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3 Best Intex Portable Hot Tubs of 2024 – Reviews & Buying Guide

an intex portable hot tub

an intex portable hot tub

Many of us are aware of the Intex brand through their line of Easy Set swimming pools, but they also have a fantastic line of durable portable hot tubs. If you are in the market for a new hot tub and are looking to the Intex brand to fill that need, you may be surprised to find several models available. One model can look quite different than the next with a varied assortment of features, and you might be looking for a little help choosing the best Intex portable hot tub for your needs.

We have chosen three of the most popular models to review for you so you can get a better feel for how these devices differ from the more permanent non-portable brands. We have also included a short buyer’s guide where we take a close look at how the portable hot tub operates and what you should be on the lookout for as you shop.

Keep reading while we take an in-depth look at heating elements, water capacity, ease of setup, and more to help you make an informed purchase.

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A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2024

Rating Image Product Details
Editor's Choice
Winner
Intex Pure Spa Inflatable Hot Tub 28409E Intex Pure Spa Inflatable Hot Tub 28409E
  • 170 high powered bubble jets for massage
  • Fits up to 6 people
  • Ready for water in 20-minutes
  • Best Value
    Second place
    Intex PureSpa 77in Portable Bubble Massage Hot Tub Intex PureSpa 77in Portable Bubble Massage Hot Tub
  • Built-in hard water treatment system
  • Simple maintenance
  • Fits up to 4 people
  • Third place
    Intex PureSpa Octagon Hot Tub Intex PureSpa Octagon Hot Tub
  • Puncture-resistant 3-ply laminated material
  • Fits up to 6 people
  • Heating system adjusts to preference
  • The 3 Best Intex Portable Hot Tubs

    1. Intex Pure Spa Inflatable Hot Tub 28409E – Editor’s Choice

    Intex Pure Spa Inflatable Hot Tub 85in (28409E)

    The Intex Pure Spa Inflatable Hot Tub 28409E is our editor’s choice for the best Intex portable hot tub. In most cases, you can have this spa inflated and filling with water within 20 minutes of opening the package. It eats up to six people and has multiple high-powered jets that gently soothe and massage your muscles as you relax. Complete comfort is made even easier with the addition of two headrests and a built-in hard water treatment system that softens the water, so it feels better against your skin.

    The Pure Spa also features a thick ground cloth to help protect the tub from the surface below. It also comes with a thermal lid that buckles on and helps get the temperature up faster. Two easy-to-replace filters help remove debris and other contaminants from your water, and the included carry bag is perfect for offseason storage.

    While we were reviewing this tub, the only thing that we could find fault with was the headrests liked to slide around and were extremely challenging to keep in place.

    Pros
    • Soothing high-powered jets
    • 20-minute set up
    • Seats six people
    • Built-in hard water treatment systems
    • Includes two headrests
    • Ground cloth
    • Insulated cover
    • Carry bag
    • Two filter cartridges
    Cons
    • Headrests don’t stay put

    2. Intex PureSpa 77in Portable Bubble Massage Hot Tub – Best for the Money

    Intex PureSpa Portable Bubble Massage 77in

    The Intex PureSpa 77-inch Portable Bubble Massage Hot Tub is the model we chose as the best Intex portable hot tub for the money. This model features the same built-in hard water treatment system as our top brand. It also features dual filter cartridges that are easy to replace and will help keep your water free of debris. The control panel is easy to use and allows you to set multiple times as well as adjust the temperature and massage bubbles for maximum comfort.

    The 77in Portable Bubble Massage comes with an inflation hose, which makes inflation easy and an insulated cover locks to prevent children from playing around with it while you are not watching. A thermally insulated ground cloth helps keep heat from escaping through the floor of the tub while reducing wear created by foot traffic. A 1300-watt heater helps bring the 210-gallon water capacity up to temp in a reasonable amount of time.

    The primary drawback of this tub is it loses temperature quickly when the insulated lid is not in place.

