What is the Best Swim Spa for Exercise? Your COMPLETE guide

When the search for the perfect swim spa for exercise begins, many buyers soon realize that not all swim spas are created equal. Some are designed to cater specifically to fitness enthusiasts. Which is great! Because that’s what you’re looking for.

So, if exercise is your main priority, which swim spas should you consider? We'll break it down for you quickly: Endless Pools, Hydropool, and Master Spas all make quality swim spas that are meant for exercise, aqua fitness or in-water fitness programs.

Here's a crucial point every swim spa shopper must understand: swim spas can cater to multiple needs, but some excel in particular areas. What are the main reasons people invest in swim spas? We generally see that there are four:

• Relaxation
• Fitness
• Swimming
• Recreation

You can get swim spas that emphasise one or more of these factors. So you can buy a swim spa built for exercise that emphasizes fitness, robust swimming capabilities, and versatility in workouts. That’s what we want to talk about here.

In this article, we'll dive into top swim spas that excel in exercise capabilities, from our brand and others, and outline what you should keep in mind while making your decision. We will discuss:

• What to look for in a swim spa dedicated to exercise
• The leading swim spas for fitness
• Other crucial factors to consider before buying a swim spa

Before we dive deeper, let's address the bias issue. It's true, we're discussing our swim spas at Hydropool and those from other companies and we know that’s a little rare. We wish there were more impartial reviews, but we haven’t found any and we bet you haven’t either (if you do, let us know!). So we've created our own comprehensive guide to help every swim spa buyer make a good decision: We want the swim spa market to grow with happy customers. We hope it helps you make a good choice.

  

What makes a good swim spa for exercise?

Swim spas dedicated to fitness provide an ideal space for aquatic workouts, blending the benefits of a pool with the convenience of a personal gym. They are deeper than hot tubs, around 50”, so that your body gets the wellness benefits of water’s resistance while at the same time, the water is providing your body with the support it needs to not hurt itself.

If you’re buying for aquatic fitness, what you’re looking for is:

• You need a decent-sized water area, about four feet. You need sufficient room to work out in, and you can’t be bumping into the sides and seats every time you make a move. So check out the size of the tank first. You don’t need to over-buy – any four-foot square area will work. But you need at least that much space.
• You will also want a range of programs or methods of working out. Any swim spa you buy should offer this.
• It should have a mat on the bottom a soft stride matt so you’re not running on acrylic. This helps your joints.
• The swim spa should have some degree of swim capability. Swim currents can create more resistance and if you’re into fitness, you may want to incorporate swimming into your fitness routine.

 

A swim spa with an attached hot tub such as this 19-foot DTAX allows you to have cooler water to work out in and then have a hydrotherapy massage in the hot tub.

 

What are the top swim spas for exercise?

Endless Pools

Endless Pools is a premier choice for fitness-focused individuals, featuring robust integrated fitness programs and a variety of exercise tools, including a unique exercise bike called the Aquabike that can be placed in the water (Hydropool doesn’t offer one because we find most people consider it too difficult to get the bike in an out – they just want to work out. But we do think it’s neat). Their video tutorials and integrated workout systems offer a comprehensive fitness experience, no question.

Hydropool

As pioneers in the swim spa industry, selling models as far back as the 1990s, Hydropool's has an entire line devoted to versatility in the Aquatic line of swim spas. These are meant to be home gyms for people, offering spacious tanks for working out, good swim capability and a Zone Therapy massage system ensures effective, body-wide movement and relaxation post-workout. Another model to consider is the Executive Sport, due to its generous-sized tank in either a 16-foot or 19-foot model. Hydropool also has the unique 21-day wellness program, which is designed to teach any owner all of the major workouts that are possible in a swim spa – from powerlifting to intense cardio to more gentle wellness programs.

Master Spas

Master Spas stands out with its innovative app integration and interactive workout routines, including livestreams. They really make owning a swim spa an engaging experience as a result. The content and fitness tracking tools provide an enhanced exercise experience. If you’re looking for more of a “group” feeling while working out, this might be a good place to start.

Why didn’t other companies make the list?

There are many swim spas out there that you can work out in. What you need is a pad on the floor and a four-foot square space. Some other companies have programs unique to them, such as you run while a tether holds you in place, for example. But we picked these three because they seem the best to us, with real programs that allow you a variety of ways to work out.

Are there other factors to consider when buying a swim spa for workouts?

Comfort and Safety: A swim spa should have a comfortable bottom layer to prevent joint strain during workouts. Features like a soft stride mat can enhance comfort and reduce the risk of injury.

Ease of Maintenance: This is completely self-serving, we want to acknowledge, but you can choose a swim spa with self-cleaning capabilities to ensure your time is spent exercising rather than on upkeep. Hydropool is the only company that offers this.

Swim Capability: You can buy swim spas that just exist of a tank. The water will give you resistance and you will be able to work out in them. Hydropool’s 13FFP is close to this. But you can get a swim spa that allows for workouts and swimming. Why short yourself on a major feature if you’re into fitness?

What is the best swim spa for working out in?

Endless Pools excels in fitness options. Hydropool offers a 21-day program to show you the variety of workout options and good space to work out in. Master Spas provides dynamic, engaging workouts, including livestreaming. Each of these brands brings unique strengths to the table.

We hope this article has answered your questions on what to look for in a workout-based swim spa. If we missed anything, please reach out to your local retailer for more answers.