Hot Tub and Spa
Brand Reviews

I just got this spa, it's my first ever, and I have been using it for about a week or so.

First of all, the spa seems very well made and for the price, it should be. There are several things about it, though, that are irritating especially considering the cost.

1. The owner's manual is difficult to follow and not very well thought out. Some of the explanations about the spa's functions are not as detailed as they should be. I had to read the same passages a number of times before they made sense to me.

2. The software that runs the control panel is very basic. Five year old cell phones have more features. There is only one memory setting, for example, and no clock.

3. I live in a very dark place and I like it that way. The brightness of the LCD panel on the control panel is adjustable but not nearly enough. It puts out a lot of light and while it shuts off after non use, it should be more adjustable.

4. On the outside of the tub, the Hot Springs logo lights up to tell you if the tub has power and if the water temperature is at its setting. This light too is way too bright and it's not adjustable. It's so bright, in fact, that it lights up the trees overhead. It's annoying.

5. Staying with the lighting system, the main spa light is another example of being way too bright. Like the LCD panel, it's adjustable but not nearly enough. Considering that rheostats are decades old, it seems odd that in a spa in this price range you have to live with factory presets for lighting levels.

6. Inside the tub, the jets are placed too high. There aren't any jets that massage the lower back. Also, there are no jets that massage the calves. Again, considering the high price of the spa itself, this is a disappointment.

7. The spa rattles like an old car even though it's a week old. There's a door between the seating area in the tub and the filters. The door slides up when the jets are off, down when the jets are running. The door is made of plastic and rattles with every little wave created by body movement in the water. It's not as well engineered as the price of the spa suggests it should be.

8. There are two cup holders but they're only perhaps 1/8 inch in depth. You can place a water bottle in the recess but watch out with your elbows. The holders are really nothing more than a level spot on which to balance a cup or bottle. Again, not much thought to detail.

9. Customer service from the factory is an oxymoron. On their website, the company president states, "At Hot Spring Spas, we foster a culture of integrity that reflects our commitment to excellence and to serving our customers." I have sent the company two emails and the only response I got was a sales SPAM.

10. After two weeks of use, the LCD panel on the controller went out. The dealer says, "We'll be out in two weeks to have a look, I think." No return calls yet to set up a date.

11. The chrome bezel around the underwater light is starting to rust. After two weeks!

-John