Cedar Hot Tubs: The Simple Upgrade That Changes Everything

There is a reason cedar hot tubs have stayed loved for generations. They feel at home outdoors. They smell like the forest after rain. They enhance the beauty of the natural environment. And they offer an invitation to slow down, stay a little longer, and gather with good company.

Cedar also comes with a few realities that are important to understand upfront. Not because cedar is high maintenance, but because a cedar tub can be built in very different ways.

This guide breaks down the genuine upsides of cedar, the common drawbacks, and the one construction detail that tends to shape the whole ownership experience.

The real pros of cedar hot tubs

Cedar feels warm, inside and out

Cedar is naturally insulating, which is one reason it feels so comfortable in cold air. It supports that classic wood-fired rhythm: steam rising, quiet water, and heat that feels gentle rather than mechanical.

It is naturally durable

Canadian Western Red Cedar is known for handling outdoor exposure well. It is rot-resistant, and it performs reliably in damp environments compared to many other timbers. When cedar is used thoughtfully, it can be a very long-lived material. With long, straight grains, it's resistant to twisting, warping and shrinking. With its natural resistance to decay, rot and insect damage. Commonly sought after in building materials, cedar can last a lifetime - resistant to exposure, including sun, rain, cold, and heat.

Environmentally Responsible

Cedar is 100% biodegradable and has one of the longest life spans of any North American softwood making it a more eco-friendly alternative to other woods. The low density of Western Red Cedar is what makes it a great insulator (even more so than brick, concrete or steel) as the cell cavities in the wood fill with air, trapping heat as the wood warms up. 

The experience is the point

Acrylic tubs do convenience brilliantly. Cedar does atmosphere, aesthetics and longevity.

Cedar tubs tend to become part of a place. They suit cabins, courtyards, decks, and gardens because they look like they belong there. They do not need lights, screens, or noise to feel special, and their natural, timeless appeal will never go out of style. Cedar gives off a beautiful aroma, wet or dry, exuding a warm, earthy, fragrant smell. 

Cedar ages gracefully

A natural patina is part of cedar ownership. Over time, it will weather and soften, eventually silvering. Many people love that. For those who prefer the fresh, warm tone of new cedar, it can be sanded back, sealed or toned. Otherwise, it will keep developing character.

The cons of traditional cedar tubs (what buyers should know upfront)

Most of the common issues people associate with cedar hot tubs are not actually cedar-related. They are construction problems.

The key question is whether the wood is doing the watertight work.

Leaks can happen when a wood-only tub dries out

In a traditional cedar tub, the timber is the seal. Wood swells when wet and shrinks when dry. If a tub sits empty or is used only occasionally, small gaps can appear. When it is refilled, it may need time to swell and tighten up again.

This can be manageable when the tub is used frequently and kept filled. It tends to be less appealing for low-fuss ownership, or for holiday properties where use is more intermittent, but eventually this inevitable process will lead to leaks. 

Hygiene can be more fiddly

A timber interior comes with seams, joins, and crevices. Those are the places that take more effort to clean well, and they can be less forgiving if water care slips. It is not impossible, it just tends to be more hands-on.

Freeze–thaw cycles can add stress

In cold climates, repeated freezing and thawing can contribute to movement over time. Traditional wood-only tubs can be more sensitive here because the structure relies on timber stability to stay watertight.

Water chemistry can feel less forgiving

When wood is the interior surface and the seal, the sanitation approach and overall water balance matters more. Algae and bacteria commonly build up in the cracks of the wood, making the water unclean and the wood surface slimy. Regular water treatments and emptying & refilling again are a more demanding requirement than when wood isn't being used to form the tubs watertight seal.

The build choice that changes the whole experience

Cedar hot tubs are not all built the same. In practice, there are two main approaches:

• Cedar as the seal: cedar forms the watertight structure, and everything depends on how the wood moves over time.
  
  

• Cedar as the cladding: cedar provides the warmth, insulation, and aesthetic, while a separate watertight foundation does the sealing.
  
