What is the best walk-in tub to buy right now?

The best walk-in tub is the one whose seat is wider than the bather's seated hips, whose footprint clears the doorway and fits the alcove, and whose door swings the right way for the room, which is why Ella's Bubbles builds a full line rather than one flagship. A tight bathroom points to the Mobile or the Petite, a very tall or wide bather points to the ShaK or the Big4One, and two people, or one person who wants to stretch out, point to the Escape or the Big4Two. Ella's Bubbles Walk-In Tubs: A General Overview introduces the line, and this page shows how to narrow it to a single model.

Why There Is No Single Best Model

Every Ella walk-in tub is assembled in Chicago and ships nationwide, and every one is built around the same idea: a sealed door, a built-in seat and a deck-mounted faucet you can reach while seated. What changes from model to model is the width of the seat, the length of the interior, the amount of water the tub holds and the direction the door swings. Those four figures decide whether a tub is right for one particular person in one particular room, so the word best always carries a for whom. The ShaK fits bathers up to 6 feet 10 inches tall in Ella's video, yet the Petite, at an actual 27.5 inches wide, is the model that fits a narrow room the ShaK could never enter. Ella also builds walk-in showers for anyone who decides a shower suits them better than a tub.

The Ella Lineup by Bather and Bathroom

The figures below come from the live model articles and the current spec sheets. Where a figure does not appear there, the cell says not listed, and your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 can send the spec sheet for that model.

What the differences mean: the two compact tubs trade seat width and length for the ability to pass a narrow doorway, so they are the best choice only when the room or the door forces the issue. The Elite keeps the Petite's 52 inch length and inward door but offers a wider 22 inch seat, which is the better fit for an average bather whose doorway allows a 30 inch wide tub. The ShaK leads every published figure, so if the goal is simply the most room it is the answer, while the Big4One is 6 inches shorter and holds 18 fewer gallons unoccupied, for a room that cannot take 72 inches. The two-seat tubs match the ShaK on capacity and add a second seat to rest your feet on. The standard-size models in between, with seats from 19 inches and 65 to 107 gallons unoccupied, are where most average and shorter bathers land.

Start with the Bather, Then the Doorway

Ella's method is to measure the person before comparing tubs. Have the bather sit in a chair and take the hip width and the shoulder width while seated, then measure from head to feet while seated for length. The seat must be wider than the hip figure, and the seated length tells you whether a 52 inch tub or a longer one suits. The Petite's 19 inch seat suits average widths, but bathers over about 5 feet 10 inches may find its legroom tighter than in the longer models, while the ShaK's 28 inch seat and 36 by 72 inch footprint are why very tall bathers fit comfortably. The TransferXXL has the widest seat in the lineup at 29 inches, an inch wider than the ShaK, but it is a transfer tub rather than the longest interior, so it suits width more than height.

Then measure the route, because the doorway is usually harder than the bathroom itself.

• You need a door opening larger than 26 inches to pass the narrowest tub, and every passage along the way, counting corners and turns, must be wider than the actual width of the model you choose.
• For a 25 inch opening the Mobile is the only option, and only with the door frame removed.
• For the Petite a 30 inch door is no problem, while a 28 inch opening leaves very little margin.
• An outward-swing U-shape door needs about 21 inches of clear floor in front of the tub to open, and the Mobile's door swings out 165 degrees. The Petite's door swings inward and needs no floor space in front.
• The Mobile has no extension panel, so it suits a 45 inch space or a corner. The Petite's included 7 inch extension panel finishes a standard 60 inch alcove, and the Ultimate, at 59.5 inches long, fills that alcove with no panel at all.

Can a walk-in tub fit in a small bathroom, and which models work? goes deeper on the compact end, and What is the biggest walk-in bathtub size you can buy? covers the large end and what a tub that size demands from the room.

Faucet, Shower and Therapy Are Chosen When You Order

The first video on this page makes a point that separates Ella from a one-size lineup: when you place your order the tub is pulled with your name on it and drilled for the faucet you select, whether that is the two-piece high-flow set, the five-piece high-flow set or the TCV thermostatic faucet, and it is fitted with the features you chose. Every Ella fast-fill faucet set includes an extendable multi-function hand shower with five spray settings on a 5 foot retractable hose, so seated showering is built in from day one. On the 2-piece set you push the diverter button, and on the 5-piece set you turn the diverter handle. If you want a standing shower as well, the optional shower column kit adds a height-adjustable overhead rain shower that reaches a maximum of approximately 90 inches and comes down 14 inches to approximately 76 inches. The column has to be installed before the tub is finally set in place, because connecting it needs access to the back of the tub, so decide on it when you order. A four-fold glass screen keeps the spray inside the tub. What Is the Best Walk-In Tub and Shower Combo? explains the column, and Which Handheld Shower Head Is Best for an Ella Walk-In Tub? covers the hand shower and why a generic replacement head is not the answer.

Getting a Second Opinion Before You Order

The second video shows Ella's live video chat, which works like a virtual showroom. An Ella team member in the United States shows you the tubs on camera and answers the questions that matter for fit: is the seat wide enough for me, how deep is the tub, how wide is the tub, how wide is the door, and will it fit into my house. After delivery, you or your installer can call the Chicago production facility with technical questions. Before you settle on a model, gather the bather's three seated measurements, the doorway and passage widths, the alcove length and a note of any features you want, such as the shower column, then contact your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, or open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support. The best walk-in tub is the one those numbers point to.

Related Guides

• Walk-in tub dimensions by model: exterior sizes, seat widths, and door types
• Seat sizes and soaking depth: how to measure yourself for a comfortable fit
• Left-Hand or Right-Hand? Choosing Door, Drain, and Faucet Side

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