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Are Intex Spas Good? Complete Intex Inflatable Hot Tub Review

If you’re thinking of buying a hot tub but don’t want to spend thousands of dollars, an inflatable hot tub can be a great option. But not every brand of those is great, so I wondered are Intex spas good?

Intex inflatable hot tubs are well-built and easy to set up, maintain, and use, and are the best brand of inflatable hot tubs available with the best reviews on a variety of marketplaces.

I love mine!

Truth be told, I already had a permanent hot tub too. But I wanted to buy an Intex both so I could write about them intelligently, but also to bring with me when my family takes trips in our RV.

There are many portable hot tubs on the market, and even if you have a budget of just $700, you don’t want to waste that on a bad buy.

So read on if you want to find out what inflatable hot tub is the best value for money.

What do the Intex PureSpa reviews say?

On Amazon, all Intex inflatable hot tubs range between 4 and 4.5 stars, while on Walmart, they range from 2 to 5-stars. However, it’s worth noting most items on Walmart only have 2-3 reviews, whereas each one on Amazon has been 500 and 1000+ reviews.

These are a few of the things people say about Intex tubs:

  • The pump and heater are well built and extremely robust, which contributes to lower noise levels.
  • The hard water treatment system keeps the equipment in top condition longer, helping to keep the noise down. This also slows down limescale build-up on the heating elements meaning it stays trouble-free for longer.
  • The walls are sturdy enough to sit on, thanks to the Fibre-Tech structural support system.
  • The control panel is easy to understand, which means that anyone can operate the jets.

How many different hot tubs does Intex have?

Model Base price Size No. of jets
SimpleSpa Bubble Massage $550 77” dia x 26” deep, 4-person 120
PureSpa Bubble Massage $612 77” dia x 28” deep, 4-person 140
PureSpa Plus $700 85” dia x 28” deep, 6-person 170
PureSpa Greywood Deluxe $694 77” dia x 28” deep, 4-person 140
PureSpa Greywood Deluxe $735 85” dia x 28” deep, 6-person 170
PureSpa Bubble Spa Set $668 79” x 79” x 28” deep, 4-person 120

Base prices are taken from the Intex website and may be cheaper on Amazon or at Walmart.

Although they state “4-person” and “6-person”, they would be a bit cramped if you tried to get that number in, especially if they were all adults, so for comfort, knock one off these figures.

The range of colors is not particularly inspiring – either tan or navy-blue but the Greywood has a nice wood grain effect in – you guessed it – gray.

The Intex PureSpa is one of the best inflatable tubs around, so let’s compare it with a few others.

Which is the better inflatable hot tub: Intex, Coleman, or Bestway?

Intex inflatable hot tubs are the best inflatable hot tub. They have thousands of reviews on Amazon and range between 4 and 4.5 stars. Bestway, Coleman, and Lay-Z-Spa have comparable star ratings, however, 13% are either 1 or 2-star ratings. Intex’s average rating of 1 or 2-star reviews is only 8%.

Bestway is the manufacturer of hot tubs under the brand names of Coleman and Lay-Z-Spa. And the common name used for Bestway, Coleman, and Lay-Z-Spa is SaluSpa.

It can be very confusing. Both tubs have a similar structure – Intex has its Fibre-Tech and SaluSpa uses a similar I-beam construction. The fabric on the Intex is 3-ply vinyl, whereas SaluSpa uses a 3-ply ‘leatheroid’ material.

Comparing reviews on Amazon, the SaluSpa, has an average score of 4 out of 5 from 3,486 global ratings.

But one issue with the Saluspa is the cut-out that kicks in if you don’t touch the control pad in 72 hours – a big problem if you want to leave the hot tub running full-time.

The equivalent Intex model also has a score of 4 out of 5 from 3,310 global ratings, with 8% being 1 or 2-star ratings. The most common complaints have been mechanical and electrical breakdowns and lack of customer support.

But I’ll admit they are close overall in ratings and reviews.

Most plug ‘n’ play hot tubs cannot run the heater and pump simultaneously as they run off 110v supplies.

However, the Intex allows the water to heat while the pump is running, so the temperature stays constant while in use.

This cannot be said of the SaluSpa (Bestway and Coleman) models.

Intex also has a hard water treatment system as standard, which might be important in your area – worth checking if you’re not sure.

For these reasons, I would go for the Intex PureSpa every time.

In a recent article, I explained the differences between inflatable and regular hot tubs, the pros and cons, etc. so before making up your mind. And I even covered the 1 consideration for inflatable hot tubs even if you have the money for a more permanent hot tub.

