Balboa ControlMySpa Review (2026): WiFi Module, App and Setup

Last updated: September 2026

In this review I’m looking at ControlMySpa from Balboa. It’s the WiFi module and app that lets you control a Balboa BP-series spa pack from your phone. I’ve fitted it to my own hot tub, so this is what it’s actually like to set up and live with, plus what you need to know before you buy one in 2026.

Background: why I wanted ControlMySpa

WiFi hot tubs aren’t new. They’ve been around for years. When I built my own hot tub I put WiFi in too. I have a Balboa BP601, and I had the older bwa WiFi module connected to it, the one that joins your home WiFi directly.

It gave me remote access, but it was limited. With the BWA app I could turn the jets, blower and lights on and off and set filter cycles, and that was really it.

The big thing missing for me was scheduling. I use my tub at the weekend, as I’m too busy during the week to get in. So I want it heating up on a Thursday evening, hot all weekend, and then dropping back down on Sunday night ready for the working week. That feature just didn’t exist.

When I found that Balboa’s new ControlMySpa system advertised scheduling, I had to try it.

Which hot tubs work with ControlMySpa?

Not every hot tub control system can be run over WiFi. ControlMySpa is for Balboa systems, and specifically the BP series. Balboa’s Gateway Ultra manual is clear that it only works with Balboa BP-series control systems. The product listing on parts4tubs.com adds that it won’t work with VS, GS, EL, GL or other series.

So look at the label on your spa pack. If it says “BP” followed by a number, you’re in business. Not sure what you’ve got? How to identify a Balboa circuit board will help. The newer Balboa BP8 supports it. The Vian Power is a BP pack underneath too (see my Vian Power review), but it isn’t on the compatibility lists I found, so check with your supplier first.

ControlMySpa vs BWA vs spaTouch 4: which do you need?

This is where Balboa’s range has changed most in recent years. It now has three ways to get your BP hot tub online:

	bwa WiFi module (50350)	ControlMySpa Gateway Ultra (59303)	spaTouch 4 panel
App	Spa Control – BWA	ControlMySpa	ControlMySpa
How it connects	Joins your home WiFi directly	Spa module talks by radio to a home module wired into your router	WiFi built into the topside
Remote access cost	Cloud mode now paid ($2.49/month or $24.99/year on the App Store). Local mode free	No subscription listed	No subscription listed
Temperature scheduling	Not when I used it	Yes	Yes, via the app
Dealer CMS code needed	No	Yes	Ask your dealer
Best for	Local control and smart home tinkerers	Adding WiFi to an existing BP pack and topside	When you’re replacing the topside anyway

The BWA subscription change

The older Spa Control – BWA app now sells “cloud mode” at $2.49 a month or $24.99 a year. In Europe, retailers such as tubs.parts report the same change at about €25 a year, with a free trial whose length depends on how long you’ve used the service. Without a subscription, the module still works on your home WiFi (local mode) at no cost, but not from outside the house. ControlMySpa users aren’t affected.

If you still have a bwa module and only ever use the tub from home, you don’t have to change anything. If you want to warm the tub from the office, that’s now either a BWA subscription or a move to ControlMySpa.

spaTouch 4: WiFi built in

Balboa’s spaTouch 4 touchscreen has WiFi built in and uses the ControlMySpa app. If your topside is tired or you fancy a touchscreen, that’s worth pricing up against a separate module. See Which Balboa topside control do I need? and Do I need to replace my topside control? first, and check it’s compatible with your pack.

How to connect ControlMySpa to your spa pack

The older bwa module was a single unit. The ControlMySpa retrofit kit has two parts: the spa module and the home module. The home module plugs into your router, then talks to the spa module by radio.

Safety first: switch off and isolate the power to the hot tub at the isolator before you open the spa pack. If you’re not comfortable working inside the pack, get your electrician or hot tub engineer to plug it in for you.

1. The spa module

This plugs into your spa pack using Balboa’s proprietary 4-pin connector, the same type your topside uses. On BP packs this is usually the J34 or J35 connector (Balboa’s BP8 tech sheet shows the WiFi connection there), and you’ll normally find a spare socket next to the topside. If you’re replacing an older bwa module, unplug it and plug the new one into the same socket. That’s what I did. The wiring diagram inside the lid shows the connector names; Demystifying spa pack wiring diagrams explains how to read it.

