Hot Spots

by Elizabeth Richards
Created:

Heat therapy products – from jetted tubs to steam showers and saunas – have moved beyond the basics, to incorporate multi-sensory amenities and wellness benefits.


Steam showers and saunas also offer consumers the benefits of heat therapy with a multitude of features. “Today’s steam and sauna market has evolved from a basic product to a more feature- laden offering,” says Altman. “The room sizes haven’t changed, but the wellness attributes of chromatherapy [and] aromatherapy – combined with music systems – have forever altered the setting,” he states.

Technology for steam and sauna functions has changed in recent years. Hass notes a new product, an all-wireless remote control, for the steam bath. This product offers users total flexibility to operate the functions of their steam bath, says Hass, allowing them to make temperature setting and time duration adjustments anywhere within a 50' radius. The remote will also simplify things from an installer standpoint, says Hass.

Energy savings also plays a role in today’s technology trends. “A new technology known as SmartSteam has forever altered the landscape in steam bathing,” says Altman. This technology modulates the power output of the generator, he continues, using only the amount of energy needed to maintain the set temperature. This eliminates the fluctuating temperatures of the past, as well as having an added benefit of less energy consumption.

Hass notes that water consumption is also a key consideration. Compared to the amount of water a jetted tub or vertical body sprays use, the 2.5 gallons of water or less used by a steam bath is minimal. “We think we have a better opportunity for folks to enjoy a spa-like experience in their home with steam and be more earth friendly,” says Hass.

Altman says, “What one finds today when looking for the healthy escape of steam or sauna are options that allow users to customize for their individual wants and tastes, and technologies that heighten the experience. Customization and options will continue to grow much the same way as found in the auto industry.”

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Bathroom Designers See Air Jets, Steam and Smaller Tubs in Demand

Bathroom designers recently surveyed by KBDN are, for the most part, backing up the trend toward air jets cited by many manufacturers. They cite demand for smaller tubs as well as an increased consumer desire for the heat therapy provided by steam.

Steven Lindstrom, CKD, president of Kitchen & Bath Studio in Duluth, GA, says that he’s seeing some homeowners considering getting rid of their existing jetted tubs due to maintenance issues. He recommends exchanging that jetted tub for an air tub, which he believes to be less maintenance-intensive and more therapeutic. He notes, “I expect the air tubs to go beyond being a trend and [they] will eventually be the preferred tub.”

Martha Kerr, CMKBD, Neil Kelly Company in Portland, OR says, “The air jet tub certainly has some appeal, but the smaller tubs (60"x36") are more popular than the large ones. In our busy world, it seems we don’t want to take the time to fill the larger tub, or to spend time relaxing in it.”

Tobi Wells Fairley, ASID, Tobi Firley Interior Design, in Little Rock, AR says that she has also seen a trend toward smaller tubs. “The whirlpools I am using are much smaller in scale, like the size and shape of a regular tub. They don’t take up as much room or as much water,” she points out. She further notes that she’s also used the effervescent air tubs, but adds, “I think my clients still usually want the water jets for massage at the end of their hectic days.”
As for features, Lindstrom says that aromatherapy is a big trend. “This not only is pleasant to the senses, but can be used to help people suffering from colds, asthma [and] stuffiness. When combined with the steam, it can be very helpful,” he says.

Fairley, on the other hand, says “I have not used the chromatherapy a whole lot, and have not used the aromatherapy at all.”

Kerr comments, “I don’t think chromatherapy has caught on in the Northwest yet. I haven’t had a consumer ask about it, and I don’t see it being shown in plumbing showrooms.”

On the other hand, wellness issues, aging, and accessibility do play a key role in what consumers want, dealers report. “Many of our empty nest clients are looking toward [the] future when accessibility may be more difficult, and planning ahead,” Kerr concludes.

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