Best inflatable hot tubs of 2024, tried and tested

Who needs two weeks in Mallorca? The best inflatable hot tubs brings the cool tranquility of a Mediterranean infinity pool (almost) to your backyard. They are certainly more glamorous than one paddling pooland can be just as useful for cooling off during a heat wave if you keep the water ice cold.

An inflatable bubble bath requires a fraction of the cost and commitment of solid-sided models. Most people prefer to deflate them and store them for the winter – some models are indeed damaged when temperatures drop below freezing – but others are designed with anti-freeze technology so they work all year round. What should you know before you buy? We asked an expert, John Devlin, author of the website Guide to Inflatable Hot Tubs.

His answers are in the FAQ section on the bottom of this article, where John discusses how long it takes for a hot tub to heat up, how much it costs to run, how easy they are to maintain, and how long they last. If you're in a hurry, here's a quick look at Devlin's top five:

What are the best inflatable hot tubs in 2024? At a glance

How we chose the best inflatable hot tubs

Typically, a featured product review will include ten or more different manufacturers, but there are only a few companies active in this market. To show the range of sizes, features and prices available, we've included more than one model from the major players Lay-Z-Spa, Intex and MSPA.

We took expert John Devlin's recommendations and tried a few ourselves so we could judge the spas on how easy they were to set up, comfortable seating, efficient heating and a good number of powerful jets. We also took into account durability, the variety of spa settings, luxury extras like underwater lighting and – most importantly – how easy they were to maintain

By the way, if you're spending more time in the garden this summer, you might want to read our guide to the garden best fire pits next one.