Best Hot Tub/Spa Gazebos: A Review & Buying Guide for 2020

After installing a hot tub, you may find the weather, the timing, or even your weird neighbor is stopping you from getting the most use out of your latest and greatest backyard accessory.

But with a gazebo set up over your hot tub, you can recreate the feeling of a luxury hotel, gaining privacy and a little shelter from the elements as you relax in the water.

Before you invest in one of these structures, there are a few key considerations to ensure you’re making a smart purchase. We’ll talk all about what they are in this article.

Top Picks for Hot Tub Gazebo

We hand-picked the following hot tub steps based on their popularity, price-points and differentiating features.

A more complete review of each can be found later in this article.

What is a Hot Tub Gazebo/Shelter?

As the name would suggest, a gazebo or shelter is simply a roof and perhaps even a set of walls that you can throw up to provide a little protection when using your hot tub.

You’ve got the option of purchasing a temporary structure that goes up just like a tent, or perhaps even installing a steel or wooden gazebo permanently around your hot tub.

Hot tub gazebos are the perfect accompaniment to your outdoor space, allowing you to soak in the tub without concern for the harsh sun or even a bit of rain. Plus, since many come with walls or privacy barrier, you always feel comfortable when you’re in the water.

What Types of Hot Tub Gazebos Can You Buy?

1. Enclosed Gazebo

An enclosed gazebo is essentially a room you put up around your entire hot tub. You can opt for a permanent structure with a steel frame and solid screen walls, or something a little more mobile (basically just a giant tent).

These particular gazebos offer protection on every side of your hot tub. Perfect if you’re wanting to get a little more use from your hot tub, but the weather, timing or conditions just aren’t quite right.

You can also use the screens as a shield to keep the bugs at bay during the night or to draw them closed if you need more privacy when using your hot tub.

2. Open Air Gazebo

Open air gazebos have a similar structure, without the four walls of their enclosed counterparts. Because of this, they’re perhaps not the best option for bug protection or even privacy, but they do shade you from the sun as well as keep the rain off.

The most significant benefit though is your view. Without walls, you don’t have anything obstructing the view from your hot tub, ideal if you want to keep an eye on the kids or better enjoy your surroundings as you soak in the tub.

The lack of walls ensures the gazebo will not create a closed-in space in your yard, and you can incorporate additional features like additional lighting or even a bar, turning your backyard hot tub into a classy outdoor entertainment zone.

Which is Best?

Ultimately the best choice for a gazebo will depend on what you’re looking to achieve with it.

For the highest possible levels of protection against the elements, bugs and prying eyes, an enclosed gazebo ticks all the boxes. Your best bet if you wish to use your hot tub late at night or throughout the dead of winter.

But if you’re looking to create a little shade and overhead protection, all you really need is an open air gazebo. It won’t block your views while still keeping the rain off, and with a little ingenuity, you can use it to make your hot-tub an ideal relaxation zone.

What to Consider When Buying a Hot Tub Gazebo

Size

Before choosing a particular size, you need to think about what you’re planning to use your gazebo for, once it’s up. If it’s just to cover the hot tub, that’s fine, and a small gazebo will suit. But many people use a gazebo to transform their yard and provide a sheltered area. If that’s the case, you’re going to need a much larger size.

I’d personally recommend erring on the side of caution here and buy a bigger gazebo than you think you’ll need. Of course, it needs to fit into the space you’re intending to install it, but as a rough rule of thumb, the bigger, the better.

Ventilation

Adequate ventilation is vital for a gazebo, letting the heat and collected steam escape to prevent any mold, mildew, and rust forming on both the gazebo and everything inside.

Plus, proper ventilation also helps your gazebo stand up to high winds, as the wind can simply pass through instead of blowing the entire canopy away.

Drainage

Anytime you’ve got a large amount of water in an enclosed area, drainage becomes an essential element. Pooling water on the ground needs somewhere to go so it can dry before slips become a problem. Not to mention actually maintaining your hot tub, having a drain close by when you want to empty and clean it is a brilliant idea.

Installation

Before buying a gazebo it’s crucial to understand what you’re getting yourself into, and the ease of installation is critical.

Temporary structures are usually set up in minutes, with the help of just one or two people. Some of the more extensive and more permanent options can take several hours and will need the help of a few friends.

You may find that you actually need the help of a professional to install these, and it’s important to consider whether or not you’ll also require approval from your local home owner’s association before adding a new and permanent structure to your yard.

Durability

When it comes to the expected lifespan, it’s no wonder the steel and wood options last the longest, because they’re a stable, permanent structure in your yard. Often one that’s been professionally installed. Consider just how long your gazebo will last when you’re doing your research, and ensure you’re choosing the right option for your home.

What’s important here is the weather, and just how extreme things get during winter. If you usually pack your hot tub away when it gets cold, a temporary structure that you can take down is perhaps ideal. Or you may want something a little more durable against the storms, with a roof that isn’t going to give out the first time it snows.

