Buying A New Hot Tub? Steves Big Box Store Rants
Internet Vendors, Liquidation Outlets, Auction Sales and Big Box Stores This is my least favorite page, yet I think it offers an important viewpoint to consider. People have thanked me for the warning but it has a cheeky, irreverent tone which might not be appropriate for this website. Let me know what you think. In […]
Shell Quality New Hot Tub Buying Tips
By far the most common shells are made of acrylic with layers of fiberglass applied over it. The rough fiberglass provides the structural integrity, and the smooth acrylic skin is what gives it the colour and texture. Some fiberglass shells are better crafted, thicker and much stronger than others. But pay attention to the acrylic […]
How Old Is It? (um, wrong focus)
The current condition, overall health and longevity of a hot tub largely depend on three things: How Well It’s Made This has to do with engineering, workmanship and quality of materials. There can be big differences between brands and models. You’ll likely be better off with a 25-year-old Calspa than a 5-year-old Canadian Spa […]
READ This Stuff
Read This Stuff! The more you know, the smarter you’ll shop! Here are some concepts for New & Used Hot Tub Buying that we believe you may find informative and helpful. We encourage you to take the time to read them! Internet Vendors, Liquidation Outlets, Auction Sales and Big Box Stores This is my least […]
Analysis Paralysis: Why It’s Hard To Choose (and what to do about it)
Dubious Information Sources Most “hot tub shopping advice” articles are nothing more than a sales pitch “advising” the reader to buy their particular product, focusing on their specific brand name’s strengths and special features. Genuinely unbiased articles on the subject are most often composed by writers who only possess academic knowledge on the subject. They […]
Buying A New Hot Tub Tips: Don’t Dawdle
Don’t Dawdle! Don’t wait until you’re ready for your hot tub before you start shopping for one. It may take a couple months or more for you to check out all the hot tub places, process all the information, make a decision, wait for it to be ready then schedule delivery. If ordering new, some […]
Are Used Hot Tubs a Bad Idea?
Are Used Hot Tubs a Bad Idea? (the good, the bad and the ugly truth) A used hot tub can be a prudent investment or can end up being a huge waste of time and money. As used spa specialists, we know better than anyone about the dangers of buying used. But we also know […]
New Hot Tubs Does Quality Matter?
Does Quality Matter? (not always) There’s a time and place for lemonade There’s nothing inherently wrong with “cheaping out” when it makes sense to do so. Buying a cheap new hot tub might be good enough if the buyer doesn’t care about comfort, performance, reliability and longevity for whatever reason. Examples: Someone might be selling […]
Defining “Quality” In Regards To a “Cheap Hot Tub” Purchase
Two 1997 models. Guess which has one million miles on the odometer? When quality matters, it’s important to understand what that word actually means when it comes to hot tubs. Aesthetics, spec sheets and special features may influence the decision-making process but they have next to nothing to do with the quality of a product. […]
Hot Tub Vancouver – What Makes Our New Hot Tubs Better?
Buying A Hot Tub? Vancouver Hot Tub Buyers Ask… What makes our new hot tubs better than others? Why buy from us instead of elsewhere? It’s not a matter of our stuff being “better” than the others – it’s a matter of us helping you find what’s best for you. The industry keeps changing – […]
Used Hot Tubs For Sale Vancouver BC – What Makes Our Used Hot Tubs Better?
What Makes Our Used Hot Tubs Better Than Others? Why buy through us instead of elsewhere? We offer warranty options up to two years for all of our used hot tubs, and since we want to keep our solid reputation as the used hot tub experts, it’s in our best interest to be very selective […]
Looking for a Free or Cheap Hot Tub?
Looking for a Cheap or Free Hot Tub? If you’re OK with an un-inspected, un-tested hot tub with no guarantee, we might have some lying around that you can have for dirt cheap or free. These ones are sold “as is”, as if you’d bought them at the auction or out of a stranger’s backyard. […]
Plug and Play Hot Tub – Are Plug and Play Hot Tubs Any Good?
Plug & Play Hot Tubs Might a plug & play hot tub be a good option for you? Read this through to understand the answer to that question. 240-volt hot tubs Generally speaking, hot tubs come standard as 240-volt systems and that’s the better way to go if you can swing it. A 240-volt system […]
Want to Know about Hot Tub Jets?
