What is the biggest walk-in bathtub size you can buy?

The biggest walk-in bathtub Ella's Bubbles makes is the ShaK, at 36 inches by 72 inches with an extra-wide 28 inch seat and a 145 gallon unoccupied capacity, and Ella describes it as the largest single-seat walk-in tub in the world. The Big4One, at 33 1/8 inches by 66 inches, is the next size down for a single large bather, and the two-seat Escape and Big4Two give one bather the most room to stretch out. What size walk-in tub fits a six-foot-tall person? covers the tall-bather fit; this page compares the largest models side by side and explains what a tub that size demands from your bathroom.

The Largest Ella Walk-In Tubs Compared

What the differences mean: the ShaK leads in every published figure, so if the goal is simply the biggest tub, it is the answer. The Big4One is 6 inches shorter and holds 18 fewer gallons unoccupied, which makes it the choice when the room cannot take 72 inches but the bather still needs a long seat and interior. The TransferXXL has the widest seat of all, an inch wider than the ShaK, but it is a transfer tub rather than the longest interior, so it suits width more than height. The two-seat tubs match the ShaK on capacity and add a second seat to rest your feet on, which is the most stretching-out room a single bather can get.

The ShaK and the Big4One Up Close

The ShaK is designed for the tall and the wide. Its 28 inch seat and 36 by 72 inch footprint are why Ella shows bathers up to 6 feet 10 inches fitting comfortably in its video, and its 145 gallon unoccupied capacity is the largest figure in the lineup. The Big4One is the extra-large single-bather tub one step down: a 24 inch seat, an outward-swing U-shape door for a wide, easy entry, 127 gallons unoccupied and 75 to 100 gallons when occupied, depending on bather size. Both tubs have a long seat and a long interior, and that is exactly what suits bathers around 6 feet and taller. The same length makes them uncomfortable for an average or shorter person, so bigger is not automatically better. If a shorter partner will share the tub, compare both sets of measurements before you decide.

Extra Large Is Not the Same as Two-Seat

Shoppers asking for the biggest bathtub sometimes mean a tub for two, and Ella draws a clear line between the two ideas. In the video on this page, Ella explains that an extra-large bathtub should not be confused with a two-seat bathtub: a true two-seat tub has two separate seats and two independent bathing spaces, each with its own jets and its own systems, so nobody shares a back massage. The video also shows the habit that makes a two-seat tub appealing for one person: sitting on one seat and kicking your feet up on the other, which the presenter compares to a big recliner with a footrest. Ella's four two-seat models are the Companion, the Escape, the Tub4Two and the Big4Two. The Big4Two and Tub4Two use a frameless U-shape outward-swing door with the 3-latch gear and shaft locking mechanism, while the Companion and the Escape use a brushed stainless steel inward-swing door that is removable for cleaning. Choosing a Two-Seat Walk-In Tub: Companion, Escape, Tub4Two, and Big4Two Compared walks through all four.

What a Tub This Size Demands from Your Bathroom

Most bathrooms were framed around a 60 inch tub, so that is the opening you are usually filling. A 60 inch tub such as the Ultimate is actually 59.5 inches and fills that alcove without an extension panel, but the ShaK at 72 inches and the Big4One at 66 inches are both longer than a standard opening, so the alcove has to be framed to the actual size on the spec sheet rather than the nominal 60. What Is an Alcove Installation for a Walk-In Tub? explains how the three-wall opening works and why service access at the plumbing end matters more when the tub fills the whole space.

Hot water is the other constraint. The general guidance from the team is that the average walk-in tub usually calls for a 75 gallon or larger water heater, with the maximum capacity heater available for your house as the recommendation, and the largest tubs, such as the ShaK and Big4Two, may require a dedicated additional heater. A tankless heater should be rated at 11 GPM or more. The Ella faucet is capable of about 16 gallons per minute, both fast-fill faucet sets include two 5 foot braided supply lines, and three quarter inch supply lines with accessible shut-off valves are recommended. Because you fill after you are seated, the figure that decides the wait is the occupied capacity, not the unoccupied one; How long does it take to fill a walk-in tub? covers the arithmetic and the draining, which the two 2-inch gravity drains typically finish in two minutes or less.

Measure Yourself Before Choosing the Biggest Tub

Height alone does not choose the tub. The soaking depth of an Ella walk-in tub is set by three factors: the interior length, the length of the seat and the depth from the top of the seat to the overflow drains, which runs roughly 15 to 18 inches across the mid-size models. A tall bather with a long torso sits higher in the water than a shorter bather on the same seat. Before comparing tubs, sit in a chair facing a wall in a relaxed position and take three measurements: your hips while seated, because the seat must be wider than that number; your shoulder width while seated, to be sure the tub has the proper shoulder room; and your length from head to feet. Ella seats run from 19 inches on the Petite and Transfer26 to 29 inches on the TransferXXL, so there is a fit for nearly every bather, and your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 can match your figures to a model.

Watch: Two Seat Walk-In Tub with Door: Best for Couples - Voted Best/Safest 2020 | Ella's Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

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• What Size Water Heater Do I Need for My Walk-in Tub?
• How many gallons does each Ella walk-in tub hold? Water capacity guide
• Electrical requirements by model: dedicated GFCI circuits for your walk-in tub

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