...
Need Help?
Call 800-876-7647

POPULAR

COUPONS

The World's Oldest & Largest Web Site For Swimming Pool & Hot Tub Spa Owners With Over 5000 Pages Of Information, Parts And Supplies

Consumer Research Survey Results

"What Americans Really Want In Hot Tubs"

Results of our nationwide surveys taken from Nov. 2008 through Nov. 2009

Topics:
"Rate Your Own Hot Tub"
"Opinions On Hot Tub Shopping"
"Rate The Poolandspa.com Web Site"

You are welcome to take a look at the results of our year long survey about hot tub ownership and hot tub shopping. These survey results were originally geared to be shown only to hot tub manufacturers and/or spa dealers, however we are now opening up the results to consumers and hot tub shoppers as well. There are also 3 videos on this page that go into the details of many of the survey responses.

Methodology - Below are the combined survey results of three online surveys conducted by Vertical Response and Poolandspa.com on the Poolandspa.com web site from 11/01/08 - 11/30/09. These surveys were not specifically conducted upon any targeted demographic group other than those people visiting the web site of Poolandspa.com. These surveys were conducted as "double blind" surveys, and neither Poolandspa.com nor any of the specific manufacturers or companies mentioned in the surveys had access to the names and/or email addresses of any of the respondents, or groups of respondents. The respondents were visitors to the Poolandspa.com web site and responded to the "Online Survey Center" web page from various links within the Poolandspa.com web site and/or their newsletter publications. Therefore, the respondents would necessarily be online users, predisposed to the Poolandspa.com web site and predisposed to taking unsolicited online surveys for no monetary gain. These facts do not, in and of themselves, make any of the survey responses less significant, however should be taken into account when attributing any specific demographically generalized weight to any specific question or questions answered by any of the specific respondents or group of respondents in these surveys. The total number of respondents (over 5000) to each survey, or specific question, were deemed to be statistically significant within +/- 3%, using generally accepted survey response margins of error. No respondents, nor Poolandspa.com, were monetarily remunerated for these surveys in any way. Vertical Response, as the survey response administrator, was hired and remunerated for its' services in connection to, and the production of, these surveys by Poolandspa.com. Vertical Response is in no way associated with Poolandspa.com, nor has any business interest in Poolandspa.com and/or the Swimming Pool and/or Hot Tub Industry, nor any of the specific manufacturers or companies mentioned in the surveys. These surveys were funded by Poolandspa.com Inc., a Nevada based USA Corporation, for generalized research purposes only.

Survey Respondents - The average survey respondent to these surveys is a 41-60 year old female, in a household whose income is from $51,000 - $100,000, and who owns a hot tub and occasionally takes online surveys.

Reproduction Rights - Anyone is hereby authorized to reproduce, in written or electronic form, any of the survey results shown below, provided that the following credits are posted with the data: "Survey data provided by Poolandspa.com".

RESULTS OF SURVEY - "RATE YOUR OWN HOT TUB"

Video Analysis Of Survey Responses - Part 1

Please note: This video was originally produced for people and companies who manufacture and/or sell hot tubs. However, hot tub owners and shoppers are certainly welcome to watch it as well.

What Americans Really Want In Hot Tubs - Part 1 of 3 - Survey Results (8:51 min.)

About Your Hot Tub...

1. Are you the hot tub OWNER, USER or BOTH ?

	79.7%	Both
	16.7%	Hot Tub Owner
	3.5%	Hot Tub User

2. What is the BRAND of your hot tub ?

	31.1%	Answered "Other"
	9.5%	Hot Spring Spas
	8.6%	Jacuzzi Hot Tubs
	7.0%	Sundance Spas
	6.1%	Arctic Spas
	3.7%	Vita Spas
	3.3%	Gulf Coast Spas
	3.0%	Cal Spas
	3.0%	Dynasty Spas
	3.0%	Dimension One Spas
	2.2%	Hawkeye Spas
	2.0%	Marquis Spas
	1.8%	Catalina Spas
	1.8%	Artesian Spas
	1.6%	L.A. Spas
	1.6%	Thermo Spas
	1.4%	Coast Spas
	1.4%	Bullfrog Spas
	1.4%	Caldera Spas
	1.4%	Beachcomber Spas
	1.2%	Hydro Spas
	1.0%	Clearwater Spas
	0.6%	Premium Leisure Spas
	0.4%	Pilates H2O
	0.4%	Phoenix Spas
	0.2%	La-Z-Boy Spas

