Bestway Smart Hub Reviews

I bought and set up an above ground pool that came with a Bestway pump. I downloaded the Smart Hub app and attempted setup more than a week ago. After registering a new account it said that an activation email was sent. After numerous attempts I still haven’t received that activation email. Without BestwaySmartHub I am only able to turn the pump on in 10 hour, or less, increments because it has a built in timer. Can’t leave it running nonstop if I wanted to.

I was using BestwaySmartHub to monitor my spa and manage it. All of a sudden it asked me for a password. I used the password I use to log in to the website and it wouldn’t accept it. Tried to change it using the link on BestwaySmartHub for a forgotten password and that didn’t work either. Called Bestway and got a run around. They basically told me to use a different email account. The person who answered the phone sounded like she had never even used BestwaySmartHub . Very frustrating that no one can tell me how to fix this.

Bestway Saluspa does not offer support for BestwaySmartHub . When I went to BestwaySmartHub website, it’s in Chinese. It will not let me set schedules anymore. I tried deleting the schedules and putting them back in. It wouldn’t work. I tried deleting the schedules and deleting BestwaySmartHub . I reloaded BestwaySmartHub and put in new schedules and that still doesn’t work. Can’t find any help for this. It was working perfectly. I don’t know if the update messed it up or what.
Very frustrating.

I am very surprised that Costco sells this product as they normally have much higher standards. BestwaySmartHub as of December 2023 is very bad, and 90% of the time will not connect to the spa so I have to go and manually very it’s on and the set temp.
The spa is also advertised as energy efficient and I have found that just trying to maintain a temp of 95 degrees in coastal California has tripled my electric bill. The spa also takes about 24 hours to get back to a usable temp if it accidentally turns it self off.

We’ve been loving our tub for the last 6mo. Then all of suddenly BestwaySmartHub timer controls stop working with the tub unit. We can turn the unit on and off manually by BestwaySmartHub but are no longer able to set a schedule. We have tried reconnecting the WiFi, turning off and on and even reloading BestwaySmartHub . So now we have remember to manually turn it on and off during the day to keep it heated and filtered without burning out the filter by running it 24/7. We tried reaching out for support by the email form but no one is getting back to us. Please help!!!!

BUYER BEWARE!

I bought the spa because I have always wanted one. Got it home and unboxed it, only to find out the instructions are tiny little pictures that don’t really provide much insight into how to actually set the spa up. Went online and found some videos that better explains it.

Spa assembled and filled, I downloaded BestwaySmartHub , got all registered, but BestwaySmartHub keeps giving me an error when connecting to my WiFi network. No explanation, only, other things to try like making sure the router is within range and so on. Which the router is less than 20 feet away from the spa.

After a few hours of messing around, I gave up because I discovered that a large portion is owners of this product have said they also are having the same problem.

Tech support is nonexistent, and the website is less helpful than BestwaySmartHub itself. I decided I will just use the control pad located on the pump and not bother with BestwaySmartHub .

Saluspa really should NOT boast about wireless operation if it doesn’t work and/or only works for so very few people. Very disappointing app. I will not be purchasing BestWay products in the future if this is how they support their products.

The Owners manual is just a few pages of images and no clear instructions on how to set it up. I have just fought with it for the last 45 minutes because I unplugged it and it won’t connect to BestwaySmartHub . There is no chemical care instructions, that’s a lot of independent research you’ll have to figure out on your own. I do like it when it’s not being difficult, and the buckles keeping the lid on are more secure than the typical buckles so I don’t HATE IT completely, just don’t unplug it unless you really have to.

BestwaySmartHub is barely functional and is missing many features that I’d look for in an app.

* Couldn’t set up the spa’s WiFi on iOS 14. (My home network never appeared in BestwaySmartHub .) I am guessing the Bestway app wants security privileges that are locked down in iOS 14. The setup worked fine on an old iPad with iOS 12.

* BestwaySmartHub doesn’t have an iPad mode. Looks tiny and silly on an iPad.

* Can’t register an email with a plus sign.

* No option for notifications. I’d like a pop-up or email if my spa has a problem, like an E02 error or recovery from a power outage.

* No HomeKit integration. I’d love to see this!

* No scheduling. Sure, there’s a simple timer but why can’t I have it turn off the heat and filtration overnight? Especially annoying since their own site recommends not filtering 24/7.

BestwaySmartHub is nice as far as control but I ABSOLUTELY HATE that there are no push notifications to keep you informed as to what is going on at any given time.
Twice I have almost lost/ruined my tub because of this. There are times where I cannot be around it for days at a time and twice i have had a power malfunction and obviously the tub won’t turn back on by itself.
I just don’t think I should have to repeatedly check that app every hr or so to see what’s going on. Maybe update it to send you a notification as to a power loss or a change in temperature PLEASE!

