HomeFoot SpaBrookstone Heated Aqua-Jet Foot Spa Review [taq_review] Best bits: Impressive heating Powerful massaging water jets among the best we’ve seen Solid construction means this foot spa will last a long time Worst bits: You can’t mix in your own salts It might be a little heavy for some There are cheaper foot spas out there It’s incredibly rare that something comes along and receives a unanimous stamp of approval; but this foot spa did just that. The Brookstone Aqua-Jet is without doubt, one of the best foot spas on the market today — in fact, we loved it so much we voted it our very best foot spa for 2014 and 2015. Want to know why we rated it so highly? Let’s dive straight in and find out what makes the Aqua-Jet such a fantastic foot bath. Appearance First up, the appearance. Whilst the Aqua-Jet isn’t the flashiest foot bath on the market — it doesn’t have any fancy lights or exuberant colors — the moment you lift it out of the box, you’ll realize the Brookstone is a good piece of kit. It looks well-built, high quality, and, above all, professional — in fact, we all agreed it looked so professional, it wouldn’t look out-of-place in a salon. With the first-impression-test passed, it was time to set her up; with only a few loose parts to click into place, this was remarkably easy. The sturdy construction of the foot bath means that it is heavy. This shouldn’t cause you too much hassle, but it’s definitely worth considering, especially if you struggle with moderate lifting. Moving it into place, you’ll also notice how big the Aqua-Jet is. To test out just how big it was, I got the help of my husband to do what I like to call “the size 12 test”. More often than not, he can’t fit his feet into even the biggest foot spas. Fortunately, with the Aqua-Jet this wasn’t an issue, though, and the spa comfortably accommodated his size 12 feet — for the record, if any men are reading this, my husband only had good things to say about this foot spa. The large size extends to the depth, which comfortably immersed my feet, leaving us all very satisfied — I’ve seen plenty of potentially good spas ruined by the water level being too shallow. So far, so good, and with everything set up, it was time to move on to the important stuff: the features. Heated Aqua-Jet Brookstone make a point of talking up the heating system of their Aqua-Jet foot spa, so this was something we were very keen to test this out. Take it from us: the heating element does not disappoint! The water heated quickly, and (impressively) reached just shy of 50°C (around 120°F). Maintaining this temperature was a doddle; if you like your foot spa hot (or at least the option to have it hot!) you’ll be very impressed with this. You could literally sit with your feet in this spa all day without getting cold feet. Switching the heating on is as simple as pressing a button on the top. Unfortunately, the heater is either on or off — you can’t set your desired temperature — but because of the immense heating power, we were more than prepared to overlook this. Massaging Aqua-Jets The jets are activated at the push of a button, located on the top of the spa. With the foot bath named Aqua-Jet, presumably after these jets, we were expecting big things from them. Again, we were mightily impressed! The jets activate by pressing a button on the top, but, unlike with the heater, there’s also a knob to adjust the power level. At the lower power setting, the best way I could describe the jets is “soothing”. Whilst we were grateful for this option, we found this setting to be nothing more than a warm-up, as it was only on the high power settings that the Aqua-Jet really impressed us. Quite simply, it’s very hard to come across an “at home” foot spa with jets so powerful, and for this, it’s hats off to Brookstone! The jets rotate whilst shooting out high-pressured streams of water, and I found this incredibly relieving; I could practically feel the tension lifting away. When I invest in a foot spa, this is what I want it to do. If you’re on your feet all day and suffer from niggly aches and pains, the Aqua-Jet could really help. Other Features As well as the high pressured Aqua-Jets, those of you who love having your feet massaged will be very pleased with the two “rolling nodes” which sit at the bottom of the basin, protruding right underneath the arches of your feet. Having my arches massaged is a personal favorite of mine, but is something that many spas just don’t get right. Whilst the Brookstone isn’t perfect at this — I don’t think any foot spa could ever completely recreate the feeling of a real foot massage — it is a marked upgrade on many of the spas available on the market, giving the arches a relieving “kneading” massage. Test passed, but definitely room for improvement. The Aqua-Jet also includes a removable pumice stone, a feature you’ll find included in many home foot spas these days. The pumice stone has a rough surface and is included to exfoliate your feet (or remove calluses if used aggressively), and I thought it did its job well — it felt high quality, and worked more effectively than many of the other pumice stones we’ve tested. Oils and Soaps One of the best part of enjoying a foot spa at home, for me, is adding my own foot soak; not only do the soak’s ingredients provide many benefits for your feet, but the aroma can really add to the experience of relaxation. Now, we did add our own foot soak to the water, and experienced no problems. However, a more thorough inspection of the manual (ahem!) told us that this was not recommended! In all honesty, you probably would get away with it, however the manufacturers say the jets have a tendency to clog, and with this in mind it’s probably best avoided. This is probably one of the only drawbacks of the Aqua-Jet. Price Now, the Aqua-Jet is one of the more expensive foot spas on the market, but in our opinion this is totally justified as it IS the best. What you’re getting is a strong, robust foot spa, with an impressive set of features. Due to the manufacturing quality, I’d expect it to last for many years if looked after properly. Many lower cost home foot spas are noticeably inferior. Once you get over the novelty factor and the convenience of them, they’re very rarely used. You often find they break very quickly, too. Now, even though these models might be cheaper than the Brookstone, they usually end up being a complete waste of money. With Brookstone, you get a product that will last, and (most importantly) a product you’ll use. In the long run, I’d always advise you to buy a good foot spa: they last longer, provide a better quality experience, and can actually save you money that you’d otherwise spend on expensive spa or salon trips (it might not replace these trips completely, but you will find you cut back). With this in mind, I really do think the Brookstone foot spa represents great value. Verdict Everything considered, we can’t speak highly enough of the Aqua-Jet. The massaging jets are powerful enough to blast the tension right out of your feet, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, when everything is turned down, the spa provides a peaceful, tranquil experience — exactly what a foot spa should be able to do. All in all, a top foot spa, and an investment we strongly recommend! Looking to purchase the Brookstone Aqua-Jet Foot Spa?
