Buying a spa pool is one of the more considered purchases a household will make. It's where the day finally slows down, where sore muscles finally let go and where some of the best conversations with the people you love happen without anyone planning them. The brand you choose determines how much you'll enjoy it, how easy it is to maintain and whether someone will be there when you need them — for years to come. With so many brands making similar-sounding promises, knowing who to trust is the most important decision you'll make before you buy.
In June 2026, Hot Spring was named New Zealand's Most Trusted Spa Pool Brand by Reader's Digest. Hot Spring didn't just top the category — it was the only brand rated highly trusted and highly recognised by New Zealanders at the same time.
Here's what thousands of New Zealand owners said and what it means for anyone weighing up their options right now.
An award voted for entirely by New Zealanders
The Reader's Digest Trusted Brands Awards are independently conducted by Catalyst Research, with no input from the brands being rated. In 2026, 1,788 New Zealand adults took part — a nationally representative sample, with quotas set across age, gender and region to reflect the country as a whole.
What makes the methodology particularly credible is its unprompted design. Before respondents were shown any brand names, they were first asked to name, in their own words, the brands they trust most. Hot Spring had to earn a place on the list before anyone could vote for it. Brands were then rated on a scale of 1 to 10, with "don't know" responses excluded — so only people who genuinely knew the brand had a say.
The result: Hot Spring finished first in the Spa Pools & Saunas category, ahead of every other brand in the market.
Read more about the methodology → Explore our range
Trust isn't given — it's earned over time
Awards like this don't reflect a single moment or a good marketing campaign. They reflect years of ownership experiences, told through word of mouth, shared with neighbours and family and accumulated across thousands of households.
So what keeps coming up?
- The lowest running costs in the country.
- A build quality owners are still talking about fifteen years in.
- And an ownership experience that makes a Hot Spring the easiest decision to recommend.
"My Hot Spring Relay Spa is hands down the best thing I have ever purchased. Hot Spring spas are the best quality out there — I wouldn't go for any other brands, they just don't live up to Hot Spring!" — Angela Besant
"I just can't rave enough about fabulous Hot Spring Spas, the product and the people! We purchased an awesome spa at the beginning of winter last year and we are still blown away by the joy it brings us after a hard day's work." — Antonia Connell
So, what keeps people coming back, year after year?
Built to last and backed to match
Hot Spring spa pools are manufactured by Watkins Wellness, the world's largest spa manufacturer, with over 2.4 million spa pools sold since 1980.
That longevity isn't incidental — it's what allows Hot Spring to offer warranties most brands can't match, including a 20-year spare parts guarantee.
When something needs attention years down the track, the parts exist and the trained technicians are here to fit them.
Learn more about the Hot Spring warranty
Running costs proven, not just promised
The most common worry for anyone buying a spa pool in New Zealand is the power bill. Hot Spring is the only spa brand in the country to have its running costs independently laboratory tested and published. At as little as $1 a day, the results speak for themselves.
That efficiency is built in from the start. Every Hot Spring spa is engineered to meet the California Energy Commission's Title 20 Appliance Efficiency Regulations — widely regarded as the strictest energy standards for spa pools in the world. They set hard limits on standby power consumption and require independent testing and certification before a spa can be sold under them. Hot Spring designs to this benchmark as standard, not as an afterthought.
That same engineering shows up at home through the Energy Smart System: Edge-to-Edge Insulation® with no thermal voids and Hot Air Induction Jets that recycle heat back into the water. These aren't features listed in a brochure. They're the reason Hot Spring owners don't wince at the power bill in July.
Water care that lets you enjoy your spa
It's not that people don't enjoy owning a spa. It's that many spend too much time testing, adjusting and wondering if the water is right before they can relax.
For years, water care systems could monitor your water, detect issues and tell you what needed attention. You still had to do the work yourself. Now, that's changed.
FreshWater® IQ, an optional upgrade exclusive to the Hot Spring Highlife, Limelight and Hot Spot collections, uses automated monitoring with touch-and-go precision dosing to actively maintain your spa pool water for you.
That means consistently clean, clear water with less guesswork and less time spent maintaining your spa. You can even monitor and control your spa from your phone, wherever you are.
It's another example of how Hot Spring continues to invest in smarter innovations that make spa ownership simpler, so you spend less time managing your spa and more time enjoying it.
"Love the IQ system. The water feels wonderful and it's incredibly easy to maintain." – Prodigy owner
The result is a spa that's warm, clean, and ready when you are — not when you've found time to check and treat it.
Dealer support that stays with you
When you buy a Hot Spring spa, you're not buying from a big-box retailer. You're supported by a network of independently owned local Kiwi-businesses that understand your region, know the products inside out and are invested in their local communities and you.
From choosing the right spa to installation, servicing and ongoing support, your local authorised Hot Spring dealer is there for the life of your spa. Backed by the strength of the Hot Spring brand, they combine personalised service with decades of product expertise and ongoing training and support.
It's one of the reasons customer service was identified as one of the strongest trust drivers by Hot Spring owners. Because exceptional spa ownership isn't just about the product. It's about the ownership experience and the right team to support long after delivery.
"Our spa is a cell phone free zone, making it a great way to connect with my loved ones in a relaxing environment." — Dallas Wearing
What this means if you're considering a Hot Spring today
When 1,788 New Zealanders independently name Hot Spring as the brand they trust most in this category, it's a powerful signal. It means real owners, with real running costs and real ownership experiences, believe Hot Spring is a brand worth recommending.
When you’re investing in a spa pool, confidence matters just as much as features. Knowing thousands of owners trust the brand can make your decision a little easier. That's the most genuine endorsement you can find.
The best way to experience the difference is to visit your local Hot Spring showroom. Speak with a specialist, compare models and at participating dealerships book a test soak before you decide.
