Looking to buy a new hot tub and seek advice. Local retailers have Sundance, Bullfrog, Calspa. I like Calspa that is made in USA, supposedly parts are not proprietary and easier to source. Sundance has strong rep, longer warranty, but apparently their parts are proprietary and it's made in Mexico. Are people happy with their spas? I heard Nordic was a good brand but just sold to private equity so looking steer clear. TIA
Sundance, Bullfrog, Calspa experiences? First time buyer seeking advice
- Thread starter wrysys
- Start date
@rdaspaguy has been repairing them for 25 years and will have thoughts. Hang tight till he gets back. 
- Jul 21, 2013
- 64,690
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
JoeSelf
Gold Supporter
I have a Sundance for about 10 months now and love it. We looked at Bullfrog, Jaccuzi & Hotsprings. All very similar with the exception of the Bullfrog JetPacks.
Came down to availability and being able to change the shell and exterior colors for us.
Came down to availability and being able to change the shell and exterior colors for us.
We bought a CalSpa 740 'Baja' a little over a year ago and have been very happy with it. We skipped a lot of the 'foo-foo', so it's a fairly basic model, but it's been rock solid. I tend to think that the more 'fluff' you have, the more things you have to go wrong. We don't have bluetooth speakers or magic-saniflow-ozonators or anything like that. Its a big bathtub with heaters and a couple big honking pumps . We had one issue right after initial install with a cracked fitting, they had a new part overnighted and our installer fitted it a couple days later. Since then, no issues. Came with a 5 year warranty, so didn't cost us a penny.
During the cooler months we use it pretty much every day, sometimes twice a day (in the warmer months we're in the pool!). Insulation and efficiency seems pretty good - we have a sturdy cover with an 'easy lift' thingy, and keep it covered unless we use it. We decided against the 'bench' seat model, gained the extra deep-well seat. Comfortably seats 4 adults, 6 if you're real friendly, 4 + 3kids is doable but water levels are not 'self-leveling'. Most of the time its just the wife and I, so we know how much we displace, and have the level maxed out accordingly. It does have a drain hose built in, but can't say I've ever used it.
We're in mid-Michigan, so it's not unusual for it to be well below freezing outside at this time of year...but I've never really noticed a huge increase in my electric bill - its a 5KW heater, plus the jet-pumps, but they only really run when you're in it, or it needs heating. As most of the heat escapes from the surface and the top has a big insulated cover, your heating is minimal once it's up to temp. The sides are all insulated internally with foam.
Covered, it'll take a considerable amount of time to lose any significant temp, I know i set it to 80F once, and two days later it was still in the 90s...so we generally leave it on 104F pretty much all the time unless we're going to be away for a week or something. Didn't seem like much point dropping the temp and then raising it again before we wanted to use it (and we'd probably forget and then its not ready when you need it etc). I'm sure other models probably have wifi apps or something where you could setup a schedule for heat/cool, but we just like it being ready whenever we want it. There is a dusting of snow on the top of the cover right now, and it last snowed about this time yesterday, so that gives you an idea on how well the insulation works
As for quality versus other brands, I can't really say. It does use 'generic' parts like Balboa, so in theory it's fairly easy to get spare parts. For us, the 5 year warranty took most of the worry out of it. It seems solid enough, I notice the odd rattle from the outside cover which is normally solved just by tightening one of the access panel screws - I could probably add a little silicone in the screwhole to stop it vibrating lose, but that's about only 'quality' thing I've found that is even worth mentioning. Filters are standard sized, so they are available on Amazon for reasonable prices..so reasonable that I rarely clean them, I just replace them.
