Regardless of how careful you are with your hot tub use, sand, leaves, and other debris will eventually make their way to the bottom of your tub. Since debris can harm the water system and even have adverse effects on your health, you really should not neglect regular and thorough cleaning. Still, this won’t become a problem if you have the right tools, including a hot tub vacuum cleaner, in your arsenal.
There are 3 types and numerous hot tub vacuum cleaner models to choose from, and the most suitable pick is not always obvious. This is where we can lend a hand. In this article, you’ll find out which type of vacuum cleaner best suits your needs based on the comparison table (if you need a quick solution) or detailed reviews (if you want to get a more insightful outlook). This knowledge can save you time and money, so stay tuned!
To compile the comparison table of the best hot tub vacuum cleaners, we identified the types of vacuum cleaners and their specialization and analyzed customer feedback to define a set of the essential parameters hot tub owners care about. Based on this data, we selected the most promising products, tested them ourselves, studied hundreds of customer reviews to assess longitudinal characteristics, such as durability, and better understand common issues with each of the models.
The comparison table below presents the 4 most reliable models that passed our quality test and suit customers with different priorities.
| Model | Features | Benefits | |
Most powerful suction | - Type of work: battery-operated - Size: 7.5"L x 6.5"W x 15.5"H - Weight: 5.05 lbs | - The most powerful suction - Easy to assemble and operate - Suitable for pools and large hot tubs - The battery runs long enough to clean the entire pool | |
Best for hard-to-reach spots | - Type of work: battery-operated - Size: 7"L x 4.5"W x 14.75"H - Weight: 3.05 lbs | - The best to clean hard-to-reach spots - Easy to assemble and operate - High maneuverability - The battery runs long enough to clean the entire pool | |
Best price-to-value | - Type of work: operation from hose - Size: 4.8"L x 5.12"W x 10.39"H - Weight: 1.3 lbs | - The best price-to-value solution - The most portable hot tub vacuum cleaner - Reliable suction power - Deals with both small and large debris | |
Best for small volumes of water | - Type of work: manual - Size: 5"L x 5"W x 58"H - Weight: 2.5 lbs | - The most effective in the small hot tubs - Saves water and electricity - Eliminates small to medium size debris - Comes with a 7-foot pole |
A hot tub vacuum cleaner is a very useful tool that keeps the water in your hot tub or pool clean and sparkling. Sometimes, cleaning the bottom of the hot tub by hand or with a net is virtually impossible. For example, if you need to get rid of the sand (which is not a rare problem), your only option, besides purchasing an underwater vacuum cleaner, is draining water, which is a significant waste. But is it okay to just ignore the debris if it is not bothering you? Here are several reasons why you shouldn’t do it:
🧪 Poor chemical balance
Maintaining proper chemical balance can be a difficult task in its own right. There is no need to make it even more complicated by ignoring debris and contaminants. If you’d like to know more about how to manage things like pH or alkalinity level—check out our detailed article about chemical kits for hot tubs.
🦠 Bacterial growth
When organic debris decomposes in the water, it turns into nutrients that various bacteria feed off. They, in turn, lead to blooming algae or even worse issues, like A bacterium that causes illnesses, such as diarrhea, urinary tract infections, respiratory illness, and bloodstream infections. or A parasite that can cause stomach cramps, bloating, nausea, and bouts of watery diarrhea..
⚙️ Equipment damage
Debris can also put a strain on the filtration and pump systems. Over time, the quality of water circulation decreases, which leads to equipment damage and costly repairs.
You can avoid these issues by purchasing an effective hot tub vacuum cleaner. The main distinguishing factor of each model is its mode of operation, so let’s review the 3 main options a hot tub owner has.
Hot tub vacuum cleaners come in three types: battery-operated, hose-operated, and manual. Each has advantages and drawbacks, and you should choose the one that best fits your situation. Here’s a brief rundown on how each of the hot tub vacuum cleaner types works:
| Types | How it works | Pros and Cons |
| Battery-operated | Needs electrical power to create a suction effect and trap dirt and debris. Requires you to charge a battery before using the cleaner. | ✅ Strongest suction effect ✅ No need for wires or hoses ✅ Very easy to assemble and operate ❌ Higher price compared to hose-operated and manual options ❌ Battery performance worsens over time |
| Operated by a garden hose | Water pressure from a regular garden hose creates a suction effect to collect debris in an attached mesh bag. | ✅ Cheapest option ✅ Effective suction at significant depths ✅ Picks up large debris like leaves or bugs ❌ Attaching and detaching a hose can be a bit problematic ❌ Mesh bags need to be changed regularly |
| Manual operation | Suction is created manually by placing the vacuum head underwater and opening the small hole at the end of the telescopic pole attached to the plastic reservoir for water and debris. Dirty water is siphoned into the reservoir without the need for electricity or water pressure. | ✅ Requires no water or electricity to operate ✅ Can clean small debris like sand and grit ✅ Easy to clean the reservoir ❌ Cleaning large areas takes a lot of time ❌ Need to be very careful with plastic parts |
We determine the best hot tub vacuum cleaners based on a set of quality criteria—product aspects that are essential for the customers. After studying hundreds of customer reviews, we have compiled a list of features you need to consider before making a purchase decision.
