How to light a spa or hot tub

If you’re like most people, you’re not crazy about the idea of bright lights shining on you when you’re relaxing in your spa or hot tub at night.

You won’t hear me say this often, but this is one situation where darker is better.

That said, there is need for some lighting out there.

You and your guests need to find your way to the spa.

Maybe you have benches nearby that could use a subtle wash of light.

There are ways to light a spa area without invading your privacy.

Grab your cover-up and let’s take a look.

Highlight the landscape, not the tub

You can tell homeowners don’t want to draw a lot of attention to their spas and hot tubs.

They often install landscaping designed to camouflage them.

Artistically lighting the landscaping draws the eye to the pretty trees, shrubs, and plantings, rather than the hot tub.

If your spa area is surrounded by mature trees, that majestic maple might need two or three fixtures to artistically light it, one with a narrow beam spread to penetrate high in the tree and another with a wider beam spread to softly accentuate the leaves and branches.

Flower beds surrounding your hot tub area look magical at night, with 2-to-4-watt LED lights nestled into the bark mulch.

If there are tall perennials growing in the beds, we’ll use bullet lights with directional uplighting to gain a bit of elevation. You’ll see the light — not the fixtures.

We design 30 different types of light bulbs — not just one — to expertly highlight your spa’s landscaping.

Path lights lead the way

Lighting the pathway that leads to the spa is always a good idea.

Nobody wants to suffer spills, scrapes, and bruises on the way to the bubbles because they took a tumble in the dark.

We use low lumens in this scenario — just enough light to see by, but not so much that it distracts from the mood.

We’d stop just short of lighting the tub. We want to leave you some privacy.

And of course, we’d install a switch by the door so you can turn on the lights before you head out.

Have a seat

If your spa area includes benches, this is a nice place to shed some light discreetly, while offering an element of safety.

Undercap lights are a great example of this. These subtle fixtures are designed to be hidden, casting light downward.

The lights tuck neatly under the top edge of a bench or under the edge of a hardscape wall, spilling light just where you need it.

Less is often more

Some landscapers look at every opportunity to put a light in the ground. That’s not our style.

We look at the overall experience. How can we make this beautiful?

Your property isn’t the Las Vegas strip. You want elegant, impressive, artistic lighting that will make your friends and neighbors say, “Wow!” Not “Whoa.”

Part of our subtle approach includes making sure there’s no distracting glare. This is particularly important if you’re sitting in your spa, gazing out where there might be lights.

We use LED landscape lighting with bulbs that produce warm white light. We select bulb types and wattages that provide the amount of light needed, with no excess.

We choose fixtures that direct light exactly where it needs to go. We use glare shields and “eyelids” — solid caps above the bulbs that concentrate light where you want it.

Soak, bubble and gaze

You may not want lights shining on you while you unwind in your spa, but chances are you’d love a pretty view from your relaxing repose.

The same lovely landscaping that delights you during the day can look magical at night with artistic landscape lighting.

Imagine the lacy leaves of your Japanese maple casting delicate shadows. Simple beds of hostas take on a unique drama with lighting that highlights their large, textured leaves. Why let elegant garden statuary and fountains disappear in the dark when you can enjoy their beauty from your peaceful perch?

Skilled uplighting and downlighting in the landscaping surrounding your spa can lend a resort-like feel that makes that bubbly tub even more inviting.

Give us a Call

If you decide your spa or hot tub area needs artistic, professional landscape lighting, we’d love to hear from you. Give us a call at (801) 440-7647 to schedule a free consultation, or fill out our simple contact form.

Located in Midvale, Landscape Lighting Pro of Utah serves customers throughout Utah’s residential areas, including Salt Lake City, Park City, Draper and Holladay. Our outdoor lighting portfolio includes projects from Salt Lake County and Utah County, to Davis County and Summit County — and beyond.