Best tub for tall person? Are leg/foot jets important?

[CCC]

Let me preface this by saying that the brands I am limited to due to dealer proximity and service are:

Hot Springs, Jaccuzzi, Marquis, Bullfrog and the local dealer who sells Maax/L.A. Spas.

I am 6'4" and I have a pretty long torso.

I was on the road to buying a Grandee but couldn't wet test one. I have since suffered a broken ankle and have been laid up so everything is on hold. I'd like to have one ready to go for my recovery, and obviously and in no condition to be driving 90 minutes and going wet testing. As soon as the Hot Springs dealer saw me he said I would fit best in a Pulse or a Grandee. I like the highlife series and got to try an Vanguard, which was very nice.

How would any Marquis, Bullfrog or Jacuzzi fit a tall and torso-y guy like me?

Also, I notice that not a lot of attention goes into the leg/foot jets in most of the higher end models I am looking at. I wet-tested a Marquis (Wish) and the foot jet was awesome but the leg jets on the lounger weren't that great. I have a lot of trouble with my calves and with achilles tendonitis. Would there be any models I am not seeing that pay especially good attention to the lower body, or do most people just move their legs to the back jets to get relief there? I've never owned a tub before so forgive me for asking such seemingly simple questions. The Grandee looks nice and BIG and I liked the moto-massage, but there are only two foot jets in that monster. The foot jets in the Vanguard (same as the Grandee?) didn't seem very impressive but perhaps I wasn't using the diverters or pump switches correctly.

Thanks for the information! This forum has been very helpful thus far.

[wmccall]

Are you married, or will be using the tub with someone else regularly?  Don't forget them!   What may work great for you may be a problem for another.

[pmang]

Which ankle did you break? Right or left?

If left, seriously look at the Hot Spring Aria. I broke my left ankle a few years ago and the foot jets hit it perfectly from the middle seat. It provides amazing relief when I'm in the tub. Also, the corner seat (which I've dubbed the king chair!) would be very comfortable for a tall person. I'm very happy with the tub...

[CCC]

I am married but my wife has told me to get whatever works for me best. She is normal sized... lol, so she figures that my tallness factor should be the most important consideration (bless her!). If I narrowed it down to a couple I would certainly solicit her feedback.

As to the Aria, I saw one of those but it looked pretty small overall. Interesting observation about the foot jets. It is indeed my left ankle. The guy at the Hot Spring store seemed pretty convinced that I was too big for that one. But I only sat in it dry and my recollection is vague. Looking at it now both it and the Envoy look like really nice configurations for just two people. If only I weren't so damn tall! (and long torso'd!)

[Hottubguy]

I have the marquis resort and the leg jets in the Adirondack chair are very good but I think you would probably fit better in the epic

[pmang]

I am married but my wife has told me to get whatever works for me best. She is normal sized... lol, so she figures that my tallness factor should be the most important consideration (bless her!). If I narrowed it down to a couple I would certainly solicit her feedback.

As to the Aria, I saw one of those but it looked pretty small overall. Interesting observation about the foot jets. It is indeed my left ankle. The guy at the Hot Spring store seemed pretty convinced that I was too big for that one. But I only sat in it dry and my recollection is vague. Looking at it now both it and the Envoy look like really nice configurations for just two people. If only I weren't so damn tall! (and long torso'd!)

Go check out the Aria again.... I looked at every brand and this was by far the best option for me with my reconstructed left ankle. Granted, I'm only 5'10 but I'm a big boy and was very particular about seat comfort (I hate most molded seat options that trap you in one position). The strong jets hitting my ankle at a relaxed angle put this tub over the top for me. Even at your height, I think that corner seat could be perfect. There is plenty of room to stretch out across the tub (especially if your wife is in the lounger). It is a perfect size for 2 people. 4 would feel very cramped. One other benefit about this tub that most people overlook is that you can sit either way on the lounger. The calf and foot jets easily become thigh and lower back jet when you face the other way. I'm not sure how that would work for you with your height though. I couldn't imagine you not being comfortable in the corner seat! Good luck!!

[MarKee]

When you get back on your feet, I would give the Epic a wet test.  We typically have it filled up in the Beaverton location.  Just call to make sure in advance.

[Tman122]

When your tall you really need to wet test as many as possible and dry test a bunch to. Most of those your looking at are quality brands.

I would avoid Maxx and don't know a lot about LA spas. Marquis, Jaccuzzi and HS are top notch. Don't fall for the hype of BF but a bunch of folks like them so they deserve a spin also.

[CCC]

"Dry" testing, the Grandee looks like the water line would be the highest. Perhaps I shouldn't make that the end all/be all of my decision but it seems important. I wet tested a Vanguard and it felt like a really nice high quality product. The Marquis I tested was also nice but it was a smaller model and felt cramped. I loved the foot jet in it, though. The local Bullfrog dealer seems sub-par and they have almost nothing going on for lower body jets, but if they could manage to get a tub full that didn't smell moldy I'd give it a whirl (no pun intended!). I haven't seen the Maxx yet, and they recently bough L.A. Spas, but even though the dealer seems really nice I wasn't impressed with the quality and they didn't seem much less expensive then the premium brands.

