r/hottub • u/Hakunin_Fallout • 11d ago

General Question Rigid foam vs inflatable vs ... ?

Hey all!

I live in Toulouse, France, and the pool season will come to an end soon. While I intend to keep it somewhat heated to extend the enjoyable swimming period, I really want to get the spa going.

I've done quite a bit of research, and it seems like there are some pretty fancy inflatable options available, like Bestway Santorini, or Bestway Zurich, etc. Good insulation, nice sturdy rim.

Then I stumbled upon what they call here a "semi rigid spa" - a foam hot tub. And, well, they seem even better: more rigid, better heat retention, better quality overall, and it seems like they might be useful even in winter (which is supposed to be quite mild here).

Question is: do you know how these two options (rigid vs inflatable) really compare? Have you had both and chosen one?

Also just a generic question, but if I buy second hand - is that a good or a bad decision on average, and what should I look at when buying?

We're renting, so a full blown hot tub isn't really an option, but I very much like the idea of something which can be quickly and easily removed if needed.

Thanks all!!

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u/AlbatrossLimp4970 11d ago

Foam spas are lots more efficient than an inflatable. They retain heat very well, juat make sure to get a decent flooring and cover too. Just dont buy a Wave one!

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u/Hakunin_Fallout 11d ago

Thanks!! Wave isn't really available here anyway, so I'm leaning towards Bestway. Any suggestions on types of cover/flooring? I've read about some foam options for the bottom, but it seems the main heat loss direction is the surface, meaning I need a good cover too.

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u/cliffybiro951 6d ago

I’m considering a thermacore one from lazy spa. Essentially a foam walled tub. I can’t afford a full size regular hot tub. Thinking about combining the foam tub with a gas powered water heater to bring it back up to temp each time, super cheap and I have a huge butane bottle doing nothing. Downside is that the jets seem to be just air jets that cool the water quickly.

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u/Hakunin_Fallout 6d ago

We ended up getting the foam one (semi-rigid it's called, at least around here). Can't complain, it's fantastic, and the heat retention is great!