The Andes Difference
Most hot tubs are built to be sold. Andes is built to remain.
That distinction begins with a single decision made before anything else: what the tub is made of. Because in an outdoor environment exposed to UV, temperature extremes, coastal salt air, and years of real use, material is not a cosmetic choice. It is the difference between a product that lasts decades and one that quietly deteriorates.
This page exists to help you understand that difference clearly and honestly.
The Four Materials Used in Hot Tubs and What They Mean for Long-Term Ownership
The Australian hot tub market is built on four core materials. Each makes a different promise. Not all of them keep it.
Acrylic
Acrylic is the most common material in conventional spa pools. It is lightweight, inexpensive to manufacture, and straightforward to mould into shapes. In a showroom, it looks clean and polished.
In the outdoors, over time, acrylic tells a different story. UV exposure causes it to fade and chalk. Thermal cycling, the repeated expansion and contraction from Australian temperature ranges, causes stress fractures that eventually become cracks. Once an acrylic shell cracks, the structural integrity of the entire tub is compromised. Repair is difficult and rarely perfect. Replacement is expensive.
Acrylic spas are designed with replacement in mind. The industry refers to their usable life in years, not decades.
Vinyl
Vinyl-lined tubs use a flexible membrane as the waterproof barrier, typically inside a timber or composite structural frame. Vinyl is soft, repairable, and easy to install. It is popular in flat-pack and modular tub designs.
The limitation of vinyl is permanence. The liner is a consumable. It degrades under UV, punctures under physical contact, and has a finite lifespan regardless of care. When the liner fails, and it will eventually, it requires replacement. In an outdoor environment exposed to Australian sun and temperature variation, this timeline shortens further.
Vinyl-lined tubs are designed around maintenance cycles and component replacement. They are not designed to outlast the property they sit on.
Timber-Lined Cedar Barrel Tubs
Traditional cedar barrel tubs, lined entirely with timber, offer a deeply authentic aesthetic and genuine off-grid appeal. The ritual of timber is real.
The engineering challenge is that timber is a living material. It expands and contracts with moisture and temperature. Left empty for extended periods, it dries, warps, and the staves separate. In humid or coastal environments, untreated timber absorbs moisture and becomes a surface for bacterial growth. The interior requires constant attention to remain both waterproof and hygienic.
Full-timber tubs age beautifully on the outside. On the inside, they require a level of maintenance commitment that most owners underestimate at the time of purchase.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is the only material in common use that is genuinely designed for permanent outdoor installation. It does not crack, warp, puncture, or degrade under UV. Its non-porous surface resists bacterial growth without chemical-intensive treatment. It holds structural integrity indefinitely under normal conditions.
This is why Andes uses stainless steel as the structural core of every model. Not as a premium upgrade. As a foundational decision.
The cedar exterior of every Andes tub is not the structural element. It is the architectural finish, warm and natural, weathering gracefully over decades, wrapped around a core that will outlast it many times over.
304 vs 316 Stainless Steel: What the Grade Means for Your Property
Not all stainless steel performs equally in all environments. The grade matters, and the difference between 304 and 316 is significant for Australian conditions.
304 Stainless Steel
304 is the most widely used grade of stainless steel in the world. It offers excellent corrosion resistance in most environments, strong structural integrity, and long-term durability for outdoor use.
Every Andes Wood-Fired model, the Zorro, Lobo, and Huemul, uses a 304 stainless steel core. For properties that are inland, sheltered, or away from heavy salt air exposure, 304 is the correct and appropriate specification. It will perform without compromise for decades under normal use.
316 Marine-Grade Stainless Steel
316 stainless steel contains an additional alloying element called molybdenum that standard 304 does not. Molybdenum chemically shields the steel against chloride ions, the primary agent of corrosion in coastal and marine environments.
In practice, this means 316 resists pitting corrosion, the formation of small surface holes caused by salt ion penetration, in environments where 304 would eventually begin to show signs of surface degradation. Coastal properties, beachside homes, marine environments, and high-humidity outdoor settings all place demands on stainless steel that 316 is specifically engineered to handle.
Every Andes Hybrid model, the Pudu, Puma, and Condor, uses a 316 marine-grade stainless steel core. This is not incidental. The Hybrid range is built for year-round, high-frequency use across a wide range of Australian environments, including coastal properties where material specification matters most.
If you are considering an Andes tub for a coastal home, the Hybrid range and its 316 marine-grade core is the specification that makes the most sense for long-term ownership.
What a 50-Year Structural Warranty Actually Covers
A warranty is only meaningful if it is backed by genuine confidence in the material it covers. The Andes 50-year structural warranty reflects exactly that confidence, and it is worth understanding precisely what it covers and why it is possible.