[Jacuzzi Jim]

 
 Do yourself a favor and check out the Bullfrog A8 or R8.  Little history, I lost a sale to HS about 10 years ago to this guy that's 6'7". He bought a Grandee over a Jacuzzi and had nothing but trouble with it over the years. The current BF was not available at that time.   I am not dissing Hot Springs, it's what fit him the best at that time do to his height. He stuck out of the Jacuzzi like a sore thumb!  He is a local business owner and money is not an object, and so he went with it.    Fast forward to today, he built a new house this year and left the HS behind with it's woes. He and his wife came in today and wet tested a Bullfrog A8 he fit well in it and so did his 5'6 wife.  They may even go down to the R7 which he fit in fine as well.  They do not need the size of the A8, kids are gone and it's just he and the wife.    Give it a shot and see what you think.  Hopefully the dealer can get his tub not to smell moldy.  I have no horse in this race, but you should try the Bullfrog out and see what you think.   

[BullFrogSpasMN]

 Do yourself a favor and check out the Bullfrog A8 or R8.  Little history, I lost a sale to HS about 10 years ago to this guy that's 6'7". He bought a Grandee over a Jacuzzi and had nothing but trouble with it over the years. The current BF was not available at that time.   I am not dissing Hot Springs, it's what fit him the best at that time do to his height. He stuck out of the Jacuzzi like a sore thumb!  He is a local business owner and money is not an object, and so he went with it.    Fast forward to today, he built a new house this year and left the HS behind with it's woes. He and his wife came in today and wet tested a Bullfrog A8 he fit well in it and so did his 5'6 wife.  They may even go down to the R7 which he fit in fine as well.  They do not need the size of the A8, kids are gone and it's just he and the wife.    Give it a shot and see what you think.  Hopefully the dealer can get his tub not to smell moldy.  I have no horse in this race, but you should try the Bullfrog out and see what you think.

Jim is correct, typically at your height I would always recommend a 38" deep spa (A8, R8, X8 from Bullfrog) but even with the deeper corner seats and the footwell layout I would def. try and sit in a A7/R7/X7 because you just might fit, I sold one at the state fair to someone who who like 6'5" and he was completely happy with how he sat in it.  Bullfrog builds a unique spa, I would def. give one a test, if you want the "sales pitch" before visiting the showroom you can check out their video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SjHrqYZSYY

[Spatech_tuo]

"Dry" testing, the Grandee looks like the water line would be the highest. Perhaps I shouldn't make that the end all/be all of my decision but it seems important. I wet tested a Vanguard and it felt like a really nice high quality product. The Marquis I tested was also nice but it was a smaller model and felt cramped. I loved the foot jet in it, though. The local Bullfrog dealer seems sub-par and they have almost nothing going on for lower body jets, but if they could manage to get a tub full that didn't smell moldy I'd give it a whirl (no pun intended!). I haven't seen the Maxx yet, and they recently bough L.A. Spas, but even though the dealer seems really nice I wasn't impressed with the quality and they didn't seem much less expensive then the premium brands.

You'll find proponents of Hot Spring, Jacuzzi, Marquis and Bullfrog here for the simple reason that they all make a good spa so consider them all even going in and then find the one that fits/feels best to you as well as a dealer you think is capable and will be there for you both before and after the sale. Dry testing is a good start but follow it up with a wet test and at 6'4" I would definitely stick with a 38" spa, maybe 36" but ONLY if a wet test proved it fit well but at your height I'd be skeptical.

[MarKee]

The overall height of the spa doesn't necessarily tell you it's going to be deeper than another spa with similar or less height.  For example, the 38" tall Grandee has plumbing underneath the footwell for the drain, so that spa is going to have at least 1-2" less water depth than a spa that doesn't run plumbing underneath the footwell (for instance the Epic).

[Spatech_tuo]

The overall height of the spa doesn't necessarily tell you it's going to be deeper than another spa with similar or less height.  For example, the 38" tall Grandee has plumbing underneath the footwell for the drain, so that spa is going to have at least 1-2" less water depth than a spa that doesn't run plumbing underneath the footwell (for instance the Epic).

Certainly it comes down to what space is within the inside of the actual vessel not simply what the outside measurements are but all anyone would have to do is measure from bar top to bottom of foot well to compare spas (and you can measure bar top to seat and seat to foot well separately so you know what you have for torso and for legs if your body proportion is not typical). The shopper in this case being 6'4" might consider taking a couple simple measurements for comparison sake beyond the recommended dry/wet testing.

[Jacuzzi Jim]

 My customer at 6'7 maybe 6'6 sat in the 38" Jacuzzi and he stuck out of the water in the deepest back corner seat, the 36 J-345 was about the same.   In the 38" A8 or the 36" R7 Bullfrog he didn't.   It really has to do with how high or how low seat height is in any spa.    Dry test/wet test is a must.