Hot tubs are great for all seasons. It doesn’t matter if you are looking to soak those sore muscles after a long day of summer yard work, or if you want to ease into a winter evening after a day on the mountain skiing, a hot tub can do wonders to help you relax and to relieve stress.
One thing that is stressful though, is the cost of getting and installing a hot tub. Generally, a hot tub is an expensive investment and one that depreciates rather quickly. Not only will the tub itself run you a few thousand dollars, but if you don’t have the necessary 210 V outlet outside to run your hot tub, you can add that into the expense list. But it doesn’t need to be like that, and the Coleman SaluSpa Inflatable Hot Tub is proof.
Here are a few reasons you should consider the Coleman SaluSpa Inflatable Hot Tub instead:
- The Coleman SaluSpa costs anywhere from $625-$700
- Runs on a 110 V outlet
- Much easier to install than a standard hot tub
Sure, it’s much cheaper than springing for a standard hot tub, but it is still a big investment. That’s why we looked over countless reviews and user comments on the Coleman SaluSpa, so you know the ins-and-outs of this inflatable hot tub. After tons of research, the SPY team determined there are three main things that users want to know about: setup, power, and cost of operation. Let’s get started.
The Coleman Hot Tub: Setup
What’s nice about the Coleman hot tub is it’s fairly easy to setup. But before you get any grand ideas about putting this thing on your deck, for instance, consider this: water weighs about 8.34 pounds per gallon. The hot tub holds 250 gallons of water. That’s over 2,000 pounds when it’s filled up, and that isn’t even counting the weight of four people inside of the hot tub. So, unless you have a deck or patio with great supports, look to set this up on cement or the ground.
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Once you’ve pick its final destination, the setup is surprisingly easy. Just plug in the air pump into the outlet and attached the hose to the hot tub, and let thing inflate. The cover is also inflatable and shouldn’t take too long to get to max capacity. Then it’s time to attach the pump. Essentially, all you need to do is line up the three attachments and connect the pump to the hot tub. Then, fill that bad boy up with water. Give yourself plenty of time — 250 gallons is a lot of water.
The Coleman Hot Tub: Power
The Coleman inflatable hot tub connects to a 110 V outlet, as opposed to 220 V that a standard hot tub would usually need. While this is convenient in that you don’t need a 220 V outlet installed, it does take more time to heat the water. Expect the temperature to rise about a degree per hour.
Speaking of heat, according to a number of Amazon and YouTube reviewers, heat efficiency, or heat loss is a bit of an issue, especially when you run the air jets. When set to 104 degrees, a handful of reviewers say to expect the temperature to drop around four degrees in an hour or so, and that could speed up when the jets are in use, since they take the cold air from outside, compress it, and send it through the hot water.
When not in use, one reviewer recommends covering it with additional blankets or a tarp to help prevent additional heat loss. The cover does fine to help it retain heat, but additional coverage will help with this problem.
The power source and filtration system are tied together. The filtration system is not the best, simply because there isn’t enough air or suction to help remove debris from the hot tub. This of course is a power issue. The best way to ensure that your hot tub stays clean is to give it an assist with one of those pool skimmers. Take a little time before every use to snag whatever may be floating around in your hot tub.
The Coleman Hot Tub: Cost of Operation
The cost of your inflatable hot tub goes beyond the initial purchase. Your first cost will come from filling your hot tub. Using an additional 250 or so gallons of water to fill up the tank will certainly raise your water bill for the month. The second is heating the hot tub. This ongoing cost entirely depends on the temperature you leave your hot tub at and how much you use it. Using data from Inflataspa as a baseline here, it costs about a $1 a day to keep a hot tub running in “mild” conditions, and if you keep your hot tub protected and closed when not in use. A rough estimate of the ongoing cost of keeping your hot tub heated is about $30 a month added to your power bill.
Should You Buy A Coleman SaluSpa Inflatable Hot Tub
When you’re limited on funds, and you’re not quite ready to make the commitment for a standard hot tub, the Coleman SaluSpa fills that gap. It’s incredibly simple to set up, and if you decide you don’t want to maintain it, simply drain the water, deflate it, and it’s out of your hair.
And sure, there are some issues with maintaining heat, but you’ll more than likely be a prune by the time the temperature dips too far down. Unless you are hellbent on getting a standard hot tub, you can save quite a bit of cash and hassle by going with this inflatable option from Coleman instead.
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