Lay-Z-Spa Palm Springs Inflatable Hot Tub Review

Lay-Z-Spa are not short of different models of inflatable hot tubs. As one of the market leaders for hot tub manufacture here in the UK, they have more than a few tricks up their sleeves to keep them ahead of the competition.

As such, we have come to expect wonderful things from this brand. What types of wonderful things? So far, we have seen colour-changing strip lights, 128+ air jets, and self-cleaning tubs. We can only hope that the Lay-Z-Spa Palm Springs lives up to our growing expectations of this brand.

Let’s take an up-close-and-personal look at the Palm Springs inflatable hot tub, to see how it stacks up against other models contained within our hot tub guide. Before you splash out, make sure you dive in…

Table of Contents

Are Inflatable Hot Tubs as Good as the Real Thing?

Absolutely… is the short answer. An inflatable hot tub is the answer to around 90% of life’s problems, in our estimation. They let you soak away the stress both indoors and out and give you something to rush home for in the evening. They are akin to the first chocolate bar after a six month diet… the proverbial watering hole in a desert of rain and misery…

Inflatable hot tubs allow you to have the luxury of a home hot tub, but without the same kind of price tag. Not only are they affordable by comparison to the real thing, but they are also just as tough. They don’t take up as much disruption in your home because they don’t need to be drilled, plumbed, or fitted in. There are even health benefits associated with bathing in a hot tub.

Arguably best of all, however, is the portability factor. The fact that you can have an inflatable hot tub in your home, in your garden, or even at your relative’s house if you want it. You can take it down and put it up in a few hours, only for it to take an overnight heat and be usable the next day,

By comparison, your inflatable hot tub will take less power because it doesn’t need to stand ready all the time, as the plumbed in model would. Again, that portability factor means you can even take your big purchase with you, if you move home.

So… is an inflatable hot tub as good as a fixed model? We think it’s even better, but the choice is yours.

A Quick Overview of the Lay-Z-Spa Palm Springs Model

For those in a hurry, here are the at-a-glance features of the Palm Springs from Lay-Z-Spa.

Pros:

4-6 person hot tub that easily fits a whole family.
Heats to 40 degrees centigrade, more than most people need.
Padded floor which other models don’t have.
120 airjet massage system, airjets are a patented design of Lay-Z-Spa.
Simple setup in less than 15 minutes, instructions and setup DVD included.
Heats in about 14 hours to full temperature.
2 years warranty once activated.
Tritech 3x thicker material, puncture proof outer, I-beam construction, super durable finish.
Energy saving timer in-built.
UK based call center and factory.
Extra safe locking lid to keep little fingers and paws out of the water.
Suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.

Cons:

Does take an overnight to heat up but all inflatable hot tubs take at least 12 hours or longer.
Warranty must be activated at the address or number provided on the materials.
It takes a lot of water which can be too heavy for some flooring types. Be sure to check and keep your hot tub on the ground floor where possible.

What’s Included in the Lay-Z-Spa Palm Springs Model Box?

Whenever you buy an inflatable hot tub, it will be sent out to you as a kit. There will be a box, a base unit, and a liner pack. There may be a few other extras, too. The frame for the Palm Springs inflatable hot tub for your home is an I-Beam frame, which allows for as durable a construction as possible. It also contains the following items in the start-up pack.

The Palm Springs Airjet Inner and Outer Liners

Almost all inflatable hot tubs come with two separate liners, an inner and an outer. The purpose of the dual liners is to ensure that the water contained within is doubly safe. You would have to rip through both layers before the hot tub itself started to leak.

The liners of the Palm Springs Airjet hot tub are made of Lay-z-spa’s own patented TriTech fabric, which is three times thicker and stronger than regular vinyl. The aim of this thickness is that it is tougher and longer lasting than ordinary inflatable hot tubs.

The outer liner of this model is a light brown, which resembles a light coloured wood. This colour will fit into almost all spaces and look as natural as it can. The inner liner is a very light blue. Although white looks cleanest from afar, when you are inside your hot tub (or any pool) an off-white colour is best used for closing up inspections.

The Palm Springs Airjet Pump

We mentioned already that the team at Lay-z-spa have developed their own type of air jet, which they use to power the massaging jets in their hot tubs. These air jets come from a single unit, a pump, which needs to be plugged in and connected to the main pool as a side attachment.