. We had one issue right after initial install with a cracked fitting, they had a new part overnighted and our installer fitted it a couple days later. Since then, no issues. Came with a 5 year warranty, so didn't cost us a penny. During the cooler months we use it pretty much every day, sometimes twice a day (in the warmer months we're in the pool!). Insulation and efficiency seems pretty good - we have a sturdy cover with an 'easy lift' thingy, and keep it covered unless we use it. We decided against the 'bench' seat model, gained the extra deep-well seat. Comfortably seats 4 adults, 6 if you're real friendly, 4 + 3kids is doable but water levels are not 'self-leveling'. Most of the time its just the wife and I, so we know how much we displace, and have the level maxed out accordingly. It does have a drain hose built in, but can't say I've ever used it.
We're in mid-Michigan, so it's not unusual for it to be well below freezing outside at this time of year...but I've never really noticed a huge increase in my electric bill - its a 5KW heater, plus the jet-pumps, but they only really run when you're in it, or it needs heating. As most of the heat escapes from the surface and the top has a big insulated cover, your heating is minimal once it's up to temp. The sides are all insulated internally with foam.
Covered, it'll take a considerable amount of time to lose any significant temp, I know i set it to 80F once, and two days later it was still in the 90s...so we generally leave it on 104F pretty much all the time unless we're going to be away for a week or something. Didn't seem like much point dropping the temp and then raising it again before we wanted to use it (and we'd probably forget and then its not ready when you need it etc). I'm sure other models probably have wifi apps or something where you could setup a schedule for heat/cool, but we just like it being ready whenever we want it. There is a dusting of snow on the top of the cover right now, and it last snowed about this time yesterday, so that gives you an idea on how well the insulation works
As for quality versus other brands, I can't really say. It does use 'generic' parts like Balboa, so in theory it's fairly easy to get spare parts. For us, the 5 year warranty took most of the worry out of it. It seems solid enough, I notice the odd rattle from the outside cover which is normally solved just by tightening one of the access panel screws - I could probably add a little silicone in the screwhole to stop it vibrating lose, but that's about only 'quality' thing I've found that is even worth mentioning. Filters are standard sized, so they are available on Amazon for reasonable prices..so reasonable that I rarely clean them, I just replace them.
I do not recommend CalSpa based on my personal experience with warranty coverage working for 2 different Cal dealers over the years. It has been many years, so perhaps they have changed, but my opinion has not. They build a mediocre tub. Some parts (board, topside, heater) may be proprietary but replaceable with a complete aftermarket system. I haven't seen a newer one to know for sure, but that's how they used to do it. Had a proprietary "dually" pump with a wet-end on both ends of the motor for a while. Catastrophic idea, as the pumps crapped out every couple of years and cost $1200 just for the part. But I digress.
Bullfrog is another that I do not care for, in this case it comes down to jet pack anchor brackets. Otherwise, a good mid-range tub.
Sundance is in my top 3. Reliability, longevity, and efficiency. They are also, in my experience, a reputable company genuinely concerned with customer satisfaction and zero-hassle warranty coverage.
But in the end your satisfaction with your spa will come down to the dealer. So shop dealers first. You want a long-standing reputation for quality service. A great spa with a lousy or closed dealer will still be a nightmare at some point.
Bullfrog is another that I do not care for, in this case it comes down to jet pack anchor brackets. Otherwise, a good mid-range tub.
Sundance is in my top 3. Reliability, longevity, and efficiency. They are also, in my experience, a reputable company genuinely concerned with customer satisfaction and zero-hassle warranty coverage.
But in the end your satisfaction with your spa will come down to the dealer. So shop dealers first. You want a long-standing reputation for quality service. A great spa with a lousy or closed dealer will still be a nightmare at some point.
This was a big part of our decision. Our dealer is well known and established, has a 35+ year track record in the area, and stands behind their work. We had them doing work on our pool too, so we were already comfortable with them. They were upfront with pricing, delivery and setup was all included and so on...followed up after the install (handled our one warranty issue etc).
Couple other dealers locally just seemed far more interested in how big an invoice they could generate...and far less about what we needed. One quote we had for a HotSprings spa was like $30k...pretty brochure tho.
- Jan 7, 2012
- 2,110
- Pool Size
- 21000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
The brand I recommend depends on your circumstances. Some want long, relatively trouble free lifespan. Others want something they can fix themselves, with generic parts and easy access.
