Hot tubs are a relatively new phenomenon in the U.K. and across most of Europe as well. 

If you’re buying a hot tub, many of the brands manufacturing hot tubs aren’t that well known as a result, which is an important factor when shopping. That can make it difficult for customers trying to understand which makes are worth considering and which aren’t. If you don’t know any of the brands, how do you know which is good? 

Based in Canada, Hydropool has been in business for more than 40 years, making hot tubs of all shapes and sizes. We have been shipping to the UK since 1997 and were the first to do so. Today we have 27 stores across the UK and Ireland. 

Here’s what people often ask in those stores: “Who makes good quality hot tubs?” We understand why. We realize you will want to know what types of hot tubs are available to you as a shopper and that you want good value for your money. 

We also know that the hot tub market has companies that are in the business for the long haul and others that are trying to sell their products without service or support behind them. Or worse, who aren’t making energy efficient hot tubs that have high running costs after you buy.

So while this might seem unusual, what we’d like to do in this article is describe some of the better brands of quality hot tubs that are currently being sold in the U.K. We know many buyers will want to comparison shop and at Hydropool we have always understood we will have competition. 

And while we’d like to think we make a hot tub for everyone at Hydropool, we also understand there may be circumstances where another model makes more sense for you. We know there any many companies making hot tubs for you to consider, so with that in mind, here is our unbiased look at the best hot tub brands in the U.K. in 2023. 

Which Hot Tub Brand is Best: A Complete List of the Best Hot Tub Brands in the U.K. in 2024

HotSpring – In business since 1977, today HotSpring is often recognized for its salt-water hot tubs and spas, although it started out with a portable model. Original developers were brothers Jeff and Jon Watkins, but the company today has evolved into the WatkinsWellness, which also owns Behr paint and Delta faucets, along with multiple other hot tub companies. It’s based out of Vista, California and features a wide network of retailers around the world.

Jacuzzi – Another California company, Jacuzzi is one of the largest luxury brands in the marketplace. Originally a family firm, the Jacuzzis immigrated from Italy to the U.S. more than 100 years ago and started out developing pumps that removed water from the ground. Later, when a family member fell ill, they invented a pump that could circulate water in a bathtub and the concept of how a hot bath could become a wellness product was born. Today Jacuzzi is on par with Mercedes as a brand and it is one of the rare brands synonymous with its product: For many people, just like Kleenex is to tissue, Jacuzzi is to hot tub.

Wellis – Wellis is a Hungarian company that bills itself as the largest hot tub manufacturer in Europe. Founded in 2003, the company is owned and operated by two brothers Zsolt Czafik and Akos Czafik, who are both still in their 30s. While many manufacturers craft their hot tubs by hand (Hydropool is one of these), the two have automated much of the production by using robots to do their drilling and cutting. The company sold 300 hot tubs in 2010, but hit 10,000 by 2017 as the market and their production capabilities grew. Today they export 85 per cent of the hot tubs they make from two European production facilities, which are both in Hungary. 

Superior Spas –According to the Superior website, the company began in 2011 when a 23-year-old Rob Carlin “decided he wanted to import and sell hot tubs. Having zero knowledge of the hot tub industry he researched the products and saw a gap in the market for entry-level products to be retailed online.” Today the company is considerably larger: In November 2020, Superior Wellness was created, a group name which encompasses a number of hot tub brands, including Platinum Spas, which is the company’s flagship. The hot tubs are mostly built in China, while the head office and warehouse are in Chesterfield in the UK. Additional brands include Thermals Spas, Be Well and California Spas.  

Coast – Coast operates out of Langley, B.C., just outside of Vancouver in Canada and has since 1994. The company has 20 models, with a Traditional, Curve and Infinity Collection, as well as a line of swim spas it bills as its Swim collection. Many of the company’s hot tubs feature a sweeper jet at the bottom of each hot tub, which is intended to make sure debris doesn’t settle and is instead blasted up into the hot tub’s filter (Hydropool does something similar, offering a patented vacuum feature that works in tandem with a top skimmer on its self-cleaning lines). The company also offers an “Infinity Edge” which is a lip around the tub that catches water and reduces any clutter around the top of the tub. 

Artesian Spas – Founded in 1993 as a family company, Artesian is today owned by Monomoy Capital Partners, which also owns Marquis Spas after being bought in early 2022. The company’s brand collection includes Artesian Elite, a luxury brand, a highly-customizable brand in Island Spas & Island Spas Elite, and South Sea Spas and Garden Spas on the value-oriented end of their lineup. It is based in Las Vegas, Nevada and puts an emphasis on having a wide range of products and features available for customers to choose from. 

Our Best Advice for Any First-Time Hot Tub Shopper

If you’re looking at hot tub models the first time, and considering Hydropool or any of the brands above, what we would say more than anything is buy from a company who has been in business for many years, either as a retailer/seller of hot tubs or as a manufacturer and preferably both. That way you are most likely to ensure that you receive good support after you buy. There’s a strong chance you will want advice on how to get the most out of your hot tub experience or require service to your hot tub in the years to come and you want to make sure that company will be there with you.   

Which Hot Tub Brand is Best in the UK?

During the past few years, the hot tub market has increased in the UK and throughout Europe. This has happened even though costs of energy have increased. 

But that doesn’t mean the brands selling hot tubs are well-known. And you have to be careful: Not every brand out there has a long-standing reputation. The problem is there is confusion across UK and Europe about which companies are making good hot tubs.

Creating this confusion is that some companies are clearly in the business for the long haul – or have been in the business for a long time already – while others appear to be in business to pick up money with speedy sales, leaving questions about reliability, long-term service and support in their wake.

We get asked about in our stores, and as a result, we wanted to find a way to get you the answers online. We wanted to create a list of what we thought were some of the top brands in the UK for you to consider. 

It might seem strange for us to talk about our competitors, but we have been in business for more than 40 years, and we know customers will want to consider their options!

We hope we have answered your questions here about which brand of hot tub is best, but if we haven’t, then don’t hesitate to contact us!  

• If you want to know more about Hydropool hot tubs, then click here.