A salt water hot tub is a modern take on the hot tub without the associated costs and maintenance involved with traditional bromine or chlorine systems. Like with salt water pools, a list of salt water hot tubs pros and cons is a great way to compare the cost of such a system with the associated costs to see if it makes sense for you.
Hot tubs are often sanitized with bromine (or chlorine). Bromine tends to work well with hotter temperatures than chlorine and is associated with having less of an annoying smell than chlorine does. But how does bromine compare to a salt water hot tub and why choose one over the other?
Salt Water Hot Tub Pros And Cons
Here is a list of salt water hot tub pros and cons to compare against hot tubs that are generally sanitized with bromine or chlorine.
| Pros | Cons |
| Fewer chemicals are used which makes for more natural water | Higher up front cost due to chlorination system and salt cell cost |
| No associated strong smell as with chlorine or bromine | Salt cell maintenance needs to be performed |
| Salt water doesn’t irritate skin and eyes | Salt cell needs to be replaced every 1-3 years |
| Less draining of water than with chlorine hot tubs which are drained several times per year | Salt has corrosive properties that can damage hot tub surface, decks, concrete and other areas |
| Less water used for refills | Still requires some chlorine and bromine from time to time |
| Salt water increases water buoyancy which can be more relaxing for joints and skin | More maintenance and work on the system is required in general |
Salt Water Hot Tub Vs Bromine Vs Chlorine
So we’ve covered pros and cons of salt water hot tubs above but what are the key differences between a salt water hot tub as compared to a bromine or chlorine-sanitized hot tub in terms of the actual system itself?
A salt chlorinated system may add $500-$5,000 to the cost of a hot tub depending on your budget. An entry level hot tub itself may cost around $2,000 to start with, a mid-tier hot tub may cost around $4,000 and up, and high end hot tubs retail for $8,000 and up.
A salt chlorinated hot tub requires two main parts that bromine and chlorine hot tubs don’t have:
Salt water hot tub salt chlorinator system
A salt chlorinator system converts salt into chlorine which sanitizes the water for use. So rather than manually adding chlorine or bromine to the water, a salt system is used to produce the chlorine. A salt water chlorinator system needs to be replaced every several years which is an ongoing cost to think about.
Salt water hot tub salt cell
A salt chlorinator system also uses a salt cell which adds to the cost and needs to be replaced over time when it wears out. The salt cell also needs to be maintained and cleaned from time to time to ensure its lifespan.
The salt water hot tub chlorinator is basically a small probe that gets inserted into the hot tub to produce chlorine. If you don’t want the probe in the hot tub while in use, you can typically remove the probe until you are done using the hot tub. So you can leave the probe in the hot tub when chlorine needs to be added and remove it when using the hot tub. This is different from a salt water pool which has a salt cell that fits directly into the piping of the pool at all times.
Is A Salt Water Hot Tub Worth It?
Hot tubs only use a limited amount of water so there is not as much water to clean and sanitize as with a salt water pool. The cost involved with a salt system may not be worth it given that modern chlorine and bromine products do make it fairly easy to maintain your hot tub. With a salt water pool, there is much more water, more exposure to sun and contaminants that make benefits of a salt water chlorination system stand out more.
Also, the up front cost of a salt water hot tub may not be worth the investment especially since the chlorination system and salt cell will need to be replaced after several years.
For many people, maintaining a hot tub with bromine or chlorine might suffice without having to spend more on a salt water chlorination system. The biggest benefits with a salt water hot tub are experienced by people who simply don’t like water that is sanitized with bromine or chlorine and prefer the softer salt-based water.
If you’re looking for for more information on salt water system health benefits for a pool, I’ve written about that too.