Rectangle, Round or Square: How to Choose the Best Hot Tub Shape

There are so many factors to consider when shopping for a hot tub that we often forget to consider the shape and how it’ll impact our spa experience. We think of size, the number of people accommodating, cabinet type and colour, jets, and seating layout, making the process much more complicated and challenging. Choosing the right hot tub shape first can help us avoid many further problems, such as fitting into your space, and will narrow down your options, making it much more straightforward to settle for an option you like.

What Is the Best Shape for a Hot Tub?

The three most common hot tub shapes are rectangle, round and square. The best spa shape for you will depend on several factors, such as the area you plan to place it in, the hot tub size or how many people you intend it to accommodate, and other factors like extra features that make spa shapes distinctive. Let’s go over each shape to get a general picture of their advantages and disadvantages and more easily decide which would be the best choice for your space and needs.

Rectangle Hot Tubs

The rectangular spa dates back to 2000 BC, reminding us of Ancient Egyptians’ love of being clean. The wealthy people back then were ready to pay big money to have rectangle tubs installed in their homes. These were known as bathhouses, where they bathed up to four times per day. Today, we’re lucky to have much more convenient ways to stay clean, and we often use our hot tubs for their therapeutic benefits and relaxation. 

The design of the versatile and sleek rectangle spa makes it the most popular choice among homeowners. Some options have more elongated rectangular forms while others are slightly longer on two sides. The appeal of rectangle spas comes from their space-efficient design which offers more room to fit more people without getting too crowded. Depending on the size and brand, they can accommodate from two up to twelve or thirteen people, without compromising comfort. It’s ideal for those who want to maximise seating capacity and space utilisation. 

Rectangular hot tubs come with several seating arrangements and other extra elements that may be placed into different space layouts, making it the most versatile shape for a spa. Bench-style seating is a common element in rectangle spa tubs, which enables users to relax while benefitting from the hydrotherapy jets. And certain variants provide lounge chairs for a complete body massage.

Round Hot Tubs

Round-shaped hot tubs were among the first portable, self-contained units, although they were fashioned of whisky barrels in the early years of the current portable hot tub era, which is to say the 1940s through 1960s. Never mind that they posed health risks that would make owners of contemporary hot tubs shudder, were constructed of scrap metal or wood, and leaked constantly. 

We now have many choices, with the circular being only one among many. As an excellent substitute for more conventional square or rectangular spas, round hot tubs are often lighter, easier to fit in awkwardly shaped spaces, and sometimes even less expensive to build. Gunite (concrete) spas are frequently shaped like circles because they may be seamlessly incorporated into the in-ground pool design with little extra space required. Round hot tubs often accommodate five or six people, making them excellent conversation starters.

Square Hot Tubs

From a historical perspective, private wooden soaking tubs, or ofuro, have been a Japanese invention for generations. These square, wooden tubs have restorative and meditation uses, like hydrotherapy without the jets. Washing oneself before stepping into the tub allowed the family to reuse the water, which was culturally correct. The older family members went forward first to impart their knowledge of the water and pass it on to the younger bathers.

Nowadays, the square hot tub is becoming more of an aesthetic option. One benefit of square space design is that it evenly distributes the seats on each hot tub side. You can have four, eight, or twelve persons seated at a square table with their backs to each other. The square spa may be the best option if symmetry is important to you because it has an organic, natural appearance, making it possible for the hot tub to fit neatly into any corner.

Other Spa Shapes

While they still exist, triangle spas are much harder to locate today. Due to their uneven fit, they’re more difficult to install and less likely to support more than two or three people. This shape’s key advantage is its ability to squeeze into a corner and take up less room.

There are also hot tubs shaped like hearts. Travellers worldwide have seen them in hotel rooms, honeymoon spots, and older resorts that have embraced retro eras, as the heart-shaped spa was popular in the 1970s and 1980s, but it is no longer produced save maybe as a custom option. While they may have been seen as romantic back then, nowadays they’re more of a marketing ploy for corny vacation packages.

Most gunite spas are likely kidney, octagon, and oval-shaped. These spas are installed in the ground rather than being movable, and they are typically combined with a pool that has a similar shape. As resort décor, these are likewise gimmicky, but you’re more likely to find them in someone’s backyard decor than in a resort.