Lay-Z-Spa Saint Tropez Inflatable Hot Tub Review

If you daydream about spending lazy evenings enjoying wine in the summer breeze from your own hot tub, then our series of hot tub reviews are exactly what you need in your life. From the knowledge we provide, you can go on to find the best hot tub for your home, garden, or even for taking on holiday with you…

Today we are taking an in-depth look at the Lay-Z-Spa Saint Tropez inflatable hot tub. This is a 4–6-person tub with some cool additional features like floating LED lights to jazz up your hot tub/spa experience. Let us get to grips with some of the other features of this hot tub to see how it compares to others.

Table of Contents

Are Hot Tubs Healthy?

Before we break apart the Lay-Z-Spa Saint Tropez hot tub, we wanted to talk about whether hot tubs are healthy. Inflatable or otherwise, a home hot tub pumps warmed water around the same system, repeatedly. This warm water is a breeding ground for bacteria – but only if it is not taken care of.

What does chlorine do for my inflatable hot tub?

Home hot tubs have several health benefits which we will get to in a moment. First, we want to summarise the role of chlorine in the inflatable hot tub. Lay-z-spa have their own chemical dispersal method which works to neutralise these bacteria by killing them with chlorine. If you keep this system topped up with chlorine, you should not have any problems with an unhealthy hot tub.

Chlorine forms into a mild acid when it is placed in your pool, which acts as just enough of a deterrent to keep bad bacteria at bay. This active sanitiser is known as hydrochloric acid and will keep the pool or hot tub germ free.

Oddly enough, if the hot tub is making your eyes itchy, this is a sign that you do not have enough chemicals in it, rather than the opposite way around.

The Health Benefits of Hot Tubs

Provided that you either change the water regularly, or that you treat the water properly, you will be able to utilise your home hot tub for the health benefits it naturally gives you.

Some of the health benefits of bathing regularly in a hot tub include:

Gives muscle and tendon relief to those with aches and pains. An athlete, for example, will benefit from the soothing properties of a hot tub.
Relieves any stress held in the muscles or body. Some of us hold our tendons in our shoulders or neck and this can relieve it.
Can help ease the symptoms of certain conditions, like fibromyalgia, arthritis, or torn muscles.
Helps you sleep better, faster, and for longer. Better yet, because you are not holding that tension in your back as you sleep, you do not wake up with aches and pains.
The easing of the stress thereby lowers blood pressure. This leads to increased oxidation of the blood, which gives you better circulation.
It keeps anxiety at bay. It is hard to stay in a state of heightened fear when you are soaking your troubles away. It helps social anxiety to have a home spa, too, since you are not having to let anyone see you.

With all this in mind, the inflatable hot tub can be healthy, and good for you, if the water has been treated with the appropriate chemicals. If you are using someone else’s hot tub, be sure to ask them or check for yourself if the chlorine is topped up. Be aware that some hot tubs use salt and convert it to acid instead. These are a little cheaper in the long run, but the cost difference is negligible.

A Quick Overview of the Lay-Z-Spa Saint Tropez

For those of you who cannot stop long enough to read the whole review of the Lay-Z-Spa Saint Tropez, here are the key talking points that you should consider, in the style of pros and cons

Pros of the Saint Tropez Inflatable Hot Tub:

It is big enough to hold 6 adults, or up to 8 kids. Keep in mind you should not leave kids unsupervised near a hot tub.
It goes to 40 degrees centigrade, too hot for some but there is a temp and timer control.
It has a floating LED light which adds colour to the spa party.
It comes with 87 airjets for a massaging spa experience.
It has a Chem Connect chemical dispersal system, but you will need to buy your own chlorine.
Two-year warranty that you need to register with Lay-Z-Spa to activate/extend from 6 months.
UK based customer service from an internationally renowned company.
Tri-Tech three ply nylon based patented fabric, anti-tear material.
DUAL FUNCTION – run spa bubbles and heat simultaneously.

Cons of the Saint Tropez Inflatable Hot Tub:

There are some ongoing costs. A new air filter is about £2 and will last roughly 6 weeks. A box of chlorine tablets varies but averages around the £10 mark. You will need a new box every two or three months. The cost of running, should you keep it on and ready for a full week, falls between £7-£10 according to the manufacturer themselves.
It has a 7m cable, but you might still need an extension lead if you are running it outdoors.
People do not like having to register to extend the warranty.

What you get in the Lay-Z-Spa Saint Tropez Box?

Moving on, we examine what components should arrive when your new inflatable hot tub shows up.