As well as being the source of your massaging air jets (all 120 of them!), the pump contains a top unit of its own. This small attachment features the digital control panel for the whole hot tub. It is kept here because it is farthest away from the water. This is where your timer, temperature, and other modifications can be made.

The Lids

There are two lids that come with this hot tub. The standard Palm Springs lid is the first of these. It is to be used when the hot tub is not in use, or when you just pop into the kitchen for more wine and don’t want the cat to jump in the water. It is the same size as your hot tub and is fully inflatable. It comes in the same off-white that your inner liner is made from.

On top of this comes the Palm Springs AirJet Top Cover, which is made of a leatheroid material. This blend of water-resistant and durable material allows dirt and debris to stay out of your hot tub when it is closed over for the night. It simultaneously keeps debris out while keeping the heat in… as an added safety feature, this lid sports four clips, which you can fasten for added security. If you have kids around, safety features like this are a must-have.

Filter Cartridges

All inflatable hot tubs work by filtering air and water through pumps. If that water has bits of dirt or leaves in it, they will clog up the machinery and cause the pump to malfunction. To avoid this, Lay-Z-Spa added air filter cartridges that can be rinsed out between uses. Look after your air cartridges and your hot tub will look after you.

They should be replaced every three months of heavy use, but they cost very little.

The Chem Connect System

Another patented technology that the boffins at Lay-Z-Spa came up with, was their very own chemical dispersal system. The Chem Connect filter can be filled with pool cleaning chemicals and will disperse them at needed intervals to keep your water bacteria free. It is vital that you don’t skip this step when you own a hot tub.

Again, you will need to buy the chemicals in a separate order.

The Lay-Z-Spa Brand: Are They Reliable?

Now that we know what we are buying when we get the Palm Springs Inflatable Hot Tub, lets turn our attention to the brand itself. Who are Lay-Z-Spa, and can they be trusted? We already have the scoop.

This isn’t our first review of one of their products, so we already know that they are a steady, reliable brand. What we need to refresh our minds on is that they are the market leader in inflatable hot tubs, here in the UK. Lay-Z-Spa are an offshoot firm of Bestway, who specialise entirely in hot tubs for your house… and Bestway are a big name with a lot of funding potential.

After more than two decades in the hot tub game, Lay-Z-Spa didn’t stumble upon being the no. 1 provider of hot tubs in the UK. They worked hard to get there and did most of it through their vast investments in research and development. It is estimated that the brand has more than 110 different inflatable hot tub patents. Further to this, a number of things we now take for granted in home hot tub technology were originally thought up by Lay-Z-Spa teams.

Take rapid heating systems, for example. The old days saw hot tubs have to be filled with hot water in order to be warm. After that, there were hot tubs heated by log burners with no temperature control. As little as a few years ago, it could take a full day for hot tubs to heat up. Lay-z-spa managed to half that to 14 hours… an achievement others couldn’t manage until they paved the way.

So are Lay-Z-Spa reliable? Yes. They have international offices, factories, and call centres, in almost every country they sell to. Customer service reviews go beyond good and into excellent territory. If something goes wrong, they are likely to repair, replace, and leave you alone to get another few decades’ worth of use out of their hot tub. In terms of UK based providers of inflatable hot tubs, they really are number one.

How to Setup an Inflatable Hot Tub?

When it comes to the setup process, clear the area where you are placing your hot tub completely. This 4-6 person tub ought to take up a 3 metre squared space but will need another metre of air circulation around it to prevent overheating. We suggest it be kept in a garage or outside.

Ensure that your hot tub is to be set up on a surface which can handle the weight of a few hundred litres of water. When you are ready to begin, lay the groundsheet on your cleared area and unpack your liners. You will be able to use the airjet pump to blow the whole thing up so that you don’t need to do it yourself.

The whole thing should be fully inflated within the ten minute mark. Once done, you should start to fill the Palm Springs Lay-Z-Spa hot tub with water using a garden hose. Once it is filled, you will be able to turn it on and start heating it up. We recommend that you cover it during this process so that the heat doesn’t escape.

The inflatable hot tub for home should be fully heated to the maximum temperature in about 14 hours. After this, you are free to use it at will.

Features you get with the Lay-Z-Spa Palm Springs Hot Tub

All hot tubs from Lay-Z-Spa come with similar features. They all seem to heat to that 40 degrees point, they all come with thoughtfully utilised colour schemes, and they all have the rapid heating technology we talked about earlier.

