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Which hot tub heating system is right for you?
The heating system is one of the most important decisions you’ll make when choosing a cedar hot tub. It influences how you use your tub, how much involvement is required from you, and how much flexibility you have throughout the year.
Most customers prefer the convenience of a hot tub that is always ready when they are. Some people enjoy the process of heating the water themselves. The good news is that there is no single right answer. The best heating system depends entirely on how you want to enjoy your hot tub.
Quick guide: which heating system fits you best?
Do you want your hot tub to be ready whenever you feel like taking a soak?
An electric spa system is the best choice. Whether it's a spontaneous soak or your daily session after work, it automatically maintains your desired temperature and keeps your hot tub ready whenever you want to use it. Over 95% of our customer prefer this heating method.
Do you want to use your hot tub regularly and improve energy efficiency?
Consider combining a heat pump with a spa system. Heat pumps can reduce energy consumption up to 70% while still maintaining comfortable and consistent water temperatures year-round.
Do you have time to prepare your hot tub before each use?
Then you might enjoy a wood-fired heating system. Heating the water this way requires several hours, advance planning, and active involvement. This may be a good fit if you enjoy collecting dry wood, are able to spend the time firing it up, and enjoy the process each time before your hot soak.
Do you want wood-fired experience while still benefiting from modern convenience?
A hybrid system combines a wood-fired heater with a modern spa system. This allows you to enjoy both approaches in a single hot tub.
Electric spa systems
For customers who value convenience and have busy everyday lives, an electric spa system is the most chosen option. A spa system automatically manages water temperature, filtration, and water treatment. Instead of planning ahead and heating the tub manually, you can simply decide when you want to use it and step into warm water.
One of the biggest advantages is flexibility. Heating schedules can be adjusted to match your routine, allowing you to optimise energy consumption around how often you use your hot tub. The system can also be monitored and adjusted remotely through a smartphone app, giving you complete control regardless of your location.
Heat pumps
A heat pump can be paired with a spa system to improve efficiency even further. Rather than generating heat directly, a heat pump transfers heat from the surrounding air into the water. This process requires significantly less energy than traditional electric heating alone, making it an attractive option for customers who use their hot tub frequently, year-round.
Most of our customers use their cedar tub weekly, if not daily. For them, a spa system combined with a heat pump offers the ideal balance between comfort, convenience, and energy efficiency.
Wood-fired heating
With wood-fired heating, the preparation becomes part of the experience. Before you can enjoy a soak, you’ll need to gather the wood, light the fire, and give the water time to heat up. While many owners enjoy this approach, it requires more time and planning than they initially expect.
For this reason, wood-fired heating is typically better suited to customers who enjoy the effort as part of the total pleasure , have a slow lifestyle with much free time, live off-grid, or use their hot tub at a holiday home where convenience is less of a priority.
If you’re considering a wood-fired hot tub, think about how often you plan to use your tub and how much time you want to spend preparing it. We recommend reading our guide to wood-fired hot tubs to better understand what day-to-day ownership looks like.
Hybrid systems
In day-to-day life, most of our customers use their hot tub regularly and prefer knowing they can enjoy a soak whenever they want.
Here, a hybrid system might be a solution if you are set on a wood-fired heating system. This approach combines both systems. You can experience the process of a wood-fired heating while also benefiting from automatic temperature control, integrated filtration, water treatment, and all the convenience that a modern spa system brings.
Choosing the right system for you
The best heating system is the one that matches the way you plan to use your hot tub. For most customers, a spa system (combined with a heat pump) offers the most comfortable and convenient everyday experience. Wood-fired heating could be a better fit for customers who enjoy a more hands-on approach or need an off-grid solution, while hybrid systems combine elements of both.
Explore our heating methods page to compare all available options and discover which heating system is the best fit for your cedar hot tub, or contact us for expert advice based on your preferences.
