Should You Buy a Rotomolded Hot Tub?

You see a hot tub that looks like it is made out plastic. It’s sturdy, it’s solid. Maybe you even try it. The jets pump water, it’s a good size, and it could hold your family. 

Should you buy one? Do they last? Are they worth it? And how much are they anyway? And what is a rotomolded hot tub anyway? 

Welcome to the world of rotomolded hot tubs. This is one of the fastest-growing segments of hot tubs around the world. We are asked about them frequently at our Hydropool stores, which is why we wanted to explain them here. 

Hydropool doesn’t make these types of hot tubs, but we understand why people consider them or buy them. We’re not here to tell you they are junk or anything like that! There are good reasons to consider them. 

What we wanted to do in this article is explain the pros and cons of rotomolded hot tubs. We’ll go over:

• What is a rotomolded hot tub?
• How much does a rotomolded hot tub cost?
• What can a rotomolded hot tub do?
• Who is a rotomolded hot tub for? 

We hope that by the end, you’ll have a strong sense of whether or not they are right for you.   

 

 

What is a Rotomolded Hot Tub? 

Rotationally Molded. Let’s just pause there and look at these two words. There’s a good chance you’ve never seen them placed together before.  

This is why buying a hot tub can be hard, because already you don’t know what the salesperson is talking about, but he or she is telling you it’s better than something else. How are you to know? 

Rotationally molded, or “roto mold” if you want to sound a little hip, is best understood as plastic, warmed so it becomes liquid, then poured into a mold. The plastic is then twirled in the air to ensure it covers the entire mold evenly. Then it is cooled and dropped out of the mold and voila! You have a hot tub shell. 

And possibly you have the Caramilk secret too? After all, lots of things are made by roto mold. Pylons.  Doll heads and bodies. Kayaks. Storage bins. Auto parts. It’s a common manufacturing technique.  

A roto mold hot tub is the most affordable option if you want a more permanent tub. It’s like the granite countertop of tubs. 

You could pay more for marble (or in the case of hot tubs, acrylic). But you don’t have to. So price is a positive factor if you’re buying a rotomold tub.  

How Much Does a Rotomolded Hot Tub Cost? 

How much does it cost to get up and running with a roto mold tub? The average is around $6,500 in Canada. Like inflatables, they are available at places such as Home Depot or Lowe’s or Wayfair or Costco or Amazon. You can and probably should put down a pad, gravel, pavers or deck, but lots of people don’t.  

How Much Does a Rotomolded Hot Tub Weigh? 

Weight is another benefit. Without water, roto mold tubs are comparatively easy to move in and install, as a couple of strong people can lift it off a truck and place it (and later move it if you want, after draining it, of course). They weigh about half of what a traditional hot tub made out of acrylic does.  

What Can a Rotomolded Hot Tub Do?

Great for a rental property, with a lower cost of entry, roto mold tubs do everything you’d want a hot tub to do. You can add lights, waterfalls, stereos, steps, pillows – basically anything that a hot tub can offer can be had in a roto-molded tub, provided you want to pay for it. There will be jets, and the jets will offer massage power, although not as much as hot tubs that cost more money. This is for two reasons: 

• Most of these value-oriented tubs run on a 110V plug-in, which is the kind you have all over your house. But that plug-in isn’t strong enough to power both heating and powerful jets to run at the same time.
• There’s not enough space on the tub itself to hold anything else, because of the size of the mold and the material the tub is made of. It’s not thin and it would break or bend if it was made any thinner.  

You can often set up your roto molded hot tub to work on a stronger 220-volt wiring if you choose, which will increase the power and heat potential, but also increase your operating costs and you will have to get an electrician in.  

Roto mold hot tubs aren’t usually as shiny as acrylic versions. They are usually a matte finish and one solid colour, often a neutral like grey or brown.  

Sizes are limited in roto mold as well. Acrylic is strong enough to be built into pretty much any tub you would like – 12-person and 15-person tubs are possible. Roto mold caps out at about 6-7. This is due to the size of the machines needed to manufacture the tub – the molds and manufacturing machines can’t practically be built to make a bigger mold, because the tub is all one piece.

You would need enormous machinery to make such a tub and spin it around in the air, and it’s not cost-effective as a result.  

Who is a Rotomold Hot Tub For? 

A roto mold hot tub may not look as high-end as an acrylic tub. But it can do more things than an inflatable and it can do almost everything an acrylic can. Some of its features might even be better than an acrylic tub in terms of cost and durability. So who is it for? A roto mold tub is great for someone who values value.  

Is that why everyone buys a hot tub? No, it is not. Sometimes we want a little luxury. A little more fun. A little less conversation and a little more action. 

That’s why we think rotomold hot tubs only make up a small, although growing, part of the hot tub market.  Many people are buying for luxury and elegance and that sense of “aaaaaaah” when they’re in the hot tub. Acrylic hot tubs are more glamourous and are more popular as a result, with about 70 percent of the market. 

They aren’t the cheapest either. You can also buy inflatable hot tubs, which are less expensive than rotomolded tubs. These can be found at places like Costco or WalMart or Home Depot or off of Amazon.

Is a Rotomold Hot Tub Right for You? 

Who is a rotomold hot tub for? 

If you want a hot tub that is built to last or if you have a second property like a cottage or a rental property and you want a no-fuss, low hassle hot tub, rotomolds make a lot of sense. 

If you live in a warm state or part of the world, and you don’t need to run heat and jets at the same time, a plug and play rotomold hot tub will give you a lot of value. It’s your least expensive way to get the best hot tub out there. 

That doesn’t mean it’s the best hot tub. There will be hot tubs that are more comfortable and look better and that have superior jets than what you can get with a rotomold hot tub. These will be acrylic hot tubs. 

And there will be hot tubs that cost less (although they won’t be as durable). These are inflatable hot tubs. 

The choice is yours! As always, we hope we helped. If you have any questions about rotomold hot tubs or any other kind, please reach out to us by contacting the retailer closest to you.