It’s clear why swim spas have become so popular in recent years as soon as you step inside one. Combining the best elements of a spa pool, lap pool and a hydrotherapy pool, but in a compact and cost-effective package measuring just a few metres long and a couple of metres wide, a swim spa is a luxurious, adaptable and stunning addition to any home. But which swim spa is best?
The best swim spa in New Zealand will be one that is beautiful, well built, feature-packed, energy efficient, and offers an unmatched swim-in-place experience. While there are a number of brands now offering swim spas, Endless Pools continues to lead the way in terms of quality, design and innovation and swim experience.
A swim spa is a significant and rather unique investment. If you choose well it is one that you might only need to make once in your life. But if you haven’t bought a swim spa before, shopping can feel like an overwhelming experience, full of words you’ve never heard and questions you’ve never been asked before.
In this article we’d like to share our extensive swim spa knowledge and experience to offer you a clear brand-by-brand comparison that will help you make a wise investment. How do the major Kiwi swim spa brands compare? Read on to find out.
Endless Pools
- Manufactured in: US and Mexico.
- Price range: Premium.
Endless Pools is the swim spa arm of Hot Spring spa pools, both brands being owned by the world’s largest spa pool and swim spa manufacturer, Watkins Wellness. Endless Pools is generally considered the global leader in terms of quality, innovation and swim-in-place experience, with these qualities put on full display in the premium E-Series Fitness System collection. The two other Endless Pools collections – the X-Series and R-Series – offer mid-range and entry-level swim spas. Endless Pools offer airless swimming (no air in the jets) which produces a natural swim without that sinking feeling.
The desire to be the best means Endless Pools invests heavily in quality and innovation. These swim spas offer powerful, controllable and perfectly smooth currents produced by high-end propulsion systems which can move up to 19,000L of water every minute, and each includes an extensive array of hydromassage jets, usually found in a separate seated section. Endless Pools swim spas are also energy efficient, meeting the California Energy Commission Standard, the toughest standard in the world for energy efficiency. They are also visually stunning and built to last.
Endless Pools swim spas tend to have a higher sticker price than the other brands on this list, but between their longevity and energy efficiency and swim experience this upfront investment tends to pay itself back over time.
Endless Pools pros:
- A trusted, proven brand known for high quality swim spas.
- The E-Series offers arguably the world’s finest swim-in-place experience.
- Water care technologies minimise work and maximise play.
- Built to last, with guaranteed spare part replacement for 20+ years.
- The most energy efficient swim spas on the market.
- Luxurious hydromassage included in every model.
- Diversify your aquacise with the underwater treadmill, aquabike, rowing kit, resistance bands, swim tether and more.
Endless Pools cons:
- A higher upfront investment (though one that can quickly pay itself back).
- Higher cost for premium spare parts.
Jacuzzi
- Manufactured in: Five locations worldwide, predominantly Mexico.
- Price range: Premium.
A brand synonymous with spa pools, Jacuzzi also offers swim spas to Kiwi consumers in the shape of the PowerActive and PowerPro collections. Like Endless Pools, Jacuzzi sits at the premium end of the swim spa market, priding itself on quality and innovation, and boasting a hydromassage history that stretches back over six decades.
This innovation can be seen in features like the WaterWatch™, the only fitness watch made specifically for use in swim spas. Certain Jacuzzi swim spa models also include an underwater treadmill, granting owners an opportunity to enjoy jogging in a low impact yet high resistance environment.
There are a couple of areas in which Jacuzzi swim spas fall behind when compared to similarly-priced Endless Pools machines. Jacuzzi doesn’t quite offer the same level of features and optional extras as Endless Pools, and the swim-in-place experience isn’t quite as immersive.
Jacuzzi pros:
- A proven performer featuring high-quality construction.
- High-end hydromassage.
- WaterWatch™ is the only swim watch made specifically for swim spas.
- Underwater treadmill included on some models.
Jacuzzi cons:
- A significant upfront investment.
- Not as feature-packed as equivalent Endless Pools models.
- The swim-in-place technology isn’t quite as advanced as that offered by Endless Pools.
Galaxy
- Manufactured in: China
- Price range: Mid-range
Having sold quality spa pools and swim spas to Kiwi customers for over two decades, Galaxy is now one of the more established brands in the New Zealand market. Another company looking to occupy that mid-range sweet spot, their swim spas are made and sold in China (under the Crystal Island Spa name) and brought into New Zealand by 4 Seasons.
Galaxy is the archetypal mid-range brand. Its focus is on doing the basics well, and offering a good quality, good looking machine at a good price. It’s important to note that there’s a difference between good and great, however, which you’ll notice if you compare the Galaxy ownership experience to that offered by an Endless Pools or Jacuzzi swim spa.
These aren’t the most energy efficient spas, so the lower sticker price can be cancelled out by higher power bills. Galaxy spas also offer a so-so swim-in-place experience – like most elements of this brand, it’s good without being great.
Galaxy pros:
- A proven performer with two decades of history selling to NZ.
- A good quality spa pool at the right price.
- A complete range of 11 models.
- Backed by an established spa pool brand.
Galaxy cons:
- Timber frames may compromise longevity.
- A lack of pumping power and included features.
- High running costs.
Vortex
- Manufactured in: China
- Price range: Mid-range
A spa pool and swim spa brand established in 2002 with the goal of designing the best value spas on the market, Vortex is one of Australasia’s most popular brands in terms of spa pools sold. It offers five swim spa models that all sit comfortably in the mid-range category.
While Vortex certainly offers good value for money, the differences between their machines and those at the more premium end of the market are immediately apparent when looking at aesthetics, materials used and features included.
Perhaps the most notable difference is the swim-in-place experience. Vortex swim spas feature anywhere from one and four swim jets, each of which can move 600L/min. The four-jet option, which they call the ‘Extreme’, moves a total of 2400L/min. Compare this with the Endless Pools E-Series range, which is capable of moving 19,000L/min – almost 8x this ‘Extreme’ volume.
Despite a swimming experience that is comparatively lacking, Vortex offers decent bang for your buck. And while the swim spas might be imported from China, they have been designed for local conditions.
Vortex pros:
- Swim spas designed for Australasian conditions.
- Decent quality machines at the right price.
Vortex cons:
- Higher running costs vs premium brands.
- Only five swim spa models – one of the smallest ranges on the market.
- A less powerful and immersive swim experience.
- Short warranties.
Alpine
- Manufactured in: US and China.
- Price range: Entry-level to mid-range.
Luxury doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg – that’s the promise of Alpine swim spas. This brand entered the New Zealand market in 2015 and immediately shook it up by offering the most cheap and cheerful spa pools and swim spas, filling a niche that many in the industry didn’t know existed.
Along with its bargain basement namesake brand, Alpine also offers mid-range H2X fitness swim spas, and Michael Phelps Signature swim spas, which, as the name suggests, are more premium affairs. That said, these brands aren’t likely to square off against Endless Pools or Jacuzzi any time soon.
The range spans 16 models in all, making it one of the most extensive in New Zealand. But being a brand predominantly aimed at those in search of cost-effectiveness, there are a number of areas in which the savings are evident, such as energy efficiency, build quality and the swim-in-place experience.
Alpine pros:
- An extensive range of 16 models.
- Some of the most affordable swim spas on the NZ market.
Alpine cons:
- A basic swim experience.
- Low energy efficiency and high running costs.
- Timber frames.
- Short warranties.
