With summer now well and truly here, you might be thinking that something is missing: a hot tub shaped something. To help out, we've found the best hot tubs for most people and today we're comparing two from Bestway, the Lay-Z-Spa Miami and Lay-Z-Spa Helsinki.
There's something very fun about having a hot tub at your own home, available whenever is convenient. Sitting amongst warm bubbling water, perhaps sipping a beverage and alongside some friends and family, is an excellent feeling.
While some hot tubs require a lot of (expensive) installation, we've opted to highlight only those that don't require much time and energy at all. Just pop them down, fill them up, plug them in, and you're away, feeling like a millionaire of an evening.
Before you take the plunge, it's worth thinking about where your hot tub is going to go and what kind of preparation that space will need. Some, for example, can be placed on a pedestal arrangement, while others can just sit straight on the ground. It's also worth considering how many people will ideally fit into the tub at once.
So, let's jump into our comparison of the Bestway Lay-Z-Spa Miami and Lay-Z-Spa Helsinki, two excellent hot tubs.
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Lay-Z-Spa Miami vs Lay-Z-Spa Helsinki: features
The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed something fairly significant: these two hot tubs, the Miami and Helsinki, are designed for two very different purposes – and have two very different price tags to match.
In many ways, this makes the job of choosing between the two a lot easier. The Miami is very much aimed at those on a budget, with a 2-4 person capacity, a small footprint, and really easy installation and maintenance. There are 81 jets, controlled via a dedicated soft-touch panel, to get the experience going.
The Helsinki, on the other hand, is a more premium model, fitting up to 7 people and can be used all year round thanks to its Freeze Shield technology, present in both models. The water can be heated up to 40°C (the same as the Miami), even in the deepest depths of winter, and there are 87 jets to get the bubbles flowing.
In fact, the Miami and Helsinki's Freeze Shield is one of their best features by our reckoning. By keeping the water pumping running at all times in power saving mode, the water doesn't freeze in the pipes and motor, meaning you can literally use it at any time. Especially if you, like us, live in the UK.
If you're after something simple, the Miami is perfect: plug-and-play, spacious for a few people, and with the real hot tub feeling from 81 jets. But the Helsinki is the choice for anyone who wants a slice of luxury for a relatively affordable price.
Lay-Z-Spa Miami vs Lay-Z-Spa Helsinki: design and use
As these are two hot tubs designed for different markets, the designs are pretty distinct. The Miami, the budget model of the two, has an attractive black and white design, with ridged sides giving the game away that it is inflatable. The Helsinki has the nice faux wood aesthetic, paired with a drop stitch construction.
We think both of these hot tubs is good looking in its own way and your preference will likely come down to your own tastes and the surroundings. If wood doesn't work, and a darker design does, then it could well be worth going for the Miami.
In terms of use, we were very impressed by both of these models. As mentioned, they can both heat the water up to 40°C and include loads of jets, part of Bestway's AirJet system, to get the bubbles flowing and the relaxation on.
Setup for both is really simple, taking just five minutes for the Miami and Helsinki, and the controls are easy to master and, importantly, perform with wet hands. The only real difference is size: the Miami can fit up to 4 people, compared to 7 in the Helsinki.
Lay-Z-Spa Miami vs Lay-Z-Spa Helsinki: verdict
You might guess what we're going to say here: it all comes down to budget. You can usually find the Miami for around £400 or less, depending on who has stock, while the Helsinki is more in the £900 ballpark. The former also takes up a lot less space, if that's a consideration.
Basically, we highly recommend both of these and they work incredibly well in their respective classes – budget and mid-range – and you'll be happy with whatever choice you make. The only consideration really is how many people you want to fit. Aside from that, we think both the Miami and Helsinki are fantastic hot tubs.
