Hot Tubs in the UK

Hot Tubs UK

It seems the surge in popularity of hot tubs in recent years is not limited to North America. Reports from our friends across the 'Pond' indicate that spas are all the rage in the UK and most of the rest of Europe. The British and Irish Spa and Hot Tub Association (BISHTA) reports that 2004 saw a nearly two-fold increase in hot tub sales throughout the UK.

As strange as it may sound, things are getting so crazy that hot tub thefts are even starting to crop up! Yes, you read correctly - people are beginning to report actual missing hot tubs. A spa company owner in the coastal town of Ayrshire in Scotland recently took out an ad for a £500 reward for the recovery of a stolen £7000 luxury hot tub. In London, a bold band of thieves used a crane to remove an installed hot tub from a residence, snapping cables and leaving much damage in their wake.

So, what accounts for this recent upswing in hot tub popularity in the UK? Nobody seems to have a firm idea, actually. It apparently took UK hot tub manufacturers by surprise, leaving some with inventory problems and the need to scramble to keep up with demand. Some other European nations have it just as bad and are importing spas from the U.S. in record numbers to keep up with increasing consumer demand.

One theory has to do with demographics and mirrors the trend in America. The UK hot tubs went through its own 'Baby Boom' period just after WWII and during the 1950s. As they enter middle age and approach retirement, the growing number of older Brits have more economic means and free time. More money and more leisure time equals buying things like hot tubs!

Whatever the reasons turn out to be for the increasing popularity, hot tub use in the UK shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. Spa manufacturers from outside the UK are starting to offer their products there, giving consumers more options, which is keeping a check on the natural trend toward higher prices as demand shoots up.