How do I choose the best walk-in tub for a senior?

The best walk-in tub for a senior is the one whose seat is wider than their seated hips, whose threshold they can clear comfortably, and whose door swings the right way for the bathroom, not the model at the top of a ranking. Ella's Bubbles builds every walk-in tub around the same safety basics, so choosing well means matching the published seat, threshold and door figures to one particular bather. What Are the Most Important Walk-In Tub Features for Seniors? explains each feature; this page turns those features into a method for picking one tub.

Step One: Measure the Bather Before You Compare Tubs

Ella's measuring method is simple. The senior sits in a chair facing a wall, in a relaxed position, and you take three measurements: hip width while seated, shoulder width while seated, and length from head to feet while seated. The tub seat must be wider than the hip figure, the shoulder figure tells you whether the tub has proper shoulder room, and the seated length gauges the tub length that fits. Compare those numbers exactly with the drawings and specifications for each model, because different body sizes need different size tubs.

• Seat width runs from 19 inches on the Petite and Transfer26 to 29 inches on the TransferXXL, so the seated hip measurement narrows the field quickly.
• Seat height is 17 inches on most models, similar to a standard chair, so sitting down and standing up use the same motion as rising from a dining chair.
• Soaking depth is set by the interior length, the seat length and the depth from the top of the seat to the overflow drains. That seat-to-overflow figure runs roughly 15 to 18 inches across the mid-size models, and the Ultra, for example, gives 17 1/2 inches. A tall bather with a long torso sits higher in the water than a shorter bather on the same seat.
• Length matters for a bather around six feet or taller, where the long-seat models are the Big4One and the ShaK. Bigger is not automatically better, because those long seats can be uncomfortable for an average or shorter person.
• Weight has no single published limit across the lineup, because every shell sits on a rustproof stainless steel frame that carries the load to the floor. If the person can sit comfortably inside the tub, the tub holds them.

The full method is in What is the best walk-in tub, and how do I compare models?.

Step Two: The Threshold and the Door Shape Daily Use

The threshold is the lip the senior steps over at the door opening, and the door is the part of the tub that shapes the daily routine most. Every Ella walk-in tub has a low threshold, running roughly 3.5 to 7 inches depending on the model and drain setup, compared with the 18 to 22 inch wall of a standard bathtub. The table lists the published figures for the models that come up most often, lowest step-in first.

What the differences mean: the lowest published thresholds belong to the outward-swing door models, and those doors need clear floor in front of the tub but make entry easier for a senior with a short or unsteady step. Inward-swing doors suit smaller bathrooms because nothing swings out into the room, and the stainless and aluminum inward doors can be removed for cleaning. The drawing figure is only the starting point: the tub sits on adjustable leveling legs, and with a recessed drain below the subfloor the threshold can be reduced to about 3 to 3.5 inches. Cutting the apron or end panel to make that work voids the warranty, so plan it with the installer instead. For side-door models the door side is chosen as left or right as you face the tub, and the drains sit on the opposite side from the door; the Front Entry is the one model that is not ordered as left-hand or right-hand.

Step Three: The Features That Earn Their Place

Every Ella walk-in model carries the accessibility elements a senior relies on, so check them one by one against the person who will bathe:

• A textured, slip-resistant floor and grab bars. Most seated tubs include one or two deck-mount bars, and more can be added to the surrounding walls.
• A watertight door that closes on an integrated gasket with a multi-latch gear and shaft mechanism, and oversized easy-turn drain openers with a large 2 inch drain and a safety chain, so the bather never bends for a small stopper.
• A hand shower on the deck. The 2-piece and 5-piece fast-fill faucets include a pull-out hand shower, the 2-piece cartridge is certified with an ADA lever, and an optional shower column adds a 10 inch rain head for seated or standing showers. The faucet video on this page shows the two-piece, five-piece and thermostatic options, and explains that the tub is drilled for whichever faucet you select when your order is placed.
• Comfort options: a heated seat and backrest, easy-touch push-button or digital controls, chromatherapy lighting, and on models that accept them a 24 inch hand shower slide bar or a 10 by 7.5 inch head pillow.
• Therapies: three-speed air massage with auto purge, hydro massage with an in-line heater and intensity dial, ozone sterilization and an independent foot massage with its own pump are all shown on the Ultra tour. Most models also come as a soaker with no jets for a senior who only wants the seated entry.

Which accessible bathtub options work best for elderly users? compares these elements across the options, and notes that there is no ADA certification for any bathtub, because private homes are not covered by the ADA; Ella tubs are residential tubs with many ADA-compatible elements.

Step Four: Fit the Bathroom and Plan the Installation

Ella's short how-to-choose video sums the process up in four moves: consider the senior's needs for mobility, comfort and safety; measure the bathroom so the tub fits comfortably; select the features that improve the bath, such as hydrotherapy or a heated seat; and ensure professional installation and reliable customer support. Whether a walk-in tub is right for a particular senior comes down to mobility, bathroom size and whether someone helps at bath time, and Are Walk-In Tubs a Good Choice for Seniors and Aging in Place? lays out what to weigh. Many 52 inch models, the Ultra among them, fit a 60 inch alcove with an extension panel, and the Ultra, Standard, Flow and S-Class video tour pairs the on-screen seat heights, soaking depth and thresholds with the current spec sheets so you have one set of numbers to plan with.

When a Walk-In Tub Is Not the Right Answer

A walk-in tub is designed for a bather who steps in and sits, or who transfers across an L-shaped door from a wheelchair. Where the person stays in a wheelchair or shower chair throughout bathing, a roll-in shower base with a nearly flush entry is the better choice, and Ella's Bubbles offers shower bases and wall panels for that case. If the senior can step in but not over a mid-height lip, look first at the lowest-threshold rows in the table and ask about the recessed drain option. Your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 can confirm the fit for a specific bather and bathroom.

Watch: Luxury Faucet Options for Your Walk-In Tub, Voted Best/Safest 2020 | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Walk-in tub dimensions by model: exterior sizes, seat widths, and door types
• Inward or Outward Swing Door: Which Should I Choose Before Ordering?

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