What Size Hot Tub Is Right for Your Family?
Max PiggottBuying a hot tub for the family is exciting, but with so many sizes, shapes and seating layouts, it's easy to feel overwhelmed.
So how do you find the right fit?
This guide covers what to think about when choosing a size, so you can make a confident decision for your home and family.
Start with headcount: how many people will use it?
First ask: how many people will regularly use the hot tub at the same time?
As a rough guide:
- 2–3 person spas: good for couples or individuals. Compact, space-saving and lower cost.
- 4–5 person spas: a good balance for small families, with room to stretch out without taking over the garden.
- 6–7 person spas: suit larger families or households that like to entertain.
- 8+ person spas: best for big families and regular gatherings.
Tip: Even if your family is small, a 5+ person tub gives you more room to stretch out, especially as children grow.
Seating: loungers or open seating
Hot tubs usually have lounger seats (like an underwater recliner), bench or open seating, or a mix.
Lounger seats
- Support your whole body
- Take up more space per person
- Good for solo soaks and hydrotherapy
Open seating
- Makes the most of the available space
- Easier for children and guests to move around
- Better for groups
Family tip: For households with a mix of ages, open seating is usually more versatile.
Measure your space (and the route in)
Before you settle on a model, measure the installation area, and check:
- Access: will it fit through gates, side passages or doorways?
- Base: is the surface level and strong enough?
- Clearance: is there room for the cover to lift, and space to get to the equipment for maintenance?
If space is tight, plug and play spas or round models are flexible and simple to install.
How will you use it?
What you want from the hot tub also affects the size:
- Hydrotherapy and recovery: prioritise deep seats and targeted jets, even in a smaller tub.
- Family fun: look for seats at different heights and room to move.
- Year-round use: look for good insulation, and consider a heat pump to keep running costs down.
Hot tub sizes compared: 2 to 7 people
Here is how the sizes work out across our range. All figures come from the product pages, and the water volume tells you roughly how much there is to heat and treat.
| Model | Seats | Size (cm) | Water | Filled weight | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yukon | 2 | 213 x 100 x 74 | 350 litres | 490 kg | 13 amp plug-and-play |
| Montreal | 3 | 213 x 150 x 78 | 700 litres | 930 kg | 13 amp plug-and-play |
| Calgary | 4 | 213 x 150 x 78 | 700 litres | 930 kg | 13 amp plug-and-play |
| Cornwall | 5 to 6 | 198 x 198 x 73 | 700 litres | 900 kg | 13 amp plug-and-play |
| Winnipeg | 5 to 6 | 198 x 198 x 80 | 905 litres | 1,225 kg | 32 amp hardwired |
| Toronto | 5 to 6 | 213 x 213 x 82 | 1,000 litres | 1,380 kg | 32 amp hardwired |
| London SE | 6 | 213 x 213 x 87 | 1,100 litres | 1,577 kg | 32 amp hardwired |
| Vancouver | 6 | 227 x 227 x 87 | 1,250 litres | 1,670 kg | 32 amp hardwired |
| Victoria | 6 to 7 | 219 x 219 x 82 | 1,220 litres | 1,630 kg | 32 amp hardwired |
| Niagara | 6 to 7 | 228 x 228 x 99 | 1,465 litres | 1,945 kg | 32 amp hardwired |
A few things stand out. The Cornwall and Winnipeg share the same footprint and both seat 5 to 6, but the Cornwall runs from a 13 amp socket while the Winnipeg is hardwired on 32 amps, so the choice often comes down to your electrics. The Niagara is our flagship, with two 5 HP pumps and a heated air blower. The Vancouver packs 65 jets into a 6 seat layout for anyone who puts massage first. If you're deciding between one pump and two, our guide to single or twin pump hot tubs explains what the second pump changes.