Where you put it matters. Balboa’s manual says to mount it as high up in the spa as reasonable and away from metal. On a plastic shell hot tub, that means up inside the cabinet, away from the pump. On an in-ground or DIY tub, put it somewhere high in the control room with the clearest line to the house. There’s more on control room layout in Hot tub control room design considerations.

2. The home module

This looks much the same as the spa module, but it’s the other half of the pair. It’s powered by a USB adapter from a wall socket and connects to your router with an ethernet cable.

How far will the radio link reach?

Balboa describes it as a long-range radio link. I tested it with my own tub. From my office to the hot tub, around 20–25ft (6–8m), it connected with no problem. My router is at the front of the house, about 150ft (45m) away, and it wouldn’t connect from there. I moved the home module to the kitchen, about 60ft (18m) away, and eventually it connected.

It’s radio, so walls, buildings and other obstructions all make a difference. From my testing, I’d plan on keeping the home module within about 50ft (15m) of your hot tub. If your router’s further away than that, a powerline adapter or a mesh WiFi point with an ethernet port can bring a network socket closer to the garden.

3. The app and pairing

Download the ControlMySpa app from Google Play or the Apple App Store. The app asks you to stand within about 3ft (1m) of the tub with Bluetooth switched on, and it finds the spa module. I’d read that you might have to power-cycle the hot tub to get it into setup mode, but mine connected without that. If yours won’t show up, turning the power off and on again at the isolator is the first thing to try.

4. The CMS code

Next, the app asks for a CMS code. Balboa’s ControlMySpa dealer guide describes it as an 8-character code, three letters for the manufacturer and five digits for the dealer, that spa owners need to connect their spa to the ControlMySpa system.

The code is unique to each Balboa dealer and OEM. If you bought your tub with ControlMySpa already fitted, ask the dealer who sold it to you. If you’ve bought a retrofit module from me, I’ll have emailed you the code. You can’t ring Balboa for one, which isn’t clear from the paperwork in the box. It’s Balboa’s way of linking each spa to the dealer who sold it, which is why you need to buy from an approved dealer.

Once the code’s in, it’s next, next, next. It asks for your address, contact details and email, you choose a password, and it emails you to confirm the account. Then you log in and see your hot tub’s temperature.

Scheduling: the reason I bought it

This was the big pull for me. Being able to turn the temperature up to 38 or 38.5°C (100–101°F) on a Thursday evening means it’s ready to use on Friday.

You set one schedule to bring the temperature up, then a second schedule to bring it back down when you’re done. I’ve got a Thursday evening schedule and a Sunday one. It’s a bit odd that it takes two steps rather than one, but believe me, it works.

Scheduling like this is one of the easiest ways to cut running costs, because you’re not holding the tub at full temperature all week. I’ve written more about that in How I saved 66% on my hot tub electricity cost, and Balboa heat modes explained covers Ready and Rest modes, which work alongside it.

In my first couple of weeks with the app, it was rock solid, which the old BWA app wasn’t. The schedules worked perfectly. I’ll be honest, though: in 2026 the public reviews are mixed. The App Store listing shows 3.9 stars from 523 ratings, with some users saying the redesigned app is much improved and others reporting lag. On Google Play it’s 1.8 stars from 715 reviews, with complaints about connection drop-outs and server errors. Because it’s cloud-based, if Balboa’s servers are down, the app is too. Your hot tub carries on running normally from the topside, schedules aside.

Alexa, Google and smart homes

Voice control was a big part of the marketing, so I tested it with Amazon Alexa. I don’t have Google Home, so I couldn’t test that.

You don’t add it as a device. You add it as an Alexa skill. In the Alexa app, go to Skills, search for “ControlMySpa”, add the skill and log in with the email and password you set up in the ControlMySpa app. Then say “Alexa, control my spa” on any Alexa device.

