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Wood fired vs electric hot tub: which suits your garden?

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In short

An electric hot tub, including an inflatable one, holds its temperature for days and is ready when you are, but it needs a safe outdoor socket and uses mains power. A wood fired tub needs no electricity and heats quickly once lit, but you tend the stove every session and usually empty it more often. Pick electric for regular soaks, wood fired for occasional off grid ones.

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Wood fired tubs and electric hot tubs both end in a tub of hot water, but the way you get there is very different. One burns logs in a stove that sits inside or beside the tub. The other uses an electric heater in a pump unit, usually from a standard 13 A socket on an inflatable model. This comparison looks at heating, daily effort, water care, space and neighbours, so you can decide which suits the way you plan to use it.

How each one heats the water

A wood fired hot tub has a stove, either submerged in the water behind a guard or set outside with a coil or water jacket. Water warms as it circulates past the hot metal by convection. Heat-up depends on the wood, the stove size and the weather, and you add logs to keep it going. When the fire dies down, the water slowly cools.

An electric inflatable tub has a heater inside the pump unit. On most 13 A models the heater is rated at roughly 2 kW, and it runs until the thermostat reaches the set temperature, then keeps the water there with short top-up bursts. It is slower from cold than a well stoked stove, but once up to temperature it stays ready under the cover. Our heat-up calculator gives the minimum hours for any volume.

01020304004812162024hours on a 2.2 kW heater°C600 L: about 9 h1,000 L: about 15 h1,000 L, cover off (slower)
Minimum heating from 10 °C to 38 °C on 2.2 kW. With the cover off, heat is lost and the climb is slower.

Side by side

The table sums up the practical differences between the two types. It describes the usual pattern, not every model.

PointWood fired tubElectric inflatable tub
Heat sourceLog stove, internal or externalElectric heater in the pump unit
Mains power neededNo, unless it has a pump or filterYes, a suitable outdoor socket
Ready on demandNo, light the stove each timeYes, if kept heated under the cover
FiltrationOften none or a small add-onBuilt-in filter cartridge
Typical water routineEmpty and refill oftenKeep the water for weeks with sanitiser
BuildTimber, steel or fibreglass shellPVC walls, often with internal beams
SmokeYes, think about neighboursNone
Wood fired and electric hot tubs at a glance

Effort per soak

With a wood fired tub, every soak starts with filling or checking the water, lighting the stove and feeding it until the water is warm enough. Many owners enjoy that ritual, especially at a cabin or on a smallholding. It does mean planning ahead and staying with the fire.

An electric tub asks for more routine water care but less effort per soak. You test and dose the water a few times a week, rinse the filter, and the tub is ready whenever you lift the cover. If you want a quick soak after work several times a week, that convenience is the main reason most UK buyers choose electric.

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Water care and hygiene

Many wood fired tubs have no pump or filter, so owners usually empty them after a session or a few days and refill with fresh water. Some models add a small filter and allow sanitiser, but the stove and timber can limit what chemicals are suitable, so check the maker's guidance.

Electric inflatable tubs are designed to hold the same water for weeks, with a filter running every day and a sanitiser such as chlorine or bromine kept in range. Our guide to what chemicals a hot tub needs sets out the basics.

Space, smoke and safety

A wood fired tub needs room for a log store, a safe flue height and a sensible distance from fences, sheds and trees. Smoke can drift into neighbouring gardens, so check any local smoke control rules with your council before buying. The stove and flue get very hot, so keep children and pets away.

An electric tub needs a level, firm base and a suitable socket within reach of the supplied cable. It makes no smoke, but it does use mains electricity next to water.

Note:Hot tubs combine water and mains electricity. Use a weatherproof outdoor socket protected by an RCD, follow the maker's manual, and have any new circuit or socket fitted by a qualified electrician.

Which suits you?

  • Choose wood fired if you have no power near the spot, want an occasional soak and enjoy tending a fire.
  • Choose an electric inflatable if you want the tub ready several times a week with little effort per soak.
  • Choose a premium electric tub if you want better insulation for winter use; see our winter hot tub guide.
  • In a smoke control area, check the rules before choosing wood fired.

Frequently asked questions

Are wood fired hot tubs any good? Yes, for the right setting. They heat without mains power and many people enjoy the ritual. They suit occasional use better than daily soaks because you need to light and tend the fire each time.

Is a wood fired hot tub cheaper to run than an electric one? It depends on your wood supply and how often you use it. An electric tub's use can be worked out in kWh from the heater rating and hours, while wood use varies with the stove and logs.

Can you use chemicals in a wood fired hot tub? Some makers allow a sanitiser, others recommend emptying and refilling instead. Follow the maker's guidance, as the stove and timber can be affected by some products.

Do electric hot tubs need a special supply? Most inflatable tubs run from a standard 13 A outdoor socket protected by an RCD. Larger hard shell tubs often need a dedicated 32 A supply fitted by an electrician.

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