Frontgate
Smart & Wired: Have Spa, Won't Travel
January 1, 2007
Massage therapy is a wonderful thing, but the procedure can be daunting for
those who are squeamish about germs or just can’t get to the spa. Two new
products from Frontgate and Aqua Spa give massage lovers a relaxed, hygienic
experience at home.; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
The Therma-Top Heated Massage Table by Frontgate. Photograph courtesy Frontgate. (Click image to enlarge)
Frontgate’s Therma-Top Heated Massage Table is 73 inches
long and wider than a standard massage table—30 inches across—and supports up to
500 pounds. The table weighs only 34 pounds, and it folds up to an easy-to-carry
36 by 30 by 6.5 inches. It is designed for those who want a spa experience at
home, or simply want to travel with their own massage table, says Frontgate’s
Elaine Barnes. “There’s even an optional leather suitcase for the table, and
cotton flannel sheets for the table and the face pillow. It’s very portable,”
she says.
The table, which features neutral maple legs and a beige top, has a built-in
heating element that keeps you warm, theoretically relaxing muscles and
increasing blood circulation. The heating element, which has a top temperature
of about 100 degrees, is controlled by a small module toward the top of the
table and has an auto-off safety feature so the unit will turn itself off if you
fall asleep. It can also be adjusted to a cooler setting, says Barnes.; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
The Aqua Spa Lounger, for an in-pool massage. Photograph by ©Rob Pepple 2006/robpepple.com. (Click image to enlarge)
Those
who love massages but do not want to use a masseuse can check out the Aqua Spa
Lounger, which is manufactured by a company out of Jacksonville, Fla. The chair
is capable of bringing the massage experience right into the pool.
The
72-inch-long Lounger looks like a floating chaise, but with a big difference: It
has been fitted with six jets similar to the ones found in a Jacuzzi tub, says
Ed Messer, the company’s president. Jets are located on a simple sliding
mechanism so you can direct them to whatever body part—lower back, shoulders or
neck—is in need of some TLC. They are powered by your pool’s filtering system.
(The Lounger comes with a standard Polaris Pool Systems filter connector, as
well as an adapter kit that lets you use it with almost any pool filtration
system.) A 12-foot hose attaches to the small water output valve on the side of
the pool. You can adjust the strength of the jets by opening and closing a small
diverter valve. You can also place the float in the pool and leave it there
without worrying about fading or deteriorating, says Messer. “It’s got a UV
absorber, so the color won’t fade. The chair doesn’t have to be stored out of
the water, either, since it doesn’t have any movable parts,” he says. “The risk
of breakage is low.”
The best part, of course, is that you can get the
feeling of sitting in front of Jacuzzi jets while lying in your pool.
Explains Messer: “You can move the jets around, and adjust the intensity of the
massage. You aren’t stuck with a jet in one place for too long unless you
actually want it there.”
Frontgate, 888.263.9850, www.frontgate.com
Aqua Spa,
877.255.5586, www.myaquaspa.com
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