Mine didn’t work first time. I uninstalled and reinstalled the skill twice with no luck. A few hours later it worked fine, so I think the server was down while I was testing.

The huge downside when I tested it was that you couldn’t control the jets. From the documentation and my own testing, you could only turn the light on and off or ask for the temperature. For me, the whole point of voice control on a hot tub is turning the jets on without getting out to press a button. My lights aren’t even connected to my spa pack, so it did nothing useful for me. Balboa, you’re missing a trick.

Balboa has since published a newer ControlMySpa skill in the Alexa store. I haven’t retested it, so check the skill’s description for jet control before you buy the module for voice control alone.

Home Assistant users: the official Home Assistant Balboa integration works locally with the older bwa module (50350), including pumps, lights and temperature. It doesn’t support the ControlMySpa Gateway Ultra. If running the tub from your own smart home setup matters more than the app, the older module in free local mode may suit you better.

Common problems and fixes

• The app can’t find the spa module. Stand within 3ft (1m) of the tub with Bluetooth on. If it still won’t show, power-cycle the hot tub at the isolator and try again.
• No CMS code. Go back to the dealer who sold you the tub or module. Balboa won’t give one out directly.
• Keeps dropping offline. Usually range. Move the home module closer to the tub, mount the spa module higher and away from metal, and check nothing new (a shed, a car, a metal fence) is in the way.
• App says the spa is offline but the tub’s fine. It may be the cloud service, not your hardware. Check your internet and try again later before you start pulling plugs.
• Won’t work with your pack at all. Check it’s a BP-series pack. GS, VS and others need a different solution.

My verdict

On the hardware and setup, I found ControlMySpa much easier than the old bwa module, and more stable in my own use. The scheduling suits my habits perfectly, and it’ll suit a lot of you too. Now that the old BWA app charges for remote access, the fact that ControlMySpa doesn’t makes it even better value.

As hardware, it’s well worth getting, including as an upgrade from an older module. The voice control, when I tested it, was a total waste of time. Come on Balboa, let us control our jets with Alexa and Google!

If you’re replacing your topside anyway, look at the spaTouch 4 with built-in WiFi before you buy a separate module.

Get the ControlMySpa module

The ControlMySpa WiFi module in my shop comes with the CMS code you need to activate it, so you won’t get stuck at the registration screen. In the USA you can also find it at parts4tubs.com, and UK readers can try parts4tubs.co.uk.

Still at the planning stage of your own tub? My DIY hot tub plans include the plumbing layout and parts list, and The Ultimate Hot Tub Control Room Guide shows you how to lay out the spa pack and equipment.

FAQs

Does ControlMySpa need a subscription?

No. As of September 2026 the ControlMySpa app lists no in-app purchases or subscription. It’s Balboa’s older BWA app that now charges for remote (cloud) access.

Which spa packs work with ControlMySpa?

Balboa BP-series packs only, such as the BP501, BP601, BP2100 and BP8. It won’t work with Balboa GS, VS, EL or GL packs, or with other brands.

What is a CMS code and where do I get one?

It’s an 8-character code that links your spa to the Balboa dealer who sold it. You need it to register. Get it from your hot tub dealer or whoever sold you the module. Balboa won’t issue one directly.

What’s the range of the ControlMySpa module?

In my testing it connected at 20–25ft and at about 60ft, but not at 150ft. Plan to keep the home module within about 50ft (15m) of the tub, with as few walls in between as possible.

Can I turn the jets on with Alexa?

When I tested it, no: only lights and temperature. Balboa has since released a newer Alexa skill, so check its description for jet control.

Should I get ControlMySpa or the older BWA module?

For remote access without a subscription and temperature scheduling, ControlMySpa. For purely local control, or Home Assistant, the older bwa module in free local mode still does the job.

Got a question about ControlMySpa or getting your tub online? Drop it in the comments below. I read them all.

Cheers,
Andi

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Hi, Andi here. I own Buildahottub.com and also write all of the articles and info pages on the site. Some years back now, I built my own hot tub but struggled to find the information I needed. So, once my tub was complete, I started this website to help others in their own pursuit of hot tub and plunge pools DIY building information.

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