Hot Tub, Swim Spa or Both: Sizing for the People and the Yard You Have

People usually walk in asking about one product and leave thinking about two. Someone comes in for a hot tub and sees the swim spa. Someone else comes for a swim spa and ends up curious about a cold plunge. That's fine, because the questions you need to answer are the same for all of them. Who will use it, how will they use it, and what will your yard and your house allow?

Start with the people, not the product

Jacuzzi hot tubs, which Columbia Pool & Spa sells exclusively, range from two-person models up through seven and more. The common sizes sit in between: three to four people, five to six, and the big seven-plus tubs. A couple who wants a quiet place to end the day doesn't need the same tub as a family of five that wants everyone in it on a Friday night.

A good test is to picture the busiest realistic evening, not the best one. If you'll have friends over, pick for them. If it's just the two of you, a smaller tub is cheaper to run, easier to place and quicker to heat. Seats also differ in depth and in how the jets are laid out, so sit in a few. A showroom is the only place that's really useful for that.

What a swim spa is for

A swim spa is a long, deeper tub with jets at one end that push water against you so you can swim in place. It's built for exercise, resistance training and low-impact work, and it still works as a spa for the family. Jacuzzi lists several, and the numbers are worth looking at.

• J-14: seats 5, about 172 inches long, 92 inches wide and 53 inches tall, 1,629 gallons
• J-16: seats 4, about 185 inches long, 2,012 gallons
• J-19: seats 4, about 220 inches long, 2,430 gallons
• J-19 Dual Temp: seats 6, about 221 inches long, with separate temperature zones

The listings add a swim tether, an exercise bar, a waterfall-style Widesheet and fitness tracking. Each of those is about how you plan to use it. If you want to swim real laps, length matters. If it's mostly family time with some exercise, a shorter one may be the happier purchase.

Your yard decides more than you think

Measure before you fall for anything. A J-19 is more than 18 feet long and needs a flat, supported spot with room to walk around it. A hot tub takes up much less, but it still needs a level base, a route for delivery and a spot you'll actually walk to in January. Placing it close to the back door usually means you use it more.

Power is the other question. The swim spa listings call for 240 volts at 48 amps, and that's the kind of thing to hand to a licensed electrician who can look at your panel and tell you what's needed. Raise it early, because it can affect both the schedule and the budget. Columbia Pool & Spa can tell you what each unit needs, and the electrician takes it from there.

Water care, in plain terms

Maintenance is a fair thing to think about before you buy. Jacuzzi's True Water system uses nanobubble technology, and the manufacturer says it is 99.999 percent chlorine-free and takes about 15 minutes of upkeep a month. Those are the maker's claims, so ask to see how it works at the showroom. SmartTub lets you check on the tub from your phone. Whichever you choose, plan to drain and clean the tub every 3 to 6 months, and bring in a water sample when something looks off.

Cold plunge and sauna

If you're thinking about contrast therapy, the Jacuzzi Kodiak is a 115-gallon unit with an integrated chiller and an insulated cover. It runs from 37 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit, so it can be cold or warm. There's a one-year warranty on the acrylic, skirt, chiller, water pump and control panel. Finnleo and Jacuzzi saunas come in infrared, traditional and hybrid types. A lot of customers pair a sauna and a cold plunge with a hot tub, and it's easiest to plan the space for all of them at once.

Paying for it

Prices for hot tubs and swim spas aren't posted online, so the real number comes from the showroom. Wells Fargo financing is available on hot tubs and swim spas with approved credit. If you have a tub you're replacing, ask about the free trade-in assessment, and if you need one moved, they do professional hot tub moving.

Come sit in them. The Columbia showroom at 1200 Business Loop 70 W. is open Monday through Saturday, with Sunday by appointment, and the number is (573) 874-6972. The Osage Beach showroom can be reached at (573) 878-5152.