    Pros
    • A built-in hard water treatment system
    • Insulated cover with lock
    • Two easy-to-replace filter cartridges
    • Thermal ground cloth
    • Inflation hose
    • Easy-to-use control pad
    • 1300-watt heater
    • 210-gallons capacity
    Cons
    • The temperature drops when in use

    3. Intex PureSpa Octagon Hot Tub

    Intex PureSpa Octagon

    The Intex PureSpa Octagon Hot Tub is our premium choice Intex portable hot tub, and this one is a little larger than the other two models on this list, making it perfect for entertaining guests. It features 140 high-powered jets that will help soothe your muscles, while the built-in hard water treatment system softens the water, so it doesn’t feel so abrasive against your skin. The easy-to-use control panel allows you to make adjustments to the temperature as well as set timers to make sure the tub is ready when you are. The innovative octagon shape allows for more seams and a more stable hot tub, even when at full capacity. Easy-grip handles help maneuver the tub into position.

    The biggest downside to this hot tub is its large size requires a considerable amount of energy to heat to temperature. If used daily, you can expect to see a significant increase in your electric bill.

    Pros
    • Six person capacity
    • Easy carry handles
    • Easy to use control panel
    • 140-high powered bubble jets
    • A built-in hard water treatment system
    • Innovative octagon shape
    Cons
    • Not very energy efficient

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    Buyer’s Guide – Finding the Best Intex Portable Hot Tub

    Here are some of the things you should think about when choosing your Intex portable hot tub.

    Durability

    The main thing to be concerned with when choosing an Intex portable hot-tub is durability. Especially if you intend to embrace the mobile nature of these devices, they will need to be able to withstand multiple inflations and deflations without wearing a hole in the liner. Intex reinforces the spa interior with lightweight, high-strength fibers for increased durability and comfort.

    Size

    Most inflatable hot tubs come in two sizes, four-person and six-person. While six-person tubs are larger and generally ship with more features, we recommend purchasing these only when you know you have a consistent need to fit six people. Four-person tubs are less expensive to buy and to maintain. They are usually easier to keep hot as well and are much easier to transport.

    Massage Bubbles

    A popular feature of any hot tub is the massaging bubbles. This feature is also present in the portable hot tub, but there is one downside that many people may not realize beforehand. The hot tub uses the outside air to create the bubbles, which means using bubbles on the highest setting will often cause the temperature of the water to drop. In some cases, this temperature drop can be significant and rapid.

    Built-In Water Softening

    A signature feature of the Intex brand hot tubs is the built-in water-softening device. This device uses an electromagnetic field to interact with the calcium in the water chemically in such a way that it gets trapped in your filter, effectively softening the water. The water softener is a straightforward device that works well to reduce the calcium in the water, which will help make it feel better against your skin.

    There is no downside to this device, so we recommend looking for a model that includes this feature.

    Heating Element

    The heating element is responsible for warming the water and is the heart of the hot tub. Portable hot tubs usually have weak heating elements when compared to permanent tubs, so you will need to be vigilant when shopping around that you check how well the heating element works. While we reviewed the models on this list, we let you know which ones were up to the task of heating the water.  For the most part, these do better than most other brands of similar-sized portable hot tubs.

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    Conclusion

    When choosing your Intex portable hot tub, we recommend selecting the four-person over the six-person unless you require more room. The smaller size will be easier on the heating element, and it will heat the water faster and maintain the temperature better than a larger tub can. We also recommend looking for a model that has the built-in water softener. It’s a simple device that you won’t even notice, but it has a significant impact on the quality of the water.

    We recommend our editor’s choice for the best Intex portable hot tub. The Intex Pure Spa Inflatable Hot Tub is really easy to set up. It has a strong heater and comes with all of the accessories. It’s a six-person, but it’s more like a roomy four-person. If you are looking for a high-quality budget model, we recommend our best Intex portable hot tub for the money. The Intex PureSpa 77-inch Portable Bubble Massage Hot Tub has many of the same features as our top choice but in a smaller, more affordable package.

    We hope that you have enjoyed reading over our short guide and have learned something new. If we have helped you get closer to a decision, please share these Intex portable hot tub reviews on Facebook and Twitter.

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