Although the bathtub was first invented as another means for bathing, today it has evolved considerably and is now used for various other purposes such as relaxation, hydrotherapy, and massages in addition to simple cleaning and bathing. And since we are on the topic of specialty bath tubs used for relaxation and hydrotherapy, hot air bath tubs cannot be far behind.

Most of you may have heard of hot tubs. Hot tubs are those bathtubs that are filled with water and have some kind of heating mechanism such as electric heaters or natural gas heaters with which to heat the water.

You do not need to drain hot tubs after every use but can use them plenty of times before changing the water. They are typically seen outside homes as opposed to in bathrooms and can generally be used by more than one person at a time.

Those of you who are familiar with hot tubs may think that hot air bath tubs and hot tubs are one and the same thing. However, that is not the case. Here's a look at the main differences: The first difference is that a hot air bathtub has to be drained after you use it, each and every time. This means, you will have to fill the hot air bathtub with water before you want to use it and cannot simply step into the tub already filled with water as is the case with hot tubs. Secondly, hot tubs generally have jets through which air and water are pumped into the tub, thereby creating a whirlpool kind of effect. However, in hot air bath tubs, there are tiny holes in the bottom through which only air (no water) is released into the tub.

While most models have air holes only at the bottom, some hot air bath tubs may have air holes at the sides and back of the bathtub. Thus, with hot tubs you get a more intense massage as water is forced through the jets, whereas with hot air bathtubs you get a gentler massage, albeit a full body one.

Another advantage of hot air bathtubs is that you can use bath oils and other bath products (except bubble bath) with such tubs. Since hot air tubs only expel air through the tiny air holes and there is no circulation of water through the jets (like hot tubs), it is safe to use bath products as there is no danger of the jets getting spoilt. For smaller bathrooms, you can install small hot air bath tubs in your bathroom. Whichever hot air bath tub you choose, you can be sure of getting a great bathing experience.