How Do You Insulate an Inflatable Hot Tub?

There are numerous ways, and many of them are the DIY route. Use our methods to efficiently help you use your hot tub even in the cold of winter.

You've already transitioned into a simpler world of hot tubs by getting yourself an inflatable hot tub. This helps in so many ways, from cost reduction to maintenance reduction, to flexibility you didn't think was possible with hot tubs in general. 

Yet you want to be able to use it year-round and make sure that the water temperature always stays hot, even if you have it outdoors in the winter. So the big question is, how do you insulate an inflatable hot tub properly? 

Even inflatable hot tubs come with their own insulation, so insulating a hot tub only becomes necessary when the weather gets really cold, around 40 degrees Fahrenheit or cooler. Only then will you need to take additional steps to answer how do you insulate an inflatable hot tub? 

Get the right type of equipment

There are some extra pieces that you can purchase that will help to insulate your hot tub and have that tub in the winter ready to go. Your hot tub manufacturer will probably be able to either offer these pieces to help insulate an inflatable hot tub. However, there are also third-party items you can look at that help keep the water warm in inflatable hot tubs when the temperature drops. 

Hot Tub Cover

We’ll start with the simplest form of insulation that comes from the hot tub manufacturer itself, the hot tub cover. When you're done with your inflatable hot tub experience, make sure to place the hot tube cover immediately back on as it'll create a layer of insulation immediately and preserve the water warmth.

Place something on the bottom

There are two options here, and it all depends on just how cold it'll get, how much insulation you need, and your budget. Your hot tub in winter sits on the cold ground. Getting a hot tub groundsheet is a great way to put some minimal insulation. It's only a small amount, so you may be better off placing actual hot tub pads on the bottom. This is a thicker option than the groundsheets and can provide improved insulation.

There's a DIY option you can do by simply purchasing foam sheets. This is an option in between a groundsheet or an actual hot tub pad. You can get foam sheets at many hardware DIY-type stores. 

Use additional thermal-based covers

These may not come standard from a hot tub manufacturer. Still, a great way to keep the water temperature optimal for your hot tub in winter is to put additional thermal or solar blankets on top of the water and below the hot tub cover. A thermal blanket will effectively trap the heat and provide insulation for the water. 

It may seem silly at first to place the blanket in that fashion, but you’ll quickly see that with foam insulating bottoms and these blankets, you’ll be able to create the perfect insulation bubble. 

Ensure routine maintenance

An indirect way to be able to support insulating an inflatable hot tub is to ensure that everything is working properly. Ensure that the inflatable hot tub is cleaned regularly and that the water heater and pumps are all in good working order. 

You may assume to leave the heater on, but it won't be energy efficient, and you'll have rapid heat loss if you simply leave the heater on. You'll also burn out the water heater if you leave the heater on for extended periods of time when not in use. 

Of course, there's a bit of prep time, even with insulation, that will be needed to get the water warm or even piping hot. So that's why having a proper maintenance schedule with your water heater will help with the temperature drops around you but not have you suffer major heat loss. 

Location of your hot tub

If you deem to have it necessary to have inflatable hot tubs outside, it also depends on where you place it. Plan on making it an extension to a deck or building an enclosed outdoor setting, such as a gazebo or even fireplace typesetting for other activities to enjoy outdoors even in the cold of winter. 

This will be very effective in being able to keep your inflatable hot tub insulated. In addition, the foam insulating items, ground mat, or hot tub pads will only enhance the overall insulating effect in these areas. 

There'll be a nice residual sauna-like feel with the proper insulation in this enclosed space, and inflatable hot tubs can help keep this isolated area warm all winter long. 

Alternatives to outdoor settings

If you feel that these insulation technics are not preventing heat loss or keeping the water warm, don't forget one of the great benefits of an inflatable hot tub is that it's mobile! You can move it indoors and be able to easily enjoy those air jets and your hot tub in winter. 

You’ll also have less maintenance to handle, especially if you experience heavy snowfall. By moving it indoors during the winter months, your home will be insulating an inflatable hot tub instead. 

You can still use some of our tips in case you feel like placing it indoors, but the space isn't properly insulated. That means using thermal blankets in conjunction with the hot tub cover, even indoors, with a ground mat, will be extremely energy efficient, and you'll have that warm water always ready to jump into whenever you need it. 

Try to avoid any permanent or semi-permanent solutions. For example, you may think to yourself when answering how do you insulate an inflatable hot tub inside or outside, and you might consider the answer is the same way as your home, with insulating foam. Yet that will stick to your inflatable hot tub, and it might make it difficult to remove it, or it may end up damaging or even tearing the inflatable hot tub when trying to remove it. 

Some final thoughts

Make sure that you understand the limitations of hot tubs in general and that there are times when sometimes it's just too cold, and it may not be fully possible to insulate. A tub in the winter can be a fantastic option, but it may not always be possible, and the water temperature may not always get as hot as you need it to. 

Make sure that you're also ready to use it during the winter because even with the proper build-out and insulation, the weather may get so cold that the water in the tub could potentially freeze. 

Or the water heater could freeze, damaging it to the point where it's no longer operable. Ensure that if the water heater and pumps are exposed to the elements, you have proper insulation for them. This is because even if your hot tub cover and everything else helps in insulating an inflatable hot tub if the equipment isn't protected, then you won't get continuous hot water. 

So don't just leave the heater on its own. There are great ways to enjoy inflatable hot tubs; just take the time to build out a strategy for using it.