When you’re choosing a wood fired hot tub, safety is one of the main things to keep in mind. Not all wood fired hot tubs are built with safety as a priority, and it’s a good idea to find one that’s designed with specific features to prevent potential accidents. While being attentive and responsible is also essential for any safe wood fired bathing experience, a hot tub that has safety features built-in can help put your mind at ease.
Beyond design features, considering the quality of materials and craftsmanship is also important. A wood fired hot tub that’s built to stand up over time is easier to rely on and less likely to cause any issues.
When the GOODLAND team went about designing the Wood Burning Hot Tub, the team went far and above to create a design with built-in safety elements and exceptional design features for a better, safer soak. Discover a few of the features we included, and what you should look out for if you’re getting started with wood-fired bathing.
Chimney Heat Shield
When there’s a fire in a wood fired hot tub, the chimney gets very, very hot. Some wood fire hot tubs have chimneys that are made from common parts—like what you could find at a hardware store—and aren’t intentionally designed for wood-fired soaking. This means that these stoves can get extra hot, or that they're made from less durable materials that can be easily dented or can rust over time.
Instead, our in-house design team created a chimney with a perforated shield around it, helping to keep the hottest part of the chimney out of arm’s reach. Sturdy yet elegant, the heat shield is designed to help protect your hands and prevent any burns.
Double-Insulated Stove Lid
When the fire’s burning, the stove box lid is your barrier from the flames. With that in mind, making sure that the stove lid is at least double-insulated can help provide additional security by putting another layer between you and the fire.
Another element to look out for is the design of the stove box lid handle. GOODLAND’s Wood Burning Hot Tub was specifically designed to have an angled handle, to give you more distance from the hot surface and help prevent your knuckles from scraping against the lid.
Submerged, Top-Loading Stove
When choosing your wood fire heated tub, another important feature to keep in mind is how the stove is oriented. The best option is a top-loading stove—you’ll be able to see how your fire is doing from above and easily place logs in the stove as needed.
Some stoves on wood fire hot tubs are less safety-oriented. These include side-loading stoves—where there’s the danger of burning logs potentially rolling out when you open the door—and coil stoves where hot coils surround an exposed fire.
The stove box is also specifically designed so the hottest surfaces are completely submerged, which helps prevent burning through the stove box.
Low Tub Height
Wood fired hot tubs are offered in many different heights. The best ones are deep enough for a restorative and immersive soaking experience, but still aren't so high that they’re difficult to get into. While it always depends on the height of who’s using the tub, know that a low tub height can often be a better option. Our design team chose to make the Wood Burning Hot Tub low profile, so it’s simple to step in and out.
A lower profile tub also means shallower water, making it a better option for kids to play in, compared to a super deep tub. Thoughtful accessories like our Cedar Steps can help make it even easier for all ages to get into the tub.
Easy-to-Move Cover
This one is more of an accessory, but one that you’ll very likely use: the cover for your wood fired hot tub.
Know that solid wood covers can be heavy, and have the potential to cause a strain on your back over time. Instead, we tend to prefer using a semi-rigid cover or a durable foam insulated cover, both of which are easier to put on and take off.
Spark Arrestor for Better Fire Safety
Sitting on top of the chimney, the Spark Arrestor is designed to help prevent large sparks and embers from drifting into the air to promote fire safety. Made from durable corrosion and heat-resistant stainless steel, we've been including a Spark Arrestor with each Wood Burning Hot Tub as of fall 2024.
Craig Pearce
Craig is the founder behind GOODLAND, who launched the company with the Wood Burning Hot Tub. A designer and furniture maker, he’s passionate about creating well-designed and minimal objects and tools to connect people with nature — knowing that when we move half as fast, we notice twice as much.
