Jacuzzi vs Hydropool Hot Tubs: A Complete, Unbiased Comparison

When hot tub shopping, it is inevitable that you will end up comparing brands and products. And when you do, one of the comparisons sure to come up is Jacuzzi and Hydropool.

Which is better, Jacuzzi or Hydropool? It’s a fair question and one we understand at Hydropool, because Jacuzzi is a brand our staff hear often. There is an obvious reason why: Jacuzzi is known throughout the world and instantly recognizable as a brand name (to read a story on what the difference is between a Jacuzzi and a hot tub, click here).

But are you paying for a name? Or are you paying for quality? And with Hydropool, if you don’t know the brand, you must be asking, “Is this a high quality hot tub that is worth it?”

The truth is that both companies manufacture excellent hot tubs. Both are on the premium side of the market, and both have long histories of innovation. Jacuzzi invented the market, while Hydropool has been a leader in Canada for more than 40 years, and one of the very first hot tub companies in that country.

Proving there is more than one solution to a problem, both Hydropool and Jacuzzi come at hot tubs differently. So which is best isn’t the question here as much as which is the best one for you. And we hope you’ll be able to figure that out after reading this article where we look at what’s the same and what’s different between the two brands, with five points of comparison:

• Which hot tub is less expensive?
• Which hot tub looks best?
• Which hot tub is easier to maintain?
• Which hot tub’s massage is best?
• Which how tub is more efficient?

We will wrap it up with some relevant facts that don’t fit into any other category, and we will let you pick the winner.

 

Which Hot Tub Costs Less: Jacuzzi or Hydropool?

Both hot tubs work in the same overall price bracket, about $10,000-$20,000 (Canadian) but overall Jacuzzi is more expensive. 

Jacuzzi offers a good, better, best approach, which is very common in the industry, with 200s, 300s and 400s as its models. Hydropool has two lines, Serenity and Signature, forgoing the entry-level models. 

The Serenity lineup in Hydropool is similar to the 200s and 300s that Jacuzzi offers, and when you get to the higher 300s and 400s, you’re looking at comparable pricing to Hydropool’s Signature collections. 

That does set up some disparities: For example, when you get to the higher end of the Jacuzzi 400 collection on price, you’d have to add about two features sets from Hydropool’s range of offers to match their features and on price (note: this is manufacture’s pricing: Local pricing may vary at stores near you). 

What does that mean? It means Jacuzzi prefers packages to customization, and Hydropool approaches pricing the exact opposite way. It’s also worth noting: Hydropool is less shy. It lists pricing on every model on its website, while Jacuzzi does not. 

Which has the better price? Pricing is very similar between the two brands. They just go about it differently. It’s best to think about how each gets to their price point. Jacuzzi offers complete packages, without a lot of customization. Hydropool offers more options, so you can pick the hot tub that is right for you. 

Which Hot Tub Looks Best: Jacuzzi or Hydropool?

Jacuzzi is a luxury brand, and it shows. From the extended lip and raised, high-back design on several models, the Jacuzzi hot tub stands out with attractive attention to detail. Its waterfall feature is among the best you can buy. The Jacuzzi base is very distinctive, with a high base, so it appears the cabinet “floats” or looks like it sits on a pedestal. The company’s cabinet color selection for some hot tubs includes a crisp-looking light grey panel along with rich brown and deep charcoal options. 

Hydropool has a classic hot tub design, meant to blend into any environment, with natural woodgrain-looking walls along with a linen version that let the water be the star of the show. Color options for the acrylic part of the hot tub number seven to Jacuzzi’s five (both have a traditional range of greys, browns and whites) and both offer three cabinets, in a range of browns, greys and blacks. 

Which looks best? It depends on what you’re looking for: Hydropool’s models are meant to blend into yards and become part of your home. Jacuzzis are meant to stand out.  

Which Hot Tub is Easier to Maintain: Jacuzzi or Hydropool? 

When it comes to cleaning and maintenance, Jacuzzi has a unique filtration system. The hot tubs feature a wide-mouth skimmer that pulls water in, where there are two independent filters. One works all the time, whenever the filtration pumps are on. The other filter activates when people get in, which is when you need cleaning properties in your hot tub the most. It is also worth noting that Jacuzzis have available a very fine filter on 400-level models, which “polishes” the water, making it seem to shine because it removes so much particulate. Again, you see the attention to every luxurious detail (worth mentioning that Hydropool used a fine filter but stopped because it clogged so often: When a filter clogs it shuts your heater down, which we decided was hassle you don't need. When they work they're great, but too often they don't was the issue.). 

Hydropool’s Self-Cleaning System is unique, and designed to work like a commercial pool, which is the highest standard there is for cleaning pools. In short, it’s an excellent cleaning system, which creates the least amount of maintenance for owners. It puts the filter behind the pump, which ensures all of your water is cleaned every ten minutes and comes with both a top skimmer and a vacuum-style cleaner on the floor. No other hot tub has that system, as the company patented it (other hot tubs generally take hours to clean water as opposed to minutes). The system is available on the top-of-the-line Signature models, while the Serenity line uses an industry-standard cleaning system where the pump sits behind the filter, like Jacuzzi’s.  

