What temperature should a hot tub be?
The short answer
And never above 104°F (40°C), the limit the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission gives.
The right setting is the one that is comfortable and safe for whoever is getting in. Hotter is not better: water above body temperature keeps warming you for as long as you sit in it.
Where most people settle. A new owner can start around 99°F and work up.
Never above this. Modern tubs are built not to go higher.
The Pool and Hot Tub Alliance's figure, as hot tub makers cite it. Shorter soaks, and always supervised.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission's figure. Ask your doctor before using a hot tub at all.
Ask a doctor first if
You have heart disease, circulation problems, diabetes or blood pressure problems, or you take medication that makes you drowsy. This is the Commission's advice, and it applies at any temperature.
Two more things
- Alcohol and hot water do not mix. It raises the risk of drowsiness and drowning.
- Check the real temperature now and then. A floating thermometer costs little and tells you whether the tub's own reading can be trusted.
This page is general information, not medical advice.
This is general guidance. Your hot tub's owner's manual comes first, and so do the instructions on your products.
Sources: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: CPSC warns of hot tub temperatures; Master Spas: Hot tub water temperature.