<p>I put in a whirlpool a few years ago. It’s only a little bigger than a bath tub. We set it up with a shower and use it as a roomy tub most of the time. When we need to relax, the whirlpool kicks in. It’s big enough for one person to soak comfortably without taking up huge space.</p>
<p>Thanks for all who responded. I think you’ve talked me out of getting a whirpool/bubbler tub and just getting a soaking type tub. Now of course I need to decide on that. I’m thinking of an oval or hourglass shape and I’ll pay attention to how the back is shaped for comfort. It’ll need to be only a 5 foot one because of where I’ll put it. I’m kind of checking Kohler now but will look at other brands as well after I get out to some showrooms more. I’m not willing to pay thousands for a soaker tub but I’m willing to pay more to get something other than the basic tub. I’m thinking right now it’ll be a drop-in type and I’ll build a platform for it that we can tile so it’ll look decent. It’ll be in an alcove with walls on 3 sides of it (we’re actually making an existing bathroom smaller).</p>