3. What do you prefer to call it ?

	81.7%	Hot Tub
	11.8%	Spa
	4.1%	Jacuzzi
	1.2%	Answered "Other"
	1.0%	Tub

4. In general, how do you feel about your HOT TUB ?

	60.8%	I love it so very much.
	27.9%	It's OK....what I expected.
	5.3%	I don't really use it that often.
	3.9%	Answered "Other"
	1.8%	I don't really like it.

5. In general, how do you feel about the BRAND of hot tub you have ?

	43.2%	It's OK...what I expected.
	43.0%	I love it so very much.
	8.1%	It's not too good.
	3.3%	Answered "Other"
	2.2%	Hate it.

6. If you recall....how much did you spend on your HOT TUB (the original purchase) ?

	25.9%	$4001-$6000
	25.1%	$6001-$9000
	18.6%	$2001-$4000
	14.1%	over $9001
	9.7%	$0-$2000
	6.4%	Don't recall / don't know

7. If you had to get another hot tub, would you purchase the same brand ?

	44.1%	Yes
	33.4%	Maybe
	20.7%	No
	1.6%	Would not get another hot tub

8. How satisfied were you with the aftermarket support you received from the hot tub MANUFACTURER ?

	34.5%	Had no interaction with them after the sale
	34.1%	Very Satisfied
	16.2%	Somewhat Satisfied
	14.9%	Not Satisfied

9. How satisfied were you with the aftermarket support you received from the hot tub DEALER (the place where you bought your tub)?

	38.4%	Very Satisfied
	24.1%	Had no interaction with them after the sale
	21.2%	Somewhat Satisfied
	16.1%	Not Satisfied

10. What year did you purchase your hot tub ?

	24.7%	2004-2006
	18.5%	2001-2003
	17.2%	2008-2009
	16.0%	1996-2000
	15.0%	2007
	8.3%	Before 1995

11. Where is your hot tub ?

	90.0%	Outdoors
	9.9%	Indoors

12. How often do you use it ?

	44.7%	2-3 times a week
	27.7%	4-7 times a week
	23.9%	Less than once a week
	3.5%	More than 7 times a week

13. On the average, how many people use your tub AT ONCE ?

	69.5%	Me and one other person
	15.8%	Just Me
	13.5%	3-4 people
	1.0%	5-8 people
	0.0%	Over 8 people

14. Please rate the overall quality of the BRAND of your hot tub ?

	40.3%	Five Stars (Excellent)
	31.1%	Four Stars (Good)
	17.1%	Three Stars (Average)
	6.4%	Two Stars (Fair)
	4.8%	One Star (Poor)

About Hot Tub Care & Maintenance...

15. Generally, what are your feelings about the EASE of the normal care & maintenance of your hot tub ?

	49.7%	It takes some time, but I don't find it that difficult.
	39.2%	It is really easy....never had any troubles.
	6.9%	It is more difficult and time consuming than I had expected.
	2.1%	Answered "Other"
	1.0%	It is hard. I often have problems with my water.
	0.8%	I am not the one who cares for the hot tub.

16. Generally, what are your feelings about the EXPENSE of the chemicals and the maintenance supplies for your hot tub?

	58.7%	They are somewhat expensive.
	34.1%	They are not expensive.
	6.0%	They are really expensive.
	1.0%	I do not know how expensive they are.

17. Generally, what are your feelings about the ENERGY COST of keeping your hot tub heated ?

	50.8%	Not too expensive.
	35.5%	Somewhat expensive.
	7.9%	Really expensive.
	5.6%	Don't know what the energy cost of my tub is.

18. How many REPAIRS has your hot tub needed so far ?

	31.7%	I have needed a few repairs.
	30.7%	I have not needed any repairs.
	21.9%	I have needed only one repair.
	15.0%	I have needed a lot of repairs.
	0.4%	I do not know.

