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| Customer Reviews: | | Average Customer Review: ( 15 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
66 of 66 found the following review helpful:
 Next best thing to a real spa tub Feb 23, 2010
By Don Wilkins, Ph.D.
I actually rate this a 2 1/2. The concept is probably as good as you can do for a gadget like this. If you don't want to replace your existing tub with a spa version, you have two choices: this, or a $1700 professional spa that sits in your tub on two rubber legs. I seriously considered the latter, but found out it puts out 1/3 hp compared to 1/4 hp for this unit (if the rating is correct), so the price difference was a no-brainer. I even took a leap of faith and bought two of these units.
Every bathroom spa I've used has strong, noisy jets that are placed to hit you just about everywhere, including your back. So the first drawback of these little guys is that there's no practical way to set them up to hit your back. You'd have to sit in the middle of the tub with no back support, and that's counterproductive. You have to be content to set them so that they pump the water toward you, letting the stream flow around your back.
The good news is that the stream is nice, not as strong as a regular spa stream and has bubbles, so I think it's actually more comfortable. The control to set the mixture of bubbles has no perceptible effect as far as I can tell. One major advantage is that it is QUIET. The bathroom spa tubs that I have used have that nasty loud, jackhammer sound that you have to ignore (and hope your neighbors ignore as well). No problem with these guys, and the quiet contributes to relaxation. They have about a 15-minute time limit before you have to turn them off for awhile, but that compares to the recommended 20-minute time for regular spa use. Another thing I like in comparison to spa tubs is that I would dread maintaining a regular spa over the long run. I don't see any way to conveniently service them.
One MAJOR negative to these guys is the plastic suction cups that are supposed to allow you to stick the unit to the side of the tub. These are the same clear, soft plastic cups that seem to have taken over the bathroom market. They are useless for any heavy-duty application, and the cups on this unit are especially bad, because the edges flare up when you push on them and provide very little contact with the surface. My tub is porcelain, and I wonder if the cups would work at all with textured plastic surfaces. The manual says don't worry, if the unit comes loose and submerges, you won't be electrocuted, at least not immediately. Just wipe off the unit and let it dry thoroughly before the next use. I didn't find that comforting, and I don't understand why the maker didn't test out these cups before clearing the unit for market. Maybe they did, and just didn't care about the end user. So I rigged up a support system for my units using a bar across the tub and velcro straps thru the handle at the top of each unit. Not especially pleasing aesthetically, but then the suction cups, such as they are, are relatively adequate to keep the unit from swinging around. Too bad it had to come to that; the manufacturer could have used something dependable, like the suction cups that hold stuff to a car windshield.
Bottom line: if you can't or don't want to install a real spa tub, this is a cheap alternative that is workable if you can deal with the faulty suction cups. I suppose that theoretically it is "portable" as the name suggests, but that's only if you want to trust the suction cups or have a sensible way to solve that problem on the go.
12 of 12 found the following review helpful:
Low expectations exceeded Feb 17, 2011
By Robert Spatz
I was desperately in the market for an affordable whirlpool to use at home to help heal an injury and there appears to be only one item on the market. After reading the reviews I was less than enthusiastic but had no other options and purchased the Home Turbo Spa. When I opened it I was still unimpressed with the packaging and poor construction of the item. However when I used it I found that the product worked as advertised, creating a powerful enough jet to massage my foot.
I have used it twice daily for a week now and found it quite helpful for the injury. The one major drawback is the cheap and ineffective suction cups used to hold the motor in place. I have resorted to placing my foot in a plastic tub with the whirlpool so I can keep the motor in place for fear of submerging the entire device.
Considering the price it has been a value for the money. This notwithstanding, I would not recommend it for a general, relaxing massage/spa. I will likely relegate this to the closet once the injury resolves only to pull it out as a novelty when cleaning the closet (along with the bread machine and iced cream maker). Use it for a specific massage to a small area.
14 of 16 found the following review helpful:
 Pathetic design & construction Mar 02, 2010
By Bettaman
"hulabetta"
Since this is the only product on the market of this type I suppose we will keep it but I certainly wish there were other choices. As the other reviewer mentioned, the suction cups are a problem, actually almost a joke. Had the designers had any professional skills whatsoever they would have realised that the size of the suction cups and their closeness to each other prevents one from making a seal against the surface of the tub. They overlap each other instead. One makes a seal and the other does nothing. Since these are the only 2 seals that prevent the unit from wanting to spin they are a major design flaw in my opinion. Had they been just slightly smaller they might have been able to create a somewhat firm mounting. Ours arrived with one suction cup bent under its own packing which has further made any chance of a seal against the tub wall an impossibility. The box says that the unit meets Underwriters Labs specs. There is no holographic UL label on any of the cords nor anywhere on the unit so I seriously have my doubts as to it being UL Approved as the box states. If it really is UL Approved then they need to do some better testing. Upon plugging the unit in it immediately blew a 15 amp breaker with nothing else plugged in to the same plug. The instructions don't emphasize that you must have the transformer and the unit plugged into each other BEFORE you plug the transformer into an oulet but they should. In fairness, they do say to do that but they don't warn you to make SURE you do it! Like the other reviewer I will build some type of cradle to firmly hold this to the side of the tub. Unfortunately this is the only unit on the market so I will make it work safely in some fashion. It does spew out a nice stream of water so it should be reasonably relaxing to at least some degree. As most products made today (even the "name" brands such as Stanley), it is made in China which gives me very little faith in any longevity to its use. Even if the suction cups had been the correct size they have a limited lifespan. They are widely used in the aquarium products industry but they are also offered as replacements because the manufacturers know that they eventually dry up & no longer stick. I can say at least that the company we purchased this from (Hpms Inc/The Therapy Connection) shipped it very quickly and it arrived well packed. Top notch service from them but thumbs down on the product.
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
 A Very Gentle and Relaxing Bath Nov 26, 2011
By Mary Kate Jespersen
"lives to stitch"
I have fibromyalgia and some other health issue which keep me from taking showers and so I am a bath person (I've always preferred them anyway...) The flow of bubbles even at the highest, is not invigorating it is relaxing. The motor is delightfully quiet. I set the flow to go around the tub, which keeps the water circulating around my body in a wonderfully relaxing way. This is for someone wanting a gentle flow of warmth circling their body to relax, it is definitely not for those who want powerful jets. I now enjoy wonderful, warm baths. I also purchased a full body bathmat, a pillow, and a thing that allows the water to get really deep. The combination has given this achy, often cold body, a wonderful way to relax and get warm.
7 of 8 found the following review helpful:
Review Sep 28, 2010
By Miriam
The suction cups do not stay stuck to the bathtub wall. A piece broke off from the suction cup.
See all 15 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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