Northern Lights has been crafting cedar hot tubs for over 25 years, and while our cedar tubs are high quality and built to last – one of the questions we get all of the time is, “Why cedar?”.

While cedar has that beautiful fresh and fragrant aroma – it’s not the only reason why we rely on it so much in crafting our barrel hot tubs (though it is a really nice part of it!).

At its core, cedar is robust and strong, and it’s long been the choice for not only barrel hot tubs, but for log cabins, canoes, fences, decks, and so many other structures that rely on its strength. Its natural oils give it added protection against rot and decay. And specific to our cedar hot tubs, it has a great expansion ratio from wet to dry – so it forms a tight seal! Adding to all of that, its strong but fibrous structure is filled with tons of micro air pockets – making it an incredible insulator, and ensuring your cedar hot tub stays as hot as possible, without the need for added levels of insulation on the sides. It’s really quite incredible.

As we do with our cedar barrel saunas as well, Northern Lights only uses clear (knot-free) grade A cedar for our barrel hot tubs, ensuring lasting quality and craftsmanship for years to come. As you customize your own hot tub, you can choose between Western Red Cedar, or Alaskan Yellow Cedar – both are great choices, with a straight grain pattern that gives them added stability against warping or twisting, and they’re both incredibly durable.

Last but definitely not least – we ensure that all of the the cedar we use for our barrel hot tubs is sustainably harvested from forests that adhere to the strictest reforestation practices. This ensures that not only do our forests stay healthy, but that this beautiful resource is available for many generations to come.

Ready to dive in? Start designing your cedar hot tub now.