RESULTS OF SURVEY - "OPINIONS ON HOT TUB SHOPPING"

Video Analysis Of Survey Responses - Part 2

Please note: This video was originally produced for people and companies who manufacture and/or sell hot tubs. However, hot tub owners and shoppers are certainly welcome to watch it as well.

What Americans Really Want In Hot Tubs - Part 2 of 3 - Survey Results (8:20 min.)

S

About Your Research For A Hot Tub...

1. Where did you start gathering information about purchasing a hot tub ?

	25.0%	Surfed the internet for information
	22.0%	Visited a local hot tub store
	8.2%	Saw an ad on the internet
	5.7%	Saw TV commercial for hot tubs
	5.2%	Went to local home improvement show and saw hot tubs there
	4.7%	Called hot tub manufacturer for brochures
	4.2%	Watched a promotional hot tub DVD
	3.8%	Got info/brochures from friend or family member
	3.8%	Saw a magazine ad for hot tubs
	3.5%	Received flyer in the mail about hot tubs
	3.5%	Received an email about hot tubs
	2.3%	Saw a newspaper ad for hot tubs
	2.3%	Looked in local Yellow Pages or other phone book
	2.3%	Answered "Other"
	1.5%	Watched a video on another web site
	0.8%	None of the above
	0.6%	Watched a YouTube video

3. Why do you want a hot tub ?

	28.3%	Relaxation
	18.3%	Health Reasons / Medical
	11.0%	Family Fun
	10.4%	Romantic Reasons
	9.1%	Helps me sleep
	5.7%	Great place to talk
	5.1%	Great place to think
	3.8%	For the kids
	3.5%	Adds to value of house
	3.1%	Home / Backyard design reasons
	0.9%	Answered "Other"
	0.1%	To keep up with the Jones's

4. If you researched hot tubs online, please check any of the web sites that you did research on.

	24.3%	Google
	22.9%	Poolandspa.com
	18.8%	Hot Tub Manufacturers Web Sites
	8.8%	Hot Tub Spa Forums / Message Boards
	8.4%	Yahoo
	6.4%	SpaSearch.org
	2.8%	Hot Tub Living
	2.4%	Poolspaliving.com
	1.8%	None of the above
	1.6%	Hot Tubs Directory
	1.0%	Answered "Other"
	0.2%	APSP Web Site

6. Which web sites did you find MOST HELPFUL while researching hot tubs ?

	36.9%	Third party web sites (Poolandspa.com, SpaSearch.com, Comparison Web Sites, Blogs, etc.)
	25.5%	The hot tub manufacturer's web sites
	14.7%	Message Boards / Forums
	11.3%	Search Engines (Google, Yahoo, AOL, Bing, etc.)
	6.2%	The local dealer's web sites
	5.1%	Answered "Other"

Your Knowledge About Hot Tub Brands...

7. Please check all hot tubs brands that you have seen (in a store) or have done any research on, or have received brochures from.

	12.8%	Hot Spring Spas
	11.5%	Jacuzzi Hot Tubs
	10.6%	Sundance Spas
	8.6%	Cal Spas
	6.8%	Thermo Spas
	5.1%	Arctic Spas
	5.0%	Caldera Spas
	4.2%	Dimension One Spas
	3.7%	Artesian Spas
	3.4%	Catalina Spas
	3.1%	Marquis Spas
	3.1%	Bullfrog Spas
	2.8%	Clearwater Spas
	2.8%	Beachcomber Spas
	2.0%	Answered "Other"
	1.9%	Coast Spas
	1.8%	Dynasty Spas
	1.6%	L.A. Spas
	1.5%	La-Z-Boy Spas
	1.4%	Gulf Coast Spas
	1.4%	Vita Spas
	1.0%	Pilates H2O Spas
	0.8%	Hawkeye Spas
	0.7%	Premium Leisure Spas
	0.7%	None of the above
	0.6%	Phoenix Spas

8. The following is a list of awards, memberships and accreditations that some hot tub manufacturers and dealers may have. Please check off which one is the MOST IMPORTANT to you.