What Is Covered
The stainless steel inner shell, liner, and barrel of every Andes hot tub is covered by a 50-year structural warranty against structural failure caused by defective materials or faulty workmanship, where that failure results in loss of water-holding integrity or structural unsuitability for normal intended use.
This warranty applies to residential use in Australia and is provided by Andes Pacific Pty Ltd, in addition to all rights available under Australian Consumer Law.
The Full Coverage Breakdown
Cedar and timber structural cladding: 2-year structural workmanship warranty.
Pumps, heaters, filters, controllers, burner assemblies, flues, and all standard components: 2-year manufacturer-backed parts warranty.
Optional accessories, steps, cover lifters, and add-ons: 1-year warranty.
Labour for valid claims: covered for the first 12 months from delivery.
Why a 50-Year Warranty on Stainless Steel Is Possible
Because stainless steel, properly specified and maintained, does not fail structurally under normal conditions. This is not a generous marketing claim. It is a statement of material reality backed by the engineering properties of the metal itself.
Acrylic spas carry 5 to 10-year warranties on their shells. Vinyl-lined tubs carry 2 to 12-year warranties on their liners. These timelines reflect the actual lifespan of those materials in outdoor conditions.
Stainless steel carries a 50-year structural warranty at Andes because that is what the material genuinely warrants.
Full warranty terms are available on our Warranty and Aftercare page.
Cedar: The Exterior That Ages With Your Property
Every Andes tub is finished in sustainably sourced cedar timber cladding. Cedar is not chosen for aesthetics alone, though the aesthetic case for it is strong.
Cedar is naturally resistant to moisture, rot, and insect damage. It has been used in outdoor architecture and construction for centuries precisely because it weathers gracefully rather than deteriorating rapidly. Over time, untreated cedar develops a silver-grey patina that many owners consider more beautiful than the original finish. Oiled annually, it retains its warmth and colour indefinitely.
The Hybrid range uses FSC-certified cedar, timber sourced from forests managed to strict environmental and social standards, ensuring that the material performing on your property is not contributing to deforestation elsewhere.
Cedar's natural insulating properties also contribute to thermal performance. Wrapping a stainless steel core in cedar reduces heat loss through the exterior, contributing to longer heat retention and lower fuel or energy consumption per soak.
Wood-Fired, Electric, or Hybrid: Understanding Your Heating Options
The material question and the heating question are separate decisions. Understanding both helps you choose the right Andes model for your property and your way of living.
Wood-Fired
The Andes Wood-Fired Collection heats entirely by fire. An internal furnace, submerged within the water, transfers heat directly into the stainless steel core with exceptional efficiency. No pumps. No electricity. No ongoing energy cost.
Wood-fired heating is the right choice for properties where off-grid capability matters, where the ritual of fire is part of the appeal, and where the pace of heating, typically 1.5 to 3.5 hours depending on model and conditions, suits the rhythm of use.
The Zorro, Lobo, and Huemul are wood-fired models using 304 stainless steel, available from $7,990.
Explore the Wood-Fired Collection
Hybrid
The Andes Hybrid Collection gives you both. A wood-fired internal furnace for ritual and off-grid flexibility. An electric heating and jet system for set-and-forget convenience and daily use. Switch between them based on the occasion, the weather, and how much time you have.
Hybrid is the right choice for properties where the tub will be used frequently throughout the week, not just on weekends or special occasions, and where the convenience of pre-set temperature and filtration matters for daily ownership.
The Pudu, Puma, and Condor are Hybrid models using 316 marine-grade stainless steel, available from $13,990.
Explore the Hybrid Tech Collection
How to Choose
If you want the ritual of fire, pure off-grid simplicity, and a tub that requires no electricity to operate: Wood-Fired.
If you want flexibility, daily convenience, the option to use fire when the moment calls for it, and year-round ease of use: Hybrid.
If you are unsure, our Help Me Choose guide walks you through the decision based on your property, your usage pattern, and the environment your tub will live in.
Built to Remain: The Andes Philosophy
Most outdoor products are designed with a replacement cycle in mind. The industry calls it a lifespan. Andes calls it a design flaw.
A hot tub installed on your property should become part of it, architecturally, practically, and permanently. It should be there when you sell. It should still be performing for whoever comes after you.
That is why every decision at Andes, material grade, heating design, cedar sourcing, warranty scope, is made with permanence as the criterion. Not cost efficiency. Not convenience of manufacture. Permanence.
The result is a hot tub that costs more to build than the alternatives. And considerably less to own over the time it will actually be in use.