The Liners

There should be two liners. An inner and an outer. The inner liner is a light blue in the Saint Tropez. Light enough that the LED light can bounce around the walls and reflect in the water. This is complemented by the outer liner, which is a striking deep royal blue. When you have the Saint Tropez in your garden, there is no denying you have a pool. If you want to disguise it, you should investigate the Lay-Z-Spa Enclosure since it is large enough to cover all their models of hot tub.

The Air Pump

The air pump is a separate unit that should arrive with your Lay-Z-Spa Saint Tropez. It is the same wonderfully deep blue colour as the outer liner so that it all matches nicely. It has the digital display on top, where you can perform several functions. The air pump connects to the liners by way of a secure fastening

The Digital Controls

A side note to say that the digital controls are for the temperature, the bubbles, the timer, and other functions of the hot tub. The lights are independently controlled and the Chem Connect should disperse on their own. The digital control panel is always located on top of the air pump so that it is at the farthest possible point from the water. Do not worry if you get it a little wet though, it is waterproof.

The Filter Cartridge

There is a filter cartridge included with your purchase so that you can get going. There may or may not be chlorine in the box, we find this change from hot tub model to hot tub model. Our reviewer’s version arrived with chlorine but yours may not. It never hurts to have a backup on hand, anyway. The air filter cartridge stops the airjets being blocked by dirt or debris. They should be rinsed after each use of your tub and changed completely every 6-8 weeks.

The Lid and Cover

Your Lay-Z-Spa inflatable hot tub should come with an inflatable lid. This lid is for placing on top of the hot tub, should you need to pop out for a moment. It will keep the heat in and minimise the chance of anything human, animal, plant, or mineral, from falling in while you are not there. The inflatable cover is insulated against heat loss.

The other lid is the full hot tub cover. This pulls over the entire top and fastens to the bottom by way of four safety clips. This makes your hot tub incredibly safe against the bad weather, dirt and dust, and secure against anyone falling in when the hot tub is not in use. This is a great safety feature if you have lots of children around.

The Chem Connect Patented chemical dispersal system

Your Chem Connect system will be in the box. It attaches in the clearly marked position to the liner, where it can be filled so that it disperses chlorine enough to keep your inflatable hot tub at home safe and clean.

The Floating LED Light pack

This additional feature is a circular beam floating light that changes colour. Pop it in the hot tub and turn it on manually when you are ready to light up the night.

What is the Best Lay-Z-Spa Hot Tub?

Lay-Z-Spa have released countless models since their inception back in the mid-90s. They are a daughter company of Bestway which specialise in outdoor and pool equipment, particularly inflatables, and especially home hot tubs. They hold over a hundred patents and sell their wares all over the world. In the case of the UK, they even supply a UK based call centre and manufacturing plant to make sure their British clients have all they need for hot tub success.

As to what their best model of hot tub is? That depends entirely upon what you want. If you are a young couple, unlikely to be entertaining anyone other than yourselves or a friend or two, then try the Miami on for size. If you want something with more bubble power, the Palm Springs can help you out. If you need something with more space, the Vegas is better, but if you want something the teens will love, then the colour changing lights of the Saint Tropez will work for you.

If you want to peruse the long list of other Lay-Z-Spa inflatable hot tubs, you can do so at our website. Head on over and have a read through our blog to find the right inflatable for you.

How do you set up an Inflatable Hot Tub?

One of the main reasons that customers consistently return to the Lay-Z-Spa brand is their ability to streamline that setup process. The faster it is between arrival and use, the happier the client. Lay-Z-Spa are therefore reliant on their research and development department. They hold over a hundred different patents as a result and, if it is used on an inflatable hot tub, there is about a 30% chance that Lay-Z-Spa had the idea first.

To set it up, then. Make sure your area is prepared to house your home hot tub. If indoors, ensure enough space for good airflow around the hot tub, along with good ventilation in and out of the room. A wet room or garage is best. If outdoors, make sure you have cleared all the dirt and debris from the area to minimise the chance of snagging. If possible, we suggest you lay something on the ground before you erect your hot tub, to give it added insulation. A ground sheet for a tent works well but others have suggested the foam padding for children’s playhouses works well, too.

Unroll the two liners, they should be one inside the other. Connect them to the air pump as per instruction and switch it on in setup mode. The liners should start to inflate and will be fully inflated within 15 minutes.

Next, you can run a hose outside or from a garden tap to start filling the hot tub. This can take anything up to an hour depending on how your water pressure is. Once 80% filled, you may turn on the heat.

