Hot Tubs

A hot tub is the household garden upgrade with the longest decision list: hard-shell vs inflatable, jet count, heater wattage, water capacity, electrical install. Hard-shell (acrylic-and-foam permanent build) lasts 15-20 years and runs as a permanent installation; inflatable hot tubs cost 1/4 as much, deflate for winter storage, and last 4-6 years. Aosom UK, Cheap Furniture Warehouse and Cheaper-Online.co.uk between them cover £7-£8,999 across hard-shell and inflatable. Capacity: 4-person tubs hold 800-1,000 litres; 6-person tubs hold 1,200-1,500. Heater wattage decides how fast it warms from cold (1.5kW takes 24-36 hours; 3kW takes 8-12). Pump and jet count varies wildly, more isn't always better, since cheap multi-jet tubs distribute weak flow. Check the running cost: a hard-shell tub on heat-on standby costs £2-£4/day in electricity; inflatable tubs cost more because the insulation is thinner.