Here are some tips about things you may Want to Know about Hot Tub Jets. There are over 100 kinds of jets, some good, some bad. But there’s more to it than that. What’s a hot tub without jets? This is an important enough category to spill some ink on the subject if you care […]
Used Hot Tubs For Sale Vancouver BC
Searching for used hot tubs for sale Vancouver? Greater Vancouver Hot Tubs Dealer Hot Tubs Galore should be one of your first stops. While we carry a great number or New Hot Tub Brands, we are the leader when it comes to Used Hot Tubs For Sale. Vancouver used hot tubs can be a double-edged […]
New Hot Tub Tips: Test An Empty Hot Tub vs A Full One
Empty vs. full hot tub People are more prone to buy a model that feels comfortable when they sit in it empty on the showroom floor so manufacturers design their tubs with that in mind. But everything changes when it’s full of water. Due to buoyancy, you don’t feel the same pressure points where your […]
New Hot Tub Tips: Hot Tub Covers Considerations
Hot Tub Covers When it comes to hot tub covers Langley Hot Tubs Galore can’t stress the importance of a Good hot Tub Cover much more than we do. As mentioned in a previous Hot Tub Tip, Hot Tub Covers Do Matter. Lately I’ve noticed that some manufacturers are cheaping out on their hot […]
Buying A New Hot Tub Tips: Hot Tub Skimmer
A hot tub skimmer is supposed to sip the “floaties” (leaves, dandruff, hair, bugs, body oil, debris, etc.) from the water surface into a contained area. Hot tub skimmers have evolved over the years so its important to find what you need. A well-engineered hot tub skimmer intentionally plans the contours and water currents to […]
Langley Hot Tub Tips: Sealed Base Options
The hot tub base is one of the less glamorous yet very important considerations when buying a new hot tub. Sealed-base hot tubs are meant to keep out moisture, rodents and insects but some manufacturers use soft chewy plastic and/or, thin-gauge sheets which are easily gnawed through by unwelcome creatures. A sealed base hot […]
Buying A New Hot Tub Tips: Levitating Recliners Hot Tub Lounger
Levitating Recliners A poorly designed recliner or hot tub lounger combined with poorly planned jetting may feel nice when you sit in the dry shell at the showroom, but when you fill it with water, you float up and away. A well-designed recliner keeps you positioned in the recliner even when it’s full of water […]
Buying A New Hot Tub Tips: Long Term Parts Availability
Langley Hot Tubs – Parts Availability Some brands are notorious for discontinuing model-specific parts a few years in, and fly-by-night brands may not be around for long. So keep this in mind if you plan to keep your hot tub for a long time. The more unique parts and features in a particular model, the […]
Buying A New Hot Tub Tips: Environmental Attack
Langley Hot Tubs: Environmental Attack Tips Nature relentlessly conspires to reduce everything to its basic elements. There’s a big difference between a south-facing fully-exposed hot tub in Kelowna, a snow-laden hot tub on a deck in Whistler and a recessed in-deck hot tub in the shade in West Vancouver. Some hot tubs do better […]
Buying A New Hot Tub Tips: Warranty
There’s more to a warranty than the length of coverage. What’s more important is what’s covered, how it’s covered, and the track record of the company when it comes to customer care. Some companies have a mediocre-sounding warranty at a glance, but they have an excellent track record for prompt “service with a smile” and […]
Buying A New Hot Tub Tips: Manufacturing Location
Hot tubs made in North America tend to be far superior to imported spas. But beware of misleading claims. “USA product or “Made in Canada” can actually mean engineered and fabricated in China, assembled in Florida or Quebec. One of the top 3 Brands recently moved their production factory to Mexico, but they have their […]
Buying A New Hot Tub Tips: Seating Heights And Contour Considerations
Poorly designed tubs don’t take into consideration different body-types. Some tubs are too shallow for tall people or too deep for children and smaller people. Larger people sometimes feel squished by restrictive contours. A good tub has a variety of heights and widths that accommodate different sizes and shapes. After sitting up to your neck […]
Buying A New Hot Tub Tips: Simple Versus Sophisticated
NASA’s Mars Rover was intentionally built as low-tech and simple as possible to increase reliability and longevity. Logically, the more there is going on with a hot tub, the more there is to go wrong. Most of the best hot tub brand names tend to be more conservative, offering base models with upgrade options instead […]
Buying A New Hot Tub Tips: Choosing Colours
Choosing Colours The differences between shell types are mostly cosmetic. One shell type isn’t harder to clean or more slippery than another. The interior shell is the main visual focus when shopping for a hot tub in a showroom, but keep in mind that once it’s installed, the shell itself is almost completely covered with […]
Buying A New Hot Tub Tips: Shopping For The Best Price
Shopping For The Best Price Generally speaking, the more elaborate the showroom the higher the mark-up for obvious reasons. Higher overhead requires bigger profit margins. However, there likely won’t be as big of a difference in price as you might think. Things like clothing and furniture have huge mark-ups but there’s not as much wiggle-room […]
Buying A New Hot Tub Tips: You Get What You Pay For
Getting What You Pay For Expensive doesn’t always mean high-quality, but a low price tag almost always means a low-quality product. There’s no way around the fact that a good quality product is going to cost more. Tips: – Ask yourself, “does quality really matter?” If you don’t care about performance, reliability, durability and longevity, […]
Buying A New Hot Tub Tips: Long Term Parts Availability
Long Term Parts Availability Some brands are notorious for discontinuing model-specific parts a few years in, and fly-by-night brands may not be around for long. So keep this in mind if you plan to keep your hot tub for a long time. The more unique parts and features in a particular model, the more dealer-reliant […]