	31.2%	Better Business Bureau
	14.1%	Consumer Digest Best Buy Award
	13.1%	Poolandspa.com Best Of Class Award
	6.8%	Consumer Affairs
	9.3%	ISO Certified
	8.8%	National Pool & Spa Institute
	5.8%	Association Of Pool & Spa Professionals
	4.5%	Spa Search Certified Award
	4.5%	Best Hot Tub Award
	1.6%	Answered "Other"

9. When shopping for a hot tub, what is THE MOST IMPORTANT thing that you are looking for ?

	29.7%	The features the tub has
	27.5%	A brand I can trust or like
	20.2%	The price
	9.5%	Answered "Other"
	6.7%	Recommendation of others
	5.0%	The knowledge / friendliness of the dealer
	1.1%	The knowledge / friendliness of the manufacturer

Your Experience With Dealer's Stores...

10. Did you visit a hot tub (or pool) dealer's store in the past 12 months to shop for a hot tub ?

	58.9%	Yes
	41.0%	No

11. How many stores did you visit during your hot tub shopping ?

	41.4%	3-5
	32.3%	1-2
	18.7%	Did not visit any
	6.8%	5-10
	0.5%	Over 10

12. Why did you go to those stores in particular ?

	31.2%	Close to my home
	28.3%	They had a hot tub brand or brands I was interested in
	10.9%	Found them on the internet
	7.7%	Recommended by a friend or family member
	6.7%	Did not visit a store
	4.1%	Saw an ad in a newspaper or magazine
	4.1%	Answered "Other"
	3.8%	Saw a TV commercial
	2.5%	Got a flyer in the mail
	0.0%	Got an email from them

13. When shopping for a hot tub, what is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING to you ?

	45.7%	The features the tub has
	22.2%	The price
	10.2%	Answered "Other"
	5.7%	Recommended on the internet / blogs / message boards
	5.1%	A recommendation from someone
	4.5%	The brand
	4.5%	The friendliness / knowledge of the local dealer
	1.1%	The fact that the dealer is close to my home
	0.5%	The friendliness / knowledge of the hot tub manufacturer

Video Analysis Of Survey Responses - Part 3

Please note: This video was originally produced for people and companies who manufacture and/or sell hot tubs. However, hot tub owners and shoppers are certainly welcome to watch it as well.

What Americans Really Want In Hot Tubs - Part 3 of 3 - Survey Results (9:10 min.)

14. Some hot tubs are available for sale online. Did you look into any online hot tub stores ?

	52.5%	Yes
	47.4%	No

15. Thinking about your feelings concerning buying a hot tub online, please check the following that applies to you.

	33.9%	I would not feel comfortable buying a hot tub online
	17.3%	I like the prices of the hot tubs I can buy online
	16.9%	The fact that hot tubs are cheaper online WOULD NOT influence me to purchase them online
	13.8%	I would never buy a hot tub online
	7.5%	Answered "Other"
	5.1%	I did not know you could buy a hot tub online
	5.1%	I think buying a hot tub online is the way to go.

Your Opinions On Pricing & Features...

16. What was the price range you were looking to spend for your hot tub ?

	27.1%	$2001-$4000
	21.3%	$6001-$8000
	20.8%	$4001-$6000
	15.0%	$0-$2000
	10.9%	$8001-$10,000
	4.6%	Over $10,001

17. Which best describes your opinion of hot tub prices ?

	60.2%	They were more than I had expected
	36.9%	They were about what I had expected
	2.8%	They were less than I had expected

18. When you were shopping, what was the most important feature about the hot tub ?

	23.2%	The size
	22.6%	The power of the jets
	19.1%	Answered "Other"
	17.4%	The price
	9.3%	Specific features the tub had (TV, Stereo, Lights, etc)
	7.5%	The automatic water sanitizer
	0.5%	The color
	0.0%	The cabinet

If You Ended Up Purchasing A Hot Tub...

