Comfort is a top priority in choosing a hot tub, so choosing the proper seating design is crucial. Bench seating is the traditional seating design that is often found in octagonal or circular shaped hot tubs that are usually located at most hotels, resorts, and health clubs. They are popular because this seating design offers the maximum amount of seating, while providing equal seating options. These sparse, open spaced spas are great for conversations and for entertaining; but bear in mind, when looking for a spa for home use, comfort and contour should be a priority. One benefit of working with acrylic spa manufacturers is their ability to provide unique and intricate contours to the shell design, offering more comfort and better accessibility. The vacuum forming process that shapes the acrylic into the shell surface naturally lends itself to more intricate shell designs. OAS cannot be manipulated into these different contours during its vacuum forming process.

Many spa manufacturers offer somewhat basic designs, so it is best to look for a manufacturer that carries innovative seating designs, such as lounge seating, therapy seats, and ample footwells:

Lounge Seating
Although lounge seating can restrict the number of seating areas in a spa, most people prefer a lounge because of the comfort it provides. It offers the luxury to lay back and recline the entire body for complete relaxation. Many people that decide to have a lounge in their hot tub believe it is well worth the extra space.

Today, there are many unique design features to lounge seating. Some manufacturers have created doublewide lounges and/or reversible lounges. Many of these spas even have pillows built into each seat for added comfort. We strongly recommend looking for a lounge that is extra wide, or even better than that, wide enough for two people. Most people enjoy the doublewide lounge because it offers the opportunity to either relax alone in the spa with ample space, or to lie side by side with a loved one. In addition, a reversible lounge offers the opportunity for bathers to lie facing each other, which promotes the ease of conversation.

Therapy Seats
Therapy seats are designed to offer a full body massage. In one seat, jets can massage your neck, back, shoulders, arms, thighs, knees, calves, and feet. For added comfort, look for a molded therapy seat, such as a captain’s chair. This type of seating provides great support for the entire body. Additionally, some seats include wrap around armrests. This provides extra support for your body by giving your arms and hands a place to rest.

When considering a spa for purchase, we recommend looking for a spa that has at least one therapy seat. Those who purchase spas today are not just using them for entertainment, but are seeking a lot of “much needed” therapy for different parts of their body. A therapy seat is considered to be a top priority and one of the most used features in hot tubs today.

A good therapy seat should not have less than 10 jets, and sometimes can include as many as 25 to 30 jets, for a complete full-bodied therapeutic massage. You should also look for a seat that focuses attention on the neck and shoulders in particular, because this is the area most commonly affected by stress. Some manufacturers have even designed features that allow you to put your head on a pillow for a complete neck and shoulder massage using separate jets above the waterline.

Footwells
It is important to consider the size and the depth of the footwell in relation to the size of the spa. For example, if you are looking at a spa that can accommodate four to five people, it is beneficial if the footwell can hold four to five pairs of feet. Also look for areas with jets concentrating on your feet and calves. Jets focusing on this area can provide a thorough massage to these often neglected areas. It can be a major benefit to people that are on their feet all day.