height-of-tubs

Everyone keeps asking what is the length and how wide is the tub. If the tub is going to be used by a high bather load the width and length are important to give everyone enough room but the height of the tub is what people rarely ask. When someone asks what the height is I alwasy know people have done way more research than someone just calling in trying to pick my brain.

Some tubs are really big but they are very shallow. The cheapest tubs are only about 28 to 29 inches high. Slightly more expensive tubs are about 34 to 38 inches. Once you get over 39 inches that is super deep, especially for larger people that are over 6 feet tall. The real reason and I know this is because when the tub is just a few inches higher it adds back pressure on the jets. (see psi vs fluence page)

The 28 inch high models compared to the 39 inch (the highest I have been in), the back pressure of an extra 11 inches is like 1/3 more water than the average hot tub. The weight of all these extra gallons of water will probably require at least a 20 amp power supply and the motor and components should be able to handle this back pressure or it is going to be a hot tub that can set you up for failure from the start.

If you start to compare hot tub heights, you will notice that the most expensive components that are able to run at higher capacities are 99.99% of the time in these tubs that are closer to 39 inches.

Note: I have seen some tubs that are 39 inches high but say to run them on medium speed or if on high then only this or that much time. Listen, why should I have to limit my hot tub session. What if I have company over? So I have to worry its gonna shut off every hour? This is a huge red flag for me. Clearly the hot tub is powerful but not engineered with components that can handle heavy use. It sure does suck when a hot tub stops working and has to cool down when I am throwing a party backyard.

It is not that a shorter hot tub is worse. Put it this way. If all things are equal and one tub is instantly raised 10 inches higher, the fluence is still the same but the psi (water pressure) can is diminished. This is why you can get a super powerful hot tub for much cheaper when it is not as deep. When people go in the tubs at the show rooms, they go to the recliner type seats which people don't realize these are to steer them away from the fact they are shallow tubs.

Note: If someone is short, the shallow tubs usually aren't a problem, its mainly for the taller people. So, not every time do tall people want to lounge. It's funny how this is the seat in the show rooms I have seen them go to first. Its their selling point but a distraction from the other seats. Another problem with shallow spas is that the seats are different than the lounge seats of a deeper lounge seat. The jets can move someone right out of the lounge seat depending on how the seat is designed.