Instinct is hands down the best value on the market and I have (and love) a Pure Instinct. The good news is we just got word this week that there is a control being added to turn the waterfall on and off. If you're interested I can send you an email

In Nevada the market is owned by a huge reseller who primarily does the trade show/expo sales. We can help with something factory direct with local service if you're interested

Under 10k with a lounger to fit 4-6 people is gonna be a challenge. Loungers take up a lot of room so getting one to fit that many people means an 8 foot tub and 8 foot quality brands are gonna bust your budget. The Vital Instinct at $8,300 checks all your boxes but it's 4 person max. Tell the others to wait their turn..........:)

Marquis and Bullfrog are both decent but be careful about pricing - these days they seem to be all over the place. Instinct has service/install techs all over the country so they will deliver to your backyard and come service the tub if it is needed.

$4k is a lot for a nine year old hot tub, even a Jacuzzi which is well built!

Beachcomber is solid except for that damn non-removable skirt but that is a good price so ask the dealer to put it in writing that if your tub needs to go back to the shop for repair that they won't charge you for transportation

Loungers are great........for selling hot tubs. They are super comfortable with no water in the showroom but many people float out of them when they have water in them so we recommend that people generally avoid them.

Pavers are every bit as good as concrete, both my tubs sit on a pavers with no issues at all

Stay away from the Aqualife, it's a lower tier brand. That's a stupid high price on a Jacuzzi J-375 too. Even in the most expensive markets that should be $15-16 tops. Where are you located? Have a look also at the Instinct Spas. You get the build quality of the Jacuzzi at just over $8k

www.instinctspas.com

Thanks. Hendersonville NC. Reviewed instinct but only 3 choices shown and I’d prefer option for reclined jet massage with more person capacity. Also “web” describes Instinct/Master as newer manufacturer with shorter track record on products and concerns raised over customer service. Thoughts please. Thanks

Sent you an email

You're looking at the right brands - Bullfrog, Jacuzzi, Master, Sundance and Instinct Spas are all top notch brands but I'd put the Bullfrog Spas in the lower tier when it comes to quality muscle massage compared to the others. The jet packs are narrow so they can't hit the sides of your back, etc. unless you're really thin and they divert a portion of the pump flow behind the jetpacks to prevent stagnant water. They are also often overpriced so be careful. I can send you an email if you like to help you with appropriate pricing

If you bought our service, we're still her to help. I'm gonna send you an email

Thank you! I received your email and replied!

Yeah they can be decent tubs but after sales support and warranty has been pretty much non-existent with them

At the 5k price point your only real option is something like a Bueno Spa but it's gonna be dropped in your driveway and the warranty will be pretty much non-existent. We've also seen tubs arrive with damage that is a nightmare to get fixed. The best advice I can give you is to keep your expectations very low or make your budget a little higher. Instinct Spas are 7-8k but you're getting a solid, reliable hot tub made by one of the top manufacturers and delivered to your backyard

When you say deliver to back yard do you mean they will install? I am trying to figure out the best way to deal with trying to get the old one out and new one in. I am thinking i will need a crane w/ operator to help out since the home is in hillside. there is a walkway around the home but I am not sure what kind of dolly systems hot tub people have. Thank you for your recommendations. I will look into Instinct spas.

The delivery folks are not allowed to connect the tub, that must be done by a licensed electrician. They will put the tub in place on your prepared surface

Sundance is a great brand but stick with something in the 700 or 800 series so you get good insulation standard. If you wanted to buy a Master though, we can turn any dealer into a five star because we are very good at getting our people top notch service so if you want to explore that route I can send you an email

There so no lemon law when it comes to hot tubs (oh how I wish this industry was better regulated) and that is definitely a flow issue. Dirty filters can cause it so removing the filters TEMPORARILY to help diagnose it is the right move but leaving them out is never a good option. Did they disconnect the water lines from the pump and check for obstructions?

