Soak in the Latest Tub Technology

If the kitchen is the heart of the home, the bath is the sanctuary. Today's homeowners are knocking down traditional walls to transform their former low-key bathrooms into soul-soothing retreats outfitted with the latest trappings the home spa industry has to offer. The hardest part is deciding which to choose.

The hallmark of the new "sanctuary" might be an oversized tub overflowing with cleansing waters that invigorate, massage and soak away your troubles. Bath design experts say these innovative tubs are the next "home theater" where, surrounded by music and candles, you're transported to a world of relaxation.

This world includes tubs with gentler, air-powered jets — beyond the 20th-century whirlpool — that work their way up the spine and neck so convincingly they might require a warning label.