That being said, each and every model of the Lay-Z-Spa range have their own special merits. Some have flashy lights, some have pockets – and the Palm Springs is no exception. Here are some of the things we liked best about this particular model of hot tub.

Standout Features:

Cushioned flooring – the extra cushioning on the bottom of the Palm Springs inflatable hot tub allows for extra comfort to the user. It’s nicer to sit in, it feels luxurious, and you have that extra bit of insulation between you and the ground.
120 airjets – each pointedly working to massage you under the water.
Tritech fabric – three times thicker than ordinary vinyl, your Palm Springs home hot tub has seriously increased durability.
2 years’ worth of warranty coverage when you fill in the registration documents.
Convenient quick drain system in-built into the cushioned floor.
Air chamber inflation for faster operation.
Winner of the UK pool and spa awards of 2018.
Guaranteed safety switch-off so it never overheats.
Good in cold temperatures – down to 5-6 degrees should be fine for this model.

This covers the majority of the cool aspects about this particular model. Now let’s talk about the product specifications. What are you getting for your money when you buy the palm springs inflatable hot tub?

The Wise Buyer’s Guide for the Palm Springs

There are several considerations to make before you rush off and buy a hot tub. The Palm Springs has certain attributes that others don’t share. If you want to compare this model to some of our other reviews, pay close attention to the details in the following section.

Dimensions

The palm springs model of home hot pool weighs 39.1 kgs when uninflated. Once filled and blown up, that weight increases to around 960 kg. This is why we advise you to put it on a solid/ground floor.

The product is 71 cm tall, and almost two metres wide and long. This makes the dimensions 196 x 71 x 196.

Colour Scheme

The light blue, almost off-white of the inner lining is enough to disguise any dirt or grime that might build up in there. Of course, there is no substitute for cleaning it! The light brown of the outer liner to the Palm Springs home hot tub is a good neutral base. This is a colour that will blend into all spaces, both indoors and out. It looks like a fitted tub although we aren’t sure that was the design goal. It could just be a happy coincidence.

Outdoor or Indoor Use?

The Palm Springs hot tub from Lay-Z-Spa is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. If you are buying for an outdoor tub, be sure that you also purchase a waterproof extension lead so that it can run off the power in your home. Extending it out into the garden, or into the garage, adds a new room to your home and allows a communal area where your family and friends can relax in peace.

If you want to use this hot tub indoors, be sure to choose your flooring wisely. You should also make sure there is plenty of ventilation in your chosen space so that there is no build up of damp.

Digital Controls

The digital controls are easy to understand and come with a setup DVD. You can also contact the call center if you have digital issues. Consumers report that resetting the controls is usually enough to fix any issues that might arise. The controls come with temperatures, timers, and bubble settings, so you can easily switch between the two.

Spa features and Airjets

There are 120 airjets in this air pump, meaning every area of the pool leaves you massaged. You must turn off the heat to turn on the bubbles, like most hot tubs. The heat goes up to 40 degrees and customers report that the jets and bubbles are stronger than they thought.

The Safety Aspect

We love that this model of hot tub comes with that clip-on lid that you can safely secure against little fingers, and that it has the inflatable lid for more temporary coverage. We also adore the cut-off feature that means it won’t heat beyond that 40 degrees. There is no chance of this hot tub overheating or short circuiting if it is set up correctly and has enough space.

Warranties and Guarantees on this Inflatable Hot Tub

As with all of the Lay-Z-Spa inflatable hot tub models, the warranty on the Palm Springs product needs to be activated. There will be instructions contained within your pack as to how to do this, but it usually involves calling the center or visiting an online location.

The warranty is against parts and anything going wrong with the product as a result of defects – and not against anything you might do to make the product fail. It lasts for up to two years although some variables aren’t covered for quite as long.

FAQs about the Lay-Z-Spa Palm Springs Hot Tub

Before we turn to the other customers’ reviews, let’s answer some of the most commonly asked questions about the Palm Springs model. We advise that you have a look for any questions you want to ask in this section before you reach out to the firm involved, as some of your questions may have been answered previously and this will save everyone some time.

Q) How many people is the Palm Springs Hot Tub made to hold?

A) 4-6 people can fit in this hot tub, around 4 adults, or two adults and up to four children, should comfortably fit in it. It holds 963 litres of water, which is almost enough for two people to swim in.

Q) Can you use the bubbles and the heat at the same time?

