Jacuzzi Hot Tub Origin

The hot tub, otherwise known as a Jacuzzi, is an object that is increasingly present in the daily lives of people who appreciate its undisputed qualities. Indeed, among the benefits of a good whirlpool bath we can count the fact that it improves the quality and quantity of sleep, reduces stress and anxiety, reduces certain types of pain and accelerates healing, lowers blood sugar and blood pressure, promotes healthier skin and decreases the tension that causes certain types of migraines.

Why the whirlpool bath is also called Jacuzzi

It was the Italian Candido Jacuzzi in 1949 who invented a tub, initially for therapeutic purposes, to relieve certain types of pain. It was basically a loving gesture by a father who wanted to cure his son of rheumatoid arthritis.

The Jacuzzis were a very large family of peasants from northern Italy who had decided to emigrate to the United States. After some time, they succeeded in opening a family-run company (Jacuzzi Brothers) that manufactured propellers and hydraulic components.

Candido's son, who was the youngest brother, was diagnosed with rheumatic fever and very serious arthritis at 15 months of age and was told he would only survive a few years. Candido's son Kenneth was undergoing treatment in hospital to alleviate his suffering.

It was then that, at his mother's request and taking his cue from a therapeutic water pump that administered therapy to his son in the hospital, in order to be able to continuously provide treatment at home as well, Candido invented the technology that would later give rise to the whirlpool bath.

From patent to commercialisation

Kenneth's doctor, impressed by his progress, suggested the idea of commercialising this technology so that other people could also enjoy its benefits. In 1963, our inventor patented the pump called J300, which had an uncertain future as General Electric, a veritable giant at the time, also dominated in that field of application.

When the first hot tub was produced in 1968, unexpectedly the destiny of the company, and therefore also of the entire family, took a decisive turn due to the great success it was enjoying. It was not only purchased for therapeutic purposes but was initially a luxury that many rich people were happy to indulge in.

With increasing mass production and decreasing costs, the Jacuzzi became a tub that many could afford without sacrificing their wallets and still offer many real benefits as witnessed by Kenneth's own son who died at the age of 75.

The great success of the Jacuzzi

That was a time when the media as we know them today did not yet exist. As with many other products, the great success of this particular type of tub cannot be attributed solely and exclusively to therapeutic benefits and word of mouth.

Much of the success is certainly also due to the numerous films with famous Hollywood stars who, in their movies, reveled in the charm and extraordinary properties of this invention. Jayne Mansfield, Rita Hayworth and Marilyn Monroe were among the main actors in this success, crowning the brand with an aura of exclusivity.

The Jacuzzi family never forgot their Italian origins and in fact, some sixty years later, moved part of their production back to Italy to Valvasone in Friuli Venezia Giulia where they were born.

Certainly, man has always found in necessity the greatest drive for the best inventions, and there is no need more noble, pressing and great than that which can drive a parent to care for their sick child. Kudos to the Jacuzzis then!