Just when you thought that bathrooms and home spas couldn’t get any more luxurious—what with whirlpool tubs, jetted showers, and the like—bathtub manufacturers up the ante by offering tubs that feature both whirlpool and air-massage systems. These hydrotherapy systems both offer relaxation and therapeutic benefits, but in very distinct ways that appeal to differing user preferences.
“Customers want to create more of that in-house spa retreat, and the industry is trying to meet that demand with a more sophisticated system,” points out Tawnya Quiet, marketing director for Aquatic Whirlpools.
Many homeowners are familiar with whirlpools and the deep-penetrating water massages they deliver. Whirlpool jets combine water and air and pummel specific areas of the body with varying degrees of pressure, which can be adjusted by the user as desired. Whirlpool jets are typically located to focus on a person’s shoulders, back, and legs, and some manufacturers even make tubs with jets concealed within a massaging neck pillow. The size and quantity of jets varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, but many offer custom jet packages that place almost any number of jets anywhere the customer desires.
But many homeowners—and custom builders for that matter—are still unfamiliar with air-massage (also called airbath) systems. The air-massage concept utilizes air channels molded into the shell of the tub and small air portholes drilled into the channels in several locations around the tub’s bottom that work to shoot heated air into the bath, creating a bubbling hot-springs effect. The effervescent bubbles feel much like champagne against the skin and deliver a gentle, circulation-stimulating massage to the entire body.
Both systems have the effect of relaxing muscles, but employ the hydrotherapy equivalents of an invigorating sports massage and a soothing Swedish massage. Some manufacturers’ combination whirlpool/airbaths even allow the systems to be used simultaneously, ideal when two homeowners want to use the tub together or when one wants both types of massage.
“On certain days you might want an all-over experience, and some days you might want to focus on a body part,” Quiet says. “Two people can use the same tub and get the different features and benefits that they want from it.”
And combination tubs can meet the different needs and preferences of both men and women. “We find that a lot of men like the deeper massage of the whirlpool, and a lot of women like the lighter massage of the airbath,” says Russell Adams, vice president for business development for MTI Whirlpools. “They don’t have to have two tubs.”
Airbaths have been around since the early ’80s, but they took a while to catch on with consumers, according to Virgil Jacuzzi, national sales manager for Jason International, which introduced its first combination bath in 1998. Following suit, combination whirlpool/airbaths have taken a few years to penetrate the market, but demand has increased dramatically in the past few years, according to Dino Pacifici, vice president for Americh Corp. This upsurge in interest can be attributed to consumers gaining a better understanding of the differences between whirlpools and air-baths and the benefits each offers, according to manufacturers, as well as to the increasing tendency homeowners show for turning bathrooms into sanctuaries and creating spa retreats in their homes.
“People are even turning extra bedrooms into bathrooms, and they’ll install the large bath, large shower, double sinks—all the amenities,” Jacuzzi says. “They’re destinations now.” Whirlpool and airbath combination tubs become a key element of the total home retreat, adds Phil Weeks, vice president of sales and marketing for Clarke Products.
The combination baths also can accommodate the changing therapeutic needs of the aging population, according to Jacuzzi. “We’re not getting any younger, so it also offers flexibility for the future.”
Doubling up these systems into one tub makes their plumbing a bit more complicated, but doesn’t make installation any more difficult for an installer who is already familiar with regular whirlpools, manufacturers maintain. However, as is the case with standard whirlpools and airbaths, manufacturers say a home’s hot water source should be upgraded to a larger capacity than the standard 50- or 60-gallon tank. And depending on the size of the bath and the number of jets, combination whirlpool/airbaths may also require extra electrical power.
Combination units can also include chromatherapy lights, aromatherapy compartments, electronic touchpad controls, fast-fill water spouts, ergonomic lumbar-support seats, head-support systems, inline heaters that maintain water temperature, and quiet motors and pumps. Many combination baths also are available to fit multiple users.
