What doorway and room size does the Ella Big4One 33x66 need?

The Ella Big4One measures 33 1/8 inches wide by 66 inches long, so every doorway, hallway and turn on the way to the bathroom must be wider than 33 1/8 inches once the panels are off, and the alcove must measure at least 66 inches from finished wall to finished wall. The crate is larger still, at 36 x 68 x 49 inches and 400 lbs, so plan the path up to the entry around the crate and the path inside the house around the bare tub. Will a 60 Inch Tub Fit a 60 Inch Alcove? Stud Walls, Finished Walls and Doorway Clearance explains the finished-wall rule; this page applies it to Ella's extra-large single-bather tub.

The Big4One Figures to Plan Around

These are the values from the current Big4One spec sheet and Ella's product video. The imperial figures are the authoritative ones, and the litre values printed on the sheet should be ignored.

• Actual size: 33 1/8 x 66 x 39.5 inches, width by length by height.
• Shipping size: 36 x 68 x 49 inches; net weight 271 lbs, shipping weight 400 lbs.
• Seat width 24 inches, with 56 inches of interior length per the product video.
• Water capacity: 127 gallons unoccupied and 75 to 100 gallons when occupied, with the occupied figure varying by bather size.
• Outward-swing U-shape door in plastic composite and tempered glass with a 3-latch gear and shaft mechanism.
• One reversible end panel, a removable front apron with two access panels and a wall-mounted grab bar; no extension panel.

What the table means: the Big4One sits between the standard 60 inch tubs and the ShaK on every measure. It asks for roughly three more inches of doorway than an Elite and six more inches of alcove than a 60 inch tub, but it stays under the ShaK's 36 inch doorway request and 72 inch length, which is why it is the large model to look at when the opening falls between 60 and 72 inches. Where Can I Find Side-by-Side Dimension Guides for Walk-In Tubs? gathers the spec sheet sizes for the rest of the line.

Getting the Big4One Through the Door

1. Measure the front door, the hallway, every interior doorway and each corner the tub must turn, and use the actual width of 33 1/8 inches, not a rounded figure. A turn in a hallway is often the real pinch point rather than the doorway itself.
2. Open the crate outside, inspect the tub for shipping damage and keep all of the packaging until you are sure there is none. Only the path up to the entry has to clear the 36 x 68 x 49 inch crate.
3. Remove the front apron, the magnetic access panels and the end panel before the tub moves, so it travels at its smallest size. The frame and the acrylic shell are one piece and cannot be split.
4. Carry the tub flat, supported by its frame, with enough helpers for a 271 lb tub, and never rest it on its plumbing, panels or fittings.
5. At a corner the flat tub will not clear, stand it on end with the seat end, where the pumps are, facing down. The team has confirmed the frame is rigid enough for this even on the Big4One, so keep it steady while upright and lower it flat as soon as the corner is behind you.
6. Do not remove the tub door or any other component on your own. Ask your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 before removing anything beyond the panels.

Can I Stand the Tub on End to Get It Through the Door? covers the tipping method in full.

The Alcove and the Floor in Front of It

Measure the alcove finished wall to finished wall, often called tile to tile, not stud to stud. Drywall and tile take up room, so the finished opening is always shorter than the framing, and it is the finished opening that has to clear the tub. Long tubs have no wiggle room: the ShaK cannot fit a 70 inch opening no matter how the walls are finished, and the same discipline applies to the Big4One at 66 inches. Because the Big4One ships with one reversible end panel and no extension panel, the opening should be close to 66 inches rather than well beyond it, or your contractor will need to frame and finish the extra space. A contractor can sometimes remove an old surround and set the tub against the drywall to gain a little length, but only after seeing the walls.

Width matters too. The Big4One's 33 1/8 inch shell is wider than the 31 1/2 inch standard bathtub that a walk-in tub often replaces, so an alcove framed for a standard tub may be shallower than the Big4One needs. The door is an outward-swing U-shape, so the floor in front of the tub must stay clear for the door to open, and a toilet or vanity in that path needs to be planned around before delivery day.

Water, Weight and Power

The Big4One holds 127 gallons unoccupied, and the occupied range of 75 to 100 gallons depends on the size of the bather, so the floor carries the tub, the water and the bather together. Electrically it is 115V 60Hz equipment on dedicated GFCI protected lines: a 9A 900W hydro pump for the 15 upper seat jets, a 7A 900W hydro pump for the 4 foot and 2 calf jets with a 6A 750W in-line heater, a 4.5A 500W three-speed air pump for 12 seat and 4 foot jets, and a 0.5A LED light, all on the digital controller, with an optional 1 HP 7.3A microbubble pump. The spec sheet notes that amp values may change based on availability, so verify them with the team before purchase.

Who the Big4One Is Built for

The Big4One is Ella's extra-large single-bather tub for bathers around six feet and taller, with a 24 inch seat and 56 inches of interior length behind a wide, easy outward entry. Ella's product video walks through those dimensions, and the customer testimonial video shows a bather of six foot seven and 350 lbs describing a full-body massage without feeling cramped. The same length that suits a tall bather makes the tub uncomfortable for an average or shorter person, so bigger is not automatically better. Bathers around six foot four and taller are steered to the larger ShaK, described in Ella ShaK 36x72: The Largest Single-Seat Walk-In Tub, while What size walk-in tub fits a six-foot-tall person? explains the seated hip, shoulder and head-to-feet measurements that decide between them.

Watch: Ella's Big4One Walk-In Tub: William's Customer Testimonial | Ella's Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Will it fit through my doorway? How to measure your home for a walk-in tub
• Will it fit my alcove? Extension panels, end panels, and 60 inch spaces
• Ella Big4One 33x66: Large Single-Seat Tub for Tall and Broad Bathers

Common Questions