Twenty years ago, I wouldn't have considered this to be a health and wellness issue, but I do now. When we bought our house, we had a bathtub in a very small bathroom upstairs and a couple of showers in what had been apartments downstairs. Given that the tub took up almost all of the space in the bathroom, we decided to replace it with a shower and we ended up discontinuing the two showers that were downstairs. So now we have only a shower. I miss having a bathtub. In fact, when I am in a hotel, I will sometimes bathe a couple of times a day, and certainly every night. Twenty years ago, I didn't need to relax in a tub of hot water - a shower seemed so much more practical - but I would like to be able to do that more often now. Unfortunately, other than going back to cramming a tub into our tiny bathroom, there is no practical way to do that in our house. The only room that I can think of where a bathtub would fit into nicely is a very large laundry room, which is next to our downstairs bathroom (which has neither a bath or a shower), but I use part of that room for the cat litter boxes.
I would love to have a "furo" (Japanese bath) in our house, but I believe they are illegal to sell in the U.S. for liability reasons. They are generally a small soaking tub for those not familiar with them. You shower or wash before entering the tub, then soak in the hot water for relaxation. In Japan, they sold fiberglass "capsules" that installed similarly to a U.S. bathtub/shower assembly. It is my understanding that you cannot buy a tub whose water temp goes above 108 F. (maybe 104 F.) as it can be harmful to some people. I knew Japanese who could soak in 140 F. water, but I could never tolerate much over 110 F. Overall, I prefer a shower to a tub as it is quicker and uses less water generally. I also don't like to sit in the water in which I have washed.
We have 2 bathtubs and 2 showers in our 3 bathrooms. I have never used a tub in my 20 years in this house. My wife is the tubber, but I think it's just a waste of water, although she enjoys luxuriating in it with her bath oils, etc. Hal
Back when my children were small, I preferred a long, hot bath. That was 'bout the only time I had any privacy. Nowadays, I prefer a shower.
Showers only for over 20 yrs...and a good thing since I can barley handle being on me knees to clean the tubs.
So it looks like I am the odd man out. That's okay though since I have grown used to being the only one who is right.
I prefer showers over bathtubs; but I grew up in a home with a tiny old-fashioned bathroom and just a bathtub in it. I did like to soak in the tub back then; but eventually, the water gets cold and you are all wrinkled up when you get out. I love the hot tub at the fitness center, and I usually sit in there and soak for a little while before I swim, especially in the cold weather. Right now, it is so hot here that the idea of a hot tub is not appealing, and I usually head straight for the swimming pool. At one time, I had one of those portable hot tubs, and I just loved that. It had a styrofoam pleather-covered exterior, and a separate section with the motor in it, and the motor made the bubbles and also heated up the water. It filled with a garden hose (just like you can do with a waterbed), and drained the same way. When there was no water in it, it was very lightweight and simple to move. You just took off the section with the motor, tipped the hot tub on its side, and rolled it wherever you wanted it to go. The insulated lid kept everything hot, and you just took the lid off when you wanted to use the hot tub. Something like that might work for you, @Ken Anderson, if you have a place in your house to put one, or it can even go outside if you prefer. It is easy to maintain, and great for just soaking in, and doesn’t get cold like a bathtub does; plus it doesn’t require any special plumbing or wiring, just a regular 110 plug-in. Mine was called a Softub, but there are a lot of different styles, and even some inflatable ones.
YIPES ! I think that mine was about $1,000, or thereabouts, and I made about 3-4 payments for it. Mine was one that someone had returned when they upgraded for a larger one, so I got a discount on price as well. It was refurbished, and then a new skin put on it. I think that some of the ones that are inflatable are cheaper, but maybe not as good of quality as the Softub was. That cost would almost buy a regular hot tub, maybe ? It was a long time ago that I had mine (20 years ago or more) but that is a large increase in price, even for that long of a time.
@Ken Anderson maybe you could build something like this: https://snorkel.com/hot-tub-products/wood-fired-hot-tubs.php
@Ken Anderson AFAIC (concerned), sitting in a tub of bacteria-laden water is not for me. Now, partaking of a tryst in the community hot tub.........great! In a tub, zillions of skin cells shred off, along with countless zillions of bacteria, then both surround you like a bacterio-phagic poison. Can't possibly be as beneficial as washing all such shit down the drain, as in shower. Showering, only the bottoms of the feet are exposed to all this crud. My opinion, only. Based on logic, but not substance. Frank
I have a whirlpool tub and a shower I may have been in the tub 3-4 times since I had the douse built shower 99.9%, now if I had company it may be a different thing!
I will share a very funny story on myself and my whirlpool tub, one day after unloading hay all afternoon I was tired, hot and dirty so I was going to treat myself to the tub, recently I had found some of my mother's bath stuff in a box Vaseline Bath Oil Beads (why not) the label was about all gone as to the directions well I poured some in and got in very smooth slick feeling BUT when I tried to stand to get out I was a greased body like I had Armoralled myself I honestly could not stand up as so slick, I managed to get the rug to me and on all 4's slid over the side dripping wet onto the rug for traction, I dried still on the floor, later on I found a capful was the correct amount not about 1/4th bottle. Never again BUT had to shower to get the greesey feeling stuff off! My skin looked like a fresh waxed car hood in the rain.