My top 3 are all similar, proprietary, and expensive. They are, in my opinion, the top quality spas. This does not mean they are the best choice for everyone.
Sundance, Hot Springs, and Dimension One (D1) are those 3. All are full-foam with 24/7 circulation. Sundance has the better shell construction of the 3.
My top 3 are all similar, proprietary, and expensive. They are, in my opinion, the top quality spas. This does not mean they are the best choice for everyone.
Sundance, Hot Springs, and Dimension One (D1) are those 3. All are full-foam with 24/7 circulation. Sundance has the better shell construction of the 3.
Thanks for the replies. So we don't get snow, but winter temps can often drop below 30 for part of the night. Is the extra insulation translate into savings? Any real differences among the top brands on energy efficiency?
also, we are on a time of use plan for energy, so cheapest rates are 12MN to 3 pm (.24 /kwh). Peak is much more expensive around 4-9 pm (.43/ kwh) . are you able to schedule when the heaters come on with a hot tub? thanks for the help
I’ve got a bullfrog spa and really like it. We leave near the factory though, and bought direct from them so there’s no dealer and they’ve been great to work with. Don’t really have anything to compare it to though.
Have you considered buying on the used market? Could save you a lot more than you may realize! On top of that, consider some for sale are relatively new, buyers-remorse situations.
They are not maintenance free, you could conceivably buy new and decide it's too much work to maintain it...
They are not maintenance free, you could conceivably buy new and decide it's too much work to maintain it...
Very little in heat retention, unless you have a breaker trip in freezing temps, in which case the full-foam is likely to survive for several days where otherwise it would freeze the first night.
The main advantage in full foam is structural support. The whole spa is a foam block, supporting the shell, plumbing, and cabinet. Full foam have fewer problems but are more expensive to repair when they do have issues, and often cannot be easily repaired by the owner.
No, they all use similar equipment and system design. They are as efficient as a spa gets.
Virtually all modern controls do.
This is excellent advice. Many people experience what I call "new toy syndrome", where they love their new toy the first year, rarely use it the second, and sell it the third. Buying used for your first tub is a good idea, you can always upgrade later after you know if you'll keep using it.
I have had a Bullfrog A6 for about 18 months now. I am about 99% happy with it. It holds heat well and I have had almost no issues with it. It is off the shelf parts, full foam, all resin, and so far easy enough to get to the guts when needed.
I do like the jet packs: It lets me switch them between the deep and shallow seats. I'm 6'4" and I keep my tub full enough so that when I am in the deep seats I am up to my neck. However that means the shorter people in my family are underwater in those seats. So it is nice to be able to switch the packs around. I also swapped packs at times with a friend of mine who has a Bullfrog as well. The colors are wrong, but they work just fine.
I have had two issues with the tub. One is my inside lights turn off on their own sometimes. It is not the built in timer. Sometimes they go off after 10 min. I can turn them right back on, but it is something that is not working correctly.
I also have a broken headrest clip. There are two C shaped clips that hold the head rests down, and one of them cracked off. It is not a big deal, and the other clip holds the headrest just fine. But again, something broke.
My friend who has a Bullfrog had his damaged in transport. The truck it was on got in an accident. He has been going back and forth between the dealer and Bullfrog itself to get it resolved. Bullfrog says that once the truck leaves their dock it is no longer their problem. The dealer is saying the Bullfrog decides how to load it and who to use to ship it, so how are they responsible. My friend just wants his cracked skirt replaced.
I do like the jet packs: It lets me switch them between the deep and shallow seats. I'm 6'4" and I keep my tub full enough so that when I am in the deep seats I am up to my neck. However that means the shorter people in my family are underwater in those seats. So it is nice to be able to switch the packs around. I also swapped packs at times with a friend of mine who has a Bullfrog as well. The colors are wrong, but they work just fine.