Just click that link to read it on my site.

Should I leave my Intex Spa on all the time?

Leave an inflatable hot tub running all year round as long as the temperature does not go below freezing on any regular basis. All inflatable hot tubs struggle to maintain temperature when the weather drops below 40°F (4.444°C).

But in winter, if your area is prone to frequent power outages, and gets really cold, it might be best to pack it away for the season. But you could also move it to the garage.

Truth be told, a hot tub in winter is great, so I would only pack it away if where I lived got really extreme winter weather.

Leaving Intex Spa hot tubs on all the time is beneficial  because:

  • The hot tub is always ready for use
  • Running the pump keeps the water circulating, keeping it clean
  • It saves you money in the long-run

You may be surprised to learn that leaving your hot tub on all the time saves you money.

But this is how it works. Most of the energy is consumed when heating the water to a comfortable temperature—between 98° and 104°F—and once it reaches that, it is quite economical to keep it there.

Inflatable hot tubs get just as hot as regular hot tubs.

They just use a little more energy in keeping the temperature there. I covered this in a recent article, which you can read here on my website by clicking on the link.

Intex Spas are inflatable, but it is still recommended to leave them running all the time so long as the outside temperature stays above 40°F.

If it drops below this, it is impossible to reach the minimum water temperature of 98°. Intex Spas come with insulated ground mats and lids to help keep the heat in when they are not in use.

This will save a ton of money during the winter months if you decide to leave your hot tub on all the time.

Are inflatable hot tubs worth buying?

Inflatable hot tubs are worth buying because it enables users to enjoy hot tubing without spending thousands of dollars. And they are easily transported to other houses or even when camping.

They are a great introduction to the world of spas.

But you don’t want to waste money on one that doesn’t give you what you want. Their biggest downside is strength and durability. Being made from vinyl, they are not as tough as acrylic hot tubs.

That doesn’t mean to say they can easily pop or tear.

Most of the good ones use a 3-ply vinyl to resist damage, and if you do get a puncture, it is easy to fix. I wrote about this in a recent article, so if you want to know more.

Just click on the link to read it on my website.

The Intex hot tub is made from laminated vinyl reinforced with proprietary structural fins they call Fiber-Tech, which strengthens the walls making them much more rigid and resistant to damage.

The other downside to inflatables is the poor insulation compared to most acrylic hot tubs.

This means they don’t hold the heat as well, resulting in higher running costs, but the overall effect on your electric bill is minimal.

What is the best Intex hot tub?

Of all the hot tubs manufactured by Intex, the most highly rated is the Greywood DeLuxe model. This model seats 6, has a hard-water treatment system, powerful jets, and is extremely puncture resistant.

CLICK HERE to see the current price on Amazon.

This is the exact inflatable hot tub I bought and you can see my video below of the complete unboxing and set up.

Here are some of the top features in greater detail:

  • Built-in hard water treatment system: reduces limescale and is gentler on the skin.
  • 170 high-powered jets: give an excellent massage sensation provided by the 1.1hp air blower
  • Strong Fiber-Tech construction and durable 3-ply puncture-resistant vinyl skin: give the tub a really solid feel. You can actually sit on the sides without it sagging.
  • Seats up to 6 people but more comfortable with 4 or 5.
  • Wireless control panel is easy-to-use so that anyone can operate it.
  • The pump is super-quiet – all you hear is the bubble jets running, adding to your relaxation.

The hot tub comes complete with an insulated cover, LED lights, two filter cartridges, two headrests, a thermal ground cloth, a built-in inflation system, a carry bag, a floating chlorine dispenser, and test strips.

Running off 110-120v, this hot tub has an impressive 1.3kW heater providing a temperature rise of 2° to 3° per hour up to a maximum temperature of 104°F.

All-in-all, the PureSpa Greywood Deluxe is a great hot tub if you are just starting out or you need something a bit more portable than an acrylic type.

CLICK HERE to see it on Amazon.

Final Thoughts

Intex spas are a great introduction to the world of hot tubs, or if you want a highly portable tub for a summer residence, for example.

There are other good inflatable hot tubs around, too, like the Bestway SaluSpa, which seems to have copied Intex in terms of construction but lacks one or two features that make Intex the best.

If there is anything I didn’t cover that you would like to know, drop me a line or leave a comment, and don’t forget to click on the links to see previous articles on my site.


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Jeff Campbell