Cal Spas vs Hot Spring hot tubs
Best known for: one maker for the whole backyard (Cal Spas) and Moto-Massage jet travels your back (Hot Spring). Cal Spas lists 57 hot tubs for 3 to 11 people, Hot Spring 24 hot tubs for 2 to 7 people. Hot Spring prices start at $5,499 (list prices, MSRP); Cal Spas prices come from a dealer.
Cal Spas
Shown: Aloha PZ-614L
A big Pomona factory that packs more jets, horsepower and options into a tub for the money, builds fast, and can sell you the grill island and fire pit too.
Price on request
Get the price range
Hot Spring
Shown: Vanguard
The world's best-selling hot tub, built by its own maker since 1977: a massage jet that travels up and down your back, salt water that can go up to a year between drains, and filtration that runs around the clock.
From $5,499
Get the price rangeHow they differ
- One maker for the whole backyard
- More jets and horsepower per dollar
- ATS seat with its own pump
- Moto-Massage jet travels your back
- 24-hour, no-bypass filtration
- Built-in salt water system
- Partly Self-supporting shell
- Partly Clamped plumbing
- Yes Manifold-fed jets
- Partly Standard parts
- Partly Self-supporting shell
- Not published Clamped plumbing
- Not published Manifold-fed jets
- Partly Standard parts
- Strong jets
- Good value for features
- Long service life
- Seating, looks and setup
- Warranty claims denied or deflected
- Repeat pump and board failures
- Slow, costly leak repairs
- Salt cartridges dying early
Which lines compete? Tier by tier.
Each maker sorts its own series from entry to flagship; we group them the same way so you can price like against like.
- Patio5 models · 3–6 seats
- Patio Plus12 models · 3–6 seats
- Freeflow5 models · 2–5 seats · from $5,499
- Escape13 models · 5–6 seats
- Escape Plus4 models · 6 seats
- Escape X-Series13 models · 5–6 seats
- Hot Spot6 models · 2–7 seats · from $9,999
- Deck2 models · 6–11 seats
- Platinum8 models · 6 seats
- Limelight5 models · 4–7 seats · from $14,499
- Highlife8 models · 3–7 seats · from $17,499
Which suits whom?
Cal Spas, if you want
- One maker for the whole backyard
- A lounger (32 models against 13)
- A longer shell warranty (up to 10 years against 7 years)
Hot Spring, if you want
- Moto-Massage jet travels your back
- A tub that plugs into a regular outlet (11 models)
- A 2-seat tub for a small space
Fit decides more than any figure here. Sit in both in the seat you would use most (dry is fine), feel the jets on a running display tub with the back of your hand, and read both warranty cards before you sign.
What’s a good deal on either?
Pick a brand. We send you the price range, then connect you with one dealer near you for it.
The details
Keeping it hot: standby power and cost2
Standby is what a tub draws to hold its heat with the cover on and nobody in it. California tests it for every spa sold in the state. At the US average 18.19¢ per kWh (January to July 2026), the middle Cal Spas model costs about $29 a month to keep hot and the middle Hot Spring about $23 a month. In watts: 218 W (39 filings) and 175.5 W (24). Your bill also depends on your climate, how hot you keep it and how often the cover is off.
| Seats | Cal Spas | Hot Spring |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 157 W | 146 W |
| 4 | 157 W | 159 W |
| 5 | 242 W | 178 W |
| 6 | 218 W | 196 W |
Complaint records2
Cal Spas. Better Business Bureau grade A+, 20 complaints in three years. ConsumerAffairs 2.4 of 5 from 911 reviews. No U.S. safety recall found.
Hot Spring. Better Business Bureau grade C-, 18 complaints in three years. ConsumerAffairs 2.8 of 5 from 163 reviews. Latest U.S. recall: 2026.
Complaint counts grow with the number of tubs a company sells; how it answers them tells you more than the count.
Who owns them2
Cal Spas is privately held. Hot Spring belongs to Masco Corporation. Each company’s history: Cal Spas and Hot Spring.
What to ask in the showroom2
- Clamped plumbing: Hot Spring doesn't publish it. Ask: “Are the hoses on this model clamped at the barbs, or just glued?”
- Manifold-fed jets: Hot Spring doesn't publish it. Ask: “Does each jet here get its own hose from a manifold, or are they chained?”
Every figure side by side30
No manufacturer pays us. How we make money
Common questions
Is Cal Spas better than Hot Spring?
Neither is better for everyone. Cal Spas suits you if you want a lounger (32 models against 13) and a longer shell warranty (up to 10 years against 7 years). Hot Spring suits you if you want a tub that plugs into a regular outlet (11 models) and a 2-seat tub for a small space. Sit in both before you choose; dry is fine.
Which costs less, Cal Spas or Hot Spring?
Hot Spring prices run $5,499 to $27,999 (list prices, MSRP). Cal Spas doesn't post prices we can publish, so a dealer quotes them. Compare like with like: the lines that compete tier by tier are listed on this page.
Are Cal Spas and Hot Spring made by the same company?
No. Cal Spas is privately held; Hot Spring belongs to Masco Corporation.
Where are Cal Spas and Hot Spring hot tubs made?
Cal Spas builds in Pomona, California. Hot Spring builds in Vista, California and Tijuana, Mexico.
Sources
12
- California Energy Commission appliance database (spas)standby watts for Cal Spas and Hot Spring models
- Cal Spas warrantyPlatinum, Escape, Escape X-Series and others warranty terms
- Better Business Bureau: Cal Spasrating and complaint count
- ConsumerAffairs: Cal Spasowner rating
- Ownership record: Cal SpasPrivately held
- Hot Spring warrantyHighlife and Limelight warranty terms
- Better Business Bureau: Hot Springrating and complaint count
- ConsumerAffairs: Hot Springowner rating
- CPSC recall, 2026 (Hot Spring)recall notice
- CPSC recall, 2012 (Hot Spring)recall notice
- Ownership record: Hot SpringMasco Corporation
- CPSC recallsrecall search