How do you get a Royal walk-in tub through a 28 inch door frame?

On its published dimensions, an Ella Royal will not pass through a 28 inch door frame in any orientation. The tub measures 31.5 inches wide by 52 inches long by 35 inches tall, so even its smallest dimension is wider than the opening. Standing it upright, as described in Can I Stand the Tub on End to Get It Through the Door?, helps at tight corners but does not make the tub narrower. The good news is that there are clear next steps, and the best time to take them is before you order.

The Royal's Numbers Against a 28 Inch Opening

The Royal is sold as a 32 inch tub, which is its nominal size. The figure that matters for a doorway is the actual size on the spec sheet:

• Actual size: 31.5 inches wide by 52 inches long by 35 inches tall.
• Shipping crate: 36 by 57 by 46 inches.
• Net weight: 230 lbs. Shipping weight: 320 lbs.
• Seat width: 23 inches.

A tub needs a passage wider than its actual width. The Royal's width of 31.5 inches is 3.5 inches more than a 28 inch frame, and its 35 inch height and 52 inch length are larger still. Turning the tub on its side or standing it on its end only swaps one too-large dimension for another.

The crate does not help either. At 36 inches on its narrowest side it is larger than the tub, which is why the crate is opened outside and the tub is carried in by its frame. The difference between the name on the brochure and the size on the spec sheet is explained in What Is Nominal Size vs Actual Size on a Walk-In Tub?.

What Comes Off the Tub, and What Does Not

The Royal ships with a removable front apron with two access panels, one reversible end panel and one 7 inch extension panel. All of these can be removed before the tub moves, so it travels at its smallest size. That is always worth doing on a tight route, because panels left on the tub add inches on every side.

What the tub cannot do is come apart. The stainless steel frame and the acrylic shell are built as one piece, so there is no way to split the tub into sections for a narrow doorway. No stripped-down width is published for the Royal with its panels removed, so please do not plan on the panels making up a 3.5 inch shortfall.

The tub's own door stays on as well. Do not remove the tub door or any other component on your own, and ask your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 before removing anything beyond the panels.

Steps to Take Before You Order or Before Delivery Day

1. Measure the real opening. Measure the actual clear width of the door frame instead of relying on the door's stated size, the same way you rely on a tub's actual size and not its name.
2. Measure the whole route. Check every doorway, hallway and turn the tub must pass. A turn in a hallway, more than the doorway itself, is often the real pinch point. If the bathroom has another way in, measure that too.
3. Compare with the actual width. Use the 31.5 inch spec sheet figure for the Royal, never the 32 inch name.
4. Plan to uncrate outside. Open the crate, inspect the tub for shipping damage, and keep all of the packaging material until you are sure there is no damage.
5. Remove the panels first. Take off the apron, access panels, end panel and extension panel before the tub moves.
6. Carry the tub by its frame. Carry it flat with enough helpers to control the weight, and avoid lifting or resting it on its plumbing, panels or fittings.
7. Use the on-end option only for corners. Where a flat tub will not clear a corner, stand it on its end with the seat end, where the pumps are, facing down. Keep it steady and lower it flat again as soon as the corner is behind you.

If the route still looks doubtful after measuring, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with your measurements, or call (800) 480-6850. Have the model name, the actual size from the spec sheet and your own doorway measurements ready, which removes the guesswork on both sides.

Narrower Tubs in the Same Stainless Steel Door Family

If the 28 inch frame is the only way into the bathroom, the answer may be a narrower tub. The Royal has two siblings with the same 52 inch length, the same 35 inch height and the same stainless steel inward-swing door.

What this means for you: the Petite, sold as a 28 inch tub and measuring 27.5 inches, is the model in this family built for tight doorways and small bathrooms. Half an inch is a slim margin, so confirm your clear opening carefully before choosing it. The Elite does not solve a 28 inch frame, since a 30 inch tub needs a passage wider than 30 inches.

Choosing a narrower tub changes the bathing space too. The Royal's wider shell carries a 23 inch seat against 22 inches on the Elite, a difference covered in Ella Royal vs Elite: what does the extra width actually change?. Accessories can differ as well. The removable swivel tray is standard on the Royal and the Elite and is not listed for the Petite, as What Is the Swivel Tray on a Walk-In Tub? explains.

Related Guides

• What Is an Extension Panel (Filler Kit) on a Walk-In Tub?
• Will it fit through my doorway? How to measure your home for a walk-in tub

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