Introduction and Questions

[BK]

Greetings posters.

We are planning to be first time owners in the near future and have used advice from this board along with other sources. Thanks for that advice. I'd like to ask some questions from time to time and hope that you'll help. Thanks in advance.

We're a little family, four of us. Dad spends too much time in a chair, Mom spends too much time on her feet, and we have two little girls.

We don't envision having hot tub parties routinely, but expect that the little ones will grow up to do that before long.

My first question: We noted in a shopping trip last week that many tubs are too deep for little ones. Should we focus on tubs that have cooldown seats for them or do the pillows work better?

[Chris_H]

Children grow and spas last a long time.  

[Spatech_tuo]

My first question: We noted in a shopping trip last week that many tubs are too deep for little ones. Should we focus on tubs that have cooldown seats for them or do the pillows work better?

My boys were 4, 6 and 7 when we got our first spa seven years ago. It was way too deep for them to sit in the seats but that didn't matter at all becuase they treated it like a pool anyway. By the time they were actually settled enough to want to relax in it they were as tall as my wife. In other words, fogetaboutit. Get a spa that is the right depth for the parents and the kids will grow into it.

[Vinny]

My boys were 4, 6 and 7 when we got our first spa seven years ago. It was way too deep for them to sit in the seats but that didn't matter at all becuase they treated it like a pool anyway. By the time they were actually settled enough to want to relax in it they were as tall as my wife. In other words, fogetaboutit. Get a spa that is the right depth for the parents and the kids will grow into it.

Ditto!!

My youngest, 10 YO, uses at as a hot pool or a big bath tub. He floats and "swims" in it, generally has a lot of splashing fun in it.

Children do grow up too fast. Buy a tub that'll fit the four of you when they do get bigger. If when you get the tub and it's still a concern, they do have booster seats. BTW, when my youngest does just sit in the tub he typically kneels on the seat.

[East_TX_Spa]

Yep, good advice.  The chilluns will use it like a swimming pool and will never be in the seats anyway.



Terminator

[Nitlion15]

Ditto,

My 10 year old daughter can't stay still for more than 10 seconds in the hot tub.  Her and her friends use it routinely but it is much more like a 101 degree small swimming pool.

[bosco0633]

my two year old puts on his water wings and goes in like nothing.  he is only 34" tall and the tub is 38 3/4" deep.  He loves it.  

[Brookenstein]

my two year old puts on his water wings and goes in like nothing.  he is only 34" tall and the tub is 38 3/4" deep.  He loves it.  

Glad to hear it Bosco.  My 20m old got water wings from Santa (not me) and I've wondered about using them in the tub.  Haven't tried yet but it would be nice not to have to hold him and worry about drowning him every time I soak.  

[stl-rex]

Ours is three in March and has been in it since October when we got it.  He holds on to the edge and slides/steps around the perimeter going from seat to seat.  He "rests" by standing in one of the three cool down seats.  He also goes corner to corner between us with a little help.  He doesn't do much relaxing when he's in it.  He loves it.  We limit him to one 20 minute session.  Still more than the doctor recommends, but since he's halfway out of the water half the time, we cheat.  He also loves the blower, more so than the jets.  But kids usually like bubbles.

[bulmer4nc]

my two year old puts on his water wings and goes in like nothing.  he is only 34" tall and the tub is 38 3/4" deep.  He loves it.  

We've got a 2 and a 4 year old...  2 year old does water wings and the 4 year old thinks it's a warm swimming pool... He does laps.  Corner to corner.

[Tman122]

Our first tub my boys were 5 and 7 I did not pay attention to getting it for them as it was for me and her. Most here are right, when my boys got in it was for playtime not relax time so depth did not matter and it was that way until they decided they did not like to soak anymore. We now have a different tub and my boys are 16 and 18. Yes they go in once in a while with friends but only a few times a year and they are now 6'1" and 5'10" so the seats fit them perfect and I never once considered fitting them when I purchased either tub.

Make it an indulgence for you and your wife and fit yourselves and your kids will love it.

[wmccall]

Our youngest is 21 almost 22 now, but on top of my "If we do it again list, is a cool down seat. They are great if you are a tall adult and just want to stay in the tub longer.

[NE-Phil]

"If we do it again list, is a cool down seat. They are great if you are a tall adult and just want to stay in the tub longer.

I'm only 5'9" but overheat easily. I love using the hot tub but I can't imagine staying in for hours at a time.
I use the cool down seat about half the time even if I'm only in there 20 minutes or so.

Phil

[BK]

Thanks everyone. That is just what we need to hear. We didn't think of that at all.

[Brookenstein]

My Envoy doesn't have a cool down seat, but I sit on the knees of the lounger and that works well for me.  My 6yr old does wish he could sit on a seat sometimes, but for the most part he is swimming and what not so it doesn't matter.