Arctic Spas Feature Series: The Shell, FreeHeat™, Total Access™ cabinetry, Mylovac™ cover, and Forever Floor®
When shopping for a hot tub, most people naturally focus on what they can see: the shell color, seating arrangement, jets, lighting, waterfalls, and controls.
But some of the most important differences between hot tubs are hidden beneath the surface.
How is the shell constructed? How is the spa insulated? Where does the heat go? Can technicians actually reach the equipment? What protects the bottom of the spa? And how well does the cover retain heat?
Arctic Spas approaches these questions differently.
Rather than relying on a conventional fully foam-filled construction, Arctic combines its self-supporting composite shell, FreeHeat™ insulation system, Total Access™ cabinetry, Mylovac™ cover, and Forever Floor® into an integrated design intended to improve energy efficiency, serviceability, durability, and protection in demanding climates.
*Model shown Summit XL
The Foundation of an Arctic Spa: The Shell
At the center of every hot tub is the shell. It has to support the weight of the water, the people inside it, and the equipment and plumbing attached to it.
Arctic Spas' composite shell starts with vacuum-formed acrylic that creates the contoured seating and interior surface. According to Arctic, multiple layers of filler-free fiberglass are applied to the underside of the shell, creating a strong, self-supporting structure.
That self-supporting construction is an important distinction.
A self-supporting shell
Arctic's composite shell is designed to support itself without relying on assistive beams or structural props beneath the shell. Arctic describes this as providing strength while eliminating the possibility of puncture from those supporting structures.
The fiberglass backing also contributes to the shell's durability and longevity.
This isn't simply about making a shell that looks good when it's new.
It's about creating a structural foundation capable of supporting the spa throughout its life.
Acrylic meets fiberglass
The visible portion of the shell is acrylic, providing the smooth, contoured surface customers see and feel.
Underneath, the fiberglass construction provides the structural reinforcement.
Arctic's manufacturing information explains that the acrylic is vacuum-formed over the spa mold before the shell is moved through a fiberglass application process where the underside is evenly coated and reinforced.
The result is a shell designed to be both comfortable and structurally strong.
FreeHeat™: Using Heat Instead of Fighting Heat
One of Arctic Spas' most distinctive construction features is its FreeHeat™ insulation system.
The concept is different from traditional approaches that surround the spa's internal components with large amounts of spray foam.
Arctic describes FreeHeat as an ambient heating and insulation system designed to capture and maintain warmth inside the spa cabinet.
Instead of filling the entire equipment area with spray foam, Arctic places insulation where it is needed—along the walls, floor, trim, and other areas—while leaving the internal components accessible.
This creates an open cabinet environment where residual heat generated by pumps and other equipment can remain within the cabinet and transfer through the shell to help warm the spa water.
The idea behind FreeHeat
Think of it as heat recovery.
Your pumps and other equipment naturally generate heat while the spa operates.
Instead of completely isolating that heat from the shell, Arctic's design allows that residual warmth to become part of the spa's heat-retention strategy.
Arctic says the combination of the composite shell, Mylovac cover, Forever Floor, and Total Access cabinetry forms its FreeHeat insulation system, helping provide energy efficiency, heat preservation, and freeze protection.
Why this matters in cold climates
Cold weather is one of the biggest challenges for an outdoor hot tub.
The colder it gets outside, the more important insulation and heat retention become.
Arctic specifically promotes FreeHeat for freeze protection, explaining that the system keeps heat within the cabinet and around vital equipment to reduce the possibility of freezing and burst pipes during severe weather and even power outages.
For customers living through harsh winters, that isn't just an efficiency feature.
It's a protection feature.
Total Access™: Insulation Without Sacrificing Serviceability
One of the biggest disadvantages of heavily foam-filled spa construction becomes apparent when a component eventually needs to be serviced.
Traditional spray-foam construction can surround pumps, valves, motors, and plumbing with layers of foam. That insulation can make accessing components more difficult when repairs or upgrades are required.
Arctic's Total Access™ cabinetry takes a different approach.
The cabinet uses removable doors to provide access to the spa's internal components. Arctic describes the design as maintaining a large, open cabinet space while placing insulation along the walls, trim, and base rather than burying internal components in thick spray foam.
Why access matters
A hot tub is a mechanical system.
Pumps can eventually need service. Valves may need attention. Plumbing components may require inspection. Technology can also change over the life of the spa.
With Total Access, Arctic's goal is to make those components easier to reach.
That means the benefit isn't necessarily something you'll notice when you first sit in your new spa.
It's something you'll appreciate when the spa needs service years later.
And because Total Access is part of the FreeHeat design, Arctic doesn't view serviceability and insulation as competing priorities.
They're designed to work together.
Mylovac™: A Cover Designed as Part of the Insulation System
A hot tub can have excellent insulation everywhere else and still lose significant heat through the top.
