Owning a spa is like having a personal hot spring right in your backyard. Hot tubs are perfect for relaxing and soothing those sore muscles and joints.

Once you decide to invest in your own tub, choosing the right one can be a big task. We created this guide to help you make an informed, confident purchase.

Size and Space

The size, seating and electric needs are the biggest factors in narrowing down the perfect hot tub. Consider these first.

Location

Before shopping, choose the best spot for the spa. Most hot tubs will be placed outdoors on a patio, porch or deck. Whatever spot you pick, make sure you measure before deciding on a hot tub size.

Get a better perspective for how your spa will fit by using rope or garden hose. Make an outline the size of the hot tub you want. Leave room for access to the equipment, steps and a cover lifter.

Hot Tub Seating

Plan on inviting guests or relatives over? Make room for a larger tub with more seats. You won’t want to take turns in your new hot tub.

Will you be using the hot tub alone or with just two people at a time? If space is limited, a 2-3 person spa will be perfect. With a little more room, an extra seat or two is nice for stretching out.

Lounge seats

Reclined seating lets you lay back, fully submerged in spa water. Loungers usually have more jets for a full-body massage. The best spas are deep enough to prevent you from floating out of the lounger.

A lounge takes the equivalent space of up two standard seats. Tubs for families or friends the need more seats could skip the lounger for an extra spot.

Electrical Hook-up

Hot tubs that need to be moved in the future should use a Plug-and-Play connection. These fit a standard 120-volt outlet. Many spas have convertible voltage if you want to hardwire the tub in the future.

240V hard-wired spas heat faster and stay hot longer than Plug and Play tubs. Qualified electricians must wire 240V systems. This also means installing a spa GFCI disconnect panel for safety.