19. Do you like it ?

	88.8%	Yes
	11.1%	No

20. Would you recommend it to others ?

	84.4%	Yes
	15.5%	No

21. Rate the hot tub you purchased.

	46.6%	Excellent (5 stars)
	33.3%	Great (4 Stars)
	10.4%	Average (3 Stars)
	6.6%	Not that good (1 Star)
	2.8%	Good (2 Stars)

22. Rate the hot tub DEALER you purchased from.

	41.3%	Excellent (5 Stars)
	19.2%	Great (4 Stars)
	17.3%	Average (3 Stars)
	14.4%	Not that good (1 Star)
	7.6%	Good (2 Stars)

23. Finally, what is your opinion OVERALL, of your hot tub shopping experience ?

	42.0%	It was a little confusing, but OK
	23.8%	It was easy, fast and fun
	19.0%	I was difficult, but I dealt with it
	8.7%	Answered "Other"
	5.5%	It was very confusing to me, so I gave up
	0.7%	I thought it would be easy, but I had bad experiences and stopped looking

24. If you DID NOT end up buying a hot tub, please check the reasons as to why ?

	30.4%	The prices were too high
	25.6%	Answered "Other"
	15.8%	The whole process was too confusing to me / felt unsure, uneasy
	7.3%	I did not like what was available to me
	6.0%	I felt the maintenance would be too hard / costly
	6.0%	I did not like the salesmen I dealt with
	4.8%	I thought they would use too much energy
	2.4%	I no longer needed it
	1.2%	I did not like the manufacturers I dealt with

RESULTS OF SURVEY - "RATE THE POOLANDSPA.COM WEB SITE"

Rate Poolandspa.com...

1. Overall, how would you rate the Poolandspa.com web site ?

	62.1%	Better than most sites
	33.3%	About the same as most sites
	4.5%	Worse than most sites

2. Have you ever purchased something from Poolandspa.com ?

	69.2%	Yes
	30.7%	No

3. If you did purchase something from Poolandspa.com in the past, how satisfied were you with your shopping experience?

	46.1%	Very Satisfied
	27.6%	Did not purchase anything
	15.3%	About Average
	10.7%	Not Satisfied

4. Would you recommend Poolandspa.com to your family/friends ?

	66.6%	Definitely
	24.2%	Maybe
	9.0%	No

5. If you looked at Pool & Spa supplies on the site, how did you find the prices to be ?

	54.8%	About the same as most other pool & spa sites.
	38.7%	Lower than most other pool & spa sites.
	6.4%	Higher than most other pool & spa sites.

6. What were your favorite areas or features of the Poolandspa.com web site ?

	17.5%	Info / Tips Articles
	16.2%	Parts Department
	10.1%	Pool or Spa Buyer's Guides
	10.1%	Clearance Center
	8.7%	Videos
	6.7%	Forums / Message Boards
	6.0%	Cool Pool & Spa Pictures
	4.0%	Online Newsletter
	4.0%	Ask The Pool Guy or Spa Guy Section
	3.3%	liked the overall interactivity of the site
	3.3%	Opinion Polls / Surveys
	3.3%	Win A Free Spa Contest
	2.7%	All the Advertising Showing Different Products
	1.3%	I liked the graphics / colors
	1.3%	Animated Characters
	0.6%	News / Horoscopes / Press Releases

7. Compared to other POOL & SPA web sites you have visited, is Poolandspa.com . . .

	72.7%	Better than most sites
	27.2%	About the same as most sites
	0.0%	Not as good as most sites

8. Compared to other HOME IMPROVEMENT type web sites you have visited, is Poolandspa.com . . .

	88.8%	Better than most sites
	11.1%	About the same as most sites
	0.0%	Not as good as most sites

9. Compared to ALL OTHER web sites you have visited, is Poolandspa.com . . .

	90.0%	Better than most sites
	10.0%	About the same as most sites
	0.0%	Not as good as most sites

10. Overall, do you feel that the prices offered on the Poolandspa.com web site are . . .

	50.0%	A great bargain
	50.0%	About average
	0.0%	I found them a bit high

11. Concerning the pricing on Poolandspa.com, please check any items that you agree with

	31.2%	I looked at products and was very conscious of the prices.
	25.0%	I was comparing prices with other pool & spa sites.
	18.7%	I was comparing prices with my local pool or spa store
	12.5%	I looked at products, but did not focus on the pricing.
	12.5%	I was price shopping.
	0.0%	I did not look at products. Only came for information.

