What is the Best Swim Spa for the Money?

Any value-oriented shopper wants the best of what they want to buy, for the least amount of money. Wouldn’t it be great if all shopping worked that way?

When it comes to swim spas, buying the best isn’t as straightforward as saying, the “Hydropool Aquatic 14-foot AX Sport is the best value swim spa you can buy.”

It would be great if there was an industry award that gave out that distinction. But there is not. If we gave ourselves one, we would look ridiculous. So we don’t do that either.

That leaves people searching for options and trying to figure it out themselves. And when we think people are left to do that, we write articles trying to help. It can be confusing buying a swim spa, and that’s the last thing we want people to feel.

So in this article we will spell out how to get the most value out of buying a swim spa. Because there are different ways to determine the best value.

• Do you want the most swim spa for the least money?
• Do you want the best swim spa for swimming?
• Do you want the best swim spa for playing?
• Do you want the swim spa that costs the absolute least?
• Do you want the swim spa that costs the least each month?
• Do you want the swim spa that will last the longest without issue?

All of these are fair and noble goals! We will tackle each in turn so that by the end you’ll know where the value is in the swim spa marketplace.

 

 

Do You Want the Most Swim Spa for the Least Money? 

Ok, first of all, our advice is not to buy the cheapest swim spa possible. A company can make a swim spa with some acrylic, a frame, jets and a heater. You can do that, and it will be terrible. Because it’s not the parts that are the cost, it’s the engineering, design and experience that you’re buying.

If you want to buy a swim spa and have it for a few years and then have a pile of leaky junk to deal with later on, then buy at the lowest possible price.

So watch anything that says “it’s the lowest price” you’ll ever pay for a swim spa. Like when buying tacos, sometimes you want to pay more than the lowest you can.

Let’s talk about the most swim spa for the least money. That’s a decent target. What you will find is that it evens out. Quality swim spas are in the following ranges:

If you’re buying in the ranges highlighted in the video, that will get you the most swim spa for the least money. But it’s not going to be the lowest you can pay. And you’ll be grateful for that down the road! Again, these are the ranges:

• $20,000-$25,000 is the base range
• $30,000-$50,000 is mid-range
• $50,000-$70,000 for elite-level swim spas

After you realize that’s the price range for a decent swim spa, if you’re seeking value, the next thing is to figure out exactly what you’re shopping for.

Do You Want the Best Swim Spa for Swimming? 

This is optional. Many people buy recreational swim spas for the kids, for example. Some people want both swimming and recreational. All are options.

But if you want the best possible swim spa for swimming, you’re only seriously looking at a few options. This is because many swim spas are built to technically allow swimming, but they aren’t really designed that way.

Want to hear about who we think the best builders are? Try clicking the link:

There are lots of good swim spas out there, but as the article states, really Endless Pools, Master Spas … and yes, we would say us at Hydropool are the ones that have swim spas that focus on swimming. If we’re being serious, that’s our list of the best out there.

• In all of these, you can swim in these swim spas without a tether.
• Each of these companies have done serious work to ensure their swim spas allow for varied swimming abilities and so that anyone swimming can improve.
• Each has unique technology behind its swim spas.

But regardless of who we think is best, our No. 1 tip to anyone shopping a swim spa for swimming purposes is to “try before you buy.” Do not accept someone’s word, even this article’s, that they are the best. You will want to try out the models that interest you. The swim experience varies considerably between brands and models, so you want to make sure you have one that’s right for you. 

If you’re interested in swimming, you’ll still have choices. Do you want only swimming? Or do you want swimming plus fun?

• You can get swim spas built for elite triathletes and Olympic gold medal winners (at Hydropool that’s our Executive Trainer collection). These are elite-level swimming machines.
• You can get swim spas that have outstanding swimming but allow for recreation as well (at Hydropool that’s our Aquatic Trainer collection).

The Executive Trainer from Hydropool is the company’s most elite swimming machine, with a larger tank, powerful jets and a non-turbulent current.

Do You Want the Best Swim Spa for Playing? 

You can always find fun swim spas, and they often cost significantly less than ones that focus greatly on swimming (our least expensive swim spa is the AquaPlay, and its nickname is the 13FFP, for 13-foot Family Fun Pool).

These swim spas will compete on cost. Most are around 12 to 14-feet long and eight feet wide. You will find stripped down versions that cost less than $25,000 and some that go higher. Essentially, these are big hot tubs, with a little bit of swimming ability. But mostly they are built as places for families to play and hang out. If you want your kids to put away their phones and have a good time, this class of swim spa is a good place to start.

Do You Want the Cheapest Swim Spa? 

Flat out no, you really don’t. There’s no value there. It will leak, within years. Its motors will not heat. Its swim current will be turbulent, like swimming into a rapid. Its acrylic may crack, it’s frame will warp, which will cause the acrylic to crack, if it hasn’t already.

This is not the kind of thing you want to race to the bottom on. Swim spas aren’t expensive compared to pools, but to get value you want to at least be in the middle of the market.

Do you want the swim spa that costs the least to run? 

Electric cars aren’t the least expensive ones you can buy, but you can get good value out of them because they cost less to run than gas-powered cars. So we can understand why you’d want to focus here. In truth, operating costs will be the same for many brands.

Do You Want the Swim Spa That Lasts the Longest? 

This is a good goal, but I’m not sure how you’d figure it out. That data isn’t kept by any agency or any company, so anyone making the claim their swim spa lasts longer than anyone else’s is really just … making a claim. We can say our swim spas are made with steel, and steel lasts longer than wood, so ours lasts longer than anyone who uses wood, right? But the fact is we don’t have numbers on how long our competitors last and they don’t have ours.

So here’s what we do know and can share. What’s most important in having a reliable swim spa is buying a decent make and then keeping the water balanced while you have it. Maintenance will go the farthest in making sure your money isn’t wasted. You as the owner, are actually the biggest factor, in many cases, in how long your swim spa will last.

Can You Get Good Swim Spa Value?

We believe you can buy a swim spa and get great value!

• You need to know what you’re looking for: fun, a mix of fun and swimming, or a straight-out swimming machine.
• You need to stay roughly in the price ranges we’ve suggested above.  
• You need to want to avoid paying for the cheapest possible product.
• You want to stick to a few brands who make high-quality swim spas.

Our last bit of advice is to always choose to shop from a local dealer. Why? Big box stores and online shops are not your friend when it comes to installing a swim spa properly: You’re far more likely to have it dropped on your lawn unceremoniously.

A local retailer will work with you to make sure your swim spa is installed properly and placed accordingly. They will also be there as a place of support for as long as you own the swim spa, as a guide as you maintain it over the years. That kind of support delivers you value through the years.

If you’d like to speak to a local Hydropool dealer, you can click here to find one near you!