I agree with previous reviewers…the controls are fine but the lack of push notifications is frustrating. I was luckily in the tub when it had a filter error and shut off in below freezing temperatures. Now I am constantly checking it to make sure it is running. Seems like push could be an easy fix to BestwaySmartHub.

BestwaySmartHub works fine for turning on your tub and setting the temperature, but what is the point of a Wi-Fi app if you can’t set it up to alert you when the temperature is up or down, or if the power is off? Also, the scheduling is not very straightforward.

Alternatively, make it compatible with Google or Apple so Google assistant or Siri could take over. “Hey Google, set the hot tub to 104…”

Great to have an app, but sometimes it shuts down the tub by itself and does not alert you. You have to actively check BestwaySmartHub to see the tub is still running when you told it to run. Why the timer fails sporadically, I dunno. Needs notifications.

We were able to set up BestwaySmartHub fairly painless. The basic functionality is there but disappointed in no basic scheduling options for the filter (which needs to be run twice a day at least)
Tried some options in seeing if there was capability of integrating Alexa as I would be able to set up all schedules there.
Basically a good simple app, but please add a proper schedule option (not just for the heater but for filter as well) or the ability to add it as an Alexa skill. Thanks.

Updated review: The timer feature appears to have been fixed.

This is actually an ok app. It asks for too many permissions maybe but you can turn them off once you’ve set it up. Beyond that it lets me control the heater/filter/bubbles from my phone. However sometime in the past few weeks the timer function simply stopped working. Others are reporting the same issue as well.

Works but you need to remember that this is from a Chinese company. Set it up, give it the access it asks for, then go back in your settings and turn off location, Bluetooth, and local network access in your iOS settings, it works just fine without these after you set it up. I also highly recommend that you put this on a separate wireless network with no access to your other personal devices. You should do this with all misc internet connected things. Wireless is weak for my Spa pump so you need to have great wireless signal on your phone for this to have just a good connection.

Have had my Saluspa for a little over 2 months and have enjoyed it very much so far. Love my spa and I love the Wi-Fi control. I really like the timer feature that allows you to run the heater and the filter or just the filter and specific times. App is simple and precise, just like the controls for the spa. Some updates would be great such as notifications (ie. spa temperature, power and pump errors) and integration with homekit. Have not had any connection issues with BestwaySmartHub or spa. Great experience so far.

We have a Coleman pool and BestwaySmartHub allows me to turn on the filter in the morning without leaving my bed. I set it for 10 hours and that’s it. That’s all I need it for now. I think BestwaySmartHub will help when we vacation last this summer too. Hopefully we don’t come home to a green pool🤞.
Some advanced features would be cool-notifications , scheduling or Alexa abilities.

I had owned the previous version without Wi-Fi support. The same problems that it has are present in the new version but the Wi-Fi edition is a bit nicer. Before having Wi-Fi you’re only option was to go out and set the temperature hours before you needed it or keep it running at that temperature 24/7. If you lost power, it did not come back on and start heating so you had to keep an eye on that. With the Wi-Fi app these problems are partly solved because you can go set schedules or you can see that if your app isn’t finding the device it’s probably powered off. It would be nice if you would get a notification when problems happen or it can’t find the device. Set up on the Wi-Fi may stump many people because it must be 2.4G. Most routers have 2.4 and 5.0 G and if you’re connected to a 5.0 G network, it won’t work. Set your phone to connect to your 2.4 G and then the setup works nicely. Installation is not too bad but it does take a bit of a learning curve to understand what all is going on. My biggest complaint is that after a loss of power it doesn’t power back on automatically. I may try to open up my old unit and see if I can come up with some hack to make this work make a little circuit to simulate the power button being pressed for the right number of seconds on true power up. Support is terrible, but I kind of expect that at this price.

I’m not sure why the reviews on this are not higher. I’m able to control my hot tub from my phone and I love it! No issues getting everything connected. My smart plugs were more work to connect. I can turn the jets on and change the temperature from BestwaySmartHub . I don’t normal review apps but I am so pleased with my hot tub and BestwaySmartHub that I had to this time!

Most people seem to hate BestwaySmartHub but it works really well for me. It allows me to monitor/change the heat of my Saluspa Madrid we got for Christmas even if I’m not home. Also lets me turn on/off the jet feature which is cool because the controls that are ON the spa are a little annoying to use. Admittedly the setup process took me a few tries to do, and I have not used the scheduling process yet (and I’ve only owned the spa about a week) but so far it works much better than people have given it credit for.