Which is easier to maintain? If Jacuzzi leads on luxury, Hydropool’s self-cleaning system leads the industry on cleaning.

• For more on cleaning systems in hot tubs, click here.

Which Hot Tub Massage is Best: Jacuzzi or Hydropool?

Jacuzzi is the first brand in hydrotherapy. The company history is that the jetted tub was invented in the 1950s, when a Jacuzzi family member fell ill with rheumatoid arthritis, and the idea was borne that water massage could help the young boy. Today, the company’s hot tubs still deliver excellent massages. The company’s patented RX jet is revered in the hot tub industry. Jacuzzi has sweated the details, seeking to deliver the ideal mixture of air and water. It offers multiple seats in its collection, such as the RX Therapy Seat, designed for back and neck relief. A recent addition is its infrared technology which combines infrared and red light therapy within the hot tub itself. 

Hydropool has also committed to hydrotherapy, with multiple programs in its Zone Therapy approach. Instead of focusing on seats, the approach emphasizes different parts of your body. As a result, its hydrotherapy massage works on your whole body, with each seat massaging a different area, from your feet to your neck. Top-of-the-line models include a form of “Zone Therapy” which includes lighting that lets you know when it’s time to switch seats.

Which massage is best? Here you may be looking at two sides of the same coin. Neither company is pushing a high number of jets, just for the sake of having them. Both brands are committed to delivering quality massage that actually delivers. You have a choice of which approach is right for you. 

Which Hot Tub is More Efficient: Jacuzzi or Hydropool?

Jacuzzi uses a full-foam system for its insulation. That involves packing the entire body of the cabinet entirely with foam, which helps holds pipes in place and retain a great deal of heat within the hot tub’s structure. It works, but is very difficult to deal with when making repairs as you literally need to dig a hole in the insulation. If you're trying to find a leak? Good luck.  

Hydropool used to use that system but has evolved. Hydropool today uses a thermal blanket system. It works like a pane of glass in your house, trapping warm air from the hot tub’s own motor in the cabinet, so it doesn’t go to waste. Pipes are tied together so they don’t move, eliminating the need for insulation to hold them in place. Hydropool used to employ a full-foam system but abandoned it for its current approach due to long-term concerns. What the company found is that if you require a service call with a full-foam hot tub, a great deal of the foam needs to be cut out each time. Finding a leak can be especially difficult and require considerable foam removal. 

Which hot tub is more efficient? You’re weighing your options here: Accessibility and heat efficiency versus more insulation as your insulation solution. Both hot tubs are certified by the California Energy Commission, the strictest regulatory body in the world. They just do it a different way. 

Jacuzzi Versus Hydropool: Facts on Each Brand

• Jacuzzi is a billion-dollar company based in Vista, California. It operates in many fields, with its latest focus on bathroom re-modelling.  
• Hydropool is smaller and more personalized, with its factory and head office both in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.  
• The two actually share an umbrella owner in Investindustrial, a global private equity firm. 
• Jacuzzi is known worldwide. Really, it is the only instantly recognizable brand in the hot tub industry. Like Kleenex is to tissue, Jacuzzi is to hot tubs. 
• Hydropool is the leading brand in Canada, and overall, more known for swim spas than hot tubs. 
• Jacuzzi manufactures hot tubs in five different locations, but mostly in Mexico, while Hydropool makes all of its hot tubs in Mississauga. 
• Hydropool has been in the hot tub business since 1978, while Jacuzzi was founded in 1915, but developed the indoor jetted tub in the 1950s, before moving to outdoor hot tubs in the 1970s.

Jacuzzi versus Hydropool: Which Hot Tub is Best for Me?   

The answer to that question is both are good, and you will need to decide which one is best for you. They have different approaches to the same hot tub experience, with Jacuzzi emphasizing its history and brand, luxury, then hydrotherapy, and Hydropool emphasizing ease of maintenance and hydrotherapy. Every customer has to decide what is more important to them. 

This guide was meant to dive into the elements that make up each hot tub and show how they are different. 

• Each has unique elements, such as Jacuzzi’s RX Jet and Hydropool’s Self-Cleaning system. 
• Each insulates its hot tubs differently, with Jacuzzi using a system Hydropool moved away from. 
• Each has similar elements, such as their color selection and commitment to massage. 
• Pricing is quite close between the brands, but they come at it in different ways, with Jacuzzi providing packages and Hydropool allowing customization. 
• Jacuzzi is an internationally known and recognized brand, while Hydropool is one of the industry leaders in Canada. While it sells internationally, it is less well known. 

One way to think about is like this. Audi, Mercedes, BMW, Volvo: Each make great cars. You can’t go wrong with any of these selections. The same is true here between Jacuzzi and Hydropool. You’re picking the best quality model that appeals most to you.

• Are you ready to talk to a Hydropool dealer? If so, click here.