Hot tubs

Party time! Whip out the bubbly, do 500 sit-ups, shed those cumbersome socks and be prepared to emerge yourself in a bowl of beautiful warmth. The hot tub is the type of pleasure that has you thinking, “honestly, do I even deserve this?” It’s as close to feeling like a super-star as we can get. That is likely the best part of the hot tub. Kim Kardashian has one, George Clooney, Drake as well as Taylor Swift. Folks with cash have hot tubs and folks with no cash have hot tubs. One is a bit posher than the other, but the point is they’re accessible, lovely, and oh so relaxing.

It’s hard to say when the first hot tub made its debut. Early, early hot tubs were present since the 4th century B.C. Drake’s ancestors were chilling in style, and in 737 A.D. in Japan, a hot-tub/spa-esque building opened in Izumo. These were hotels in some respect, replete with accommodations, food and the tubs. The Japanese flocked to these, and ancient Rome in many respects contained the same. Baths at home were known as balnea, private baths were called balnea private, and public baths were balnea publica. The Romans loved, loved, loved their baths, and in and around Southern Europe they began to pop up like wildflower.

Fast forward to the semi-present, in the 1940s hot tubs began to appear in the U.S., inspired in large part from the Japanese models. Fiberglass shell tubs took shape in 1970 and today there are a wide variety to choose from. For example, you could go the cheap route and opt in for a portable vinyl-liner tub. These require less power and the front-end costs are minimal. Another option are roto-molded tubs, constructed with the cabinet and shell all in one and typically feature molded seating. Another solid bet are acrylic tubs, supported by a frame structure and can seat anywhere between 2 and 7 people.

On the cement side, although less attractive, cement hot tubs are sturdy as sturdy gets, sit above ground or can be installed in-ground like a swimming pool. Wooden hot tubs are frequently round and were super popular in the 70s. Remember those poorly acted movies with folks with mustaches and women with horribly permed hair. Those same actors were typically found in these round, wooden tubs, sipping on vodka tonics and snacking on peanuts. It was a wild scene, and today it is not that likely you’ll find a wooden tub while out and about. Stainless steel hot tubs can be molded and shaped into anything you could possibly desire, while glass fiber hot tubs are fabricated with a mix of matrix and fine glass fibers.

While there are many things one can theoretically skimp on and buy on a whim, a hot tub is not one. Take the time to hit the hot tub stores, sit in one of these puppies, and try it on for size. After all, it’s not everyday you can pretend you’re Jay Z or Beyonce.