Under £500 you are buying an inflatable. That is not a bad thing: an inflatable is the cheapest way to find out whether you will use a hot tub at all. But the cheap end of the market hides big differences in heater, guarantee and size, so the price alone tells you little.
We have not sat in or filled any of these tubs. Every figure below comes from the Amazon.co.uk listing or the maker's own page, and we checked the prices on 30 October 2026. Prices move, so the shop shows the current one.
All ten tubs under £500
| Hot tub | Price | Seats | Per seat | Air jets | Heater in wall | Guarantee | Our score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lay-Z-Spa Miami | £299 | 4 | £75 | 120 | No | 2 years | 4.6 |
| Intex PureSpa Onyx Octagon | £316 | 4 | £79 | 120 + 4 water jets | No | Not published | 4.0 |
| Aoxun 208 cm | £349 | 6 | £58 | 130 | Yes | 2 years | 5.4 |
| Intex PureSpa Bubble 8 | £360 | 8 | £45 | 170 | No | Not published | 4.0 |
| Canadian Spa Co. Grand Rapids | £379 | 4 | £95 | 110 | No | Not published | 4.2 |
| Lay-Z-Spa Boracay | £390 | 4 | £98 | 120 | No | 2 years | 5.2 |
| Wave Pacific 4 | £400 | 4 | £100 | 110 | Yes | 2 years | 4.8 |
| Lay-Z-Spa Paris | £409 | 6 | £68 | 140 | No | 2 years | 5.2 |
| Arebos Barcelona 6 | £480 | 6 | £80 | 130 | No | Not published | 3.3 |
| Nordivale Square 4-6 | £484 | 6 | £81 | 130 | Yes | Not published | 3.8 |
The score runs from 0 to 10 and comes from the spec sheet only. Our scoring method shows every rule.
Best overall under £500: Aoxun 208 cm
The Aoxun scores highest of the ten at 5.4. It costs £349 and the maker sells it for 4 to 6 people, though it says 4 adults sit most comfortably. At 208 cm across it is one of the widest tubs in this price band, it holds 1,000 litres and the 1,800 W heater sits in the wall, so there is no pump box on the patio. It comes with an RCD plug for a 13 A socket and a 2-year guarantee.
The weak spot is the reviews: 4.2 stars from 20 ratings on Amazon.co.uk, which is the minimum we count.
Most reviewed: Lay-Z-Spa Miami
At £299 the Miami is the cheapest tub on the list, and with 1,246 reviews at 4.5 stars it has by far the longest track record. You get 120 air jets, an insulating lid and a 2-year guarantee. You do not get a heater in the wall, app control or lights, and the plain TriTech wall loses heat faster than an insulated liner. Lay-Z-Spa does not publish the water volume or the heater wattage.
If you want to try a hot tub for a summer without spending much, this is the safe pick.
Only one with app control: Lay-Z-Spa Boracay
The Boracay is the only tub under £500 in our data with wifi. For £390 you can switch the heater on from your phone, and it works with Alexa and Google Assistant. It holds 669 litres, seats 2 to 4 and carries a 2-year guarantee. Buyers give it 4.3 stars from 25 reviews.
At £98 a seat it is not cheap for its size. You pay for the app.
Only one with water jets: Intex PureSpa Onyx Octagon
Every other tub here only blows air. The Onyx adds 4 water jets on a 1,000 W pump, on top of 120 bubble jets, for £316. It holds 795 litres and Intex says it heats 1.5 to 2.5 °C an hour on its 2,200 W heater.
Two things hold it back: the listing has no reviews on Amazon.co.uk yet, and Intex publishes no guarantee for it. More on jets in our hydrotherapy jets guide.
Most space for the money: Intex PureSpa Bubble 8
£360 for a tub sold for 8 people works out at £45 a seat, the lowest on the site. It holds 1,340 litres and measures 236 cm across. That much water takes a long time to heat on a 2,200 W heater: Intex quotes 0.8 to 1.5 °C an hour. It has one review, so you have little to go on, and no published guarantee.
The others
- Lay-Z-Spa Paris (£409): sold for 4 to 6 people, 196 cm across, 140 air jets and a 7-colour LED ring. A good pick if you want lights and a 2-year guarantee.
- Wave Pacific 4 (£400): heater in the wall and a FrostFree mode, square shape. Only 4 reviews, and Wave does not publish its size.
- Canadian Spa Co. Grand Rapids (£379): plug and play, LED lights, Microban filters and an aromatherapy system. 4.3 stars from 43 reviews.
- Arebos Barcelona 6 (£480): 549 reviews at 4.2 stars, a 1,800 W heater, thermal cover and floor mat. No published guarantee pulls the score down.
- Nordivale Square 4-6 (£484): heater in the wall and an RCD plug, but 3.8 stars from 61 reviews.
What you give up under £500
- Insulation. None of these has a foam wall. Expect a bigger electricity bill in winter. Our running costs guide shows the sums.
- Guarantee. Five of the ten publish no maker's guarantee. You still have your rights under the Consumer Rights Act.
- Massage. Only the Onyx has water jets.
If you can stretch to £500 to £1,000, look at our hot tubs under £1,000. Otherwise browse the full hot tubs under £500 list, and read the buying guide before you order.
Quick answers
Can a £300 hot tub be used in winter? Yes, but a plain inflatable wall loses heat fast, so it costs more to keep warm. See using a hot tub in winter.
Do cheap hot tubs need an electrician? Not the ones here. They run from a 13 A outdoor socket with RCD protection. Read what a 13 A plug can and cannot do.
