Feel the Heat

by Elizabeth Richards
Created:

The desire for strong therapeutic benefits and stunning aesthetic appeal creates a demand for heat therapy products that are easy to use and maintain.


Raisanen adds that the use of a combination of wood types in contrasting colors in the traditional sauna is also on the rise.
The infrared sauna room is a fast-growing market segment, say Hass. “It appeals to our fast- paced society,” he says. While a traditional sauna needs time to heat up, the infrared room doesn’t have that wait time. “People want to do things quickly. They don’t have to wait for the room to heat up, they just turn it on and get in,” says Hass.

But even as the demand for infrared grows, manufacturers don’t see it replacing the traditional sauna, noting that there are different products for different markets. While an infrared room is less expensive and more convenient to set up, there is very little room for customization. “You just buy the unit, take it home, set it up and what you have is what you get,” says Hass.
Altman adds, “The benefit to the traditional sauna is that you’re able to regulate the humidity if you want humidity because you are able to put water on the rocks, whereas with infrared you can’t. I think most of the people who really want a true sauna experience like to be able to ladle the water on the rocks and have a little bit of humidity.”

Mood Enhancers

Since consumers want the complete package in the bath, heat therapy systems are increasingly offering other mood-enhancing therapies, such as aromatherapy and chromatherapy. Hass says people look at chromatherapy as a health benefit. “It has an effect on your mood. You get in there and turn the right color light on, and it cheers you up,” he says.

Raisanen says that chromatherapy is almost considered standard in the mid- to high-range infrared products. With a traditional sauna, it’s been slower to catch on, partly because of the cost and difficulty of designing a system that can withstand higher temperatures. There are now some that are easier to integrate into the ceiling at lower price points, and the upgrade is becoming more popular.

Reinert concludes: “People respond well to steam, but when you add items such as aromatherapy, chromatherapy and music, your steam room becomes a healing retreat.”

For more Whirlpools, Spas, Saunas and Steambaths, please visit Products Gallery.

Dealers, Designers See Air-and-Jet Combo Tubs, Steam as Popular Picks

While super showers remain a hot trend in the bath, that doesn’t mean consumers are willing to give up their jetted tubs, either. After all, in this “more is better” culture, designers see many high-end professionals looking at creating spacious master baths with all of the bells and whistles – often including combination tubs that offer both water and air jets.

Although his clients are more shower-focused due to practical reasons (showers get every day use, which tubs often don’t), according to Ron Benkin, director of sales, Alure Designs, Inc., in East Meadow, NY, “There is much more call for bubble massage tubs or combinations of whirlpool and bubble tubs [over water-jetted tubs alone] mainly because of the ease of maintenance and hygienic concerns.”

Sybil Koss, CKD, CBD, Pink Lotus Design, Dallas, TX agrees: “The combination of air and water jets is most desired because, let’s face it, more is more, and [consumers want more options in their bath environment].”

Peter Collins, assistant manager, Kitchen and Bath Division, Alure, says that one reason air baths are seeing increased demand is that people buy jetted tubs to relax in. And because of the intensity of the massage they provide, “whirlpools are not relaxing,” he believes.

Another issue is the desire to use bath products in the tub. “If someone is looking at tubs, the factor that seems to determine the type of tub they get is whether they take a bubble bath, or a salt bath or anything like that,” says Kelly Morriseau, CMKBD, Main Street Kitchens, in Walnut Creek, CA. “If they’re going to do that, the jetted tubs aren’t necessarily good for that,” she says.

Of course not everyone wants all of the bells and whistles that go with the full-amenity tub. As Benkin states, “Chromatherapy and aromatherapy are both exciting but not popular due to the high price point and the concern that it’s just a novelty.” Likewise, Koss says she doesn’t see a big demand for chromatherapy in her area.

However, Morriseau sees her clients asking for more than the standard tub. They want features such as chromatherapy, timers and floating remote controls. “They want toys,” she says.

Some designers also see the size of spa tubs decreasing. Koss attributes this to the time involved in filling the tub, maintenance issues and water-use awareness.

Morriseau says that while she sees a call for larger tubs in new construction, for remodels, clients are choosing smaller models. “People don’t want something they have to clamber into to clean,” she says.

While some high-end clients do ask for saunas, designers surveyed noted that steam integrated into the shower is a more common request. As Morriseau says, “Most of the homes here don’t have room for a separate steam shower, so it really is a combination.” Koss also sees a trend toward adding steam features into the shower.

Others, like Collins, believe that a separate steam room or sauna, if sold the right way, would be of great benefit to designers. He explains, “Steam products are a luxury feature that people want, and if things are done correctly, people absolutely love them.”

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