I'll have to be honest, as much as I want to believe in Aquatic after talking with their incredibly enthusiastic and helpful cust srvc rep,as well as the most impressive specs on the market, I visited a showroom yesterday to experience the real deal (Infinity VII) and found the dry test-drive a bit harsh on the bones, i.e., doesn't conform to body like I had hoped, a little too upright and not conforming to the reclining torso. That test drive, albeit a dry run, convinced me this was not the tub for me despite it looking ideal on paper. Granted I wasn't able to float in the tub with water, so this is slightly unfair to the mfr, but getting in and out of the deep vessel along with reclining in the tub without water was surprisingly uncomfortable, and bone-crunching. I'm a young man still, and felt like multiple grab-bars on the walls would be de rigeur. The only reason I post this is not to discourage you from buying Aquatic, but because shopping for a whirlpool/airbath combo has been one of the most difficult quests I've experienced in planning my bath addition, and on paper, this was the tub for me, in vitro, this was NOT the tub for me. Just keep in mind that you simply must seek out a showroom to sample any tub prior to making the huge investment - not just money for the tub, but permanent plumbing specific to that tub leaves little room for future change of heart! For this reason, I've been very careful in ensuring that I'd be completely happy with the fit, and felt it necessary to share my experience. This is a decision 3 years in the making due to lack of showrooms that simply don't offer the real test drive or tub variety that gives you an overall gestalt. Again, Aquatic might be for you, but test drive it, or your regrets will eat you up. Other tubs I've crossed off the list, right or wrong, were Bain Ultra cause I simply wanted the combo, however, they seem to have an unbeatable reputation in the strictly air-bath category. Sani-jet, I actually experienced with water, and the jets were simply too weak for me, but again all their specs looked good on paper. Neptune, I experienced in a hotel, and was extremely impressed, but when it came to owning one, the contour again wasn't something I'd want to recline in for an hour, and none of this years styles/profiles appeal to me. Americh, don't know. Maax.....two trades people gave me bad reviews saying they make the most comfortable, stylish tubs with the necessary whistles and bells, but technical issues required discontinuing their carrying the line....surprising, as Home Depot Expo was pushing this on me like you know what. What am I going with, well I did a dry test run on the Jason LX635 (6 foot) which meets my comfort criteria without water, looks great on paper, has been in the business for as long as Jacuzzi has been in business (Jason=son of Jacuzzi), and was carried by a local trusty high end fixture place with exceptional reputation and attentive to customer feedback. Again, I'm taking a risk without doing a 'wet' run, and their head pillow was so poorly placed, that I dissed the option, but overall, it met most of my criteria. Will keep you posted after install, etc. The most comfortable tub I've experienced was the Maax oval-shaped whirlpool-air combo (Pearl?), but again, I talked to two vendors who said they had issues with them which is highly unfortunate since comfort-wise and on paper it was the perfect tub, like sitting in a LazyBoy, but with water massage. I hope to seek something comparable in the Jason.

I was deciding between the Kohler Archer (60x32x18), Hydrosystems Lacey (60x36x20 (comes in a variety of widths, including narrower)), an MTI tub similar to the Hydrosystems (Andrea, I think), and the Mirabelle Edenton (60x30x20). I ended up going with the Mirabelle because it was the largest interior dimensions of all of the tubs. I drove to three different places (two Fergusons and one other showroom) to sit in them each. The Mirabelle ($1850 with drain) was slightly more expensive than the Kohler ($1450 with drain), but the acrylic didn't feel as cheap to me. The Hydrosystems was the most comfortable to me in terms of the backrest, but it was shorter (I'm 5'11") than the Kohler and Mirabelle and expensive ($2900). Although the Kohler is 32" wide and the Edenton I bought is only 30" wide, the Edenton feels (and is) larger inside because there's no armrests eating up space. You really need to sit in each. The other benefit to the Mirabelle (or Hydrosystems or MTI) is if it's an alcove installation, the Kohler skirt is unattractive. So long as you can fit an access panel behind one of the walls, the Mirabelle (and Hydrosystems and MTI) offers a modern skirt (and Hydrosystems and MTI even provide you with the option of adding the skirt and tile flanges on other sides). The Kohler is a lower tub but the drain allows you to fill it more, but that feature doesn't seem that important if you can fit a 20" high tub like the Mirabelle. (Mirabelle is only sold at Ferguson, by the way, so you get some of the features of the more expensive tubs at a lower price point because it's their own brand.) I posted pictures of my remodel if you want to see the tub I used. http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/bath/msg0409041521118.html?12 If I had bought the Hydrosystems, I would have had the company put a skirt on two sides, a tile flange on two sides, and installed the pump remotely in the linen closet (most air baths allow you the option to install the pump several feet away, and sometimes as far as 15 feet, which at least to some extent eliminates the need for an access panel). That customization is included within the price I quoted above ($2900). The tub may be cheaper in an alcove application.

davmp-We searched google for every "kitchen and bath supply" place within a 50 mile radius, downloaded the directions to the GPS and took off. We also checked the manufacturers websites to find any 'where to buy' places in our area. Bain Ultra has addresses of 'where to experience'.. bed and breakfasts all over the US. The places listed as 'showrooms' weren't very helpful as every tub was filled with water. Kinda makes you wonder if they don't want anyone sitting in them. Bring your bathing suit! The tiny-looking place that we almost couldn't find is the place where we will be purchasing from. They had a back room full of tubs! They were listed on Bain's website as an authorized dealer. When were were considering a Pearl, I emailed them to ask about an internet vendor, if they were an authorized dealer... Pearl said NO, the do not sell to internet retailers. That made me nervous but it didn't matter in the end-going with the local guy instead. It might be more expensive but if something goes wrong, I can deal with someone IN PERSON.

Thanks, you guys, for responding. I have never heard of Jason brand tubs so will have to take a look at what they offer. We would eliminate the air before the whirlpool, however. My husband broke his back some time ago and is really looking forward to the therapy. I do love the look of the Bain Ultra tubs, though! I wish they did combos. We are near a larger city and I have visited 3 plumbing showrooms there, sitting in all of their tubs. That is what made me ralize that some are really not very comfy. My husband visited one yesterday on his lunch hour and is pretty much sold on the Aquatic brand, so today I will research them a bit more. Any opinions on Aquatic? Sandy