I have a Baja spa that came with the house. Since I'd never had a spa
before, I hired a "hot tub guy" to come out and show me how to set it
up and maintain it. It turned out he was the same guy who had
installed it (good odds on that in a small town), and he said it was
about 6 years old. It has two pumps and a blower, and will heat to
about 108 degrees, but from experience I have found 100 is the most
comfortable; however, the spa is inside, and I think I would want it a
little warmer if I were using it outside, certainly if in an area where
it gets really cold outside.

Anyway, I don't know much about "top brands" or anything since it was
already here, but this one still works perfectly and looks brand-new;
everyone was astonished to hear it was 6 years old. Either it's been
very well cared for or very lightly used in the past (but boy howdy,
it's been used steadily since I got here!) Of course, it helps that
it's not exposed to the elements.

As far as comfort, I would definitely recommend buying larger than a
3-person spa for 3 people. Mine is a 6-person and while we could put 6
people in it, it's really most comfortable at about 4 people (I think
spa size must be rated by the same people who rate camping tent size).
As far as the jets, you don't want too few, but "more" isn't the only
consideration, either. I would say that the location of the jets is as
important than the sheer number. The lounge feature is definitely
nice.

Good luck with your purchase! The one thing I can say for sure is
you'll never be sorry you've got a spa!

Jo Ann