Which walk-in tubs fit through a 29 or 30 inch doorway?

For a 29 inch clear opening, the Ella models that pass are the Mobile at 26 inches wide, the Petite at 27.5 inches and the Flow at 28 inches. A 30 inch opening adds the Transfer30 at 29 1/4 inches, the Standard at 29 5/8 inches and the 29.5 inch group of Deluxe, Zen, Zen60, Ultra and Transfer60, while the Elite, the Capri and the Ultimate are a full 30 inches wide and need an opening wider than 30. Will a walk-in tub fit through my bathroom door or need widening? explains why the actual width is the only figure that has to clear the jambs, and this page sorts the lineup against the two doorway sizes people ask about most, then covers the clearances the tub needs once it is inside.

Why the Opening Has to Be Wider Than the Tub's Actual Width

A walk-in tub is a tall, narrow box. Every seated model is at least 35 inches high, so the tub goes through a doorway upright on its feet or stood on its end, and in both positions the dimension passing between the jambs is the actual width of the shell. Laying the tub on its side swaps that width for the height, which is the larger figure on every model, so turning the tub makes the fit worse rather than better. Standing it on end helps at a tight corner because it shortens the length you have to swing around, but it does not make the tub any narrower. A 30 inch tub therefore has no smaller dimension to present to a 30 inch frame on its side or on its end.

The shipping crate does not have to fit through the door. Ella tubs arrive fully assembled as one unit, the crate is opened outside and the tub is carried in by its frame. What comes off the tub is limited. The removable front apron with its access panels, the reversible end panel and the extension panel can all be taken off so the tub travels at its smallest size, and that is always worth doing on a tight route. The stainless steel frame and the acrylic shell are built as one piece, so the tub cannot be split, and the tub's own door stays on. Do not remove the door or anything beyond the panels without asking your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 first, and do not plan on removed panels making up a shortfall, because no stripped-down width is published for any model.

Which Models Clear a 29 Inch and a 30 Inch Opening

The widths below are the actual figures from the current spec sheets, not the nominal sizes in the model names. A model clears an opening only when the clear width of the frame is greater than the tub's actual width.

The table shows how little room there is at these two sizes. At 29 inches only the three narrowest tubs pass, and all three are also the shortest tubs in the line, at 45, 52 and 48 inches long. At 30 inches the Standard, the Transfer30 and the 29.5 inch models pass with very little to spare, so the clear width has to be measured exactly rather than read off the door. The Elite, the Capri and the Ultimate sit right at 30 inches, which is why a 30 inch doorway often turns a shopper toward the Petite, the Flow or the Standard. The Monaco and the Front Entry are wider still at 32 inches, and the Royal at 31.5 inches will not pass a 28 inch frame in any orientation, as How do you get a Royal walk-in tub through a 28 inch door frame? works through in detail.

Measure the Real Opening, and the Whole Route

1. Measure the actual clear width of each door frame at its tightest point 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. Repeat for the front door, the hallway, every interior doorway and each corner the tub must turn between the street and the bathroom, because the bathroom door is rarely the only tight spot.
3. Use the crated shipping size for the path from the truck into the house and the actual tub width for the interior doorways. The Royal illustrates the difference: its crate is 36 by 57 by 46 inches while the tub itself is 31.5 inches wide, which is why the crate is opened outside.
4. Convert every nominal size to its actual size before you compare. The Petite is sold as 28 inches and measures 27.5, the Deluxe is sold as 30 and measures 29.5, the Standard is sold as 30 by 52 and measures 29 5/8 by 52 3/4 by 37.5, and the Royal is sold as 32 and measures 31.5. The actual and shipping sizes are printed on each model's specification sheet in the Downloads tab of its listing, and imperial figures are the authoritative ones. What Is Nominal Size vs Actual Size on a Walk-In Tub? explains the two figures.
5. Share the clear widths with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 so the model can be confirmed against the actual size on its spec sheet, and ask for the crate dimensions of your exact order.

Clearances Once the Tub Is Inside

Getting through the door is half of the fit. The outward-swing U-shape door on the Mobile, the Capri and the Monaco needs clear floor space in front of the tub for its arc, while an inward-swing door such as the one on the Petite, the Elite, the Flow and the Standard needs none, so a narrow bathroom that clears the doorway can still be short of room in front of an outswing door. Plan the door side against the toilet, the vanity and the bathroom door before the tub is set.

The alcove is measured finished wall to finished wall, never stud to stud. A nominal 60 inch tub measures about 59 3/4 inches on the shell, and a bathroom framed for a standard tub has measured only 58 1/4 inches tile to tile once drywall and tile went on, so a 60 inch tub may or may not fit until a contractor has looked at the walls. Shorter tubs are forgiving here, because an Ella tub under 60 inches includes an extension panel that fills the gap to the wall. Width in the alcove works the other way: the Transfer30 at 29 1/4 inches is narrower than the 31 1/2 inch standard bathtub it often replaces, so it leaves a little room at the front edge. Will a 60 Inch Tub Fit a 60 Inch Alcove? Stud Walls, Finished Walls and Doorway Clearance covers the stud and finished wall difference, and a pre-installation check confirms that the plumbing can supply the hot water and handle the drainage.

When the Opening Is Too Small for the Tub You Want

Work down the width column rather than up the ladder of removable parts. The Monaco and the Capri share the same outward-swing design and jetting, and one customer who found that the 32 inch Monaco would not pass their bathroom doorway moved to the 30 inch Capri for that reason alone, keeping the same soaking depth and seat height. Monaco vs. Capri: What Actually Differs Between Ella's Two Outward-Swing 52-Inch Tubs explains that trade. In the stainless steel door family the same move runs from the Elite at 30 inches to the Petite at 27.5, and in the acrylic inward-swing family from the Standard at 29 5/8 to the Flow at 28. Whether a door frame can be widened is a question for your contractor after seeing the wall, and the team is glad to talk with the contractor about the tub itself. The best time to settle all of this is before you order, with the clear widths of every doorway written down.

Related Guides

• Will it fit through my doorway? How to measure your home for a walk-in tub
• Will a Walk-In Tub Fit Through a Standard Bathroom Doorway?

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