  

That second approach is where aluminium-lined construction was born to re-invent the traditional cedar hot tub. Aluminum construction provides numerous benefits that outperform and outlast cedar tubs. 

1. Aluminum constructed tubs are lightweight and easy to roll or lift into place at 200-240 lbs, providing accessibility without the use of cranes or special equipment. 
2. It provides the ability to insulate the top, sides, and bottom of the tub, reducing energy consumption with 360 degree coverage.
3. It's more hygienic. Cedar tubs break down and end up with pulp in the water which is hard on filtration creating more maintenance. Wood is porous and difficult to guarantee sanitary conditions within its joints. It's also very difficult to clean between water changes, and usually are required to remain filled. Aluminum by constrast, can be power washed on a light setting making it easy to clean.
   
4. Aluminum constructed tubs arrive pre-assembled, where cedar tubs need to be fully built on site.
5. Aluminum constructed tubs don't leak, where cedar tubs inevitably do with the constant swelling and contracting of the wood. 

How an aluminium foundation changes cedar ownership

AlumiTubs were developed to address the common shortcomings of cedar hot tubs, like leaking, structural movement, and short lifespans. The approach combines a marine-grade aluminium interior with Canadian Western Red Cedar on the exterior, using a riveted construction method inspired by aircraft manufacturing and the iconic airstream. This approach upgrades the cedar hot tubs substantially. 

A watertight interior, without relying on wood movement

With an aluminium foundation, the tub does not need cedar to swell in order to seal. That means more predictable performance in real-world use, especially when the tub is used intermittently or in extreme climates.

Cleaning is simpler

A smooth interior surface is easier to clean thoroughly. As an unporous surface, there's nowhere for bacteria to build up or algae to form, keeping water treatment and seasonal cleaning as simple as cleaning a bath tub. 

Better reliability in harsh winters

AlumiTubs are built with 360-degree triple-layer insulation and designed to perform in extreme cold, including sub-zero conditions down to minus forty-four degrees celsius. 

Saltwater compatibility, by design

The marine-grade aluminium interior means AlumiTubs can be used with saltwater. With cedar-only tubs, it depends on how the tub is built and is often impractical. 

Cedar, without a complicated finishing story

AlumiTubs cedar does not require treatment. It will patina naturally, and sanding is the straightforward way to bring it back closer to the original look. Oiling and annual wood treatments aren't necessary. 

So, is cedar the right choice?

Cedar is a great choice when the experience matters as much as the function. It suits people who want the outdoors to feel closer, who care about using renewable, recyclable, responsibly sourced materials over acrylic that will sit in a landfill, and who appreciate materials that grow more beautiful with time.

From there, the decision usually comes down to the kind of ownership experience that feels right.

A traditional cedar-only tub can be a good fit when:

• The tub is used often and kept consistently filled
  

• A more hands-on relationship with the timber feels appealing
  

• Cedar doing the watertight job is an acceptable trade-off for added maintenance and a shorter lifespan
  
  

An aluminium-lined cedar tub is often a better fit when:

• The look and feel of cedar is desired, without the classic drawbacks (leaks, more fiddly hygiene, higher sensitivity to conditions, short lifespan)
  

• A calm, reliable ownership experience over decades matters
  

• For properties that experience demanding weather conditions

• Where moveability is important for the tub to be relocated as needed

The takeaway

Cedar deserves its reputation. The atmosphere is real, and the material is genuinely well-suited to outdoor living.

What changes everything is construction. When cedar is free to be cedar, and a watertight aluminium foundation handles the structural work, the best parts of timber tubs remain, without the issues that cause many owners to lose confidence over time.

When comparing options, it helps to look past the label and focus on what actually keeps the water in. That detail tends to shape what ownership feels like, season after season.

Explore the AlumiTubs range

Explore the AlumiTubs range, including The Wood Fired, The Electric, and The Hybrid models, each built around the same aluminium foundation and cedar finish, with different heating options to suit different lifestyles and settings.