Coast vs Hydropool: Which Hot Tub is Best?

If you’re shopping Canadian hot tub makers, Coast Spas and Hydropool will both show up on your list sooner or later. Over the years, our retailers have been asked about B.C.-based Coast hot tubs regularly, because the company has been in business as long as we have in Ontario. It has been more than 40 years for both of us. 

We wrote this article so you could gain an understanding of the two brands while exploring their differences and similarities. 

In this article, we will go over: 

• A model-by-model brand comparison 
• Which hot tub looks best? 
• Which hot tub is more efficient? 
• Which hot tub has better massage? 
• Which hot tub is best on price? 

We know it may be strange to be reading one company discussing another’s products, and we understand why you would think we may be biased towards our own. Both companies have sold a lot of hot tubs over the years, and while we wish everyone could purchase a Hydropool, we know that some people might prefer other models. 

We understand that, and we wrote this guide to help people see the differences between the two brands so they could see which hot tub was right for them. 

So which version is right for you? Keep reading to find out! 

Coast versus Hydropool: Comparing Hot Tub Models 

Coast has three lines of hot tubs, following a good/better/best approach that is common in the marketplace:  

• Traditional, Curve and the Infinity Collections. Within lines there are a variety of sub-categories, ranging from Patio to Classic to Elite. 

Hydropool features two collections, eliminating the lowest. Serenity is the mid-brand and Signature is the top-of-the-line brand. 

So, a comparison would be: 

• Traditional is a mix between Signature and Serenity, while the Curve is comparable with Signature only. 
• Hydropool doesn’t carry anything that resembles the Infinity collection, which contains a unique vanishing edge, where the water appears to just disappear over the side of the hot tub (we will explain why we don’t make this model later on). 
• Serenity has no sub-categories, while Signature has Gold, Platinum or Titanium as levels of trim. 

Coast vs Hydropool: Which Looks Best? 

The two hot tub companies take a different approach to hot tub design. 

• Hydropool takes a classic approach, with a design to blend into the background. The hot tubs have simple outer cabinets, with soft lines in the acrylic interiors, built for comfort and ergonomics. 
• Coast takes a more dramatic approach. The Curve collection features a hot tub with a back, “a raise rear wall with a gentle slope” according to the company website. The Infinity hot tub is even more so, with an edge designed to make it as if the water has no end. We don’t mind saying it’s a beautiful design (Hydropool has never done anything similar because it effectively shrinks your usable hot tub area, and we wanted to save that space for people). 

Both companies have a range of color choices, with up to six acrylics for the inside. Hydropool has two cabinet colors in a black and a grey/brown, while Coast counters with four, adding two slate options. 

Coast vs Hydropool: Which Hot Tub is Easiest to Maintain? 

Both hot tub companies have taken similar approaches to their cleaning and filtration systems. Both companies use commercial or public pools as their guidelines. 

Public pools are governed by much stricter rules and regulations than hot tubs, and both Hydropool and Coast have developed methods employed with those guidelines in mind. 

• Both companies feature a skimmer to clean the water’s surface and a system on the bottom to get rid of anything that sinks in the water. On the bottom of the hot tub, Coast uses a sweeper jet to clean, but not a vacuum, like Hydropool. 
• The major difference is in filtration, which is where your pumps and heaters play a big role. Coast uses a pressure-side filter on the suction side of the pump, known as a suction-side filtration system, while Hydropool uses a filter on the pump’s opposite side. What's the difference? All of your water must be filtered if the filter is positioned after the pump, because all of the water is being pumped into it. 
• Both companies offer ozone and UV protection, which helps clean your water so you can use fewer chemicals. 

Coast vs Hydropool: Which Hot Tub is Better on Price? 

Shipping costs have a great deal to do with pricing, and with Coast being on the West Coast and Hydropool on the East, pricing will depend on where you live. 

The price gap is because most shipping in North America is done east to west, and it’s cheaper to ship this way. For the most part, Coast will be cheaper on the West Coast and about even with Hydropool on the east, although we believe its Infinite collection is more than what we sell Signature for. 

We say “we believe,” because we couldn’t see Coast’s pricing on the company website when we looked. From what we could see, you have to fill in a form to get a quote on each model. Hydropool offers pricing on its website on each model, but we know that’s unusual in the business.  

Coast vs Hydropool: Which Has Better Massage? 

Coast features a high number of jets on each hot tub and the company promises “a full body massage in all of our hot tubs and swim spas.” The company also says it has the largest waterfall in the industry at 24” wide. 

Hydropool takes a different approach, using what it calls Zone Therapy. Hydropool Zone Therapy uses four different zones to massage different parts of the body, ensuring your entire body receives a quality massage. The bather moves from zone to zone, according to the program being followed. The goal is to both promise a full massage and show people how to get it at the same time. 

Coast vs Hydropool: Which Hot Tub is More Energy Efficient? 

The big difference here is in insulation. Coast has a foam core as standard, which provides insulation on the side. Full foam is optional. Hydropool used to use full foam but found there were too many issues if leaks ever developed: First it was hard to find the leak and second, you had to cut through the entire foam to find it, leaving a mess. 

Instead, Hydropool uses a thermal blanket system insulation system that works like a triple-paned window. It traps in the residual hot air from your hot tub’s motor and uses it to heat your hot tub’s water. Vents are provided to let excess heat go in the summer and contain it in the winter. We find that this system handles Canadian winters well, as well as provides an easy way to maintain your hot tub. 

Coast vs Hydropool: Which Hot Tub is Right for You? 

Hydropool vs Coast: Will it be the British Columbia-made Coast or the Mississauga-born Hydropool? The two Canadian companies have both been churning out hot tubs for decades now. But each has taken its own approach, with unique priorities. 

• Coast has unique design elements, especially with its raised lip or infinity edge acrylics and large waterfall. 
• Hydropool takes a classic approach to overall design, with a focus on engineering, massage and ease of maintenance. 

We wrote this article to try and explain the two approaches of each company, so you could figure out which hot tub is the right one for you. We may have missed something though, and if you have further questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to a Hydropool dealer closest to you.