Lay-Z-Spa Barbados 120 AirJet Massage System, Inflatable Hot Tub with EnergySense and Freeze Shield Technology, 2-4 Person

Product Information

Seven different colours of LED lighting set into the hot tub's inner walls allow you to fine-tune the evening's ambience. You can switch up the colour to match the mood via the wireless remote or use the auto-colour mode to cycle through the shades. It looks great on our patio and its anti-freeze technology means we're likely to use it all year long, so for the price I think it's good value. We chose the corner of the patio and rotated the hot tub so the drainage outlet sat slightly overhanging the patio steps. We did this to be able to drain it more easily, as we had a difficult time emptying the previous hot tub we tested as the low drainage outlet can make it difficult to get a container to fit under it, and we wanted to be able to reuse the water to water the garden plants. Alternatively, you may be able to position the hot tub to discharge directly into a surface water drain or you may be happy to drain the hot tub directly onto a lawn. For a traditional hot tub that has all the extra amenities you could desire, this Canadian Spa four-seater hot tub delivers the ultimate outdoor spa experience.

Much like visiting a real spa, these lazy spas or home hot tubs as they're known can provide a wealth of health benefits including muscle relaxation, pain relief, improved sleep and lowered blood pressure.

I was pleased that the hot tub came with a lid, as it would be very hard to keep the water clean without it. The fact that it's inflatable also helps to keep the water warm which means the hot tub uses less energy to maintain its temperature. On days when it was colder, the water stayed warm, even when the lid was off for longer periods. This is a 'proper' hard-shell hot tub – no inflating required – and its high-quality frame is designed to last for years and years, with no worries about punctures or deflation. However, that does mean it's going to take up a lot more space to store, or it will need a permanent spot in the garden

Although it's larger capacity was very welcome for our family of four, the Wave Osaka does have its downsides, compared to the smaller, inflatable Lay-Z-Spa Barbados AirJet Hot Tub. For starters, the Lay-Z-Spa was very easy to assemble – it took me just 20 minutes on my own, whereas it took twice as long and I needed my partner to help me with the Wave.Given the price and size (two adults fit comfortably, any more would be far too intimate for me), I was seriously impressed by the Lay-Z-Spa Barbados and would recommend it to anyone looking for an affordable, portable hot tub with low running costs. Being on the small side isn’t a bad thing – it’s cheaper to heat, fill and keep clean, and it’ll easily fit in a small garden without gobbling up play space. The inflatable build was super easy to set up, deflate and store. It was also really easy to use, and the added WiFi controls are a handy feature. A month before trying the Lay-Z-Spa Barbados AirJet, we tried the Wave Osaka 6-person Rigid Foam Hot Tub. This differs from the Lay-Z-Spa in that it's not inflatable, but has sturdy foam walls sandwiched between the liners. It’s also a lot larger, holding almost twice as much water at a 1200-litre capacity.