A) Not with this model. However, it is as easy as pressing a button to switch between the two. All you have to do is set a timer on the digital control panel and you could switch back and forth between the two, maintaining an equal measure of both.

Q) Is this hot tub suitable for children?

A) It is not specifically made for children nor is it specifically child friendly. You will find that most hot tubs aren’t. It is not recommended that children under 13 years of age use a hot tub to begin with, but if you do let your children inside, be sure they are supervised. Remind them that it is not a toy and that they are not to go near it if you are not there.

Q) How much does it cost to run the Palm Springs inflatable hot tub in electricity?

A) The heater costs about 2 kW/hr to run in electricity, while the filter costs half a kilowatt. the massage bubbles cost 0.8 kW/hr, which all adds up to about £10 per month, depending on your service provider, area, and costs. Don’t forget to factor in the costs of water, if you live in an area with water charges.

Those who have been using these hot tubs for a while recommend it is more energy-friendly if you heat them up at the start of spring, then keep the heat on to top itself up when it is needed. This beats the energy costs needed to fully heat the tub up again between uses. You can also use the two lids that come with the Palm Springs inflatable tub to keep some of the heat inside.

What Customers Like about the Palm Springs Home Hot Tub

We scoured through all the reviews we could find online to pick out what other consumers consistently mentioned. Below, you will find all the things that they liked and disliked about the Palm Springs inflatable hot tub from Lay-Z-Spa.

The Colour and Style

Clients liked how the brown tied in with their garden surroundings. We couldn’t find many people who had the hot tub set up indoors, but we are sure you would match your colour scheme to your hot tub, and not the other way around.

The Setup

Time and time again clients mentioned how easy it was to get the whole thing inflated and filled.

The Heat Speed

The rapid heating system Lay-Z-Spa invented makes their full range of at-home hot tubs heat up faster than anyone else’s does. 14 hours might seem like a long time, but there are others that are a whole lot slower.

The Silence

The motor is reportedly silent in this model. Nobody wants a noisy hot tub chugging away in their home and keeping them awake at night.

The Cushioning

That special cushioning feature really works hard to set the lay-z-spa Palm Springs hot tub apart from other models. It adds an extra comfort layer that other hot tubs just don’t have.

The Capacity

It holds more than enough water for 4-6 people to enjoy splashing out in. Consumers reported this was big enough to hold their whole family, often with room to spare.

The Price

For other models of this calibre, you are looking at prices about £200 more than what the Palm Springs inflatable hot tub is selling for. This is a definite positive to keep in mind when choosing the best hot tub for you.

What Customers Disliked about the Palm Springs Home Hot Tub

Similarly, we looked out for the things not everyone enjoyed. Some of these include the following.

The Chemistry

Not everyone understands how to operate the Chem Connect system, which is fine because amounts vary depending on what chemicals you buy. Simply follow the instructions on the product for best results.

The Running Costs

Although not high, the costs add up to run this machine. You need chemicals, filters, water, and electricity. In the parts of the UK where you pat for water, this is like an extra cost. Nevertheless, reviewers who cited running costs as expensive didn’t say it put them off using it, only that you should be wary of it when buying.

The Cleaning

Nobody likes or wants to have to clean out a hot tub. Fortunately, there are a range of home cleaning products that have been specially devised to make pool cleaning easier. Some tackle grime, others make the water safe, and still more keep the bacteria levels under control. When you combine all of the above, you can keep the number of total water changes you need to perform to a minimum.

Our Verdict on the Lay-Z-Spa Palm Springs

What’s our verdict on the Lay-Z-Spa inflatable Palm Springs home hot tub? We love it. We love that added layer of cushioning in there as that is what really makes it stand out. When added to the temperature, the space, and the luxury, you are left with a reliable and lavish hot tub, that all of your friends and family members can enjoy – maybe even at the same time.

Reviewers have said that this is the best product they have ever bought. Some say it changed their lives, while others use it to manage ongoing medical conditions. Whatever you use it for, the Palm Springs inflatable hot tub will bring you hours of relaxation. The only question left to ask yourself is if you can afford to miss out on the luxury of a stress-free life.

If the answer is no, what are you still waiting for? There is an inflatable hot tub out there just waiting for you to take it home.

If you are interested in the other inflatable hot tubs from his brand that will comfortably fit 4-6 people, check out the Lay-Z-Spa Vegas, Paris, Hawaii, Milan and Ibiza.