Reviewing the 5 Best Hot Tub Gazebos

1. Coleman Screened Canopy Tent

Designed by Coleman, this is canopy tent is made of UVGuard material that offers UPF 50+ sun protection. It’s a 12 x 10 ft. canopy for 90 sq. ft. of shade and 8 ft. 4 in. center height.

It can be easily set up. Users would even say that setting it up only lasted 3 minutes! Its screen walls are also designed to keep mosquitoes away. Lastly, this tent is built to last with its double-thick fabric that stands up to the elements season after season.

Pros:

• Very fast to install
• Creates a large indoor space
• Keeps mosquitoes away

Cons:

• Not easily portable

2. 0x10-foot Outdoor Aluminum Frame Hardtop Gazebo Canopy

Designed by Best Choice Products, this is a pop-up gazebo is tinted with a hardtop roof. This gazebo allows you to lounge comfortably in the hot tub without the sun beaming in from above.

Separate bug netting and rain-resistant curtains can each be strapped back to enjoy a beautiful day or zipped shut to protect you from rain, bugs, wind gusts, and more.

The sturdy frame can be held down with 12 included stakes (3 per base) and is rust-proof to maintain a clean appearance for years to come.

Pros:

• Sturdy, no problem handling gusts of wind
• The roof does not leak even during heavy rains
• The curtains work well, they glide nicely, and zip easily

Cons:

• Difficult to assemble

3. Garden wooden pavilion gazebo pergola hot tub

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Designed by Checo Home and Garden, this is a wooden open air gazebo, that creates a 300cm by 300cm space, perfect for creating a protected area around your hot tub.

Featuring a frame constructed from pressure treated pine and spruce, you get clear instructions from the manufacturer to help you correctly assemble this gazebo.

What I like best is the look, it’s a permanent option, but it has been created with design in mind, giving you a classy choice for installing in your yard. The biggest downside is, therefore, the assembly required, and that you’ll have to purchase the roof shingles separately.

Pros:

• Created with design in mind
• A sturdy and permanent structure

Cons:

• Roofing shingles an additional purchase
• Takes some time to assemble

4. Gazebo Penguin 41215 All-Season Solarium, 12 by 15′, Slate

Our choice for the best hot tub gazebo.

Designed by Gazebo Penguin, this particular enclosed gazebo measures 12′ by 15′ and is basically a solarium, with a UV-treated polycarbonate roof to let the light in.

Featuring a heavy-duty aluminum frame that is not only 100% rust proof, but it’s also strong enough to hold up to storms and heavy snow and comes with a reinforced roof.

What I like best with this particular gazebo is it’s waterproof, so you’re essentially creating a new outdoor room, one you can run lighting and electronics to. The biggest downside is the assembly, it will take several hours to install, and you will need at least two people and a ladder to put it together.  

Pros:

• Highly durable in all conditions
• Completely waterproof roof

Cons:

• Takes several hours to assemble
• Quite a large structure for your yard

5. Sunjoy 10 x 12 Chatham Steel Hardtop Gazebo

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Our runner up for the best hot tub gazebo.

Designed by Sunjoy, this is a versatile hot tub gazebo measuring 10′ by 12′, with screened walls you can easily slide open and closed like curtains in your home.

Featuring a vented steel roof to provide not only optimal airflow but create a waterproof structure, the aluminum, and steel powder-coated frame is also rust-resistant.

What I like best is the option you have to bolt the entire gazebo structure down to ensure it stays in place even during high winds. The only downsides are the instructions, they’re not particularly easy to follow, and you will need several hours and at least four friends to help you assemble this particular gazebo.

Pros:

• Vented steel roof helps air flow
• Screened walls can slide open and closed

Cons:

• Takes several hours to assemble
• Some users found parts damaged in shipping

6. The garden igloo 360 dome with pvc weatherproof cover

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Designed by Garden Igloo, this is a unique and futuristic gazebo with an 11’9″ diameter, with a stylish look that is fantastic for transforming an outdoor space.

Featuring an easy to use connector system, no specialist tools are needed to assemble the structure, which goes together relatively smoothly before the PVC cover goes on top.

What I like best is how portable it is, because it’s so lightweight it’s easy to move and reposition even once it’s assembled. The biggest downside is the size of the cover, it can be tough to stretch into position, and some spots do sag.

Pros:

• Unique design will be a talking point
• Can be anchored down to withstand 62km/hr winds
• Highly portable, even once assembled

Cons:

• Cover can be challenging to stretch into place
• Some customers had trouble locking connectors into place

Conclusion

Buying a gazebo for your hot tub is a smart idea, as it provides you with shelter, protection, and a little more privacy than you would have otherwise.

The key is to find the perfect gazebo for your needs, and your yard, to ensure you’re getting the best use out of your hot tub.

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