We put our feet through a lot. We jam them into ill-fitting shoes that cause blisters, walk in paper-thin sandals, and squish around wearing damp sneakers in the rain. They endure a lot, with little gratitude beyond the occasional sandal-season pedicure. Enter the foot spa.

I appreciated the power behind the bubbles on this bath. Some other baths’ bubble functions barely worked, or that weren’t useful except for ambiance. The bubbles in the Kendal actually felt like a soothing, massaging tool. Foot spas are widely available so the good news is, whatever your budget you'll be able to find something suitable for your needs. Reviewed’s senior scientist wrote a list of questions about the overall bath experience. These included the feel of the water and how soothed I felt, alongside practical concerns like portability. Since many of these questions are subjective, I answered them for myself and then called for reinforcements.One of the main reasons people buy foot spas is to relax. But having to empty the water and clean them out afterwards can be a bit of a hassle, and certainly not relaxing in itself. Use mild cleaning liquids to clean it. We used Milton sterilising tablets. Avoid using solvents, abrasive cleaners and harsh detergents. But though you can’t set the temperature, you can turn up the heat. In testing, the bath cooled from 106 to 103 degrees before I turned on the heat, then rose to 107 degrees in about 13 minutes. That’s a bit high for some people, per our expert podiatrist’s recommendation, but it felt nice to me. The bath doesn’t list vibration as one of the features, but there is a vibration along with the heat and bubbles.

Foot spas circulate warm water with vibration or jets to massage the feet, softening hardened dead skin in preparation for removal. Some have additional features like rolling massagers, vibrating massagers, or heaters to keep the water warmer for longer. There are many factors to take into account when choosing a foot spa. Most importantly, of course, you'll want to know what features it offers. Different models may or may not include bubble jets, vibration, and the ability to heat up your water, or at least keep it at a consistent temperature. They may also offer magnetic therapy, infrared therapy and/or aromatherapy diffusers. Also, at the base of the unit, there may be base nodes or reflexology rollers for you to rub your soles on. When we heat up our feet, like in a foot spa, the veins dilate. This increases blood flow to deliver more oxygen, nutrients, and growth factors (vitamins or hormones that stimulate growth in living cells).. In turn, that soothes achy muscles and tendons. To enhance the short-term experience, you can even add bath salts—also called Epsom salts—to reduce swelling and alleviate stress. Long-term benefits of foot spas This bath is easy to carry with or without water, as the cleverly-designed splash guard transforms into a handle. It was also one of the easiest to clean. The textured bottom has enough space in between the bumps to maneuver a paper towel across it. Other baths didn’t have this spacing, so the towel got shredded as it glided over the texture.

The Kendal Foot Massager is a solid option that’s easy to use and has heat, bubbles, vibration, lights, and massage roller inserts. You can use the vibration and light together, heat and bubbles together, or all of them at once. However, you cannot choose any one setting independently or in any other combination. The foot spas we test offer options ranging from “no heat at all” to “temperatures up to 122 degrees Fahrenheit.” Beyond that, you'll be looking at settings. Can you switch individual features on and off, or just all of them at once? Are there any attachments, such as tools for doing a pedicure after your soak? Foot spas feel pleasant and soften skin, but they also promote circulation in the feet. This can relax muscles, and reduce strain swelling. “Our veins become progressively more tired as the day goes on because of the accumulative effect gravity has on fluid retention in our lower extremities,” says Cunha. To enhance the experience even more, the bath comes with a pumice stone. You can rub the stone along the heel, sole, and ball of the foot to soften calluses and remove dead skin.