Best Outdoor Extension Lead for Hot Tubs & Garden Lighting

Hot tubs and garden lighting are two of the most common reasons people search for an outdoor extension lead — and two of the situations where getting the right one actually matters most. Both involve water, both are often left running for extended periods, and both are worth doing properly rather than reaching for whatever lead is already in the shed.

Hot tubs: what to actually look for

A hot tub draws significant power and sits permanently in water, so this is one of the highest-stakes uses for an outdoor extension lead. At minimum, you need:

• RCD protection – non-negotiable. This is your safety net if a fault develops anywhere in the circuit, and with water involved, the consequences of skipping it are serious.
• IP66 rating – full protection against wind-driven rain and splashing, not just light moisture.
• Correct amp rating for the load – hot tubs vary widely in power draw; check your hot tub's specification against the lead's rated capacity before buying, not after.
• Armoured cable if the lead will stay in place – most hot tub setups run for a full season or year-round, which makes this a semi-permanent installation rather than occasional use.

 If you're using an extension lead, keep the run as short and direct as practical, and never join multiple leads together to reach the tub — every joint is a weak point.

Garden lighting: what changes

Garden lighting is generally a lower, steadier load than a hot tub, but often involves longer cable runs — stringing lights along a fence, around a patio, or across a larger garden — and the lead is frequently left in place for weeks or months at a time, sometimes running daily on a timer.

For this, prioritise:

• IP66 rating, since lighting runs are often fully exposed along their whole length, not just at one socket
• RCD protection, especially if the lighting is anywhere near a lawn that gets watered, a pond, or damp ground
• Sufficient cable length in one continuous run rather than joining shorter leads together
• A weatherproof multi-socket unit if you're powering several strings of lights or a mix of lighting and other low-draw devices from one point

What both have in common

Whether it's a hot tub or a lighting run, the two features that matter most are the same: IP66 weatherproofing and RCD protection. Load and cable length differ, but the fundamentals of keeping water out and having a fail-safe if something goes wrong don't change.

Quick guide

The bottom line

Both hot tubs and garden lighting put an extension lead under sustained outdoor conditions, which means RCD protection and a proper IP66 rating aren't optional extras — they're the baseline. Browse our RCD-protected, IP66 rated outdoor extension leads to find the right option for your setup.

Always check your specific hot tub's power requirements against the lead's rated capacity, and consult a qualified electrician if you're unsure whether a fixed installation is more appropriate.