Ella Big4One vs TransferXXL: which bariatric tub suits a broad bather?

For a broad bather the choice between these two bariatric tubs turns on height, not weight. Ella's guidance is that the Big4One, with its 24 inch seat, long seat and 66 inch length, suits bathers around 6 feet and taller, while a larger bather who is not tall is usually happier in the TransferXXL, which carries the widest seat in the line at 29 inches in a 55 inch tub that keeps the feet supported. Neither model has a published weight limit. Is There a Weight Limit? Bariatric and Large-Bather Walk-In Tub Options introduces all three large-bather models, and this page puts these two head to head.

Fit Decides, Not Weight

Ella's Bubbles does not publish a bather weight limit for any of its walk-in tubs. Every acrylic shell sits on a rustproof stainless steel frame with adjustable leveling legs that carries the load to the floor, so the practical question is whether the bather fits comfortably. To check, sit in a sturdy chair and measure across the hips and across the shoulders, then from the top of the head to the feet while seated. The seat must be wider than the seated hip measurement, and the interior must be long enough for the legs. Soaking depth then follows from the interior length, the seat length and the height from the seat to the overflow. What Is the Total Weight Capacity of a Walk-In Tub? explains why fit is the deciding question.

The team's rule of thumb for these two tubs is consistent. The Big4One is not recommended for bathers under about 6 feet, because its very long seat is designed for taller bathers and leaves a shorter person without support at the feet. A 6 ft 3, 350 lb bather with 21 inch hips and a 6 ft 4 bather with broad shoulders were both pointed to the Big4One. Larger bathers who are not tall are usually happier in the TransferXXL, the Transfer32 or the Monaco, and Ella recommends the TransferXXL for large body types needing maximum interior space. Bathers 6 ft 4 and taller may prefer the ShaK. The video on this page shows the Big4One with a 6 ft 7, 350 lb former professional football player, who describes the fit as comfortable rather than cramped.

Side-By-Side Figures

All figures are from the current spec sheets, the comparison chart, the model profiles and the Big4One video. Where a figure is not published, the cell says not listed.

Read together, the rows tell one story. The TransferXXL trades interior length for seat width, so it wraps a broad bather in a shorter tub where the feet reach the footwell, which the comparison chart lists at 23 by 18 inches with a 17 inch drop from seat to footwell. The Big4One trades seat width for length, so a broad bather who is also tall can extend the legs down its 56 inch interior. If your seated hip measurement is close to 24 inches, the TransferXXL's 29 inch seat is the safer choice regardless of height. If your hips fit the 24 inch seat comfortably and you are 6 feet or taller, the Big4One's length is what you will appreciate. The Ella Big4One 33x66: Large Single-Seat Tub for Tall and Broad Bathers and Ella TransferXXL 36x55: The Bariatric Transfer Tub With the Widest Seat profiles carry the full detail for each.

Doors and Getting in

Both doors swing outward, which is what makes a wide entry possible, but they are different shapes. The Big4One uses the U-shape door in white composite and tempered glass with the 3-latch gear and shaft lock. It is centered on the front of the tub, cannot be moved to one side, and swings through 165 degrees, so the floor in front must stay clear. The TransferXXL uses the L-shaped door the Transfer family is built around: 36 inches wide, in plastic composite and tempered glass, hinged to swing outward and away from the seat so nothing sits between a wheelchair and the seat. It locks with a two-latch gear and shaft mechanism hidden under an acrylic cover and opens through 172 degrees. For a bather who transfers from a wheelchair, or who needs a caregiver close during entry, that L-shaped opening is the reason the TransferXXL exists. Bariatric Bathing in a Walk-In Tub: Fit, Doors, Floor Loading and Caregiver Help covers doors, floor loading and what the manuals ask of a caregiver.

Alcove and Delivery Route

The Big4One ships in a 36 by 68 by 49 inch crate. No extension panel is offered, its long back side sits against a wall, and a reversible end panel and a wall grab bar are included, with a second end panel available if a third side is exposed. Doorways and hallways must clear the 36 inch crate width, or the 33 1/8 inch tub with its panels removed. The TransferXXL ships in a 38 by 57 by 50 inch crate and includes a 5 inch extension panel so it can finish a 60 inch alcove; the owner's manual lists the extension kit at 55 inches long by 36 inches wide with two stainless L brackets. It also includes a chrome deck-mounted and wall-mounted grab bar, one reversible end panel, a removable front apron with two access panels, and two 2 inch four-port drains with two end caps, two overflows and two cable openers with extended chrome handles. On both tubs the frame and shell are one piece, so the panels come off for the move but the tub does not.

Therapy Packages and Electrical

The Big4One ships with the digital-controller Air + dual Hydro package and is not sold as a soaker: 15 seat jets on a 9A 900W pump, 4 foot and 2 calf jets on a 7A 900W pump with a 6A 750W in-line heater and ozone, and 12 seat and 4 foot air jets on a 4.5A 500W pump with Auto Purge, plus a 0.5A LED. Microbubble and a heated seat are optional. It runs on dedicated 115V 60Hz GFCI lines, two 20A lines standard and three with microbubbles, and includes the 5-piece fast-fill faucet. The TransferXXL offers Air + Hydro, Air + Hydro + Hydro Independent Foot Massage and Air + Hydro + Microbubble, each with LED chromatherapy included, and the team has confirmed an all-four build as a special order. The published line count for each TransferXXL package is not listed in the sources for this page, so ask your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 for the electrical diagram for the package you choose. One naming note: the correct model name is TransferXXL. There is no XXXL model, and any paperwork printed XXXL refers to this same 36 by 55 tub.

Which One to Choose

• Broad and 6 feet or taller: the Big4One, for its 56 inch interior and long seat. A 6 ft 4 bather with broad shoulders was pointed here.
• Broad and under 6 feet: the TransferXXL, for its 29 inch seat and 55 inch length that keeps the feet on the footwell.
• Transferring from a wheelchair: the TransferXXL, whose L-shaped door swings away from the seat.
• Fitting a 60 inch alcove: the TransferXXL with its included 5 inch extension panel. The Big4One needs an opening that clears 66 inches.
• 6 ft 4 and taller: consider the ShaK before either.

Share your seated hip, shoulder and head-to-feet measurements with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, or open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support, and they will match the numbers to the right tub.

Watch: Big4One: Largest & Most Spacious Walk-In Tub | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

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