Heavenly hot tubs: how to pick the one that best suits you

A soak in a hot tub is relaxing and therapeutic. To help you pick a hot tub that best suits your needs, here are some hints to give you the experience you've been looking for.

Before anything else, the kind of hot tub you choose will depend on your available space and needs.

Permanent hot tubs: A permanent hot tub is durable and highly efficient. Like an in-ground swimming pool, this type of hot tub will likely need to be professionally installed.

• It can sit in-ground or be built into a deck or another surrounding. It’s permanent, so choose the right location before taking the plunge.

Portable hot tubs: A portable hot tub offers many of the same great features as a permanent one, but it has the added benefit of being able to be moved around without too much difficulty.

• Portable hot tubs are cheaper than permanent ones, and they sit at ground level so they can be easily plugged in to regular power outlets.

Soft hot tubs: If you can't have a portable or permanent hot tub for various reasons, an inflatable hot tub is a good alternative. They are relatively cheap, easy to move, easy to deflate (or inflate) and can be used inside or outside.

• All you need is a safe, level surface and you’ll be ready to go. You can even take it on vacation.

Aside from determining where you’re going to put it, consider these other factors when you’re buying a hot tub.

Size: While a five-person hot tub is considered standard, you’ll easily find a two-person hot tub, four-person hot tub, eight-person hot tub and anything in between.

• When considering the size, think about how many people will be using the tub and how much space you have.

Purpose: If the main purpose is socializing or relaxing, a basic jetted tub with about 20 jets will do the job.

• If you want a hot tub for therapeutic reasons, consider something with at least 30 jets to target specific areas of your body. Some tubs don’t have any jets.

Materials and heating: Spend time thinking about the hot tub parts and materials you want.

• You can buy a fibreglass, vinyl, stainless steel, acrylic or cedar hot tub. Tubs can be heated by electricity, natural gas, solar power or propane gas. You can even get a wood fired hot tub.

Hot tub covers and accessories: There are many hot tub accessories available, including underwater lights, steps, a handrail, an umbrella or a hot tub cover.

It isn’t always easy to make changes to a hot tub after it’s installed, so take time to think about what you want before making a final decision: write a wish-list of what you’re looking for, find the perfect match, and it’ll quickly become a favourite part of your household.