How Long Should You Stay in A Hot Tub?

Ending a stressful week with a long soak in a hot tub can be invigorating. You let all your troubles melt away, but if you feel like something else might also melt, you have been in that hot tub for far too long. But how long should your hot tub session last?

Generally, you should stay in a hot tub between 15 and 30 minutes, but this depends on variables such as water temperature and age. The hotter the water, the less time you should spend in the hot tub without taking a break.

But there’s a lot more to this.

How long can you stay in a hot tub?

There are no hard and fast rules about how long is too long in a hot tub. Depending on their tolerance for heat, it may affect some people differently.

Certain guidelines for using a hot tub safely only include awareness of possible symptoms that increase the risk of potential problems.

The length of time you can sit in a hot tub varies from person to person, so you should be aware of the warning signs of overheating and the various potential problems caused by soaking in water for too long.

The following should be used as a rough guide. Ultimately, you decide how long to use the hot tub without a break. If in doubt, get out!

If you’re going to soak in temperatures between 100°F (37.5ºC) and 104°F (40ºC), don’t stay longer than 15-30 minutes.

Oregon Nanny asked her Twitter followers how long they stay in a hot tub. The majority answered 15 to 30 minutes.

If you are healthy, using a hot tub at temperatures around your body temperature (98.6ºF) should mean you could stay in longer without any ill effects.

It’s better to be on the safe side than risk your health, so if in doubt, avoid using your hot tub for too long—no longer than 15-20 minutes at a time.

The effects of staying in a hot tub too long?

Although it may sound very melodramatic, and perhaps far-fetched, death can occur in extreme cases when the “wrong people” ignore the warnings and spend too much time in a hot tub.

Excessive sweating can cause dehydration when one is immersed in really hot water for a prolonged period of time. This could lead to a number of related problems, such as fatigue or nausea.

Symptoms could be worse when drinking inadequate quantities of water.

Although many people do it, drinking alcohol in a hot tub is generally not recommended as not only could the symptoms described below happen quicker, but those who are drinking alcohol may be less likely to notice them if they do. I certainly have in the days when I drank alcohol and I am not alone there.

You may get pruney fingers if you stay in too long. This is when your fingertips particularly get wrinkled and is caused by the blood vessels contracting when immersed in water for long periods. According to WebMD pruney fingers is not at all harmful though

The danger signs of overheating

Here is a list of possible symptoms of overheating in a hot tub to look out for.

Safety is important when using a hot tub, so be mindful of the following:

1. Nausea
2. Headache
3. Fatigue or weakness
4. Feeling Dizzy
5. Confusion
6. Irritability
7. Thirst

Even in young, fit, healthy people, these symptoms can lead to a potentially life-threatening condition known as heatstroke. So if you are older, and perhaps not in particularly good health, you should take particular care and watch out for any of these symptoms.

To avoid any of these, keep to the recommended hot tub soak time and if you start to feel unwell, get out.

Factors that affect how long to stay in the hot tub

Hot tub temperature

Your body will feel happy at around a pleasant 98°F (36.5ºC), so when you soak in water above 100°F (37.5ºC), there is a risk of overheating. The reason for this is that body/blood temperature is 98.6ºF (37ºC) so anything above this feels hot (and anything below feels cool).

Under normal circumstances, perhaps when exercising, or if the weather is just hot, as you heat your body will try to cool itself down through perspiration. As the perspiration evaporates it cools down the body.

Of course, if you are getting hot because you are sitting in a hot tub, although you will still sweat, it will not help to cool you. But the higher the hot tub temperature, the more you sweat, so the quicker you will dehydrate.

When your hot tub is at its hottest (say 104ºF), your body just can’t keep up so your body’s core temperature will start to rise and you may start feeling unwell. As your body temperature increases, this may lead to overheating, raising blood pressure and even heat stroke.

Outside temperature

If it’s summer, a nice, slightly cooler soak than normal is a great way to stay refreshed. However, be wary of staying too long, as the heat from the sun and the water may still cause your own temperature to rise.

