Choosing a walk-in tub on video is the easiest way to get it right, and Ella's Bubbles has a short series that does exactly that: one video on measuring your body for the right seat, one on measuring doorways, one on hot water supply, one on soaking depth, a longer video that also covers door styles and therapies, and an overview of the whole line recorded for Ella partners. Four are embedded below with a plain-text summary, and the other two are described so you can find them. Where a video quotes a tub width, the current spec sheet on the product page is the figure to use, because the doorway videos were recorded before the current sheets.

Video 1: Measuring Yourself

The video walks through the body measurements that decide comfort. Measure your hips first, because the tub seat must be wider than your hip size. Then measure your shoulder width, since different tubs offer different shoulder room. For length, sit in a chair facing a wall in a relaxed position and measure from your head to your feet; compare that with the tub drawings and specifications on the product pages. It warns that two extra-large tubs have very long seats designed for taller bathers and would be uncomfortable for a normal to shorter person. It also explains soaking depth, which is set by the interior length, the seat length and the depth from the top of the seat to the overflow, and notes that every Ella tub has a large foot well for easy entry and for showering seated or standing. The seat widths by model are in seat sizes and soaking depth.

Video 2: Doorways and Hallways

The message of this video is simple: measure every doorway and hallway on the path to the bathroom before you choose, and use the Downloads tab on the product page to get the tub's specific dimensions. It illustrates the difference between a nominal size and an actual size using the Elite and the Petite. Editor's note: this video predates the current spec sheets, so do not use its per-model widths. Per the current sheets the Elite's actual size is 30 by 52 by 35 inches, so its exterior width is 30 inches, and the Petite's actual width is 27 1/2 inches (28 inches nominal). A passage must be wider than the tub's actual width, and the shipping crate is wider still, for example 32 inches for the Elite and 31 inches for the Petite. Tubs ship fully assembled and cannot be taken apart, though panels come off and inward doors lift off their hinges. If a clearance is tight, contact the team before ordering; the full method is in will it fit through my doorway.

Video 3: Hot Water Supply

To get the best bath you need enough hot water capacity and enough supply. The video recommends the maximum capacity water heater available for your house and says anything under 75 gallons is not recommended; for larger tubs such as the Big4Two or the ShaK it suggests a professionally installed high-capacity heater, a dedicated supply just for the tub, or a combination of two systems. To see how much water your tub holds, the Compare Specs view on the website lists each tub's capacity in gallons, occupied and unoccupied, and how many gallons does each tub hold collects the figures. It also recommends 3/4 inch supply lines with easily accessible shut-off valves, and notes that 5 foot supply lines are included when you order an Ella 2-piece or 5-piece fast-fill faucet set. If you prefer a tankless heater, choose a high-flow unit of about 11 gallons per minute or more. As always, consult your installer or plumber.

Video 4: Measuring Soaking Depth

This short video explains that soaking depth on a walk-in tub is set by three factors: the interior length of the tub, the length of the seat, and the depth from the top of the seat to the center of the overflow drains, with the bather's own size the fourth variable. It is the reason a walk-in tub is judged differently from a conventional tub, and the model-by-model figures are in the soaking depth table.

The Two Videos Not Embedded Here

How to Choose A Walk-In Tub That's Best For You is the longer companion video. It repeats the body and doorway measuring steps, tours the range from the compact Mobile to the Elite, the Ultimate and the ShaK plus the two LayDown lengths, then covers door styles and which side the door goes on, drains, hot water, jetting packages (air, hydro, Infusion microbubble, independent foot massage, chromatherapy) and accessories such as heated seats, digital or easy-touch buttons, headrests, cushions, the four-fold glass screen, the shower column and aromatherapy. Two lines in it are superseded: its Elite width, which the current spec sheet gives as 30 inches, and its statement that a right-side door puts the drains on the right. The current dual-drain page states the opposite, and it is the pairing to use: the door and seat are on one side and the drains are on the other, so a right-side door means left-side drains and a left-side door means right-side drains, left and right as you face the tub. Choose your door side from where your house drain is and confirm the connection plan with your licensed installer before ordering; left-hand or right-hand walks through it. The video is embedded in choosing between the tub families.

What Walk-in Tub Should You Choose is an overview of the line recorded for Ella partners, with no transcript available. It walks through door styles, the two-seat tubs, the ShaK and Big4One, the LayDown tubs, jetting and foot massage, drain time of roughly 80 seconds under ideal house-drain conditions, and accessories. It states that the pumps are UL certified and plug into a GFCI circuit, that 5 foot supply lines ship with the faucets, that the drain can connect on the left or right with unused ports capped using individual P-traps, with a 2 inch main recommended or a T or Y into a 1 1/2 inch drain, and that the drain handles double as air vents.

Common Questions

For anything model-specific, including the exact spec sheet for the tub on your order, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 and the team will be glad to help.