Should I Get a Hot Tub with a Lounge Seat? (Pros, Cons, and more.)

August 16, 2023

Estimated read time - 4 minutes



Author - Fin Green, Content Creator UK, Jacuzzi Group 



Are you thinking of buying a hot tub with a lounge seat and wondering if it's the right choice for you? 

In this article, we'll answer the question of exactly what a lounge seat is, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of having one, along with common queries you may have about them.

By the time you finish reading this article, you should have just about everything you may need, or want to know about loungers in hot tubs, no matter what stage you are at in your hot tub buying journey. This will help you make a confident decision as you take another step on your hot tub buying journey.

What is a Lounge Seat in a Hot Tub?   

If you’re searching for a hot tub, you’ve probably come across many mentions of the word's ‘lounger’ or ‘lounge seat’. And you have probably asked yourself the question, what is a lounge seat? And should I get a hot tub with a lounge seat?  

A hot tub lounger is a type of seating that provides an full body massage. Often contoured to fit your body, it can give hydromassage to your neck, back, wrists and lower body. This can vary from brand and model, with some putting an emphasis on multiple hydromassage points, and others being more simplified.  

This kind of seat is almost shaped like an S that wraps around the shape of your body and allows you to completely relax while the jets deliver a hydromassage to the targeted areas of the lounge seat layout. 

Can I Get a Hot Tub with Two Lounge Seats?   

Yes, you can have a double lounger hot tub. This seating configuration is great for those looking to have more than one person in a lounger at the same time, and looking for an all-around body massage feature in both seats.  

There are some hot tub companies and brands that do offer hot tubs with two lounge seats, but Jacuzzi® Jot Tubs do not come with double loungers. When browsing through our collections, you will only find hot tubs with single lounge seat options.  

It's worth keeping in mind that having two lounge seats does reduce the overall seating capacity within the hot tub.

If you are looking for a double lounger, factor in who will be using your hot tub and whether or not they can all fit in. The good news is that if you are looking for a double lounge seat hot tub, there are options out there!

What is an Open Seating Hot Tub? 

Open seating in a hot tub is a design that does not include a designated lounge seat. It provides a casual and flexible arrangement where you can relax in various positions.

This design emphasises versatility and different seating preferences, allowing you to choose how you want to sit. This seating arrangement may be ideal for those who enjoy using a hot tub for socialising.

Open seat hot tubs can also be known as ‘all seater hot tubs’ and can also offer customisable massage experiences with various jet placements throughout the tub. Open seating hot tubs may not provide the same level of relaxation or targeted massage as a dedicated lounge seat. 

Lounge Seat Vs Open Seating Hot Tub  

Lounge seating 

A lounge seat offers a different hydromassage experience to an open seating hot tub, with a full body hydromassage experience that allows you to lie down and feel a massage hitting multiple parts of your upper and lower body at the same time. The design of the lounge seat gives you the ability to have a wrist massage, for example, where you wouldn’t be able to in an open seating one.  

A hot tub with a lounge seat may be fantastic for athletes and active people seeking to relax and reduce muscle strain after a hard workout, as the lounge seat would provide an all-around body hydromassage in a relaxed and reclined position.  

Having a lounge seat, however, would remove one of the corner seats in order to accommodate this, reducing the overall number of seats available. Depending on how many people intend to use your hot tub, it's worth considering the impact this has on reducing the overall seating capacity. 

Pros of lounge seating

- Overall body massage - Targets key muscles groups with hydrotherapy 

- Great for athletes - Muscle recovery for lower legs   

- Increased relaxation - By being laid down, you can relax a little more than in a regular seat 

Cons of lounge seating

- Decreases sociability - Loungers usually aren't created or placed to be at a sociable angle 

- Less space - Fewer people can fit into the hot tub overall as loungers take up a whole side 

- Potential height issues - Loungers can sometimes be too small for taller people, and too large for smaller people 

Open Seating 

An open seating style hot tub provides corner seats with an open concept design to allow greater socialising with a varied array of hydromassage jet options across all of the seats.

Open seating also gives some of the deep tissue massaging that a lounge seat would, but without the all-around body experience or in a reclined position. 

Pros of open seating

- Space - Provides more space for seating than a lounger 

- Open Seating - Great for socialising  

- More hydrotherapy options - Each seat can offer a different targeted area (depending on brand and model) 

Cons of open seating

- Not all round hydromassage - Doesn’t usually offer all-around body massage any seat 

- No recliner - Can’t stretch out as much as a lounge seat 

- Less seating options - You can never have a lounger put in, so will only ever have the option of all seating and not the choice of both 

How to Choose a Lounge Seat 

If you have decided that a lounge seat for your hot tub is right for you, it’s important to look at the model you are thinking of and its design carefully. For example, does the lounge seat have the right jets in the right place for the type of massage you are looking for?  

Also, take into account who will be using the hot tub and the sizes of those people, as some might be too tall or small for the lounge seat you are thinking of purchasing. How deep and how comfortable lounge seats are should also be a factor. 

Positioning is key as some lounge seats, when turned on, will make you float out of the seat due to the reclined design of the seat. This can lead to the user not enjoying the lounge seat experience as intended. 

Once you have decided on if the users of your hot tub will fit into a lounger, the best way to figure out if a lounger is for you personally, is to try it out in a test soak. 

Go For a Test Soak 

The best way to find out what kind of lounge seat is right for you is by booking a test soak with your local dealer or retailer.

A test soak is exactly as it sounds, where you will take a dip and test out the hot tub’s features, most notably its seats and hydromassage. 

You will be able to move around all the seats and get a real, hands-on experience of how a lounge seat makes you feel. Sitting in the lounge seat when it's dry won’t let you know if the lounger will make you float or not, a test soak will.

Jacuzzi® hot tubs with lounge seats 

Jacuzzi® offer a great option of hot tubs with loungers throughout our three collections. If a lounger is something you are passionate about, you should be able to find one within your price range: 

• J-215™ Classic Hot Tub with Lounge Seat  
• J-235™ Classic Hot Tub with Lounge Seat  
• J-275™ Classic Hot Tub with Lounge Seat  
• J-315™ Comfort Hot Tub with Lounger for Small Spaces 
• J-335™ Comfort with compact Lounge Seat 
• J-375™ Comfort Hot Tub with Largest Lounge Seat  
• J-435™ 7-foot Lounge Seating Spa 
• J-475™ Large Designer Hot Tub with Lounge Seat

Is a lounge seat worth it?

Ultimately, choosing a lounge seat or going for an open seating hot tub comes down to your personal preferences and what you are looking to get out of your hot tub. Both options offer something different in hydromassage diversity and in socialising, and whichever you choose will be a permanent fixture of the spa.   

What’s most important to look at is: 

- Who is using the hot tub?

- How many people are using it?

- Does a lounge seat suit everyone’s needs?

- Is the lounger comfortable for all who will use it?

No matter which one you choose, make sure the hot tub is well built, delivers on what you want from a spa and will provide a great hydromassage for years to come.

Do you find yourself with other questions such as - What kind of hydrotherapy do I want from my hot tub or what kind of jets do I want from my hot tub? We recommend you read this article which delves into common questions you may have while shopping around.

Interested in speaking to a member of our sales teams? Click the button below to find your nearest Jacuzzi® Hot Tub showroom in the UK and arrange a visit.  

You can also download our Jacuzzi® Hot Tub brochure to take a closer look and product specifications, colour options and more.