Hi Guys

Been looking ot buy a spa for about 6 weeks now.
Sick of lying sales persons and totally confused by now.

What bad experiences has anyone had here with Chinese made spas?

I hear LA spas are great but they are very expensive.

Aussie spa's too are a tad pricey but the chinese made ones sure are tempting with bang for your buck type value i.e more jets twin pumps, recirculation etc.

Anyone had dealing with blue haven pool spas?

Any input would be helpful

I don't have any experience with Chinese-made spas. But personally, I would avoid them completely.
There is no way they could be fully tested for the North-American climate. They are inexpensive for a reason....cheap parts that break down or corrode quickly, and very likely impossible or at least difficult to get replacement parts. Look into the warranty, and who is going to come out and service your spa if something goes wrong. You need a local dealer who's willing to stand behind the product they sell, and who will likely still be in business 5-10 years from now.

Buy a spa that is designed for the specific region (climate) where you live, and that's been tested, and can stand the test of time and use. If you buy something cheap, just because it's cheap, you'll likely regret it in a couple of years, and be shopping for a new spa again.

A spa is a big investment. Not only the money you spend, but the potential value it adds to your home, and also an investment in your health.

You need to look at why you're getting a spa in the first place. Is it for health and therapeutic reasons? Then make sure you get one that's going to meet your needs, and will be the easiest one for you to maintain. There's nothing worse than getting sick from sitting in contaminated water. There's also nothing worse than breaking your back trying to constantly drain and fix and fill, and drain and fix and re-fill, because you have a spa that's problematic or difficult to maintain. Your health is worth more than the money you're trying to save up front by buying the cheapest thing on the market.

Also remember that a spa is a very personal thing. No matter how clean you think you're able to keep it, it will always have YOUR skin cells and bodily fluids (mostly sweat, but possibly other things.....ewwwww) in that water. If you think it will be "fun" to have hot tub parties with your friends....think again. Most of our friends have said "no thanks" when we've invited them to have a soak and a drink in our spa. And I don't blame them. I'd probably say the same if I were the guest. I just don't know what might be lurking in somebody else's spa. So bottom line is....you can probably save yourself a couple of thousand dollars by going with a better quality, but smaller spa. Don't overbuy. Don't buy a huge 8-10 person spa, thinking that you're going to have parties every weekend. Buy a smaller spa that will accommodate yourself and immediate family. That's all you really need. Anything bigger is a waste of money.

All very good points. Thanks for taking the time.

The spa is for the wife and I and of course kids, for the same reasons I would not be inviting others to contaminate my spa.

Viewed a chinese made spa the other day, complete rubbish that i would not take for free if it were given to me!

I would suggest browsing a couple of forums and finding a couple of people who have purchased the Spa you are considering to offer their thoughts. People are willing to give you their views and history with the product, that should be your first step. I would put more emphasis on people who do not have vested interests in a product like a Spa salesman, or connected to anyone dealer as biased opinions are not ultimately what you need.

Having said that, you do need to think a little about servicing and China is a far off place with a history of some serious corner cutting. I personally would not recommend it, and I'm sure when and if you are able to get some feedback you may come to the same conclusion.

Stick with a manufacturer who has a solid history of a repair network, you don't need issues on that end should the need ever arise.

Some inexpensive Spa's are well made, you do need to do your research and again do your research. I wouldn't even ask people on an open board, you'll just get the same old answers. Send private posts to individuals and more likely to get an honest opinion. I know people with both very expensive, to very inexpensive and you would be surprised on which ones actually had more problems.

Good luck with your research.