That's why Arctic's Mylovac™ cover is more than an accessory.
Arctic describes Mylovac as using double-density foam insulation, sturdy metal inserts, and vacuum-seal technology. The vacuum-sealed construction is designed to help keep moisture out of the cover while helping it remain dry, lightweight, and easier to remove.
Arctic also describes the cover as strong enough to walk on, with its construction incorporating metal inserts for added strength.
Keeping heat where it belongs
The purpose of the cover is simple:
Keep the heat in the water instead of letting it escape into the atmosphere.
Mylovac is specifically incorporated into Arctic's FreeHeat system. Arctic's current brochure describes the composite shell, Mylovac cover, Forever Floor, and Total Access cabinetry as working together to preserve heat and improve energy efficiency.
That makes the cover an important part of the overall engineering—not simply something placed on top of the spa after manufacturing.
Forever Floor®: A Foundation Built Into the Spa
The bottom of a hot tub doesn't get much attention.
But it's constantly exposed to whatever exists beneath the spa.
Moisture.
Pests.
Dirt.
Weather.
Temperature changes.
Time.
Arctic's Forever Floor® is designed to provide a sealed, durable foundation integrated directly into the spa.
Arctic describes the Forever Floor as an impermeable SMC fiberglass base, comparing its material and durability to the hull of a cargo ship. The company says the floor is designed to protect against pests, weather, and time while helping protect the spa's internal mechanisms.
Built-in foundation
One of the biggest advantages Arctic highlights is that the foundation is built into the spa.
According to Arctic, Forever Floor can eliminate the need for the traditional concrete pad and leveling preparation required for many installations, while also making relocation easier because the foundation travels with the spa.
The foundation isn't something you build around the spa. It's part of the spa.
Installation requirements can vary by site and product; Arctic notes that its All-Weather Pools with Forever Floor still require a concrete pad.
The Real Advantage: These Features Work Together
This is where Arctic's design philosophy becomes most interesting.
The composite shell isn't just a shell.
The open Total Access cabinet isn't just for service.
The Mylovac cover isn't just a cover.
Forever Floor isn't simply a bottom.
And FreeHeat isn't just insulation.
They are designed to work together.
Arctic's current brochure specifically identifies four components—the composite shell, Mylovac cover, Forever Floor base, and Total Access cabinetry—as the four major elements of the FreeHeat insulation system.
The concept is to create a controlled environment around the spa:
The shell transfers heat.
The cabinet retains heat.
The equipment generates residual heat.
The cover helps keep heat from escaping upward.
The Forever Floor protects the spa from below.
Total Access keeps the equipment accessible.
That is a very different way of thinking about hot tub construction.
Arctic vs. Conventional Hot Tub Construction
A conventional spa may rely heavily on spray foam surrounding its shell and internal components.
That approach can provide insulation, but it can also make access to pumps, plumbing, and other components more difficult.
Arctic's approach is to strategically insulate the spa while maintaining an open equipment area.
Arctic itself specifically contrasts its FreeHeat system with designs where the shell, pumps, and internal elements are surrounded by spray foam.
The difference can be summarized simply:
| Conventional Approach | Arctic Approach |
|---|---|
| Heavy spray foam around components | Strategic perimeter insulation |
| Equipment can be buried in foam | Open, accessible equipment area |
| Heat is primarily isolated | Residual equipment heat can be harnessed |
| Separate foundation may be required | Forever Floor integrates the foundation |
| Standard cover | Mylovac vacuum-sealed cover option |
| Structural support beneath shell | Self-supporting composite shell |
The goal isn't simply to build a hot tub with more insulation.
It's to put insulation in the right places while allowing the spa's components to work together.
Built for More Than the Showroom
A hot tub can look impressive when it's sitting under showroom lights.
But the real test comes later.
It's the middle of January.
The temperature is below zero.
The wind is blowing.
The spa has to maintain its temperature.
The equipment needs to be accessible.
The cover needs to retain heat.
The bottom of the spa needs to remain protected.
And years from now, a technician needs to be able to reach the components.
That's where construction becomes more important than a jet count.
Arctic Spas designs its systems around those real-world conditions.
The company describes its spas as being engineered for some of the world's harshest climates, with FreeHeat specifically designed around heat retention and freeze protection.
Look Beyond the Jets
When comparing hot tubs, it's easy to compare the visible specifications.
But the better question is:
How is the entire spa built?
Look at the shell.
Look at the insulation.
Look at the equipment access.
Look at the cover.
Look at the base.
Look at how the spa handles cold weather.
Because two hot tubs can have similar seating, similar jet counts, and similar features on the showroom floor while being constructed very differently underneath.
Arctic Spas believes the difference is in the details you don't always see.
And that's the real Arctic advantage:
A spa engineered from the shell to the floor—and designed to perform long after it leaves the showroom.
