Congratulations, Bullfrog!

It was a tight contest, but Bullfrog Spas has earned the most votes from the readers of About.com's Pool and Patio site. To make it official, the winner for 2012 Best Hot Tub / Spa is Bullfrog Spas.

About the Contest

Starting in mid-January we accepted reader nominations for hundreds of award categories across About.com. Based on those nominations our experts chose up to five finalists per award category, and during the voting phase (02/22/12 - 03/21/12) readers were able to vote for their favorite finalists for each award category.

What Controls Were in Place to Ensure Fairness During the Voting Process?

To place a vote, users provided an email address or logged-in via their Facebook or About.com accounts. Votes were limited to one vote per award category per user per day, and any votes not originating from the D106 domain were rejected. Internal checks were in place to detect fraudulent voting activity, and in some cases the poll results shown during voting may not reflect the accurate final counts used to determine winners.

Please note that About.com polls are not scientific. Rather, they are a way for readers to share their opinions about their favorite products, services and innovations with About.com Guides and other users.

Where's the Prize?

A winner -- in this case, Bullfrog -- doesn't receive a trophy, statuette or any tangible prize-like object during a televised awards ceremony in which nominees rub shoulders with Brad Pitt, Meryl Streep and Rhianna. Not even Alec Baldwin's brothers. just the bragging rights that come with knowing that the readers of one of the Web's largest networks love their stuff.

Visit the About.com awards page to see all the awards categories.

The Makings of a Winner

Best Hot Tub / Spa honors the year's top spa and hot tub brands and manufacturers. We asked our voters to go beyond looks or familiar brand names when making a decision. Our list of hot tub and spa brands and manufacturers includes company websites to learn more about the brands and products out there.

Best Hot Tub / Spa Finalist: 2012 About.com Readers' Choice Awards

History:Bullfrog International, LC, was founded in 1996 by David Ludlow and is headquartered in the greater Salt Lake City, Utah, metro area. Ludlow's main challenge was designing a spa that reduced the amount of plumbing while increasing jet power and efficiency. Ludlow developed a technology that he coined the JetPak System,™ which is now a popular feature of Bullfrog spas.
Features: JetPaks, of course, which are removable spa seats -- each equipped with an individual array of jets. Additional Bullfrog technologies: PowerPlus, EnergySave™, and LeakGuard™.
Products: Portable hot tubs: Series I, Series II, SportX, EternaWood™ spa cabinets, and SpaVault™s.

About Those Jets

Because therapy and relaxation is an integral part of owning a spa, Bullfrog offers an exclusive line of JetPaks to target certain areas, like your neck and back.

• Shower Jets feel like hundreds of light and tickling jets that help to relieve mental stress and sooth tension. Shower jets can be found in the JetPaks RainShower, StormShower, ShowerMasseuse and ShowerPulse.
• Microburst Jets provide intense, deep-tissue massage with a smaller jet size. The Microburst jet can be found in the JetPaks ClusterBurst, ClusterSpray, NeckBlaster, NeckMasseuse and Reliever.
• Cluster jets are small intense jets that target the backs of your legs while sitting in the hot tub. They work to penetrate muscle tissue and relieve pain and soreness. Cluster jets are found in all Bullfrog Spas.
• Single-Pulse Jets relieve back tension and sore muscles more slowly and targeted than the other pulse series jets. The single-pulse is found on the JetPaks Aroma'ssage, Gyro'ssage and ShowerPulse.
• Twin-Pulse Jets spin and have two holes for the water to sooth sore backs. The effect is a rapid and fast-pulsing massage, sort of llike a double-time massage. The twin-pulse jets are found in the Cascadia JetPak.
• Multi-Pulse Jets employ a hypnotic-like speed and syncopated massaging rhythm. The multi-pulse rorates in a circle and alternates bursts of water. It can be found in the JetPaks NeckBlaster, NeckMasseuse and Pulsator.

Bullfrog Spas website