Two worries stop most people buying a hot tub for a small garden: will it get in, and will it cost a fortune to heat. Both are solvable. The tubs below are sized for tight spaces, run from a normal plug, and start at £3,599.
Which small hot tub should you buy?
For a small garden, the right tub clears your gate, runs from a 13amp plug, and has a properly insulated shell so winter bills stay low. Our SB347L does all three: three seats, an 1830 by 1230mm footprint, £3,599. Two more sit below if you need a fourth seat or a lounger. Your access and who is getting in decide it, not the price.
| Model | Seats | Footprint | Power | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SB347L | 3 | 1830 x 1230mm | 13amp | £3,599 |
| Equinox Nova 130 | 4 | 2000 x 1640mm | 13amp | £5,499 |
| Sunbeach 522-DL | 2 | Compact lounger | 13amp | £5,599 |
Does a compact tub mean fewer features?
No. Cheap portable tubs shrink by stripping kit out. A properly built compact tub shrinks the shell, not the spec. The SB347L is 1830 by 1230mm on the ground, small enough for a courtyard, yet it still carries 29 jets, a 2hp pump, a colour-changing underwater light, fibre optic rail lighting and a USA Aristech acrylic shell. The footprint is smaller. Nothing else is.
Will a small tub still give a proper massage?
Yes, if it drives the jets with a water pump rather than air. Cheap tubs blow bubbles up through the floor, which do little for a stiff back. A proper compact tub pushes pressurised water at your neck, shoulders and legs. The SB347L uses a 2hp pump behind its 29 jets, so a three-person shell gives the kind of targeted massage you would expect from a spa twice the size. Size limits the seats, not the jets.
Are small hot tubs cheap to run?
A smaller tub holds less water, so in theory it costs less to heat. In practice that only holds if the heat stays in. A thin-walled budget tub loses warmth as fast as it makes it, and the winter bill balloons. The three here use insulated Sunbeach and Equinox shells, and the SB347L wraps all four sides and the base in Super R10, TUV certified and recognised by WhatSpa and the UK Pool & Spa Awards. Insulation, not small size on its own, keeps the running cost down through a cold month.
Will it fit through my gate and side path?
Settle this before you order, not on delivery day. Small garden hot tubs often clear the gate with less room than you would think, but only a real measurement tells you. Every A6 tub comes with a free pre-delivery site survey, where we check your side access, path widths and the base. These models are also plug and play from an ordinary 13amp socket, so you skip the 32amp hardwired job that adds hundreds of pounds to a larger tub.
The three compared
Tightest space, lowest price: SB347L, £3,599. Three seats in an 1830 by 1230mm shell, 29 jets, straight into a 13amp socket. For the smallest gardens and budgets. Look elsewhere if you need a fourth seat.
Room for the family: Equinox Nova 130, £5,499. Four seats in a compact shell, still 13amp. The choice when three will not stretch to the whole household.
Space to lie back: Sunbeach 522-DL, £5,599. A two-person luxury tub with a lounger, for couples who would rather recline than sit up. Not the one if you often have friends round.
FAQ
What is the smallest hot tub A6 sells? The SB347L. Its footprint is 1830 by 1230mm, it seats three, and it starts at £3,599. It suits courtyards, patios and small gardens, and plugs into a standard 13amp socket.
What size hot tub fits a small garden? The limit is usually your access, not the garden itself. A shell around 1.8 by 1.2 metres, like the SB347L, clears most gates and paths. The free site survey confirms it against your space before you buy.
Do small garden hot tubs need a special electrical supply? The models here do not. They run plug-and-play from a 13amp socket, which avoids the 32amp hardwired install larger tubs need and the extra cost that comes with it.
Is a compact hot tub actually cheaper to run? It can be, because there is less water to heat, but insulation decides it. The SB347L holds its heat through its Super R10 shell. A cheap tub with thin walls can cost more to run than a bigger, better-insulated one.
See them in person
See the full range of small hot tubs online, or sit in one at the Sharnbrook showroom. Tell us your garden size and how you reach the back of it, and we will tell you which tub fits and how to get it in.
