Which Ella walk-in tubs have the lowest step-in threshold?

Every Ella walk-in tub has a low step-in threshold, so the real question is which models publish the lowest figure, and the drawings and team figures put the Monaco at 3 5/8 inches and the Mobile at about 3 3/4 inches, followed by the Transfer32 at about 4 to 4.5 inches. The outward-swing door models are the easiest to enter because there is nothing to step around inside the tub, and What Is the Step-In Threshold on a Walk-In Tub? explains what that figure measures. This page ranks the models by their published threshold, shows why the door style changes how the entry feels, and covers what moves the number on installation day.

What the Step-In Figure Measures

The step-in threshold is the low lip you cross at the door, sometimes called the step-over height, measured from the finished bathroom floor to the top of the lip. On Ella tubs it runs roughly 3.5 to 7 inches depending on the model and how the drain is set up, compared with the 18 to 22 inch wall you would swing a leg over on a standard bathtub. That low lip, paired with a door you walk through, is the accessibility feature. Ella does not offer a lift-up or drop-down door, and there is no powered seat either, as Does Ella Make a Walk-In Tub With a Seat That Raises and Lowers? explains, so the height of the lip and the way the door opens are what make one model easier to enter than another.

The number is really the height of the tub floor above the finished floor. The tub sits on adjustable leveling legs, and the drawing on each spec sheet shows the factory frame height with the legs at their standard setting. A recessed drain lets the tub sit lower, and a different leg setting raises or lowers the frame, so the drawing figure is the starting point and your installation decides the final height.

Ella Models Ranked by Published Step-In Height

The table lists every model with a published drawing value or a team figure, lowest first. Models without a published threshold figure are not ranked here. For those, ask the team for the figure on the specific spec sheet, because the published comparison figure for most models is overall height rather than the lip.

The spread tells a clear story. The outward-door models hold the lowest published lips, and the inward stainless and aluminum door models sit at the upper end of the range. A few inches at the lip is the whole difference between the top and the bottom of this table, and every figure here is a fraction of the wall on a standard bathtub. Notice also that the Elite has the highest lip in the table yet the lowest overall height, so the lowest step and the lowest seat do not come on the same tub, and you need to decide which of the two matters more to the person who will bathe.

Why Outward Doors Feel Easiest

The first video on this page shows the low threshold and textured floor in use, including entry from a wheelchair. The second video explains why the outward door is the easy one: Ella's outswing tubs come in a U-shape door style and an L-shape door style, both open away from the bather, and an outward door requires no knee clearance, so you step straight onto the textured floor with nothing to step around.

• Outward U-shape door. The Capri, Monaco, Front Entry, Mobile, Lounger, Shak and Big4One have an outward-swinging door of PVC composite and tempered glass with a 3-latch gear and shaft mechanism, and the Tub4Two two-seater uses the same outward door.
• Outward L-shape door. The Transfer26, Transfer30, Transfer32, Transfer60 and TransferXXL have an extra-wide L-shaped door that swings outward a full 172 degrees and is designed to fit over a toilet. Wheelchair users usually transfer across the seat rather than stepping over the lip, so on these tubs the door opening matters as much as the threshold figure.
• Inward stainless door. The Elite, Petite, Royal, Deluxe and Ultimate use a brushed stainless door that opens inward toward the seat and is held shut by the water once the tub fills. You hold the grab bar, step over the low threshold, close the door while standing, then sit and fill. The Ultra uses the same inward design in a brushed aluminum frame with frosted glass.
• Inward acrylic S-shape door. The Standard and the Flow use an acrylic inward S-shape door, and the Zen and Zen60 use the same S-shape door platform.

Lowest Step Is Not the Same as Lowest Tub

People searching for the lowest step-in often mean the tub that is easiest to sit down in, and that is a different measurement. The Petite, Elite and Royal are the shortest seated tubs at 35 inches because they carry a lower seat, which is the platform many shorter bathers find easiest to settle into. The Mobile stands 39 1/4 inches tall and the Front Entry and Transfer26 stand 40 inches. Seat height is 17 inches on most models, similar to a standard chair, and the seat is molded and not adjustable. What is the shortest walk-in bathtub Ella's Bubbles makes? separates the three ways a tub can be the shortest, and Which Ella walk-in tub is easiest to step into for a small bathroom? narrows the choice when the room is tight. Whichever model you lean toward, the textured slip-resistant floor and the deck or wall-mounted grab bars come on every one, so the safety basics are never the deciding factor.

Getting the Lowest Step on Installation Day

If a lower step matters to you, talk with your installer before the tub goes in. Thresholds can be reduced to about 3 to 3.5 inches by setting the tub lower with the drain below the subfloor, which brings the higher-lip models close to the lowest figures in the table. Cutting the apron or end panel to make that work voids coverage on those altered panels only. The legacy S-Class came in 6 inch standard and 3 inch low-threshold versions, which is worth knowing if you are comparing an older tub to the current line. After installation, keep an eye on the leveling legs, because a leg that loses contact with the floor can warp the frame and throw the door out of alignment. If you contact the team about threshold height, have your model name, your serial number and a tape measurement from the finished floor to the top of the lip, and reach them at ellasbubbles.com/support or (800) 480-6850.

Watch: Outswing Walk-In Tub Doors: Safer, Easier Entry ✅ #bathroomsafety #walkintubs #walkintub with chapters and a full transcript.

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