What is the Best Year Round Swim Spa? EVERYTHING you need to know
Our complete list of the best all-season swim spas
One of the most attractive attributes of a swim spa is that it can be used year-round. But not every swim spa is built to last through tough winters. Here’s a guide for when you go swim spa shopping that will help you select a model that will work well year-in and year-out.
Here’s our big tip. If you’re looking for the best year-round swim spa, the main thing you need to look at is how the swim spa is insulated.
But we don’t want to make you wait. If you’re just looking for the top brands to consider for year-round swim spas, here’s the round-up:
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Arctic Spas, Endless Pools, Hydropool, Coast Spas, Marquis, Jacuzzi and SwimLife all make swim spas that will work well year-round. Other brands may make quality swim spas, but their insulation qualities or their lack of longevity in the market makes us more reluctant to suggest them.
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Why trust us? At Hydropool, we have been selling swim spas in Canada since the late 1990s, and we have seen many companies enter the marketplace and then leave again. We also know it’s unusual for a company to talk about other brands this way, but we want people to buy quality, no matter what. We want happy swim spa customers everywhere. That’s why we wrote this article.
Making a swim spa operate well in the summer is comparatively easy. You do need a heater, which comes with the spa, of course, but the ambient temperature will also help keep your water warm. It’s during the winter where the “year-round” element really comes into play.
Breaking things down further, in this article we will look at:
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The key considerations for year-round swim spas.
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We’ll break down the three main types of insulation in swim spas – perimeter, full foam and hybrid and tell you which brands use which.
Let’s dive in!
Key Considerations for the Best Year-Round Swim Spas
There are few factors we’d suggest you ask about if you’re looking at a year-round swim spa:
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Where the swim spa is made. Buy a swim spa that’s made in your area or from an area that features winter weather that is worse than your area. While there are some exceptions (which we will note later), this is a decent guideline to follow. That way you know the swim spa was built to handle the worst of whatever you’ll have to deal with.
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Energy efficiency numbers. “You either have a low hydro rate or you don’t,” explains Jeff Fox, Hydropool’s director of swim spa sales. A good swim spa company will show off its energy efficiency rates or want to brag about it. A company that knows your costs are going to soar when it gets colder will find a way to change the subject.
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Insulation. Here’s why it matters so much: Insulation not only impacts the energy efficiency and cost of operating your swim spa but also its ability to maintain water temperatures throughout the year without breaking the bank. If you’re looking at a swim spa with a different kind of insulation than what’s on this list, we don’t recommend it at all!
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Quality Cover. A good cover is essential for retaining heat and reducing energy costs in the wintertime.
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Ease of Use. All of this has to come in a package that you can understand and engage with easily. If you’re constantly checking your manual to figure out how to use your swim spa, you’re not having much fun in it are you?
Lastly, don’t think you have to skimp on anything else if you’re buying a year-round swim spa. You can get swim spas for a wide variety of reasons – family fun, aquatic workouts, swimming, you name it. Make sure your swim spa doesn’t sacrifice any of the key elements you’re looking for in the name of being an “all-season pool.” A good swim spa can be used all year for whatever you want it for.
The Three Major Types of Swim Spa Insulation
There are three major types of insulation for swim spas.
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The Perimeter Insulation System - Perimeter insulation is a method that focuses on insulating the cabinet of the swim spa rather than applying foam directly to the shell. Companies that use this method include Arctic Spas and Endless Pools. It’s a good system, similar to how you insulate your house. The issue with perimeter is that it doesn’t offer support for your plumbing while other systems do offer greater support.
Full foam insulation provides a lot of warmth, but it’s not the easiest element to get through if a leak develops or anything else goes wrong.
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The Full Foam Insulation System - Full foam insulation fills the entire cavity of the swim spa with foam, providing high R-values for excellent thermal retention. Coast and Marquis use this. It’s great for warmth, but it’s very hard to service because all the insulation must be cut out.
Hydropool’s blanket and full foam combined insulation system has the benefits of a perimeter system with the same warmth as full foam
. It also allows for access if anything goes wrong.
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The Hybrid Insulation System - Hybrid systems combine the benefits of perimeter and foam insulation for maximum efficiency and ease of maintenance. Hydropool, Jacuzzi and SwimLife use this method. It’s achieved with a foil insulating blanket around the machinery for access and full foam everywhere else.
While each of these can make good swim spas. Hydropool has adopted the hybrid method because it offers the best combination of support for plumbing, easy access for service and reliable energy efficiency. We have tried each method there is over the decades we have been in business, before settling on the hybrid as our choice. Hydropool has evolved its insulation throughout the years as it is key part of every swim spa we make. We say they are tough enough for Canadian winters. And if they weren't, we'd be out of business by now.
What is the Best All-Season Swim Spa?
In this article we identify a select handful of brands that are committed to building quality year-round swim spas. Each of these brands put a significant effort into insulation, to ensure energy efficiency. We also explained why insulation is the key element in a year-round swim spa.
If your priority is having a swim spa that performs well throughout the harshest winters, focusing on insulation and a quality cover is essential. Whether you opt for a hybrid, perimeter, or full foam system, ensure that the swim spa you choose meets your needs for warmth, cost-effectiveness, and ease of use, turning your backyard into an inviting, year-round retreat.
We hope this article answered all your questions. But if we missed anything, don’t hesitate to reach out to your local retailer.
Disclaimer: In this article, we’ve used brand names not affiliated with Hydropool or Jacuzzi Brands LLC, the parent company of Hydropool. All information, including pricing and product details, was accurate at the time of writing and may change without notice.