Most home hot tubs will take an overnight to heat up, and this is true of the Saint Tropez as well. Fortunately, Lay-Z-Spa use a rapid heating system of their own invention which heats at around 2 degrees an hour. This could see it take as many as 10 hours to heat to a temperature you are comfortable bathing in – which is still about 6 hours quicker than other brands.

Once inflated and filled, heated and treated with chlorine, your inflatable home hot tub should be ready to use. Expect it to take an overnight, or at least a long day, to heat to the full forty degrees. However, you will be able to use it before then.

What Sets the Saint Tropez Inflatable Apart from other Lay-Z-Spa models?

We all want to know what the special reasons to opt for the Saint Tropez hot tub are. All hot tubs from Lay-Z-Spa come with standard features such as the rapid heating system, for example. This lets you get warm exactly when you want to. It heats faster than most tubs will, but this kind of exemplary tech is still standard for Lay-Z-Spa… So, what features standout?

Standout Features Include:

The thermally insulated lid helps seal in the 40-degree centigrade heat.
An electronic timer lets you order in advance when you want to bathe. You can set it up while you are at work.
It has 87 airjets, all able to blast you with bubbles from all angles.
It comes with dual operation, so you can have bubbles and heat at the same time, a rare thing among the lower end inflatable hot tubs.
It fits up to 6 adults.
What sets it apart is really that floating light system.

Inflatable Hot Tub Buyer’s Guide to the Saint Tropez

So, if you are determined to spend on a home hot tub and do not want to fork out the price of a fixed one, here is all you need to know before you buy the Saint Tropez.

Dimensions of the Hot Tub

This hot tub will be 196 metres in both length and breadth when it is fully inflated and filled with water. This means you need at least a 3 metre by 3 metre room to house it in so that you have plenty of airflow. It also stands at 58cm tall, so you have plenty of room to sit inside and relax. The floor is cushioned, by the way.

When first delivered to you, the box with all its contents should weigh no more than 35 kg. This might be too heavy for you to lift on your own. Be sure that you take it to the room you want it to remain in before you set it up, too, since it will be tricky to move once inflated.

When filled with water it holds 966 litres, which equates to something like 950 kg. You will not be able to move it when it is filled so be sure of positioning first.

Colours Used

The deep royal blue on the outside of this inflatable hot tub makes for a refreshing – yet bold – choice. It tells everyone who sees it that there is a pool in your garden. On the other hand, the muted light blue innards of the hot tub are great for disguising discolouration of the water which might happen if someone gets in there dirty.

Lighting

Even better at disguising any dirt in your hot tub is the colour changing lighting system. The floating LED light emits a cyclical range of lovely bright colours. This makes a night in the hot tub more of an event. It is perfect for entertaining, too.

Airjets and Spa Options

We love any dual action hot tub, since they let you have both bubbles and heat at the same time. For some, this is an integral part of the home hot tub experience. If you need this feature, then the Saint Tropez is a solid choice. It comes with a whopping 87 airjets, each able to pump water continuously through the system to give you a lovely bubbly finish.

Indoor or Outdoor Use?

The Lay-Z-Spa Saint Tropez is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. We suggest having it indoors on the ground floor, because of the weight, or outdoors under the canopy to stop debris like fall leaves from floating in it. You should also keep it covered when not in use, whether it is outdoors or indoors. This helps prevent accidents.

Digital Control Panel

The digital features include a timer capable of plotting your hot tub experiences up to 72 hours in advance. As well as those three days to heat up should you need it, you can activate your home hot tub to whatever temperature you like. You can even control how many bubbles there are and at what strength they are blasting you.

Safety Features

As a great safety feature on all the Lay-Z-Spa models they will automatically cut off at 40 degrees. This is a little on the hot side for some, but it cannot go any hotter, so you know you will not be scalded. You also have those two covers, one of which clips right one there, to keep out small fingers and prying paws. We love that the digital controls are on top of the pump, too, since this is where it is driest.

Warranty Information

The Lay-Z-Spa Saint Tropez comes with a warranty of six months standard for defective parts or goods. This does not cover you for anything you have done to mistreat the hot tub. You should also keep an eye on that warranty because you can extend it to two years through using their website.

Frequently Asked Questions about Inflatable Hot Tubs

In this section, we have tried to answer some of the most asked questions we hear about the Saint Tropez, and about inflatable hot tubs in general. Before you contact us with further questions, you should browse those below to make sure we have not already answered it.

Q) How Long Does It Take To fill, heat, and use the Saint Tropez?

A) Setup time for the Saint Tropez is minimal. It will inflate in ten minutes, be filled inside of an hour depending on the water pressure in your area and will heat in approximately 10 hours. You should be able to use it before it hits maximum temperatures.

