A Better Bathtub, By Way of Europe

By Nancy D. Holt
Special to The Wall Street Journal
From The Wall Street Journal Online

Think of it as Don Ho vs. The Perfect Storm.

Do you want to unwind with a hydromassage of tiny bubbles or powerful water blasts? That's the choice manufacturers are offering in a battle for a new generation of spa goers and high-end bathers.

Many homeowners are looking for ways to soothe those muscles and lay back in salts, algae and all that other goo people pay top dollar for at resorts and day spas.

An increasingly popular solution: air-massage baths, which force warm air through as many as 70 little holes in the tub floors or walls for a gentle all-over massage. They've been available for years in Europe but have only recently started to make a splash in the market here, in large part because they can tolerate additives such as oils and even therapeutic mud masks.

On the other side is the old standby whirlpool bath, long considered the high-water mark of hydromassage. They circulate air and water for a more intense therapy directed at key areas, like the lower back. Some whirlpools used to have trouble digesting spa-type additives, but manufacturers can accommodate them in newer models.

Catherine Devine, an advertising director in Westport, Conn., says that, at the end of a day with two kids, she prefers an air-massage tub percolating with thousands of bubbles and the elixir of her life: Vitabath. "Whirlpool jets can be too focused," she says, "The air-jet tub is more comfortable. I could spend my day in it."

"I'm constantly dumping stuff in my air-jet tub and it's always clean," says Ms. Devine, who used to have a whirlpool bath that spit out "all sorts of disgusting things" into the water.

Though whirlpool tubs still are top sellers, the market for air-jet tubs is growing fast. At $1,000 to $4,500, the cost of air-jet tubs is comparable to whirlpool systems. Air-jets account for about 25% of the therapeutic baths sold at Tubs & Stuff Plumbing Supply Inc. in Ansonia, Conn., compared with 10% three years ago, says Kenneth Shortell, president. Sales are rising even faster at McGuckin Design Center, a division of Hight Enterprises in Boulder, Colo. Manager Phil Iwane says 70% of therapeutic tubs he sells this year will be air jets, up from 15% three years ago.

One selling point: clean-up. Some air-jet makers are marketing their tubs as low maintenance because air channels stay -- or are blown -- dry after the tub is drained. Whirlpool baths can breed mildew and bacteria if small amounts of water are left in the pipes, but manufacturers say properly designed and maintained tubs shouldn't do that. Some manufacturers recommend cleaning air jets' channels as well.

A growing number of whirlpool manufacturers are also jumping into the air-jet market, including Jason International and whirlpool tub granddaddy Jacuzzi.

Some big users are hedging their bets. The choice of popular spas such as New York City's Bliss World? Combination tubs that incorporate both systems.