INTEX 28429EP PureSpa Plus Bubble Massage Spa Set: Includes Energy Efficient Spa Cover – 2 Contoured Headrest – LED Light – 4 Person Capacity – 77" x 28"

This is my review of the Intex 28431EP PureSpa Plus 85 Inch.First off, the 28431EP at $678 appears to be identical to the 28431E at $1024. I contacted Intex asking the difference and their reply "They are almost the same but the little difference lies in color. And the pool kind is the same but they are different pool sets and would come with different pumps and other maintainence kit. Have a good day."If true, I can't see the colour difference. The pump it came with is labeled 2843100B, and appears and functions the same as the higher priced model. All of the extras, cover, controls, tool kit, appear exactly the same as the model without the P. If there is $300 in less value here, I can't find it.So, about the spa itself. So far so good. Everything was well designed and very easy to set up. The quality appears top notch. Filled water started at 57°f and in 24 hours, was 100°f (my initial setting). The pump/heater is extremely quiet, something I was very surprised and pleased to discover. I have had the small Intex pools before and, as I recall, the filter was rather loud.Of course the air pump is louder but not too bad, about the same level as the bubble noise itself. As for those bubbles, the strength of the massage was completely unexpected. I thought the bubbles were more for appearance, but come to find out, they work exceptionally well. Feels great on the old back.Really glad I got the 85" model, 6 person is a bit of a stretch, but 4 close friends would be doable. For my wife and I, it's perfect.The cover is very well thought out, and looks to do a great job of insulation. The inflatable bladder, give the cover a bit of a dome and should prevent excessive water pooling with rain.My take so far, is save $300 and get the Intex 28431EP PureSpa Plus 85 Inch for $678. Very happy with this purchase. If anything changes, I'll update this review.--MarkEdit:Three weeks of steady, daily, use and the spa is working perfectly. Using the La Crosse Wireless Pool Thermometer, I can see the spa cycles 102° to 104° without any problem. The heating, actually runs less than expected. Consumers tracks my monthly power, so I'll report back with details.I'm old and my back hurts so the biggest problem so far is lifting off the insulated (very effective), cover. The cover that comes with this model, extends to the ground, and is quite heavy. When lifting, the fit is snug, so you're fighting a vacuum to get it off! Easy solution though. When you go to remove the cover, undo the encircling strap, start the air pump, and the cover domes and easily lifts off! 😎 This also allows any rain water to drain off the top. Super easy.I generally take the insulated cover off for a morning soak, leaveing it off all day, using only the inflatable bladder. This seals well and keeps leaves and junk out of the water. Easy on and off makes it simple for a quick soak. I put the cover back on at the end of the day, or if we go away.When I originally fill the tub, I used a garden hose that was a couple years old, and the water was nasty. The hose must have deteriorated. Anyway, took several days and a couple of filter changes, and the pump/filter cleaned the water gin clear. Testing also showed are water was extremely hard. This unit supposedly had some method of softening water, well 8 days in, it tested perfect. With a few other standard pool chemicals, everything balanced out nicely. I check and clean/replace the filters every few days. They clean off well, especially with a bit of compressed air. You should get a fair amount of use before replacement is necessary.I also purchased the Intex 28620EP Handheld Rechargeable Spa Pool Vacuum. Maybe not completely necessary, but makes cleaning extremely easy.I think I read somewhere that the filter/heater timed out after 72 hour, or so. Not the case so far, but I use the spa daily.All said, very pleased with this spa. Stay tuned.Edit: END OF THE SEASONSo, it's only mid October, but took advantage of one of the last nice days to store the spa. Read the instructions for storage, and it's pretty simple. Drained with the a hose a instructed and finished up with a wet vac, wiped down and deflated with the air pump. This work really well and collapsed the pool enough that it actually FIT into the provided storage bag! Other parts stored in the original box.Season summary: I used this spa almost daily for just shy of 6 months and enjoyed every minute. One E-90 filter error, when first installed with nasty water from an old hose. New filters and the water cleared up quickly and everything ran perfect all season. At first I was cleaning the filters, to extent there use, but found one one of them really doesn't do anything so just changed them weekly, swapping one with the other at that time. I am guessing the dual filters are a legal requirement, but for a spa this size, not really necessary.My only disappointment is the 104° temperature limit. I understand this is also a legal (or at least industry) requirement, but wish it was just a degree higher. I have a recording temperature gage and the spa consistently cycles between 102° and 104° which is good, but 102° is just a bit low for my taste. My friend has a $44,000 dollar spa and his does the same, so, I guess I can live with it.My electric usage was slightly higher than last year, but not by much. I am sure the spa accounted for some, but too little to put a number on it.As I was storing the spa and components, I had an opportunity to inspect everything. My original hope was to get a couple years out of this. I now suspect I can do much better as everything appears to be in excellent shape. Only a small amount a fading on the dark blue inner wall, otherwise all looks good.It's too bad that Amazon no longer allows replies on product reviews. Would love to compare notes with other spa owners.Summary: Absolutely an excellent value. See you next year, stay warm.Edit: Beginning year three, still good with one problem.At the end of year two, the insulated cover was finished. Started ripping at the seems. Intex does not seem to offer a replacement, so I irer the non-insulated "shorty". Actually, while not as efficient, it sure is easier to deal with. So, as a compromise, I'm happy, (see photo with shorty cover). Otherwise the spa has performed perfectly.Incredibly good deal and a pleasure for daily three (mostly) season use. Recommended.