If you use your hot tub outside in the wintertime, you can potentially stay in for longer periods, particularly if you do not immerse your whole body in the water. Having your upper body exposed to the cold air will help keep your core body temperature lower for longer.

But don’t forget, as soon as you leave the warmth of the hot tub, the cold air will start bringing your temperature down quickly. This can cause dizziness, so be careful and wrap yourself in a towel when you exit.

Perhaps many Scandinavians might disagree as they seem to like nothing more than sitting in a sauna at very high temperatures immediately after rolling in the snow.

Sitting level

Many hot tubs have seats at different heights, allowing users to achieve different levels of submersion.

But that’s not the only reason. This is a safety measure to allow you to move from lower to higher seats so your body can cool down. Make use of it and avoid sitting at the lowest point for too long.

If you sit too low, even for 15 minutes, your body temperature will rise faster. Alternating seat heights will allow you to stay in your hot tub longer.

Overall health

You should always check with your doctor whether using a hot tub is safe, particularly if you have any ongoing health issues.

Generally, pregnant women, the elderly, people with diabetes, people who have had a stroke or heart condition, and those with low or high blood pressure are more at risk of overheating when using a hot tub (especially at maximum temperature). Even those with sensitive skin need to be careful.

Keep track of how you are feeling, and if you start experiencing negative effects at any point, leave the tub and cool down.

Your age

If you are a healthy adult, it’s safe to soak for 15-30 minutes at higher temperatures. However, as you get older, your body may not be able to withstand such extreme temperatures for as long, so you may need to stay in for less time, particularly if you have blood pressure problems.

Research shows that you must keep the temperature low if you have children. If it’s at a maximum of 104°F (40ºC), don’t let them stay for more than 5 minutes or even use the tub at all. You should read this article from kidspluspgh.com about hot tubs and children’s safety.

It’s safest to keep the ideal hot tub temperature at a balmy 98°F (36.5ºC), but even then, children shouldn’t stay inside for longer than 15 minutes.

Keep in mind that hot tubs are extremely unsafe for children under the age of 5. Always supervise your child when they’re playing in the hot tub, and make sure they don’t stay in for longer than 15 minutes.

I have a separate article about the best hot tub temperature in various situations.

How to time your hot tub sessions

When you lie relaxing in a hot tub, letting your thoughts drift off, it is easy to lose track of time. That is certainly true for me.

Many hot tubs have an automatic timer when the pump is on high-speed mode, which is often set to switch off after 20 minutes. I use this to gauge how long I have been in my hot tub.

As an alternative, you can buy a cheap waterproof timer and set your hot tub time limit when you get in your hot tub as a reminder of how long you have been soaking.

The Dretec digital timer is highly rated on Amazon and is waterproof for up to 30 minutes, should you accidentally knock it into the hot tub.

Important safety measures

Responsible hot tub owners should follow proper maintenance guidelines to avoid accidents. They should keep the hot tub clean and tidy and check the hot tub chemicals regularly to ensure they are at the correct level. If the chemicals are too high, they can damage skin, leading to a hot tub rash.

And be even more careful if the hot tub isn’t yours.

What also matters is that you don’t use electronics inside hot tubs, avoid drinking alcoholic beverages and ensure you have a drain cover that will catch hair.

If you feel any of the listed symptoms of heat exhaustion, be careful when exiting the hot tub, especially if you experience dizziness.

If your skin feels itchy after using a hot tub it may be nothing to worry about.

Stay safe in your hot tub

Following the above rules of hot tub use will ensure an enjoyable experience every time. If you want to use your hot tub for longer than 15-30 minutes, you should certainly consider taking a break between soaks.

Also read

Should you leave a hot tub on all the time?

How to shock a hot tub

Does a hot tub heat up faster with jets on?

Further reading

You may find the following hot tub articles on this website interesting:

What are the pros and cons of a hot tub

Does sitting in a hot tub burn calories

How much chlorine to add to a hot tub for the first time