Artesian Versus Hydropool: Which Hot Tub Brand is Best?
You want a hot tub, and you’re down to two: Artesian and Hydropool.
How do you decide? Which is the right hot tub for you?
How hot tubs are made and what they do for customers varies from brand to brand. Artesian and Hydropool Hot Tubs are no different in this regard, and that’s why we are frequently asked how we stack up to the Las Vegas, Nevada-based brand.
It might be strange to read how one brand considers another, and we understand that. Most competitors don’t comment on the competition. But we understand that we will have competitors. We have been in the hot tub business for 40 years and have seen many come and go. And while we hope that everyone could find something in the Hydropool lineup that meets their needs, we also know that people will shop around and consider other hot tub brands.
With that in mind, we want to take a look at Artesian and see how we match up. In this article, we’ll consider:
• A model-by-model hot tub comparison guide
• How each brand’s hot tubs looks
• The ease of maintenance with each hot tub company
• The massage capabilities of each hot tub
• And lastly, we’ll look at hot tub pricing comparison.
Artesian vs Hydropool: Model Comparison
Right away you can see the differences between the hot tub brands. Artesian has quite a wide selection of hot tubs and at one point on its website says it has the most “highly customizable spas in the industry.” This is backed up when you take a look at their hot tub range. For example, round shapes, squares and other rare shapes can be found throughout the four product lines as well as more traditional rectangle models, their ranges are called:
• Garden Spas
• Island and Island Elite
• South Sea Spas
• Artesian Elite
Hydropool’s approach is more simple and focuses on two lines:
• Serenity, a high-quality hot tub, built to all industry standards, with a full suite of options
• Signature, the top-of-the-line, patented self-cleaning model, also with a range of options
Matching the two brands up is a bit of a challenge due to the big differences in approach. Nothing that Hydropool sells would match up with the Garden Spas sold by Artesian, as both Signature and Serenity are higher-tier hot tubs. This is what we figured out:
• Serenity would roughly align with the South Sea spas and the standard Island spas.
• Signature would be most comparable with the Island Elite hot tubs and the Artesian Elite spas.
Artesian vs Hydropool: Which Hot Tub Looks the Best?
Both hot tub companies take a traditional approach to design. But in general, Artesian commits to a wide range of options, while Hydropool comparatively sticks with a classic design approach:
• Artesian, as noted above, has a wider range of alternative-style shapes and sizes, while Hydropool has committed to more traditional configurations that feature hot tubs sized for three people and up to eight.
• Depending on the hot tub, Artesian has up to six colors for its cabinet, including options such as black, grey, brown, red and taupe, plus multiple rock-based surrounds. Hydropool offers two colors with each hot tub, a black and a brown-grey blend or a black and a grey, depending on the model, both featuring simulated woodgrain.
• Artesian also features up to nine acrylics, depending on the model, with a range that includes greys, white, blacks and one with a little bit of blue. Hydropool offers up to six, but skips the blue, focusing on a range of the most popular neutrals: whites, browns, greys and blacks.
If you’re looking for a hot tub in any of the standard marble colors, with a traditional woodgrain look, then either company can help you out. Artesian can offer you a more personalized approach, and a few unique approaches, while Hydropool has committed entirely to what works in most people’s backyards, so that you’re not overwhelmed with choice.
Simple design elements, like accent lighting in the hot tub’s corners, can really make your hot tub stand out. That’s why we always advise people to see hot tubs in person before they make a purchase. Looks are subjective, and little touches can make big difference for many people.
Artesian vs Hydropool: Which hot tub is easier to maintain?
For the most part, Artesian and Hydropool take similar approaches to ongoing maintenance in hot tubs, with small differences, for the most part. There is one significant gap, which we will explain below.
• With Hydropool’s Serenity line, the chemical dispenser is built into the hot tub itself, rather than floating around the hot tub. In the South Seas Spas, that is an option.
• When it comes to Signature, the companies roughly measure up on sanitation, each offering ozone and combined UV and ozone to eliminate bacteria.
Where things start to differ is filtration, actively removing particles from the water. Hydropool has a unique self-cleaning system on its Signature line of hot tubs, which Artesian does not have on any of its hot tubs, as it is a patented element.
• With most cleaning systems, one filter removes everything on the surface of the water, with the jets and pumps circulating the water to encourage it to head toward the filter. This type of filter is commonly used in the hot tub and swim spa industry (Hydropool’s Serenity series uses this method). Artesian takes a similar approach as well.
• Hydropool’s self-cleaning system uses that top-skimmer, but adds on the bottom, a vacuum filter that removes anything that falls to the bottom of the pool. This is common in public and residential pools, where it is often referred to as a drain. But it’s unique to Hydropool in hot tubs. In hot tubs, particles either float to the top or sink to the bottom. Hydropool’s self-clean system removes everything from the bottom of the hot tub with its floor drain. Other hot tubs typically offer side suction, which we have found doesn’t remove everything from the bottom of the hot tub.
• Third, the tub or spa’s cleaning filter is placed after the hot tub’s pump, which causes the pump to push the water through the filter in a pressurized canister environment. It’s forced that way for a reason. It’s so the water can’t go anywhere but through the filter, to ensure 100 per cent of the water is filtered through the cleaning system, every ten minutes.