Q) Are inflatable hot tubs safe?

A) Inflatable hot tubs are perfectly safe. Consumers report up to ten years of use before tears appear. The digital controls are often double sealed inside a waterproof compartment. The tubs also come with clip-on fastening covers to keep children out of them. Nevertheless, never leave children unsupervised near your hot tub and ask your doctor about using it if you are pregnant.

Q) How long will an inflatable hot tub last?

A) Some clients report using their inflatable hot tubs (by Lay-Z-Spa, no less) for nearly a decade. One client noted eight summers worth of use by his young family. The two-year warranty does give you some piece of mind. If you keep them in good working order, they might well last a lifetime.

Q) What is the best inflatable hot tub to buy?

A) This depends on what you want from your hot tub. We do recommend the Lay-z-spa brand, however, since they occupy about 30% of all inflatable hot tubs sold worldwide. They are the manufacturers behind most of the research and development that goes into these hot tubs, so they make a great place to start searching for your ideal inflatable hot tub.

What customers Liked about the Lay-Z-Spa Saint Tropez?

As we draw towards the end of our Saint Tropez review, we want to take a few moments to voice thoughts from other reviewers, too. After all, they might have noticed things that we did not. To do this accurately we work in two sections. We will cover what other clients liked about this inflatable hot tub here, then we will move on to the things they did not enjoy as much.

The Setup Time

The speed of the inflation, the rapid heating, the ease of use of the instructions… all make for an easy setup time.

The Lighting

People who bought this type of hot tub did so because the LED lighting convinced them to. The other models of similar size do not have this feature.

The Heat

Clients record that it was hot enough to entertain them but not so hot that it burned anyone. The rapid heating system was approved, too.

The Size

You have plenty of space to enjoy a good soak in the Saint Tropez inflatable hot tub. It is ideal for a couple, young family, or even a family of 6!

The safety features

The clip-on lid was admired in reviews, as were the secure buckles used to hold it in place. The cut out at 40 degrees comes in handy for your peace of mind, too.

The Price

When compared to other hot tub models, consumers loved the low price of the Lay-Z-Spa Saint Tropez model.

The Dual Operation

By far a firm favourite of any who used it, the dual bubbles and heat operation system made everyone happy.

The Setting Up

Users reported the setup is simplistic but that there are also plenty of helpful videos on YouTube if you get stuck.

The Durability

Customers say that this model of hot tub can last five years or more if you take care of it well, stow it in winter, and keep your filters clean and fresh.

The Running Costs

Many reviewers said the same thing: that they had been worried about the electricity costs beforehand, but that they had not noticed a big jump in energy bills since buying it.

When all these things are considered, it seems that the pros far outweigh the cons for the Lay-Z-Spa Saint Tropez.

What Customers Didn’t Like about the Lay-Z-Spa Saint Tropez?

Similarly, there are things that not everyone enjoyed about this model of home hot tub. It would not be fair to leave these out and so we have covered them below.

The Cleaning

Let us face it, nobody likes cleaning out a hot tub. Water changes take time – but it will keep your hot tub safe and secure.

The Winter

Again, hot tubs need to be stowed in winter. If they freeze, you risk damage to the electronics. Take it down and store it in an outbuilding until springtime or move it indoors. Some hot tubs come with Freeze Shield technology but not the Saint Tropez.

The Filters

You should really wash your filter cartridges after every use, and it does become annoying. This is a mild irritation when compared to the de-stressing health benefits of an inflatable hot tub, though.

With these few gripes, there really are not many cons to owning this type of inflatable home pool. To round everything up in a neat, hot tub shaped package then, let us give the final verdict on the Saint Tropez.

Our Verdict on the Lay-Z-Spa Saint Tropez inflatable?

So, after all of that, how does the Saint Tropez measure up to the other hot tubs in the Lay-Z-Spa range? We like its fun features and stand out lighting, we adore its heating system, and we love the space it provides. Dual operation is always a big hit among our clients too, so really, we cannot recommend it enough.

Our only gripe, and it is a small one, is that we have seen more airjets in smaller models, although these have the higher price tag. It seems that you can get a good mid-range two-person tub for the price of a more basic 4–6-person model, but we suppose this is only right.

We recommend this model of inflatable hot tub for those with bigger families, for those that want to add an extra room to their home outdoors, or for those that intend to entertain guests often. The lights, the space, and the bubbles, are all conducive to a great party… all we need now are the people. So… Is it your hot tub or ours?