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Pain, stress and phones: new data reveals what New Zealanders are buying spa pools to escape

August 4, 2026

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Pain, stress and phones: new data reveals what New Zealanders are buying spa pools to escape

Source: Hot Spring Spas New Zealand

Customer research from Hot Spring Spas, just voted New Zealand’s most trusted spa pool and sauna brand by Readers Digest, shows wellness has overtaken entertainment as the reason Kiwis buy a spa, and the power bill is the number one thing that makes them hesitate.

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, [August 2026] – New Zealanders are buying spa pools to escape three things: pain, stress and their phones. New customer research from Hot Spring Spas shows 65 percent of buyers purchase primarily to relieve aches and tension, buyers describe the spa as a device-free retreat where the family can connect, and their biggest hesitation is not the price tag but the power bill. Most (63 percent) buyers have never owned a spa before. The research landed in the same winter New Zealanders voted Hot Spring the country’s most trusted spa pool and sauna brand in the 2026 Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands Awards.

Key takeaways

  • 65 percent of buyers purchase a spa primarily to relieve aches and tension, the strongest motivation by a wide margin (Hot Spring customer survey, May 2026, 199 respondents)
  • The school phone ban has a backyard sequel: buyers describe the spa as a device-free retreat where the family connects, as 49 percent of New Zealand teenagers say social media disrupts their sleep, homework and family time (Horizon Research for Smartphone Free Childhood NZ, 540 teens, October 2025)
  • Buyers fear the running cost more than the price: Running cost is the most-named purchase hesitation across 198 open-text answers, ahead of the upfront price (Electricity Authority, Electricity Authority takes closer look at price increases)
  • Build quality & durability is what tips the decision for most spa pool buyers but the in-person experience at the showroom has the 3rd largest impact on purchasing decisions
  • Recommendations from friends and family accounts for a small percentage of buying decisions
  • 63 percent of buyers are first-time spa owners; family households are the largest buyer group at 39 percent

Wellness has overtaken entertainment

In a post-purchase survey of 199 New Zealand spa pool buyers completed in May 2026, almost two thirds said they bought their spa to ease aches and reduce stress. Social and lifestyle motivations trailed well behind. The category stereotype of the spa as backyard entertainment no longer matches who is buying: 63 percent are first-time owners, arriving with no history in the category and a clear idea of what they want from it.

A more anxious country wants somewhere to switch off

Asked to describe what they wanted from a spa in their own words, buyers kept returning to the same themes: relaxation, an outdoor sanctuary, wellness and recovery, family connection and private indulgence. The backdrop is a country under measurable strain. In the latest New Zealand government Health Survey, one in seven adults (14.3 percent, around 619,000 people) reported high or very high psychological distress in the previous four weeks, a level that has risen significantly over the past five years (7.4% in 2019/2020).

“Somewhere we can connect and communicate as a family and enjoy the experience of calmness.” – Brian, Auckland, survey respondent

An investment in the home, used all year round

The other recurring driver is the home itself. Family households are the largest buyer group at 39 percent, motivated by family togetherness and a more enjoyable lifestyle at home, and buyers repeatedly describe the spa as the anchor of an outdoor space the whole household uses, in winter as much as summer. In their open-text answers, buyers frame the purchase less as an appliance and more as an upgrade to the place where they spend most of their time: a private retreat, an outdoor sanctuary and a reason to be in their own backyard every day of the year.

“A quiet relaxing space for the family to enjoy together.” – Jason, Auckland, survey respondent

A space where the phones do not follow

Woven through the family connection theme is a quieter one: unplugging. New Zealand households are having the same argument as the rest of the country. In a survey of 540 New Zealand teenagers aged 13 to 17 conducted in October 2025, 49 percent said social media disrupts their daily activities, including homework, family time and sleep, and 32 percent said they spend five or more hours a day on it. More than one in five (22 percent) met the criteria for problematic social media use, rising to one in four among girls.

The concern is now national policy, and escalating. Phones have been required to be away for the day in New Zealand schools since Term 2, 2024, and the Government is currently drafting legislation to restrict social media to those aged 16 and over, which the Prime Minister has said will be introduced before the general election.

