Whirlpool Bathtubs vs. Air Bathtubs:

Which is right for you?

Which tub is right for me, a whirlpool tub, or an air tub? What is an air tub? Which is quieter? Can I get both whirlpool and air? These are questions that we get a lot at Leisure Concepts. This page is dedicated to giving our customers a better understanding of what air tubs and whirlpool tubs are, and how they are different. To start, you need to understand what each one is.

Whirlpool Tubs:

A whirlpool tub is like any regular acrylic bathtub, but with a water pump that sucks water out of the bottom of the tub through a anti-vortex suction fitting and pumps it through the jets. The pump is controlled by a pneumatic air switch, but can be upgraded to a variety of Vitatouch digital pump controllers. The water is sucked into the whirlpool pump's inlet and then the water is pressurized and forced back into the tub through water jets. These water jets are almost always on the sides of the tub, strategically placed behind your back and around your legs. That way, you get a high pressure water massage in all the key places. Whirlpool tubs use the water in the tub, so you don't need any additional plumbing; you just fill them up with your tub faucet. Likewise, when you drain your whirlpool tub, all the water in the water lines drains out of the tub as well. Our whirlpools are designed specially to have full water drainage. We do this by placing out jet outlet lower than the water lines, so with the help of gravity, the water in the jet lines just pours out of the jets when the tub is drained. This prevents stagnant water from sitting in your lines. For added piece of mind, you can equip your whirlpool tub with a VitaZone Ozone sanitation system, that injects powerful oxidizing ozone gas into the water lines when the tub is in use, thereby sanitizing your lines each time you use the tub. Whirlpool tubs are designated by models ending in "W," so the Caresse whirlpool has a model number 5472CW, which stands for 54" x 72" Caresse Whirlpool.

Air Tubs:

Air tubs are the rising star of the bathtub industry. Instead of having the water lines plumbed to the outside of your tub, air tubs instead have air lines and an air pump. When the pump turns on, your tub is filled with thousands of bubbles rushing to the surface. This is different from whirlpool tubs because instead of a physical, pressurized water massage, an air bath gives you a nice soft "fingertip massage" from the thousands of tiny air bubbles that are rushing over and under your body. We have the best air baths available because of the nature of our air injection system. Our tubs have between 20-40 air jets attached to the underside of the tub, and holes drilled in the floor of the tub. This way, bubbles are coming in the tub from directly beneath you, instead of around the side of the tub. Each of our air jets has an individual check valve, which ensures that no water gets into the air line ever. Lesser air tubs have air channels around the side of the tub that they pump air into. When tub is filled, the channel fills with water. This is why lesser air tubs have air channels on the side of the tub; because the water that gets in the channel has to drain out! This means that the bubbles miss the entire lower half of your body! Our bubble injectors are BENEATH you, so they hit your entire body, not just the upper half! Our air baths are designated by models ending in "AS," so the Indulgence air tub has a model number 4170IAS, which stands for 41" x 70" Indulgence Aroma Spa .

Combination Tubs:

A combination tub refers to a tub that has both whirlpool jets and air jets. Any of our whirlpool models can be converted into combination tubs by selecting the "champagne air" optional feature. Some of our tubs, like the Masterbath Collection, are already combination tubs! With a combination tub, you will have two separate pump systems; a whirlpool pump with all the jet plumbing, and an air pump with all the air jets. Each system can be turned on and off independently via its own switch. We recommend upgrading to the Vitatouch Plus deluxe digital controller on all combination tubs, so that all your equipment is controlled on a nice, neat digital panel. All combination tubs (besides the Masterbath Collection) must begin as a whirlpool tub, and have the air system added as an optional feature.

FAQ

Q: Is this model air tub available in a whirlpool tub, or vice versa?

A: 9 times out of 10, the answer is yes. We have virtually every model in both whirlpool, air, or combo configuration.

Q: Can I add a heater to my air bath?

A: Heaters require a water pump to force water through the heater, and since air baths do not have any mechanism to move water, they cannot be equipped with heaters. Heaters can be placed on any whirlpool or combination Signature Series or Venetian whirlpool. Heaters come standard on Tranquility Collection whirlpools and Masterbath Collection combination tubs.