13 amp or 32 amp: what the size means for your electrics
Size and power go hand in hand. Smaller spas up to the Cornwall plug into a standard 13 amp outdoor socket, with no electrician needed for the spa itself, provided the socket can supply the full 13 amps. Larger spas run more powerful pumps and a 3kW heater, and need a dedicated 32 amp supply installed by a qualified electrician, protected by an RCD rated at no more than 30 mA. Budget for this when you compare prices, as the cost of the electrical work depends on how far the spa is from your consumer unit.
See the full ranges: 13 amp plug-and-play hot tubs and 32 amp hardwired hot tubs.
How to measure your garden for a hot tub
Take ten minutes with a tape measure before you fall for a particular model. It saves a lot of disappointment on delivery day.
- Mark out the footprint. Use garden canes or masking tape to mark the spa's exact size on the ground. Stand back and look at it from the house.
- Add room around it. Allow space on one side for the cover to fold back or sit on a cover lifter, room for a step where you get in, and access so an engineer can remove the side panels.
- Check the base. The spa needs a flat, level and solid base. A filled 6 seat spa weighs 1,500 kg or more before anyone gets in. Our guide to deck vs patio installation explains the options.
- Measure the route in. Measure every gate, side passage and corner between the road and the spot. Hot tubs are usually moved on their side on a trolley, so you need an opening at least as wide as the spa is deep (73 to 99 cm across our range) plus about 40 cm of height for the trolley, along with room to turn corners.
- Look up. Check for overhanging wires and trees. Spas should not sit under wires, and trees drop leaves and needles into the water.
- Plan the power. Note where the socket or isolator will go and how far the cable has to run.
Seat layouts explained
Two hot tubs with the same seat count can feel very different. The layout decides how many people are comfortable at once and what kind of soak you get.
- Lounger plus seats. Many of our 6 seat models, including the London SE and Toronto, have a full-length lounger. It is the favourite spot for a long massage, but it takes up more room than an upright seat.
- All upright seats. Models with moulded seats and no lounger, such as the Cornwall with its six moulded seats, fit more people in the same space and suit families who use the spa together.
- Seats at different depths. A mix of deep and shallower seats lets taller adults sit with water at shoulder height while children or shorter adults sit higher.
- Jet count per seat. Jets are not spread evenly, so some seats give a much stronger massage than others. If massage matters to you, sit in each seat in a showroom before you buy.
If you can, come and try a few sizes in person. Sitting in a spa for a few minutes tells you more about legroom and seat depth than any brochure.
Hot tub size FAQ
What size hot tub do I need for a family of four?
A 4 seat spa such as the Calgary fits four people, but a 5 to 6 seat model gives everyone more room, especially as children grow. The Cornwall is a good middle ground, as it seats 5 to 6 and still runs from a 13 amp socket.
Does a bigger hot tub cost more to run?
Generally yes. There is more water to heat and treat, the heater is larger and the pumps are more powerful. Good insulation and a well-fitting cover help, but a 1,465 litre spa will always use more energy and chemicals than a 700 litre one.
How much space should I leave around a hot tub?
Enough to take the cover off, climb in safely and let an engineer reach the side panels. A top-mount cover lifter, for example, needs about 25 cm of clearance behind the spa.
Can a large hot tub go on decking?
Only if the decking is designed for the load. A filled Niagara weighs around 1,945 kg before anyone gets in. Ask a builder or structural engineer to confirm the deck can take it.
Is an 8 or 9 seat hot tub worth it?
Only if you regularly have that many people in at once. For most families, a 6 or 7 seat spa gives plenty of room without the extra running costs and space a very large spa needs.
Match the size to how you live
Think long-term. Will your family grow? Do you plan to entertain? Do you want a private soak or a social space?
To recap:
- 2–3 seats: cosy, efficient, good for small spaces.
- 4–5 seats: suits most families.
- 6–8+ seats: spacious and sociable.
The right hot tub fits the way you live and is easy to enjoy.
Need help choosing a size?
Get in touch with our team for advice, or visit our showroom to try one for yourself: 01293 824094
Choosing a hot tub?
Compare our hot tubs and swim spas, or visit our showroom near Gatwick.