I have had two issues with the tub. One is my inside lights turn off on their own sometimes. It is not the built in timer. Sometimes they go off after 10 min. I can turn them right back on, but it is something that is not working correctly.
I also have a broken headrest clip. There are two C shaped clips that hold the head rests down, and one of them cracked off. It is not a big deal, and the other clip holds the headrest just fine. But again, something broke.
My friend who has a Bullfrog had his damaged in transport. The truck it was on got in an accident. He has been going back and forth between the dealer and Bullfrog itself to get it resolved. Bullfrog says that once the truck leaves their dock it is no longer their problem. The dealer is saying the Bullfrog decides how to load it and who to use to ship it, so how are they responsible. My friend just wants his cracked skirt replaced.
thanks for the info. Local dealer is selling A6 for 18.5! The price gives me pause -- but I guess that's the "made in USA" price. Also, we will have the tub near the bedroom, do you think no circ pump would be too noisy? We glanced at the the sundance prado 680 which is very basic, 110v, 1 pump. Not sure if that is too basic and may compromise build quality. But on the other hand, we are not really interested in multiple jets, just a soaker, so not sure if the 780 series with 2 pumps, circ pump, is needed.
I looked for used models but couldn't find any recent decent brand models.
I looked for used models but couldn't find any recent decent brand models.
We have around 100 Bullfrog spas on our books. By far the most popular spa in Southern utah. Most of ours are X series, and STIL models. A few A, R and the new M series. I hate the M series. We love the rest of them. Though I find the models withe spa packs to be a pain to clean because you've got the spaces behind the packs to tend to as well. Otherwise we see them as rock solid. The Bullfrog X Series is the spa we recommend for STRs when Owners ask us for advice.
My biggest gripe with Sundance/Jacuzzi are the flow switches. We see frequent failures, and the Jacuzzi models spam the owners with nuisance flow error notifications. However, it's a numbers thing for us an they are in STRs and even tiny problems are expensive when it shuts the spa down. I also don't care for the spun/poly and progressive filters. They're expensive and obstruct flow quickly. You have to be very diligent about not introducing junk into your water. All this said, their dealer in our town is amazing and I agree about their warranty. They've been great.
RDs recommendation of DimensionOne is interesting. We have one of their units and I didn't like it. *@*Home Breeze. But it may have had a lot to do with their dealer. They also deal Strong Spas and they have some funky skimmer designs. Both had wooden cabinets and we admittedly lumped them together as bargain brands. I really prefer the composite frames. But sounds like I need to give Dimension another shot.
I would absolutely agree on the reference to dealers. Shop your dealers first. Bullfrog offers 3 year warranty with X series, and 5 years on all the others. I think Sundance follows a similar structure.
We primarily do service, less repair. So RDs advice will be more tuned into your pocketbook as far as C/O ownership. Our opinion is predicated on the spas "just always working" the way we expect them to.
My biggest gripe with Sundance/Jacuzzi are the flow switches. We see frequent failures, and the Jacuzzi models spam the owners with nuisance flow error notifications. However, it's a numbers thing for us an they are in STRs and even tiny problems are expensive when it shuts the spa down. I also don't care for the spun/poly and progressive filters. They're expensive and obstruct flow quickly. You have to be very diligent about not introducing junk into your water. All this said, their dealer in our town is amazing and I agree about their warranty. They've been great.
RDs recommendation of DimensionOne is interesting. We have one of their units and I didn't like it. *@*Home Breeze. But it may have had a lot to do with their dealer. They also deal Strong Spas and they have some funky skimmer designs. Both had wooden cabinets and we admittedly lumped them together as bargain brands. I really prefer the composite frames. But sounds like I need to give Dimension another shot.
I would absolutely agree on the reference to dealers. Shop your dealers first. Bullfrog offers 3 year warranty with X series, and 5 years on all the others. I think Sundance follows a similar structure.
We primarily do service, less repair. So RDs advice will be more tuned into your pocketbook as far as C/O ownership. Our opinion is predicated on the spas "just always working" the way we expect them to.
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