7 bright hot tub lighting ideas

After a stylish way to light up your hot tub after dark?

Look no further than our pick of the brightest hot tub lighting ideas around.

We shine a light on our seven favourite ways to light up a home spa in this short guide.

Go for a hot tub with LED lighting

If you don’t want the dark winter nights to hold you back from enjoying a soak then it’s well worth going for a home spa with LED lights set into its acrylic shell. 

Hot tubs run the gamut when it comes to lighting, with some just featuring plain LEDs that can be switched on or off to others that cycle through the colour spectrum while you soak. The lighting on some high-end models can even be set to exactly how you like through an app. It’s well worth heading to a good hot tub dealership to test out a few different models and see what kind of lighting you like best.

One feature it’s worth looking out for is LED lighting that’s been embedded into a water feature, as this creates a particularly fetching effect:

And some top-of-the-range hot tubs even have side panels that light up and LED strip lighting running under their frames, transforming them into an eye-catching centrepiece for your garden:

Light the way

If you like the idea of slipping into your home spa after dark then it’s well worth picking up a model with some kind of integrated lighting.

Stumbling over a toy the kids have left lying around or stepping into a puddle isn’t exactly the most relaxing way to start a soak. Save yourself the stress by installing lighting along the path that leads up to your hot tub and inlaying it into any steps you’ll have to navigate along the way. 

This will not makes the route to your hot tub safer to travel in the dark – it also turns it into a stylish feature that draws the eye after the sun has set.

Uplighting

Installing uplights in front of trees, planters, or walls makes for a particularly stylish way of shining a light on your outdoor space.

A handful of unobtrusive uplights scattered around your garden can subtly illuminate the space without being an eyesore during the day. You can even get some LEDs that can be recessed into the ground so you won’t even notice them until they’re turned on.

Overhead lighting

Installed housing around your hot tub? Recessing LEDs into your summer house’s roof or stringing fairy lights around the top of your pergola is a great way to add ambience to your night-time soaks that’s not going to break the bank. 

A fire pit

If you love the idea of soaking in a steaming spa while a fire crackles beside you then it’s well worth picking up a fire pit for your night-time hot tub sessions. Trust us: drying off in the heat of an open fire pit is nearly as nice as the soak itself.

Candles

Placing a couple of candles on your spa is a great way to add ambience to your soaks. A scented candle can also add a gorgeous aroma to the experience, while a candle with a crackling wick can recreate the sound of an open fire if you don’t have room for a fire pit.

Multiple sources of light

The most stylish indoor – and outdoor – spaces aren’t illuminated by a single spotlight. Instead, multiple sources of light are layered up to bring a space to life rather than leave it looking flat and lifeless in harsh glare. 

Be sure to keep this classic interior design trick in mind when you’re planning your hot tub lighting. The more of the light sources we’ve listed here you can incorporate into your hot tub landscaping, the better it’s bound to look.

The final word

There’s something special about hopping in your hot tub on a dark winter’s evening.

And if you want to get the most from your after-dark soaks, you can’t go wrong with the seven stylish choices we’ve illuminated in this short guide.

Pick up your free copy of WhatSpa? magazine for more expert advice on buying, installing, and maintaining a hot tub – as well as our pick of the best buys for every budget.

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