You’re getting a hot tub. You’ve decided. But who is it for? For you? Just for you? What about the kids? What about your pregnant sister-in-law? What about your parents? What about your lovely golden retriever? Is it for all of them?

You’re getting a hot tub. You’ve decided. But who is it for? For you? Just for you? What about the kids? What about your pregnant sister-in-law? What about your parents? What about your lovely golden retriever? Is it for all of them? 

We get asked all the time who (and what) can actually get in a hot tub. It’s among the more common questions we’re asked. Everyone wants to make sure their family members are okay to use anything they buy.

We want you to know that hot tubs are safe. They have been sold for decades since they were developed in North America and now can be found around the world. In general, we have found that most people can use hot tubs without worry. 

In all cases, we recommend you talk to your family doctor if you have any concerns or questions we don’t answer here. Some we know we won’t: Because we want them to be answered by doctors instead of us. We don’t give medical advice after all, and we don’t make medical claims about Hydropool hot tubs or swim spas.    

In this article, we will go over the most common questions we are asked about what can go in a hot tub. By the end, we hope you’ll have a good idea of what you can do and what you can’t and when you should check with your family doctor.  

Who can go in a hot tub? 

We want to say “anybody” here. But we don’t. 

In general, we advise very young children and anyone with high blood pressure to avoid hot tubs. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. says children under five shouldn’t use hot tubs. The concern is that children’s bodies regulate heat differently than adults and they have a more difficult time adjusting to a hot tub’s water temperature. 

It is why hot tubs become a great place to bond with your child when they become a teenager. It can be a rite of passage, when your child is old enough to use the hot tub with you without any concern. If you want a place where your child is happy to join you – and put their phone down – a hot tub is a great spot for connecting with your kids.  

Can a dog go in a hot tub? 

There are actually two parts to this question: Can the dog handle the hot tub? And can the hot tub handle the dog? Let’s take them both in turn.

• Can a dog handle being in a hot tub? This is tough to say. Go online and you will read about many people saying they let their dogs in their hot tub. Just as many say the heat can be harmful because dogs don’t regulate heat the same way we do and the warm water isn’t good for them to be in or ingest. We’re not taking a stand here other than to say to please go ask your veterinarian before letting your pooch anywhere near your hot tub.
• Can the hot tub handle the dog? Yes. In this case, it’s no different than anyone else getting in the hot tub: hair and bacteria will get taken care of by the filters. It will be like an especially hairy friend came over.

Our best suggestion is to buy your dog a little wading pool that you can have beside the hot tub and fill it with standard tap water. And let your dog decide if it wants to hop in or not!

Can a pregnant woman go in a hot tub? 

We advise you to speak to your doctor here. 

Can a woman go in a hot tub with her period? 

The site verywellhealth.com says you can here and in general we would say yes, but as always, we advise you to check with your doctor. 

How long should you stay in a hot tub? 

We generally recommend 20 minutes, but to always get yourself out or reduce the temperature if you’re experiencing any issues at all. 

How long can you stay in a hot tub? 

The World Record is a lot longer than 20 minutes. Andre Van Zilj once spent 306 hours in a hot tub for the current world record (you can read about it here). It should be obvious that we don’t recommend this, even for tough guys like Andre. 

Can children go in hot tubs?  

We always recommend no child should go in a hot tub without a parent being present. That’s just common sense and good hot tub safety. If your child is over five, it shouldn’t be an issue, but it never hurts to keep an eye out. And again, head to your family doctor if you have any questions or concerns. 

Can older people use hot tubs? 

Senior citizens are one the largest groups of hot tub owners. There may be some cases where hot tubs aren’t appropriate for seniors, but in most cases, we find they enjoy the therapeutic and wellness benefits hot tubs offer. 

Who can go in a hot tub? 

Healthy adults and teenagers of all ages are who hot tubs are for! There are groups that have reasonable questions whether it’s wise to enter hot tubs are not, and we’ve done our best to answer those questions here. 

If you have any questions or concerns – any at all – we highly encourage you to speak with your family doctor. We want people to enjoy hot tubs and we want to make sure everyone stays happy and healthy when they do use them. 

We hope this article answered your questions about who can use hot tubs. If it hasn’t, we first suggest speaking with your doctor. If you have hot-tub related questions though, our local dealers can help you out as well. Don’t hesitate to contact one here. 

Disclaimer: Hydropool does not give medical advice and its hot tubs and swim spas are wellness products, not medical products. The information in this article is not a substitute for proper personal medical advice. As the article repeats, if you have any medical questions about using a hot tub or who can use a hot tub, we encourage you to speak to a medical professional.