Kornowa agrees traditional whirlpools can run the risk of being unhygienic, so his firm addressed this by being “particularly fanatical about the cleaning system and check-valves we use so we can provide the highest hygiene level for the bather.”

Aside from the ease of cleaning, another benefit of an air bath is the end-user’s ability to employ the use of bath oils, salts, soaps and aromatherapy. Tennant clarifies that consumers can’t use them in a traditional whirlpool because they clog up the jets. He explains the rule for using bath products in his air tubs: “It’s acrylic, so you have to fill [the tub] first because those things can be strong, but as long as you’re careful, you can use them.”

Most manufacturers agree, however, that the battle of elements between air- and water-jetted systems isn’t so much a battle as a happy compromise. When given the choice, it seems, many consumers opt for both. “We are definitely seeing a trend towards a combination of air and traditional jetted whirlpool massage,” says Roberts. “That’s both in the upscale and in the mid-level markets.”

In fact, the real contest, which has yet to be fought, is going to be over options, many manufacturers believe. Roberts explains: “It’s definitely going to be a component war. Who can come out with the more unique components?” Bells and whistles do continue to drive growth in whirlpools and air jets, with custom seats, chromatherapy options, and multiple jets with personalized controls continuing to be hot picks.

Showered in Options
But what about the super shower? Not so very long ago, people wondered if the super shower trend would be taking the place of whirlpools and air-jet tubs. But as the American bathroom continues to grow in size, that just doesn’t seem to be the case. According to manufacturers, the rise of the super shower isn’t raining on the whirlpool or the sauna industry’s parade at all. In fact, most see the super shower as a facet of the overall trend that has benefited everyone in the home spa industry.

Roberts says she hasn’t seen any drop-off in sales due to the super-shower craze, “There’s no question that at the upscale level of a custom home, a well-educated consumer is going to want both systems,” she notes. “They’re going to want the shower with the full massage system and the jetted-bath.”

Bennett elaborates: “In the luxury bath, there’ll always be a demand for separate showers and baths. Shower systems are... powerful and provide another avenue for hydro-pleasure. However, the bath obliges horizontal relaxation, and this form of unwinding simply can’t be beat.”

Tennant acknowledges the rise of shower systems in recent years, but contends the trend hasn’t hurt his whirlpool sales because the two serve two different purposes. “No one [takes a bath] before work,” he says. They take showers and soak to relax later, he maintains.

Steam-Cleaned
The tremendous amount of momentum in shower remodels, manufacturers agree, is the trend that is carrying the steam market forward. The relatively low cost of converting a shower into a steambath versus the benefits that consumers derive from it is a no-brainer, according to Martha Orellana, v.p. for Mr. Steam, Sussman Automatic Corp., in New York, NY. “Steambaths have been around for thousands of years, and the medical benefits are easily outweighed by the costs,” she says.

The biggest trend that John Gunderson, director of sales and marketing for Amerec Sauna and Steam in Woodinville, WA, sees has to do less with product than with changes in the buying population in general. “People are getting a little more sophisticated,” he says, “[so they are] looking for more exact temperatures and controls.”