These parameters include:
Unfortunately, you can’t fully assess these characteristics just by reading the product description. How a particular hot tub vacuum cleaner model lives up to its marketing is only evident from a user’s experience.
Our research was experience-based, meaning that we tested the products ourselves to see which model has the strongest suction and how they deal with debris of different sizes. At the same time, studying customers’ feedback was crucial to understanding what issues the hot tub owners run into while trying to assemble and use the products. We also looked for comprehensive reviews to learn how durable the hot tub vacuum cleaners are.
The models we present below scored the highest when it comes to the core characteristics we listed.
Pool Blaster Max and Catfish are similar options manufactured by the same company, Water Tech, that share most advantages and drawbacks. These are battery-powered hot tub vacuum cleaners that are pricey but very powerful and easy-to-operate devices (since you don’t need to attach a hose or use force while using it). Basically, you can consider Catfish a mini version of Pool Blaster Max. Max is the perfect option for a large hot tub or a pool, while Catfish can be used for smaller volumes of water. Pool Blaster Catfish is more lightweight and maneuverable compared to the Max version, allowing it to effectively eliminate debris in hard-to-reach spots.
Pool Blasters are well-made devices that perform as advertised. There are minor drawbacks inherent to all products that use batteries—they wear off over time, thus reducing the run-time of the devices (originally, Pool Blaster Max can work for up to 60 minutes, Catfish—for 45 minutes). Also, both Max and Catfish come with no telescopic pole, meaning that you have to purchase it separately.
To sum up, if you have a pool or large hot tub that is heavily used—Pool Blaster Max and Pool Blaster Catfish cleaners are solid options if you are comfortable investing more than $100 into hot tub maintenance. But if you only need to clean a small tub or don’t have to deal with much dirt—cheaper Pool Supply Town or Aura Paradise hot tub vacuum cleaners will likely suit you better.
Here’s a review from an Amazon customer who was dealing with a persistent leaves problem:
“I use a nice robot pool cleaner, but it struggles with leaves a lot (they are many since we have a tree nearby). It was extremely frustrating, but then I discovered Pool Blaster Max. It takes me some time to plug in the charging cord, but apart from that, everything is a breeze. I go slower over the piles of leaves to make sure it sucks all of them. It is a very convenient device since I don’t need to take it out until the work is done, and it also doesn’t weigh a lot. Literally a weight off my shoulders!”
– Michael, NC
Pool Supply Town Vacuum Cleaner is the cheapest option on the list. Despite the low price, our research suggests that it performs its cleaning duties very well. This hot tub vacuum cleaner needs a standard garden hose to operate, and if the water pressure is strong enough, its suction is only slightly weaker than Pool Blasters‘. While being the smallest and most portable device in our selection, Pool Supply Town Vacuum Cleaner can deal with debris of any size and operate in pools deeper than 2.5 feet (the minimal depth is 16 inches).
Despite all the positives, the design of Pool Supply Town’s hot tub vacuum cleaner inherits several inconveniences. The biggest problem and the most frequent complaint is that attaching a garden hose is complicated. In some cases, hot tub owners even gave up on the product because of this issue. Luckily, there is a way to work around the problem by using one of the hose adapters. Also, mesh bags that this cleaner uses need to be changed regularly to ensure that small particles, like sand and grit, don’t slip back into the water.
Even though it takes some time to get used to Pool Supply Town Vacuum Cleaner, its price-to-value ratio outmatches every other product on the list. This hot tub vacuum cleaner can perform its primary function just as well as other options while being 4 times cheaper than Aura Paradise and 10 times cheaper than Pool Blaster Max. Check out the helpful hints on how to assemble and use Pool Supply Town Vacuum Cleaner to have a smoother experience with the device.
Many hot tub owners are happy with how such a small investment can solve an annoying issue. Here’s one such customer review from Amazon:
“Paying 25 bucks to keep my pool so clean is an amazing deal! My niece put an outdoor broom in the water—the bottom of the pool was full of sand and dirt, it was terrible! I used this vacuum to clean the bottom within 5 minutes, and the dirt was all gone. This thing is definitely worth the money!”
—Stephanie, FL
Aura Paradise Power Spa Vacuum Cleaner is a completely manual option that works perfectly in small hot tubs. Since this vacuum cleaner doesn’t require batteries or water pressure to work, so you don’t need to struggle with the hose attachment or charge the device before cleaning. One of the great aspects of Aura Paradise is its ability to reach the corners of the hot tub shell and get rid of sand, which is one of the most frequent causes of hot tub equipment damage. It also comes with a 7-foot pole, so you won’t need to make any additional purchases.
While Aura Paradise performs great in small volumes of water, the cleaning process gets unacceptably time-consuming if you need to clean a large area. It also doesn’t deal all too well with large debris (especially, leaves), although this might not be a huge problem if you have a small inflatable hot tub or an outdoor fountain.
