Editor’s Note: This product has been removed from our side-by-side comparison because it has been discontinued. You can still read our original review below, but Top Ten Reviews is no longer updating this product’s information.
The Canadian Spa Company Grand Rapids Inflatable Spa is a portable inflatable hot tub with an external pump and heater unit. It seats four people and offers a hot tub experience that you can set up almost anywhere, and at a price that will fit into your budget.
The inflatable spa is made of layered polyester and PVC and has an artificial leather cover providing protection for the outer wall. The four-person tub measures 60 inches in diameter, with a total width of 70 inches. The tub’s wall uses a ring design, with three compartments that inflate one at a time. The tub is 29 inches, which is a little deeper than competitors, and it holds up to 211 gallons of water. That should be large enough to comfortably seat four adults. This model is designed for portability; the uninflated tub and heater has a combined weight of 65 pounds, and is compact enough to fit into the trunk of a car.
The tub comes with an external heater and pump unit, which heats the tub overnight at a rate of 2 degrees Fahrenheit per hour, which is comparable to the heating rate of other inflatable hot tubs for sale. The water filter is built into the pump, which makes it easy to swap out the filter cartridge. Some other models place the water filter inside the tub, which requires you to drain the tub to change filter.
The pump and heater unit comes with an 8-foot power cord with a built in ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) plug, and it can be powered by a 110- 120-volt outlet. The heater has a maximum temperature of 104 degrees Fahrenheit, which is standard for hot tubs and complies with guidance from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The heater has a heating rate of 2 F per hour, so you’ll want to set it up and begin warming the water the day before you plan to use it. The pump also has a built-in air blower, which powers the tub’s 88 bubble jets and can be used to inflate the tub when setting it up. While 88 jets is fewer than the 100+ seen most other inflatable hot tubs, there are still enough jets to get things adequately bubbly.
For covering the tub between uses, the hot tub comes with a round, fitted top cover made of the same artificial leather as the tub’s exterior cover. The round cover fits over the top like a cap, with locking straps to secure the cover. The tub also comes with an inflatable disk that fits inside the top cover, as well as a floating thermal blanket cover that is set on the water surface before putting the top cover in place. These features help with heating and heat retention. Because the tub has an external cover, there is no ground mat included.
The spa comes with relatively few accessories. Only the locking cover, the floating thermal liner and two filter cartridges are packaged in with the inflatable hot tub. You will need to purchase any water treatment chemicals, such as bromine or chlorine, separately. But while the accessory selection is scant, the warranty is generous, with the Canadian Spa Company covering the tub as well as the heater and pump unit with a 12-month warranty.
As affordable inflatable spas go, the Canadian Spa Company Grand Rapids offers a decent design and a comfortable size. The filter system is conveniently built into the pump, and the 12-month warranty is generous, even if the assortment of included accessories is not.