ᐅ Any experiences with Lay-Z-Spa hot tubs?

Hello,
I am considering getting a hot tub for the garden. Until now, the costs have always been too high for me, especially the additional expenses for delivery and installation. Recently, I came across a “Lay-Z-Spa” pool. It is self-inflating and features a heater and massage function, but costs only around 1000 Swiss Francs. Has anyone had experience with this type of pool? I am particularly interested in whether the heater provides enough power to maintain a comfortable water temperature during winter.
Best regards,
Thomas

Hello Thomas,
I have no personal experience as a user with these inflatable hot tubs, but as a professional, I searched online for reliable opinions. According to these, an important feature is a fast-working water heater, quiet operating noise (the pump noise should not be louder than the bubbling of the massage jets), adjustable temperature, running costs for operation: electricity, and simple but effective cleaning.

Manufacturer statement: "The filter pump / water heater is almost silent (about as quiet as a refrigerator). With the massage function switched on, the pump is clearly audible outside the pool."

User: "In my opinion, the filter was just annoyingly loud, so I built a box around it made of wood and insulation material to reduce noise. This also had the advantage that the blower wasn’t heard all over the neighborhood during operation... scaredy-cat...
All in all, a nice experience that wasn’t exactly cheap. For me, it definitely helped in deciding that we will install a solid-built hot tub in the foreseeable future..."

User: "Processing appropriate for the price. High fun factor, also usable as a kids’ pool (under supervision!) for our 3-year-old.
Negatives: sensitive inner lining (cats!), loud motor, power cable too short."

User: "By no means think the pool will prove cheap to use daily. It only pays off to run the heater at night.
(In Switzerland, low tariff from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. about 0.12 Rp per kWh, high tariff about 0.23 Rp per kWh)
During the day, the temperature is maintained; thanks to good insulation, heat loss is relatively low, so the heater runs only sporadically. For example, if the pool is heated up on Friday evening and used over the weekend, the costs amount to about CHF 10 (electricity only). Additional costs for chemicals and cleaning apply but are low."

User: "As described above, I’ve been running it for some time now. First in winter in the basement, now outdoors. We have already enjoyed many pleasant whirlpool hours.
Water care is very simple. I use chlorine granules and pH reducer.
To monitor, I use a testing kit with DPD1 and Phenol Red tablets.
These are very accurate. (The CL1 tester mentioned above unfortunately proved to be too inaccurate.)
Measure about every two days, dissolve a little chlorine granulate in the water, and add it.
Be sure to watch the pH value, which is very unstable at the start after refilling. I always have to lower it. Over time, it stabilizes and only requires occasional adjustment."

Water care costs about 180 CHF per year according to the website and should be factored in since the water is chlorinated. Spare parts are available—again, according to the website—"only while supplies last." Also, the chlorinated water must be changed at least every six weeks; otherwise, the plastic can become brittle and the pool will leak.

Hope this helps so far. Maybe more “real” user reports will follow.

Hello,
Just wanted to check in briefly. We’ve had the Lay-Z-Spa pool on the terrace for a little over a week now. The phone consultation was friendly. We picked up the pool ourselves because they only deliver against prepayment and not on invoice, which I don’t prefer. The collection went smoothly, and the manufacturer seems reputable. Setting it up was supposed to take only 15 minutes, but the instructions were a bit “adventurous,” so it took us almost an hour. The included DVD actually explains the setup much better (unfortunately, we only watched it afterward). The pool itself is great and a lot of fun. The quality, as far as I can judge so far, is quite good for the price and feels sturdy. The massage function is surprisingly powerful, though you can reduce the intensity by adjusting your seating position a bit. My initial concerns about the water not getting warm enough were unfounded. The first time I used it (I set the maximum temperature of 40°C (104°F)) I almost burned my feet… It’s just a pity the pool comes in only one color – I think green would have suited the garden better.
Regards,
Thomi

Hello Thomas,
Thank you for your feedback, it is always interesting for me and surely for other readers as well.

So, guys….

I once had one of those inflatable rubber pools too…

All I can say is:
HORRIBLE!!!!

That thing is as loud as hell… there’s no way you can relax at all.

Regarding hygiene… simple paper filter cartridges combined with chlorine tablets…

Yuck…

The water was unusable even after the gentlest use of this inflatable rubber pool twice in a row!

Hair and other dirt particles introduced into the rubber pool settle at the bottom and can’t be removed from there…

The heating performance is poor and absolutely insufficient for outdoor use.

Completely draining the rubber pool is nearly impossible.

The frustrating fiddling when connecting the heater and pool clearly shows amateurish engineering.

The power consumption is enormous!!!

My conclusion:

It was a complete failure!!!

Even as a children’s paddling pool, it’s totally unsuitable (unless you want to put toddlers at risk… entering and exiting is an adventure…).

@ juliaschneider

Thanks for the helpful tips...!

However, I already threw away the rubber gasket a long time ago!!!

I rarely bought such junk... and meanwhile I have a real hot tub from the one and only hot tub manufacturer...