Acrylic vs Fiberglass: Which Is Better for a Tub or Shower?

Acrylic and fiberglass are not the same material, and on an Ella walk-in tub or shower stall you get both, each doing a different job. The surface you sit on and touch is acrylic, and fiberglass is applied behind it for strength, so the real comparison is an acrylic surface against a sprayed gel coat surface with fiberglass behind it. Gelcoat vs Acrylic Walk-In Tub: Which Material Holds Up Better? covers the walk-in tub side of that question, and this page puts tubs and shower stalls side by side so you can see what the words mean on each product.

Is Acrylic the Same as Fiberglass?

No. Acrylic is a sheet material. An Ella walk-in tub shell starts as a solid acrylic and ABS sheet that is heated and vacuum-formed over a mold into one seamless surface. The team describes that acrylic as roughly 1/8 to 3/16 inch thick, and the white runs all the way through the sheet rather than sitting on top of it.

Fiberglass is a reinforcement. It is built up in layers of glass fiber and resin, and on its own it is not the finished surface. In a fiberglass bathtub, the visible surface is a thin gel coat sprayed into the mold first, and the fiberglass resin is built up behind it. What you touch and clean on that tub is the gel coat layer, not the fiberglass.

The confusing part is that acrylic and fiberglass usually appear together. An Ella shell is reinforced on the underside with gel-coated fiberglass, and further fiberglass layers bond the shell to the stainless steel frame. No fiberglass is used on the bather side of the tub. What Are the Shell, Frame, Door and Towel Bar of an Ella Walk-In Tub Made Of? walks through each part. So when a product is called acrylic, the surface is acrylic. When a product is called fiberglass, the surface is gel coat with fiberglass behind it.

Acrylic and Fiberglass Compared

The pattern in the table is where the color and the strength come from. On every Ella product the color is in an acrylic layer facing you, and the fiberglass does its work out of sight. On a gel coat fiberglass product the finish layer faces you, so wear, chips and cracks show up on the surface you bathe on. The clearest practical difference between the two Ella shower generations is the printed warranty, with the gel coat stalls at a 3 year limited term and the AcrylX stalls at a lifetime limited residential term.

What the Difference Means in a Walk-In Tub

Every current Ella walk-in tub, from the Petite to the two-seat models and the LayDown line, uses the acrylic shell on a stainless steel frame, so there is no fiberglass-surfaced Ella tub to choose between. What Are the Acrylic Shell and Stainless Steel Frame on a Walk-In Tub? explains how the shell is set on the frame and bonded into a single structure with threaded leveling feet for an imperfect floor.

Because the white runs through the acrylic sheet, it resists fading far better than a sprayed gel coat finish, and the non-porous surface wipes clean. Dull spots or light scratches come back with a fine-grade automotive polishing compound rather than a refinish. The video on this page shows an installer explaining the same contrast from the field: the acrylic tub is one solid piece of material over the whole bathing surface that can be buffed if it ever dulls, while the fiberglass tubs he installed were a multi-layer system of gel coat over fiberglass resin whose brittle finish chipped and cracked as the tub expanded and contracted with hot and cold water, and each repair meant a full fiberglass repair, refinish, buff and polish.

Two owner rules follow from the material. Lift the tub only by the frame, never by plumbing or panels, because air jets on the underside break off if the tub is set down on them. And grab bars must go in with the large metal washer under the shell, since omitting it can crack the acrylic.

What the Difference Means in a Shower Stall

Ella's made-in-the-USA shower stalls, multi-piece kits and roll-in bases use AcrylX, which What is AcrylX and how does it compare to acrylic? explains is an acrylic finish applied over a fiberglass-reinforced shell rather than a stand-alone sheet. The fiberglass gives the stall its shape and strength, the AcrylX layer is the surface you see and touch, and Armorcore reinforced walls on all sides mean grab bars and seats can be mounted anywhere on the wall if a bather's needs change later.

The molded seat is formed from those same layers, so it is not a separate bench bolted in, and it is hollow underneath with no published weight rating. Is the Ella Shower Stall Molded Seat Hollow, and What Is It Made Of? explains why contractors add framing under that hollow space for a heavier bather and why the seat side is decided at order time, since the one-piece stalls are handed by seat.

If you are comparing a current AcrylX stall with an older gel coat unit, Ella's documents treat the ESM series as the legacy gel coat line. The knowledge base prints no discontinuation date, so ask your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 whether any ESM unit is still stocked before you plan around one.

Caring for an Acrylic Surface

The one rule in every Ella care document is no abrasives, and it applies to the tub shell and the AcrylX stall alike because Ella treats AcrylX exactly like any acrylic fixture.

• Clean with warm water and liquid detergent, or a non-abrasive cleanser made for fiberglass bathroom fixtures.
• Never use scouring powders or pads or steel wool.
• On the tub, avoid bleach and bath bombs, and use approved non-abrasive cleaners.
• Bring back dull spots or light scratches on the tub with a fine-grade automotive polishing compound.

Watch: Acrylic Over Fiberglass: The Better Walk-In Tub Choice | Voted Safest/Best 2020 | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• What is the difference between gel coat and AcrylX Ella shower finishes?
• How Ella Tubs Are Built: Acrylic Shell, Fiberglass Reinforcement, and Stainless Frame

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