Do you want a hot tub? Spa? What is the difference between these anyway? The hot tub and spa are terms that are commonly used interchangeably today. Although most individuals have a perceived notion that one of them is different than the other, the actuality of it is that today they are both called spas and hot tubs. That wasn t always the case though. There actually was a time when they were two different things completely.

The first to come along was that of the hot tub. This term was coined well back into the 1960 s when hot tubs first got their big boom. During that time, the hot tub was a large, wooden barrel shaped contraption that was used in the same basic way as the hot tub is used today, just simplified. They were basically just tubs that were large enough for a person or two people. They held hot water for people to soak in. They definitely didn t have high powered jets, though!

Then the spa came into play. The spa is actually the term that manufacturers gave this new and improved hot tub because they wanted people to realize that what they were offering was different then what they knew as hot tubs. These were made from molded fiberglass and they often have thermoplastic shells. They weren t wood like the hot tub.

Today, most retailers will use the terms interchangeably although there is a bit of a difference. Although many hot tubs still have that same wooden outside, they don t look nearly as rigid as their first heirs. Indeed, many have some of the best features on the market including jets and seating. Most hot tubs have the same features as those that were once thought to be only offered on a spa. Hot tub, spa; really just get one!