Our verdict on this hot tub vacuum cleaner is—it is worth a shot if you own a small tub, but will not work well in a pool (unless it is a tiny one). If you are somewhere in between, then the question you need to answer is: Do I want to save some time and effort by paying $50 more for Pool Blaster Catfish?
Here’s one review from an Amazon customer for whom this hot tub vacuum cleaner was a perfect match:
“This is the best home maintenance tool I ever bought. It is lightweight and very easy to use, and while I, sometimes, need to go over a certain spot multiple times, the process is really simple. You just put your thumb on the hole at the end of the pole, the cleaner sucks the debris, you let the water back out, and dip again. My hot tub was clean in less than 10 minutes. I am so happy there was nothing to assemble and no complicated instructions. Who would’ve thought that a siphon mechanism could work that well?”
—Brenda, OH
We have prepared a couple of recommendations for each of the 3 types of hot tub vacuum cleaners. Knowing these tips will make the assembly and use of the chosen vacuum cleaner practically effortless.
⚡ Battery-powered vacuum cleaner
As we mentioned in our detailed review of the Pool Blaster Max and Catfish vacuum cleaners, the assembly process is not very complicated. The only thing you need to be careful about is the charging process. It takes several attempts to get used to the way the charger is plugged into the device, but after that, everything is a breeze. It takes about 4 hours to fully charge the cleaner, and the charger light goes from red to green when the device is ready.
Some users note that when you take the cleaner out, the dirt can fall back into the water. This is due to improper use. Here is what we recommend to avoid this problem: if you use a handle, lift the vacuum from the pool with the nose facing up to allow the water to escape from the back and the sides. If you are using a pole (which is not included), you need to remove the unit from the pool with the handle facing down. This will allow the water to escape while the dirt remains inside.
One more thing you need to know about is changing the filter bags. There are two types of bags you can use: regular and microfilter. Microfilter bags are necessary if you need to remove a lot of small debris, while regular ones are okay for everything else. Here’s how you can clean such a bag:
The process of cleaning the reusable filter bag
There is no need to clean the filter bag with a detergent: just wash it with a garden hose or in a sink. This is where you can get a telescopic pole and additional bags for your hot tub vacuum cleaner:
🌊 Hose-operated vacuum cleaner
Hot tub vacuum cleaners operated by garden hose are the most time-consuming options in terms of assembly and operation. Unfortunately, some customers receive the product without the instructions, which causes a lot of confusion. Here’s a helpful visual and a step-by-step video guide on how to assemble this vacuum cleaner:
As we mentioned in the detailed review of Pool Supply Town Vacuum Cleaner, the most frequent issue we noticed is attaching the device to a garden hose. If that is your problem—try using one of these hose adapters. You will also need to wash the mesh bag inside out and change it when it gets damaged.
💪 Manual vacuum cleaner
Manual vacuum cleaners have a very simple design and don’t require you to assemble anything, except for attaching a telescopic pole. When you purchase Aura Paradise Vacuum Cleaner, the 7-foot telescopic pole is already included, which is convenient. The only thing you need to be careful about is physical damage to the device. The plastic parts of the mechanism are rather fragile, so you should prevent falls and don’t leave the unit under the direct sun for too long (since it causes the plastic to crack more easily).
Here’s a very simple video explanation of how Aura Paradise cleaner works:
Using a hot tub vacuum cleaner is the most efficient way of keeping debris out of your spa and keeping the water healthy and machinery intact. There are 3 types of hot tub vacuum cleaners, and we analyzed the pros and cons of each option. After conducting in-depth research and testing the most promising models, we selected 4 best vacuum cleaners that will suit customers with different priorities.
Owners of large hot tubs or pools can choose between Water Tech’s Pool Blasters and Pool Supply Town Vacuum Cleaner. The former is an expensive but very powerful and easy-to-use device, while the latter is a much cheaper but less convenient option. If you only need to clean a small hot tub, a manual vacuum cleaner like Aura Paradise can suit you well. Finally, operation and assembly processes are not always straightforward, so we explained several nuances you need to know to save time and effort while cleaning your hot tub.
We hope this article was insightful, and that the devices we recommend will help you make your hot tub experience even more pleasant!
We selected 4 effective hot tub vacuum cleaners that will suit customers with different priorities. Owners of large hot tubs or pools can choose Pool Blaster or Pool Supply Town cleaners, while smaller hot tubs can be cleaned with Aura Paradise. Check out our detailed reviews to know more!
Not removing debris from a hot tub can create a welcoming environment for dangerous pathogens and damage the hot tub equipment. We cover these issues in a section about why you need a hot tub vacuum cleaner.
Pool Blaster Catfish is both a portable and powerful option, so it can work in both a hot tub and a pool. However, if your pool is large, you might want to consider Pool Blaster Max.
The most important decision you need to make is a choice between 3 types of hot tub vacuum cleaners: battery-operated, hose-operated, and manual. Factors that will influence your decision include the size of the hot tub or pool, your budget, and how much time you are ready to spend cleaning the hot tub.
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I didn't know that you need a vacuum cleaner for hot tubs and pools. I hope to get a pool soon. So I'll see what I can do about getting a vacuum.