Hot Tub Styles and Shapes
Ysobel Croix | Improvement Center Columnist | December 13, 2011
Picture yourself in your new hot tub, watching the sun go down. Choosing the options for the shape and style is as easy as pairing up what's available with the details of that fantasy in your head.
Hot tub styles and shapes
When it comes to choosing a particular style of hot tub, first focus on this question: Who will be using the hot tub with you? You can choose from personal spas built for two to four people or party tubs that seat between four and eight.
The number of people your hot tub seats affects the dimensions of the tub, the type of seating and the shape of the tub. Hot tubs can have either bench seating or molded seats or a combination of the two. Hot tubs come in many shapes:
- Oval
- Round
- Triangle
- Square
- Kidney
- Rectangular
- Octagonal
Where you want to put your spa might affect the shape you choose. A triagnular shape, for example, would fit best in a corner, especially if your space is smaller.
Your hot tub's purpose
Once you know how many people will be using the hot tub, think about how you will you use your new spa. Hot tubs can be used for three different purposes:
- Relaxation: You'll have many choices if your ultimate goal is to have a tub of hot water to soak in and relax.
- Hydrotherapy: As bubbling and pulsating water is what makes hydrotherapy a recommended treatment for diseases such as arthritis, the number, position and location of jets in the spa and the strength of the pump may impact your choice of spa.
- Swimming: Special jet technology can turn a spa into a swim lane so that you can swim in place.
The above hot tub styles and shapes are available in various combinations and each impact the price. If you're using your hot tub for swimming or if you need a custom design for specific hydrotherapeutic needs, you can expect to pay more. Any of these shapes and styles can be found as indoor or outdoor above-ground and in-ground spas.
Determining costs for your personal spa
The general rule is that the more people the hot tub accommodates, the more you're likely to pay. For example, a two-person, oval-shaped above-ground hot tub from QCA Spas costs between $2,000 and $2,500. The same company's triangular three-person tub costs $2,500-$3,000, and the square, six-person spa costs around $5,500.
Research different manufacturers and suppliers to get the best estimates and prices.
