Where Can I Buy a Walk-In Tub Designed for Elderly or Disabled Bathers?

An Ella walk-in tub designed for elderly or disabled bathers is purchased through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, and it ships nationwide from the company's facility in Chicago, so where you live does not limit which model you can order. Ella's Bubbles is the manufacturer, and every model is built around a sealed low-threshold door, a built-in seat and grab bars. The purchase and installation process is laid out in Where can I buy a walk-in bathtub with professional installation?, and this page focuses on the accessibility side: what to look for, which model suits which bather, and what to settle before your order is placed.

Where an Ella Walk-In Tub Is Purchased

Ella's Bubbles makes luxury walk-in tubs designed for a safer, more comfortable bathing experience, assembled in America at the company's facility in Chicago. Walk-in showers are also available for anyone who prefers a shower-based option. The company is introduced in Ella's Bubbles Walk-In Tubs: A General Overview.

Wherever you are in the country, the order is placed through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, who confirm the model, door side, therapy package, faucet and accessories before the tub is built. Every tub is assembled and tested to order before it ships. Timing varies by model, options and stock, so the team confirms current timing for your specific order. Once the order is placed, questions about it go to your Ella dealer, the team, or where you purchased.

What Makes a Walk-In Tub Right for an Elderly or Disabled Bather

The idea behind an accessible bathtub is simple. The bather steps through a door and sits, with no climbing over a tub wall and no lowering down to the floor of the tub. What is an accessible bathtub, and who are walk-in tubs designed for? explains the design, and these are the elements worth checking one by one against the person who will bathe.

• A low step-in threshold. The Capri, for example, has a 3.5 inch threshold, far lower than the wall of a standard tub. The figure varies by model.
• A seat at chair height. Most models have a 17 inch seat height, similar to a standard chair, so sitting down and standing up use the same motion as rising from a dining chair.
• Grab bars and textured, slip-resistant floors. These are on all walk-in models. Most seated tubs include one or two deck-mount bars, and more can be added to the surrounding walls.
• A watertight door. The door closes on an integrated gasket with a multi-latch gear and shaft mechanism.
• A hand shower within reach. The 2-piece and 5-piece fast-fill faucets include a pull-out hand shower, so rinsing is done from the seat.
• Optional comforts. Hydro massage, air massage, a heated seat and chromatherapy are available, and most models also come as a soaker with no jets.

One honest note on labels: there is no ADA certification for any bathtub, because the U.S. Access Board does not evaluate or certify products, and private homes are not covered by the ADA. Ella tubs are residential tubs that carry many ADA-compatible elements, which is what matters in a home bathroom.

Matching the Model to the Bather

The right tub depends on whether the bather walks in or transfers from a wheelchair, whether they like to stretch out or sit upright, and how much room the bathroom offers. The table gathers the figures published for the models that come up most often.

What the differences mean for you: start with how the bather gets into the tub. Someone who walks in and sits does well in a seated model with a low threshold, and the choice then comes down to length, depth and bathroom size. Someone who moves across from a wheelchair needs the Transfer family, whose oversized L-shaped outward-swing door leaves no sidewall beside the seat, so the bather can slide straight across. Width is the next question. The Transfer26 fits tighter bathrooms, while the TransferXXL gives a larger bather the room they need. Where the person stays in a wheelchair or shower chair to bathe, a roll-in shower base with a nearly flush entry is the better choice, as discussed in Which accessible bathtub options work best for elderly users?.

Choosing the Door Style

The door is the part of the tub the bather uses every single day, so it deserves its own decision. The door options video shows all three styles side by side.

• Brushed stainless steel door with frosted tempered glass. It detaches, which makes hard-to-reach places easier to clean. This is the inward-swing door shared by the Elite, Petite, Royal, Deluxe and Ultimate, and you can see each of those tubs in Stainless-Door Tubs on Video: Elite, Royal, Petite, Deluxe and Ultimate Walkthroughs.
• Outward-swing U-shaped door. It is made from high-impact composite material with a decorative tempered glass screen, and three latches on a gear and shaft mechanism make the door extra secure.
• Aluminum L-shaped outward-swing door. Durable yet lightweight, it has two latches on the same gear and shaft mechanism. The L-shaped opening allows for toilet clearance of up to 21 inches in height and convenient space for a wheelchair.

An outward-swing door needs open floor in front of the tub, so check how much room the bathroom has for the door to open before settling on a model.

What Happens After the Purchase

Ella's Bubbles builds and tests the tub and does not perform installations. A local licensed plumber handles the water and drain connections, and a local licensed electrician handles the therapy systems. You choose the installer, and certification by Ella is not required. If you do not have one, Ella can help locate a reputable installer from its nationwide network, which includes Angi Pro contractors.

Ella backs the tub with a Lifetime Limited Warranty that covers parts, along with free lifetime technical support by phone, email and video for you and your contractor. Ella does not send technicians. If a part is needed under the warranty, the replacement part ships to you, and a local licensed plumber or electrician does the labor. Labor itself is warranted by the installer who did the work.

Watch: Wheelchair Accessible Walk-In Tub Door Options for Elderly & Disabled | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Which Ella walk-in tub is right for me? Choosing between the tub families
• How do I choose the best walk-in tub for a senior?

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