Combined swimming pools and spas meet new demands

Hybrid concepts is a new pool and spa trend that could be an answer to help customers getting more user-friendliness and comfort!

Initially sold separately, swimming pools and spas are gradually joining forces thanks to the inventiveness of some swimming pool manufacturers – an innovative approach and a great leap forward for the pool and spa market!

All pool trends are towards greater comfort and user-friendliness

Consumer expectations are changing – a topic we covered last December. They want to buy increasingly comfortable and well-equipped swimming pools, but that’s not all!

Wellbeing is a fast-growing trend and a priority for pool buyers. They no longer want to have to choose between the pleasures of swimming and the pleasures of relaxing.

And another major change is that pool use is no longer purely athletic but much more family-centered. For most consumers user-friendliness is an important selection criterion and it can be difficult to combine the desires of every user in a single pool. There are few solutions that can meet all the demands of those who want to play, those who want to relax and those who want to keep in shape!

This is why a new trend in pools is developing – hybrids!

The evolution of the pool market over the last 40 years

Combined swimming pools and spas: an innovation in a host of shapes and sizes

Unique swimming spaces

To meet these new demands, one of the solutions is to create one pool which is both a swimming pool and a spa. The biggest advantage of this pool trend is that it generally takes less than 10sq.m. and so does not need planning permission. This is the guiding spirit adopted by pool manufacturer Aquilus, exhibitor at Global Piscine Europe 2018 for their innovative spa M'Water - a spa to swim in with a counter-current, and a spa with jets, massage and a heating system.

Everything is built into the shell and a trunk houses the technical appliances. The pool can be fitted with a retractable cover much appreciated by private owners as they lose less space in their gardens and public authorities who need safety protection for their pools. — Noémie Boudra, Aquilus Communications and Marketing Manager

M'Water in a garden
© Aquilus

Inserting a spa into a swimming pool

Another solution for no-compromise customers is to build it in the middle of a traditional swimming pool, with a swimming lane around the spa. This idea makes it possible for all the generations in a family to have fun in the same place doing what they want to do - the parents can relax and monitor the youngsters at the same time!

Build a terrace near the pool to site an above-ground spa

Last but not least, another solution is to build a pool the shape of which enables the installation of an above-ground spa nearby. The idea is to separate the two spaces, but to ensure their proximity so users can have fun together.

Bringing bathers together with a huge choice of possibilities is a winning combination for the swimming pool sector. Innovations in pools and spas fields now make it possible to deploy this tendency in a more global way in the future projects of pool manufacturers and architects!

See our articles about pool and spa innovations!