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Whether you’re completely new to hot tubs and buying your first spa or if you’re researching the market and looking to upgrade from an existing model, we can help.

WhatSpa? magazine will be your expert guiding hand, full of valuable advice on how to buy, what to buy, installation and even preparing for delivery day and planning your grand unveiling to your family and friends at your first spa party!

Advice you can rely on

A key tenet for WhatSpa? is its independence, which ensures you receive informed, unbiased and impartial advice.

WhatSpa? has a team of respected experts who are on-hand to provide sound, independent advice and hot tub reviews.

We also have a team of ‘Spa Doctors’ who are happy to answer any technical questions and queries that our readers may have.

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Best Buy Awards

Since 2006, WhatSpa? Best Buy Awards have become the industry-standard recognition for hot tubs that achieve the best scores in our rigorous tests for quality and value across all price brackets.

Vortex Spas Mercury

Seats 5

WhatSpa? Verdict

When Olympic gold medallist and swimming icon Ian Thorpe became a brand ambassador for Vortex Spas, it was obvious that this was a brand on the move! The 2019 launch of the award-winning IKON model paved the way in the UK for the back-to-back award-winning Mercury and its stablemates that were new for 2020. The dual-lounger Mercury is the smaller sibling to the award-winning Cobalt Hydroplus and is Vortex’s best-selling compact family spa. The Mercury comes packed to the rafters with equipment including a 24-hour circulation pump, air blower, touch screen control panel and a Bluetooth® stereo system. Incredible!

Artesian Spas Artesian Elite Pelican Bay

Seats 9

WhatSpa? Verdict

The Artesian Spas ELITE Pelican Bay packs all the same punch as its smaller siblings, just on a much bigger scale! It's a huge family spa that has to be seen to be appreciated! With the launch of the ELITE Series, Artesian Spas thoroughly deserve their position in the luxury spa premier league. The Pelican Bay is a stunning eight-seater including a comfortable lounge seat. The scope of the specification and design is also first rate, particularly the unique Direct Flow™ system, which puts each bather in control of their own massage experience. If you believe that 'size matters', the Pelican Bay certainly doesn't sacrifice performance for the sake of size!

Marquis V84L - Vector21

Seats 6

WhatSpa? Verdict

The state-of-the-art design lines of the Vector range by Oregon-based Marquis® really delivers an ultra-modern twist, transporting us to the space-aged future of hot tub design. This V84L six-seater lounger model really delivers a flow and 'force to be reckoned with' through the V-O-L-T hydrotherapy system delivered via 36 uniquely designed interchangeable JetPods. Swapping Jetpod inserts from one seat to another is quick and easy and the optional MicroSilk® oxygen skin therapy technology delivers the ultimate package for health and beauty-conscious spa buyers. If you're a sci-fi fan, the Vectors are sure to hit the spot!

Caldera Spas Vacanza Series Marino

Seats 6

WhatSpa? Verdict

The Marino by Caldera Spas® is a nine-time Best Buy Award-winner and is the smaller sibling to the Palatino, both of which are best-selling models in the Vacanza Series of six models. Like the Palatino, the Marino oozes quality, with a stylish ergonomically sculpted shell, a beautifully contoured lounge seat and roomy non-slip footwell. Barrier-free seating makes moving from seat to seat easy and finishing touches like the Acquarella waterfall ensure a sensory experience that is guaranteed to relax! Built in Spa Frog® tops off the package for easy water maintenance. An amazing spa by a manufacturer of good repute!

British Hot Tubs Spencer Hot Tub

Seats 5

WhatSpa? Verdict

British Hot Tubs has brought hot tub design and engineering excellence back to British shores and their lineup of 15 new models has knocked it out of the ballpark in the last 18 months. The new five-seater Spencer has been designed as a hybrid lounge-seater model that can be configured either as a 13-amp ‘plug & play’ model or hard-wired on a 32-amp electrical supply so that both the hydrotherapy pumps, which power 70 jets, and the heater can run simultaneously. The huge spec defies its price point, which explains why the Spencer has been so popular with British buyers. The Bluetooth® stereo system is an extra bonus!

Be Well Canada Spa Executive Vancouver

Seats 6

WhatSpa? Verdict

With a name like ‘Be Well’ you would expect this Canadian company to deliver a product range with a hydrotherapeutic performance worthy of the very best; luckily the Vancouver delivers in spades with a neck-to-toe lounge seat massage to die for! Besides feeling great, it looks awesome, featuring a unique scalloped front and rear design unlike no other spa, plus an array of lighting that rivals all-comers after dusk falls. All the latest technology comes as standard, including a WiFi touch screen control panel, Bluetooth® stereo system with subwoofer, and back-lit jets and topside controllers. A true show-stopper!

Our Best Buy Awards cannot be purchased or influenced by third parties, such as manufacturers and retailers, and we take great pride in their independence, which is why they are now held in such high esteem by hot tub buyers.

For a full breakdown of our 2022 Best Buy Award winners across all price brackets, request your free copy of WhatSpa? magazine now and look out for these prestigious logos in showrooms as you start shopping.

Seal of approval

When making any purchase of this size, trusting the manufacturer and retailer is essential. The WhatSpa? Approved scheme is a unique hallmark of quality and is only awarded to companies who meet our exacting high standards.

The Approval Scheme offers the customer peace of mind that comes from knowing companies are reputable, well established, have a professional infrastructure and a good track record within the industry, so they are the logos to look out for.

In order to win coveted WhatSpa? Approved status, hot tub retailers must have a minimum number of display spas and prove that they have all of the insurance requirements and trained staff in both water hygiene and safety as well as technical backup and hot tub maintenance.

WhatSpa? Professional retailers also have to pass a stringent extra set of criteria, including professional training accreditation by attending industry-recognised hot tub technician courses.

Trusted traders

When you request your free copy of WhatSpa? magazine, you will also receive a complimentary 40 page UK Retail Directory that lists all of the WhatSpa? Approved showroom-based hot tub retailers across every area of the UK.

To get your free copy of WhatSpa? magazine and your complimentary UK Retail Directory, click the link below:

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