Those are insane prices for Canadian Twilights. The 7 and 8 typically run around 18 and 19 respectively so they must have been trying to unload last years models. You won't come close to those prices on 2025 models, we can get better than normal selling prices but you're still going to be in the 16 to 18 range depending on model

Hey Matt,

Appreciate the detail—this is a good one to break down.

So first off, Bueno Spas. When they launched, we were pretty optimistic. It's a direct-from-factory line from Wellis, and the automation at the plant gives it a relatively consistent build. For something under $7,000, it's probably still one of the better-built options out there.

That said—there are trade-offs.

• No clamped plumbing (still using glue only)
• Cradle-supported shell, which is cheaper and less robust than the self-supporting designs on higher-end tubs
• Lower-end insulation system, which means it'll cost a bit more to run, especially in shoulder seasons or if you're in a cooler climate

Now, here’s the real kicker: customer service is almost nonexistent. Their tubs are curbside dropped, not installed, and they bounce through multiple LTL freight companies. That leads to a lot of transit damage, and when that happens, good luck getting anyone at Bueno to pick up the phone or reply to your emails.

We referred a few thousand customers to them last year. For most, it worked out—but we got at least 10x the number of complaints we’ve seen from any other brand we've recommended. So if you're going this route, just assume you're on your own once it’s dropped in the driveway. That’s not necessarily a dealbreaker—you can order generic parts and find a local tech if needed—but it’s something you should go in eyes open about.

So what's better?

If you can stretch your budget just a little, there’s a factory-direct line built by the largest manufacturer in the U.S. that was originally sold in retail stores at $11,000. They stripped out all the marketing, advertising, and dealer markups, and now sell it exclusively through us for $8,300—delivered and installed.

That’s the Instinct Spa line. And it’s a different league:

• Hand-rolled, self-supporting fiberglass shell (not cradle-supported)
• Full foam insulation with high R-value open-cell foam
• Glued and clamped plumbing
• All standard Balboa and Waterway parts—so no proprietary nonsense
• Delivered and installed by pros, not dropped at the curb
• Backed by our Buyer Protection Service—if anything goes sideways, you get my private number and I’ll make sure it gets sorted, fast

If you're trying to stay under $7k and you’re comfortable doing some things yourself, Bueno's not a bad value—just know the risks. But for a couple thousand more, Instinct is a full step into real premium territory without the fluff. Built like a tank, proper service network, no games.

Let me know where you're leaning—I can help either way.

That's a really broad question the top three right now are jacuzzi, mass spas, Sundance and then there's a bunch of second guys that aren't far off that build quality.

What kind of budget are we talking about here?

probably;y around 15 to 20 are pacific any good

Pacific is in the middle of nowhere land where most brands reside.

your budget is massive no tub in the world is worth more than $$16-$17k max only marketing is worth more than that lol

size?

number of users?

primary focus massage? or entertainment?

I do have a Pure Instinct and I absolutely love it as well. I don't use the cycling lights and prefer to keep them at one color (and this is the same lighting controller that almost all hot tubs come with). You may be aware of this but turning the lights off and then on within 5 seconds changes the color (and the cycling is considered one of the colors).

The waterfall is the one issue that I have with it as well and I wish they had put a diverter on it to allow turning it on and and off BUT......keep an eye on our Youtube channel. I'm going to be adding a diverter to mine and I plan on recording how to do it. It will take less than an hour and the parts cost will be less than $100 so if you're handy with tools at all, you can add one. The video will also include instructions on taming it a bit if you only want to reduce the flow.

That is SO helpful! Thanks, Chris. I am handy and will keep an eye out for your video on shutting off (or taming, which would probably be our preference) the waterfall.

