast market of hot tubs, understand your priorities. Are you looking for a place for family gatherings, personal therapy, or both? How you plan to use the hot tub will influence the type of tub you should buy. Consider the following factors.

Purpose
Do you see yourself relaxing quietly, entertaining every weekend, soothing aching muscles and bones? Your primary purpose will dictate the necessary features of your hot tub and accessories.

Want to create an oasis? Consider adding landscaping that shields your tub from the wind and allows you to enjoy the spa alone. If you plan on having friends or family over, extra seating could be added to accommodate everyone comfortably. A wet bar or cooler would also make the experience more enjoyable.

Location
Are you planning to install an indoor or outdoor tub? The placement affects the size and type of hot tub you can accommodate and the accessories needed.

An outdoor tub, for example, will need more accessories, including a sufficient hot tub cover, furniture, an umbrella, or a gazebo. The size of your backyard space will also determine how large a hot tub to install.

Frequency of use
How often you plan to use your hot tub will impact your choices concerning durability and maintenance features. If you plan on using your hot tub daily, have a high-quality cover with insulating blankets, a tub designed for frequent use, and a maintenance plan to keep it functioning properly.

Once you’ve outlined your priorities, the next step is deciding which model to buy. Here’s how to navigate shopping for your first hot tub.

Basic types of tubs
The most common hot tubs are above-ground spas but hot tubs can be installed in-ground, and can be portable or inflatable, depending on your needs and space.

Features
Modern hot tubs come with many features from advanced hydrotherapy options to mood lighting and built-in sound systems. Choose the features that align with your needs.

Size
The size chosen should be based on the available space and the number of users. If you frequently host friends or have a large family, a larger tub is ideal. When you consider that many tubs are given away or resold to make way for a larger tub, think long-term: how will you use the tub ten years from now?

Budget
Set a realistic budget considering the purchase price and ongoing operation and maintenance costs, including increased energy bills. There are over 7 million hot tubs in the United States used for an average of 7.5 years. When assessing your budget, consider these statistics for a baseline understanding of your investment.

Lifestyle fit
Your lifestyle plays a significant role in your choice. A busy, social lifestyle might benefit from a hot tub designed for quick heating and ease of use, whereas a tranquil, spa-like environment can be achieved with a focus on therapeutic features.

Accessories will enrich your hot tub experience

While your hot tub cover is essential, other accessories can elevate your experience. Consider adding a hot tub cover lifter which makes removing and replacing the cover easier, encouraging frequent use. Other accessories include thermometers and umbrellas, cleaning supplies, lotions and scents to enhance your experience, and hot tub steps to promote access and safety.

Why you need a hot tub cover

A quality hot tub cover offers numerous benefits that will extend the life of your tub and enrich your tubbing experience. A hot tub cover traps the heat inside, reducing the energy required to keep the water warm, and lowering heating costs.

A hot tub cover is also an essential safeguard. It reduces accidents around an unattended tub, providing invaluable peace of mind. A quality cover will keep out leaves, insects, and other debris and therefore help maintain the water’s chemical balance, reducing the need for a lot of time spent on maintenance.

Over time, covers can wear and lose their insulative properties, so choose a high-quality cover, like one from The Cover Guy, to reduce the need for hot tub cover replacement.

The Cover Guy: your one-stop shop for hot tub accessories

Selecting The Cover Guy for your hot tub cover brings long-term benefits. Our covers are designed for durability, energy efficiency, and safety. With many styles and options, you can find the perfect cover that protects your investment and complements your home’s aesthetics.

The Cover Guy also has everything you need to maintain your tub, accessorize it, keep it energy efficient, and make it safer for the whole family. Visit The Cover Guy today to get everything you need for your new hot tub!