In a household where screens reach every room, the spa is the exception. The survey suggests a key driver is buyers wanting to spend more time together without digital devices and to create a retreat where they can connect. It is where the strands of the research come together: a private retreat (26 percent) and a more enjoyable lifestyle at home (47 percent) both feature among what buyers say they want, alongside family connection, and a spa answers all three in the one household space a phone cannot follow.

“A place to relax, unplug from the internet and enjoy our rural outlook all year round.” – Rob, Whangārei, survey respondent

The power bill is the biggest fear

Asked what made them hesitate before buying, respondents named running cost more than any other concern, ahead of the purchase price itself. The anxiety is well founded this winter: most New Zealand households have faced an average 8 percent power price increase for the second consecutive year, and the Electricity Authority is examining the rises.

“How efficient the spa was and the impact on our power bill.” – Colin, Auckland, on his biggest hesitation before buying

What a spa costs to run depends on its insulation, the local climate, the electricity tariff, the water temperature and how often it is used. That variability is part of the anxiety: buyers want a straight number before they commit.

A word from Hot Spring Spas New Zealand

“Running cost is now the first question in almost every showroom conversation, before jets, before seating, before anything. Our own research confirms it: it is the most-named hesitation before buying a spa pool, ahead of the upfront price. People are buying pain relief, a better sleep and family connection, and they want to know what a spa will cost to run before they commit. The industry owes buyers straight answers on that, which is why we point people to an energy cost calculator so they can estimate running costs for their own climate and power prices before they spend a dollar. I think that kind of straight talk is a big part of why New Zealanders named us their most trusted brand, unprompted, in the first year the category existed.”

Aaron Sampson, General Manager, Hot Spring Spas New Zealand

About Hot Spring Spas New Zealand

Hot Spring Spas is New Zealand’s most trusted spa pool and sauna brand (awarded by Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands in May 2026), selling spa pools, swim spas, cold plunge, modular pools and saunas. Hot Spring spa pools are manufactured by Watkins Wellness, the world’s largest spa manufacturer, which has sold more than 2.4 million spas since 1980. Known for industry-leading energy efficiency, durable build quality and a 20-year spare-parts commitment, Hot Spring spas are supported across New Zealand by a network of independently owned, authorised local dealers who provide expert advice, installation, servicing and ongoing care for the life of the spa. For more information, visit https://hotspring.co.nz

Notes

  • Hot Spring customer survey: post-purchase survey of 199 verified New Zealand customers, May 2026, combining multi-select questions with open-text responses coded by theme. Full data tables, including motivations, hesitations and buyer demographics, are available on request.
  • The Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands Awards are conducted annually by Catalyst Research on behalf of Reader’s Digest. The 2026 New Zealand study surveyed 1,788 adults in a nationally representative sample, with quotas across age, gender and region and data weighted to reflect the country.
  • Running costs: spa running costs vary with climate, electricity tariff, water temperature and usage. Hot Spring’s published running cost information, including an energy cost calculator that estimates monthly costs by spa size, local climate and local power rates, is at https://hotspring.co.nz/energy-efficient-spa-pools-energy-costs/

Selected survey data

Hot Spring customer survey, May 2026, 199 verified New Zealand customers. The survey was multi-select.

Household type – Share

Household type Share
Family 39%
Single or couple 33%
Retired 13%
Empty nest 7%
Lifestyle or rural 4%
Holiday home 3%
Airbnb or short-term rental 1%

Purchase type – Share

Purchase type Share
First-time spa buyer 63%
Switched from another brand 16%
Replacing a previous Hot Spring 12%
Owns more than one Hot Spring 6%
Additional unit 4%

What buyers want – Share

What buyers want Share
Relieve aches, pain or muscle tension 65%
Reduce stress and relax 54%
Create a more enjoyable lifestyle at home 47%
Improve sleep and overall wellbeing 36%
Support recovery after exercise 34%
Improve outdoor living space 29%
Create a private retreat at home 26%

What tips the decision – Share

What tips the decision Share
Build quality & durability 30%
Energy efficiency & running costs 29%
Reputation & trust 27%
Showroom / in-person experience 27%
Water care system 20%
Dealer support & aftercare 17%
Product design 15%
Recommendation 11%
Massage performance 7%

Sources

MIL OSI