So…is it a Hot Tub or a Spa?

The terms ‘hot tub’ and ‘spa’ have evolved over the last 60-years or so. However, they are really the same thing…right? Not really. It’s a name-game, and I personally blame it on the internet and the advent of search engines. You may have already found this out if you came across this blog via a google search. If you googled ‘spa’, you undoubtedly found listings for health clubs and therapy locations touting mineral water treatments, hot therapy stones, and massages. More likely, if you googled ‘hot tubs’, ‘Cincinnati hot tubs’, or ‘hot tubs Cincinnati’, it sent you our way, to Eastgate Pools & Spas. I trust you found what you are looking for—self-contained acrylic units that direct massive amounts of hot water to your feet, legs, back, and neck for your own personal in-home therapy and fun.

If they’re Hot Tubs, why is ‘Spa’ in your name?

But you may be asking: If they’re Hot Tubs, why is ‘Spa’ in your name? I’ll explain. When we first began selling them nearly forty years ago, a hot tub was generally considered to be a round, wooden unit that gently circulated hot water. It was a party in the round. Typically, those wooden tubs were more of a whirlpool than what we now see as today’s high-flow hot tubs. But the industry evolved with the advent of acrylic shells that sparkled with streaked colors of red, green, and blue. They became more therapeutic due to pressurized water delivered to massage and soothe sore muscles.

Somewhere along the way, a salesperson undoubtedly began to refer to them as a home health spa and the term took off. Consequently, retailers went with the concept and the hot tub industry morphed into the spa industry. When it came time to advertise in the Yellow Pages, we went with ‘Spas’ and that was soon added to the Eastgate Pools name and logo.

But advertising has changed. So have our hot tubs. Early models often had just six to ten jets. Some upper-end tubs even had a second pump, allowing for twice as many jets. Now days, our Mira and Saratoga Hot Tub models have dozens of jets that deliver hundreds of gallons of water to complete muscle groups, providing you with maximum in-home hot water massage therapy. Most importantly, if service is ever needed, they are backed by great warranties and our professionally trained service department.

In conclusion, call them whatever you prefer.

We certainly do our best to refer to our products as ’hot tubs’ but often still refer to them as ‘spas’. Old habits can indeed be difficult to break. But most importantly, if you are considering getting one or upgrading from an older model, we’d appreciate the opportunity to present our lineup of stellar new hot tubs. You can get a sneak preview via our web site at eastgatepools.com. Click on spas and hot tubs then on the product line logos.

I hope this clears up the spa/hot tub question. Maybe it’s time to solve another mystery: the age-old question of which truly did come first—the chicken or the egg. Or not.

…MW