What is a Hydrotherapy Air Spa Bathtub?

Posted on 1/10/2019 by John Burfield

With the therapeutic benefits of warm water therapy gaining notoriety, you may be in the market for a new soaking or walk-in bathtub. If this is the case, you might have seen an option called a hydrotherapy air tub. While many people are familiar with tubs outfitted with whirlpool jets, commonly called a Jacuzzi tub, an air tub is a newer concept.

To the casual observer, it may be hard to tell the difference between a whirlpool tub and an air tub. Both air jets and whirlpool jets will cause the water in the tub to circulate resulting in bubbles and a massaging hydrotherapy spa experience. However, there are key differences between the two which will determine which type of hydrotherapy experience you receive when soaking in your tub.

How do you know which is right for you? Let's take a closer look.

The primary difference is that a whirlpool tub pulls the water in from the tub, recirculates it, and shoots it out from several high pressure jets. In contrast, air tubs draw in air, heat it, and blow it back into the tub through numerous tiny jets (seen below) creating millions of gentle bubbles. This means that a whirlpool tub provides a concentrated high-pressure massage and an air tub provides a gentle and effervescent full body massage.

So, when choosing between an air tub and a whirlpool tub for your hydrotherapy needs, it mostly comes down to personal preference. If you prefer a gentle massage experience to a deep pressure massage, then an air tub is likely for you. For those that would like the best worlds, some manufacturers offer combination Air Spa and Whirlpool tubs.

Additional benefits of an air tub include:

• Quieter than traditional whirlpool tubs
• Less cleaning and maintenance is required than whirlpool tubs because air tubs circulate air instead of the bath water

For those with limited mobility that need an accessible walk-in bathtub, some manufacturers offer both air tub and whirlpool tub options. With this type of bathtub, you combine the benefits of warm water therapy with the benefits of hydrotherapy in a safe and accessible package.