The Jacuzzi Luxury Bath Quantitative Study to Understand Bather Behaviour

As an industry leader, and the world’s most recognised name in whirlpool baths and hydromassage, Jacuzzi has set out to understand just what the frequent bather looks like. Jacuzzi Luxury Bath (Chino Hills CA) has undertaken a quantitative study with a market research agency to determine the habits and lifestyle of a BATHLETE™ in the US*.

Kristina Spindler (Director of Marketing of Jacuzzi Luxury Bath):
“With an ongoing commitment to continue pioneering product development and stay ahead of market trends, we felt it was important to really understand the needs and wants of our core customer. This study has given us a lot of insights to what is important to frequent bathers, or as we say, BATHLETE™ bathers.”

The study showed some interesting statistics and a few surprises along the way, such as 50% of frequent bathers are men, whereas the general consensus in the market was that the majority of women would be more frequent bathers over men. Another surprise the study showed was related to age, here the general consensus would be 40+ would be more likely to frequent bathers whereas those under 40 would more likely be drawn to showering, however, the study showed that 48% of those aged between 25-44 were regular bathers.

Further information the study revealed is that 38% of the US population were frequent bathers taking at least one bath every week, yet the average frequent bather enjoyed on average 3.3 baths per week. As expected weekend evenings is one of the most frequent time’s people liked to bathe, but also Monday morning was another peak time.

The study also showed that frequent bathers picked a bath over a shower due to the calm, relaxation and reflection that a bath provides. Regular bathers find that enjoying a long soak is an important part of their lifestyle and the need it to de-stress and escape from the stresses of everyday life.

Joseph Davis, President of Jacuzzi Luxury Bath:
“Bathroom remodeling trends have in the past few years favored large showers in lieu of bathtubs, but this study indicates that the trend excludes a large portion of homebuyers who bathe regularly and find a bathtub a must-have in a home. Large comfortable tubs, preferably with jets, are in high demand among frequent bathers. The resale value of a house can be strongly affected by a bathroom upgrade, but the lack of a bathtub can be a big deterrent for the almost 40% of buyers who are avid bathers.”

Further information from the study showed that frequent bathers enjoy a soak in the bath to unwind and to take care of both their mental and physical wellbeing, however women are more likely to veer towards the relaxing aspects of enjoying a bath, whereas men veer towards mental acuteness as a key benefit of a bath. Whilst the majority of bathers were focused on the relaxation and wellbeing factors, bathers between 18-44 bathe to feel more alert.

The study looked into why bathers frequent bathers bathed frequently. The study suggested that bathers were concerned about physical recovery either due to soreness and fatigue, and that of those who used their bath for physical recovery, 43% were either runners or joggers, 34% go to exercise classes, 33% are weight lifters followed by basketball players, cyclists and swimmers.

When it comes to time in the tub, a BATHELETE™ bathes for 3.3 times a week for an average of 28 minutes, but of those two in three said that if they had a bigger, more comfortable or a whirlpool bath would bathe for even longer. Of those in the study who didn’t have a whirlpool bath, 80% said they wish they did have a jetted bath for therapeutic, fun, and relaxing benefits that they offer.

“US market data confirms the current significant and stable trends we are showing in Europe; nowadays, people prefer choosing a bathtub over a shower, both in new buildings and when updating an existing property, especially when a property has a second bathroom. People are giving more and more value to the ritual of taking a bath, perceived as a personal wellness moment where relaxing and regenerating oneself go together with emotional wellness, to restore the harmony we lose in our everyday hectic lifestyles. For this reason, Jacuzzi Europe is designing new products devoted to European consumers, for a total wellness experience.” explains Fabio Felisi, President and General Manager of Jacuzzi EMEA – Asia.

*Infographics are available upon request. The study was conducted with 1003 frequent bathers. The qualifications were to live in a property with a bathtub and bathing at least once per week. An even gender split between ages 18-64 and mix of ethnicities for data weighted by census.