The Instinct hot tub has a good jet package it competes more with the clarity Spas from master or legacies, or jacuzzi 345s jet package is over the top it's been seen high in therapy massage tub just look at the jet package it's all the large high flow therapy massage shifts those are expensive and you're not going to see that kind of jet package on any tablet there specially that don't quality. I can process orders for just about any brand for you at a better price through the same sellers I'm going to get a referral feedback I'm going to make sure you get better pricing and I'm going to give you my Buyer's Protection Service which literally gives you my private mobile number if you have a problem with a seller I hook you up with you text me I will sort it out

When you're shopping don't give out your personal details I get special discounts from customers are not already in the system.

Perfect. What is the best way to get in contact with you? Thank you in advance.

So they are both well built spas but the jetting on the twilight is about $2500 more expensive, it has a lot more of the expensive high flow therapy massage jets. what prices did you get?

$9500 for the Whirlpool Legacy Inspire. I am concerned about the warranty on this one though.

3 YEARS - Spa Structure/Shell Surface

• 1 YEAR - Equipment/Plumbing/jets/LED light system/ Ozonator/Audio

  Lifetime - Skirting: Duramaster Polymer™

Price is Right we can process that for you through the same seller and throw in our buyers Protection Service. Ignore warranties, they're not indicative of the quality of the spot is simply baked into the price it's $250 a year for a warranty in general in the first three to five years. Oftentimes manufactures on their lower ends will put lower warranties not because the build quality is any different but it's partially so they can justify the price increase on the higher end units. Also take a look at Instinct spas. This is built by the largest manufacturer in the US and it was specifically built in design for our specifications for our customers at 8300 for a 7-ft 40 jet tub with a fully self-supported shell glued and clamped plumbing and compression fit jets with a full foam insulation system!! Untouchable. And backed by national on site service

Hey Julie,

Appreciate the detailed list—that helps. Quick check first: are you totally sold on the idea of a center foot dome? Because here's the straight talk on those...

Foot domes are basically extinct in newer designs. Why? Because they’re a tripping hazard. People go to step in, miss the dome, or slip on it. Then there’s the plumbing—those domes need water lines run under the floor, which means heat loss, stress points, and the highest chance of leaks in the whole tub. And if it does leak? Total nightmare to fix, right dead center underneath the spa. That’s why everybody who’s updated their molds in the last 10–15 years has moved foot jets up into the sides—safer, more efficient, and you can actually use high-flow jets, not just those little low-pressure spinners that feel good for 30 seconds and then do nothing.

As for your list:

Hydropool 6800 – This is a lower-tier Jacuzzi product. Thin shell, cradle supported, perimeter insulation—just not high-end quality. They talk a big game, but it’s mostly fluff.

Signature NS-7 – Mass merchant special. No real identity, not a serious long-term brand. Cheap build, parts are hit or miss.

Vita Luxe – Thin shell again, cheap steel frame, and the insulation is bare-bones. Also way too much marketing about steel support that doesn’t actually support anything.

Unless one of these tubs is way below market, I’d steer clear. You’re basically paying showroom prices for a box-store build.

Let me know what kind of pricing you're getting on those three and I’ll give you the no-BS breakdown.

Chris,

Here is the ballpark out the door pricing

Luxe $12,600

6800 $9,500

NS-7 $7900

So the person on the license way too high you can get top brands like jacuzzi, sundance, master for that kind of money with way better build quality heavier grade shelves gluten-flam plumbing and way higher end insulation systems.

The other two are just market value again better options would be at the lower end of the price point think Bueno spas similar build quality, installation Etc composite frames, and automated build which means better consistency and reliability. At the mid end of your price looking Instinct spas one of the biggest manufacturers in the US put this direct to the public specifically for our customers built to our specifications. That was $11,000 when it was in retail stores and now it's 8300 delivered and installed with a top-end 5-in hard top cover full foam insulation self-supporting shell glued and clamped Plumbing and parts you can order off Amazon for next day delivery all top end. At the high end of your budget look at it Twilight series from Master the massage on this tub is insane and the build quality blows everything else you're looking at out of the water similar pricing for a 7-footer through our service