12. Where do you buy the majority of you pool & spa supplies ?

	41.6%	On the internet
	25.0%	At my local pool or spa store
	8.3%	From a big-box store like Home Depot or Costco
	8.3%	From my pool or spa service company
	8.3%	From a mail order catalog
	8.3%	Answered "Other"

13. Why did you answer Question # 12 that way ?

	42.8%	Because of the price
	42.8%	Because of the convenience
	14.2%	Because of the selection

14. When purchasing pool & spa supplies, how important is price to you ?

	30.0%	A large selection is more important to me
	30.0%	It is somewhat important
	20.0%	It is my main concern
	20.0%	The quality of the products is my biggest concern
	0.0%	A knowledgeable staff where I purchase my supplies is most important to me

15. Which items best describe your use of online coupons and specials on the Poolandspa.com web site ?

	38.8%	I always check out the 60%-80% off Clearance pages
	27.7%	I like the sale items that are 50% off
	11.1%	I always look for and use the online coupons
	11.1%	I just log on to buy the items I need at that time and check out
	5.5%	I do not use online coupons
	5.5%	I have never purchased anything from Poolandspa.com
	0.0%	I do not look at the Clearance items

About The How-To Videos On The Poolandspa.com Web Site...

16. Did you watch any How-To videos on the Poolandspa.com web site ?

	50.0%	Yes
	50.0%	No

17. Did you watch any PRODUCT videos on our web site ?

	70.0%	No
	30.0%	Yes

18. Which describes your feelings about the videos you did watch ?

	44.4%	I loved them. They were helpful to me.
	33.3%	I did not watch any videos on your site
	22.2%	They were OK
	0.0%	They were not informative enough
	0.0%	I did not care for them

A Few Questions About Our Online Newsletters...

19. Which best describes your knowledge of our monthly online Poolandspa.com Newsletters ?

	80.0%	I read them most months
	20.0%	I sometimes read them some months
	0.0%	I know of them, but do not read them
	0.0%	I know nothing about this

20. Do you get our monthly EMAIL newsletters ?

	99.0%	Yes
	1.0%	No

21. How do you read the newsletters...the email version or the online version ?

	50.0%	I read both
	40.0%	I read the email version only
	10.0%	I get the emails, but do not read them
	0.0%	I read the online version (on the web site)
	0.0%	I do not get the newsletters and know nothing about this

22. If you read the newsletters, which describes your feelings about the information ?

	35.2%	They are informative
	17.6%	They keep me up to date about pool and spa information
	11.7%	Oh my goodness, I LOVE your newsletters
	11.7%	I like being informed about new products for my pool or spa
	5.8%	I think they are fun
	5.8%	I learn a lot from them
	5.8%	I like the coupons, discounts and specials they offer
	5.8%	I really do not care for them
	0.0%	I am annoyed by getting them via email
	0.0%	They waste my time
	0.0%	I do not get them or read them, and have no knowledge of this

About You...

23. What is your age ?

	40.0%	51-60
	40.0%	41-50
	10.0%	61-70
	10.0%	31-40
	0.0%	Under 18
	0.0%	19-30
	0.0%	Over 70
	0.0%	I'll never tell

24. Gender

	60.0%	Female
	40.0%	Male
	0.0%	I'll never tell

25. Total Household Income

	33.3%	$26,000 - $50,000
	22.2%	I'll never tell
	22.2%	Over $ 100,000
	11.1%	$51,000 - $70,000
	11.1%	$71,000 - $100,000
	0.0%	Under $25,000

26. I have a . . .

	60.0%	Hot Tub
	40.0%	Both
	0.0%	Pool
	0.0%	Neither

27. Which describes your interest in taking online surveys . . .

	40.0%	I occasionally take online surveys
	30.0%	I rarely take online surveys
	20.0%	I love to take online surveys and take them all the time
	10.0%	This is the first online survey I have ever taken

Questions, Comments ? Email Betty Carter at betty@poolandspa.com

Click here for information about advertising on our web site !

Hit Counter

© Copyright 1994-2011 by Poolandspa.com Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication and it's contents may be reproduced, electronically or otherwise, nor distributed in any manner without the prior expressed written consent of Poolandspa.com Inc. Any Copyright infringement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Web Site Created by Master Image. Web site dedication.