I have been wanting to get one of these for a few years but was skeptical. Well, I guess waiting paid off because this one is amazing. First of all the reviews that say it’s hard to set up, ignore that. My husband said it was easy Peezy. We started off setting at 105 and it maintains temperature quite nicely. We ended up lowering it. That’s a little hot for us with our warmer weather here in the south. Something will have to play around with. People have mentioned the cover is hard to put on OK ignore that review too. I am a complete wimp. I literally weighing under 110 pounds. I can put it on myself no problem. The bubbles are way better than we could’ve imagined. It’s almost like having a jetted hot tub. It feels wonderful on your back. The light in the hot tub is a fun added touch in the evening. And don’t think of this as a blowup like a pool. Its very hard once it’s blown up. Now, as far as the size, I would say three adults could sit with their back up against the side and their feet extended very easily. Four adults you’d have to be sitting crisscross applesauce, and six adults they all have to be on the smaller side. I honestly couldn’t imagine six adults) We bought it more for just my husband and and we fit the size perfect! When he’s not in it, I can actually put a small float in and relax and read my book. We are beyond thrilled with our purchase so far. if you’re thinking about getting this, definitely go for it you will not be disappointed..

I was really excited for this product. I read reviews and it looked like it was a quality investment. It was not.Since I hit purchase it has been a NIGHTMARE. I was excited to set it up and the instructions were not helpful. I watched a YouTube video (that showed there are issues with valve alignment), to help me put it together.As soon as I put water in (about halfway filled) it started leaking. I tried to tighten it but the threads kept tripping and water was gushing everywhere. Was awful.I was leaving town, so I put the cover on it was going to deal with it later, but the cover didn’t hold as the water continued to leak while I was gone and when I got home there were leaves etc in it. Was a DISASTER!!I called a plumber to come take a look at it and he said that it was a design defect. The valves on the machine don’t line up with the holes on the hot tub and because the fasteners are plastic, they cross thread and fail.We had no other choice but to return it, leaving the kids a little heartbroken. Now I went through another nightmare trying to return it because it is sooo big and bulky. I just got a message that they are charging a restocking fee of half the amount I paid.This product put us through hell and now I’m going to have to fight to get the original amount I paid back. The customer service is atrocious and I would stay away from any of their products.NEVER AGAIN!

Being that this is my 3rd tub in about 13 years, there is no question about the quality. However, our prior tum, which I just replace should have, in my opinion, lasted another year or two before springing an unrepairable air leak. This, and the fact that Intex's customer service is horrible is the reason I didn't throw 5 stars out here.