Hydropool has committed to ease of maintenance more than any other element when it comes to building hot tubs. Artesian’s system is very good as well but does not include Hydropool’s patented self-clean elements. To read more about Hydropool’s self-clean system, click here.
Artesian and Hydropool: Which hot tub is better at massage?
Again, these are closely comparable areas for Hydropool and Artesian hot tubs, with Hydropool putting more focus on the overall wellness experience and Artesian explaining its jet technology.
• Artesian makes a rather simple decision to include its air control, diverter valve and pump switch in one spot. It’s a good layout and an easy approach for people to understand. Hydropool’s are arranged in separate locations around the hot tub, which is common in the industry.
• The South Seas Spa and Island Spas from Artesian are very similar to the Hydropool Serenity’s approach to massage. There are small differences only, such as on the South Seas Deluxe, the waterfall pillow is standard, which Hyropool’s Serenity does not have and Hydropool’s Signature has as an option.
• Artesian notes it has patented H20 Helix jets. From the Artesian website: “Engineered with the concept of the double helix in mind, the jets use a right-directional spiral on the inside of the cylinder. This causes water to spiral out in a twisting motion, providing jet pulsation and heightened massage pressure.”
• Throughout its hot tub lineup, Hydropool features a wellness program, designed to show you how to make the most of your massage experience. The Signature collection includes advanced hydrotherapy, which features Zone Therapy, a system that shows you how to move around the hot tub in sequence to get a massage for your entire body. Anyone can sit in a hot tub and enjoy the experience of jets, but Hydropool’s Zone Therapy is meant to help you make the most of them.
Artesian vs Hydropool: Which hot tub is more efficient?
This category again is a series of choices.
• On hot tub construction, Hydropool and Artesian match up closely. Hydropool uses steel frames on its Serenity line, with wood for Signature. Artesian uses wood throughout its lineup. Both Artesian and Hydropool use an ABS bottom for a strong base and to keep rodents or rot from attacking the frame.
• Insulation varies throughout the Artesian lineup: Some models come with foam, some with full foam and some with a reflective bubble wrap. All Hydropool’s hot tubs come with the same thermal blanket approach, which is designed to both offer easy access to the hot tub should any maintenance be needed while making use of your pump’s residual heat.
• The Artesian Elite offers a 5” cover, while Hydropool’s is 4”. Artesian also uses a titanium heater, which is better than the industry standard. It has up to a 5.5 kw heater in, compared to Hydropool’s 4kw. Hydropool’s heater is made out of an alloy product called Incoloy 825, which is mostly a nickel-iron-chronium alloy with additions of molybdenum, copper and titanium, which creates a product specifically designed not to rust underwater. Hydropool used to use titanium heaters and at one point had Teflon-coated heaters, but found in both cases neither held up longer than any other in a hot tub, even though they cost more. Hydropool has found that Incoloy 825 is best for water applications and others agree: Incoloy 825 is commonly used in sectors such as the off-shore oil and gas industry, as an example.
Artesian vs Hydropool: Which hot tub brand is better on price?
These are estimates only, because, like many hot tub builders, Artesian doesn’t appear to put its prices on its website.
• We believe Garden Spas cost less than anything Hydropool offers.
• Artesian makes its hot tubs in Las Vegas, while Hydropool builds theirs in Mississauga, Ontario in Canada. That ensures shipping costs will be an important consideration when buying either of these two hot tubs.
• Due to location, we think Artesian’s South Sea Spas and Island spas will be less than Hydropool’s Serenity on the west coast, but cost more on the east coast. Island Elite will likely be less than Hydropool’s Signature out west as well, with Artesian Elite costing a bit more than Signature on both sides of North America.
Again, these are approximates. We’d urge you to consult your local retailers for specific pricing, or our website for Hydropool pricing as we publish the price of all of our models.
Artesian vs Hydropool: Which hot tub is right for you?
This is a competition, to be sure. Artesian vs Hydropool is a comparison of companies both committed to offering quality hot tubs. Their approach is different:
• Artesian makes their tubs so that customers have a lot of choice in how it looks. Hydropool offers a range as well, but more within the most popular options commonly available. So if you’re looking for a niche product or something very specific, Artesian may be where you want to have a look first. If you’re looking for something more mainstream, than Hydropool might be where you want to start.
• Instead of offering so many options, Hydropool puts a major effort into ease of maintenance and wellness, the two areas its customers prioritize. When it comes to Signature, Hydropool’s self-cleaning approach is unique in the industry and unmatched when it comes to maintenance. Its wellness program is designed so you can get a full body massage, but it shows you how to best use your hot tub.
We wrote this article to give you a sense of what’s different between these two leading hot tub makers. We know that people everywhere have options when they buy, and we want to do our best to show you what these options are for you. We hope that everyone wants to buy a Hydropool hot tub, but we will also always understand there will be competition. We have been in business for 40 years, and we aren’t afraid to compete.
If you have any further questions about Hydropool or Artesian, feel free to get in touch with a retailer here.
Want to know more about Hydropool’s models? Download a brochure.
Jon Filson is the senior content manager at Hydropool Swim Spas and Hot Tubs.
Disclaimer: In this article, we’ve used brand names not affiliated with Hydropool or Jacuzzi Brands LLC, the parent company of Hydropool. All information, including pricing and product details, was accurate at the time of writing (2023) and may change without notice.
