7 ways to elevate your hot tub experience guide, Property backyard oasis tips, Home deck advice

7 Ways to Elevate Your Hot Tub Experience

12 September 2024

Credit: Ron Lach Via Pexels

On its own, a hot tub is a transcendent experience. It’s deeply relaxing, soothing your sore muscles and melting away any lingering worries. Its perch offers stunning vistas of your backyard area. And, on the best days, the humble hot tub is a meeting place for family and friends to gather, converse, and enjoy some communal relaxation.

However, as a homeowner, it’s okay to be greedy; it’s okay to want more. In this article, we explore seven ways to elevate your hot tub experience by adding more luxury, more relaxation, and a bevy of bells and whistles to transform your hot tub area into a supercharged spa space.

Accessorize with Headrests, Floating Tables and Drink Holders

The quickest and easiest way to transform your spa space is to accessorize. Hot tub accessories run the gamut between useful tools and novelty items. Depending on your budget, start with the useful stuff before shelling out for the frills.

You can count comfortable headrests and hot tub cushions in the essentials category. These water-resistant relaxation aids make soaking in the spa all the more enjoyable, especially if you have neck or upper back issues. Just look for ones with ergonomic qualities and decent reviews.

Next, you can move on to the fun stuff. Floating tables are a fine addition to the spa as they can carry anything from a good book to a plate of fruit—whatever supplementary items you want in the tub. And clip-on drink holders ensure easy access to whatever cold beverage you have on hand.

Incorporate Aromatherapy to Kick Your Relaxation Up a Notch

Think of the hot tub as one giant diffuser, ready to accept an array of liquids or crystals that fill the spa space with relaxing aromas.

Studies show that aromatherapy can work toward numerous benefits, depending on the desired outcome. Popular essential oils include:

Eucalyptus: Its anti-inflammatory properties are excellent for pain relief
Mint: Its essential oils can help combat fatigue and ease headaches

Lavender: An all-around favorite that, according to Cleveland Health Clinic, can “help with stress, pain and sleep.”

Stock a variety of aromas so you can choose the ones that suit your mood or desired relief. Just ensure that you find spa-safe aromatherapy products; these products are specifically designed for hot tubs to avoid water contamination.

Credit: RDNE Stock project Via Pexels

Keep it Cozy with Soft Towels, Robes, and Towel Warmers

If there’s one downside to using a hot tub, it’s that moment when you eventually have to get out. After easing your muscles into a warm soak, the cold air can be an unwanted shock to the system.

Luckily, it’s an easy fix. To combat that feeling of shock, elevate your hot tub experience with luxury towels, robes and an optional towel warmer. Terry is a fantastic choice as it’s warm and absorbent, although winter dippers may opt for a heavier cloth like fleece to hold in the heat.

Store these towels and robes in a weather-resistant storage space like a rattan deck box or acacia outdoor wardrobe. You should be able to find quality options at a local furniture or home supply store.

Create a Custom-Made Cover for Year-Round Enjoyment

For year-round enjoyment, you need a hot tub cover that locks in heat, withstands the rigors of extreme weather, and effortlessly fits into your overall backyard aesthetic.

Unfortunately, one-size-fits-all covers won’t cut it. Instead, consider a custom-made cover specifically designed to your tub’s specifications. The best purveyors allow you to choose from a diverse set of color swatches and select features based on your local climate and weather patterns. The result is a tub cover that saves money on utilities, allows for all-season spa access, and protects your investment from deteriorating in the elements.

You can easily order a customized cover and accessories online through a reputable replacement hot tub cover retailer.

Add Tunes to the Tub for a Multi-Sensory Experience

Another terrific way to elevate your spa experience is through music—whether it’s the gentle lilt of a meditation playlist or the raucous thump of a rock album. Music can help set the tone (literally and figuratively) for your dip and provide some relaxing background noise.

Consider outdoor waterproof speakers that connect to Bluetooth so you can easily switch up the playlist from your phone. Or, for a more serious setup, build a permanent outdoor sound system. This New York Times article explains how to achieve great sound outdoors, along with some specific product recommendations.

Enhance the Ambiance with Outdoor Lighting

Lighting goes a long way toward establishing ambiance, especially for night soaks. If you haven’t yet created a purposeful lighting arrangement around your backyard spa area, now’s the time to do so.

You can accomplish a thorough lighting system fairly inexpensively. All you really need are some string lights for a cozy glow, hanging lanterns for that resort vibe, and some optional floating LEDs to illuminate the tub itself. To take lighting a step further, consider spotlights and pathway lights for wayfinding to and from the tub.

Create a Relaxation Station Nearby for Dip Intervals

Experts recommend limiting your hot tub soaks to around 15 minutes and cooling off with an interval between five and ten minutes. That means, during a two-hour session in your backyard spa, roughly 40 minutes will be outside the tub. A “relaxation station” is, therefore, essential to elevating your hot tub experience.

This station can be as simple as a comfortable table and chairs with an engrossing book nearby. Similarly, you can add features like a fire pit, water fountain and/or rock garden to reinforce the theme of natural elements.

Elevating your outdoor spa will take time and investment. Start with the essentials like a custom hot tub cover, relaxation area, and good lighting before moving on to sensory improvements like aromatherapy, sound systems, cozy robes, and clip-on cupholders. When your work is done, you’ll be rewarded with an unparalleled sense of relaxation and a perfect outdoor space for hosting guests.

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