Which Ella walk-in tub is easiest to step into for a small bathroom?

Every Ella walk-in tub has a low step-in threshold, a textured slip-resistant floor and grab bars, so the easiest tub to step into is the one whose door style and height suit you, and for a small bathroom the choice narrows to the Mobile, the Petite, the Flow and the Elite. The Petite and the Elite stand 35 inches tall with the lower seat, which is the platform many shorter bathers find easiest to settle into, while the Mobile is the smallest footprint Ella makes and has an outward door that leaves nothing to step around inside the tub. Which Ella Walk-In Tubs Have Textured Floors, Grab Bars and Easy Entry? covers the safety features shared by every model, and this page matches entry style to room size.

What Easiest to Step into Really Means

Because the low threshold, textured floor and grab bars come on every model, a comparison for aging in place comes down to door style, size and therapy package rather than whether the safety basics are included. Seat height is 17 inches on most models, similar to a standard chair, and the seat is molded and not adjustable. Three things then decide how easy the entry feels.

• Door style. The Elite, Petite, Royal, Deluxe and Ultimate use a brushed stainless door that opens inward toward the seat and is held shut by the water once the tub fills: you hold the grab bar, step over the low threshold, close the door while standing, then sit and fill. The Standard and the Flow use an acrylic inward S-shape door, as do the Zen and Zen60. The Capri, Monaco, Front Entry, Mobile, Lounger, Shak and Big4One have an outward-swinging U-shape door, which means nothing to step around inside the tub. The Transfer26, Transfer30, Transfer32, Transfer60 and TransferXXL have an extra-wide L-shaped door that swings outward a full 172 degrees and is designed to fit over a toilet for a seated side transfer from a wheelchair.
• Height. The Petite, Elite and Royal are the shortest seated tubs at 35 inches because they carry a lower seat. The Mobile stands 39 1/4 inches tall and the Front Entry and Transfer26 stand 40 inches.
• Step-in. The compact-models page lists the Mobile's step-in at about 3 3/4 inches. For the other models the published comparison figure is overall height, which sets the deck and the seat, so ask the team for the step-in figure on a specific spec sheet if that number decides your choice.

The Compact Ella Tubs Compared

The table uses the actual sizes from the current spec sheets rather than the nominal names, and the same figures appear in What is the shortest walk-in bathtub Ella's Bubbles makes?.

What the differences mean: if the lowest deck is what makes entry easy, the Petite and Elite win at 35 inches, and the difference between them is a 19 inch seat against a 22 inch seat in a tub that is 2 1/2 inches wider. If the room or the doorway is the problem, the Mobile wins on footprint but stands 39 1/4 inches tall and has no extension panel. If the bather transfers from a wheelchair, the Transfer26 keeps the narrow 26 inch width but with the L-shape door. The Flow sits between them, narrow enough for a 28 inch doorway and lower than the Mobile, with the shortest seat.

Getting It Through the Door and into the Room

The doorway is usually harder than the bathroom itself, so measure the path first. You need a door opening larger than 26 inches to fit the narrowest tub, and the passage must be wider than the actual width of the model you choose, counting corners and turns along the way. 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. The Flow fits through a 28 inch doorway. Always use the actual exterior width rather than the name, which is why Where can I find a 28-inch wide bathtub for a small bathroom? separates the Petite's 28 x 52 nominal label from its 27.5 inch actual width.

Length matters less than many people expect. An Ella tub shorter than 60 inches includes an extension panel that closes the gap at the wall, so a 52 inch Petite or Elite still fits a standard 60 inch alcove. The Mobile and the Front Entry have no extension panel, so the Mobile suits a 45 inch space or a corner rather than a 60 inch alcove, and any remaining space is framed and finished by the installer. How Do I Evaluate a Walk-In Tub's Footprint for a Small Bathroom? turns these figures into a step-by-step check of the opening, the path and the door swing.

Door Swing and Floor Space

An outward door is easy to step through, but it needs clear floor in front of the tub, which a compact bathroom may not have. The Capri tour makes the point that an outward-swing door needs about 21 inches of clear floor in front to open, and the Mobile's U-shape door swings outward 165 degrees. The Transfer door swings outward 172 degrees and is designed to fit over a toilet, which can turn a tight room into an advantage. The Petite, Elite and Flow doors swing inward, so they need no floor space in front, and the stainless door is removable for cleaning. Decide where the toilet and vanity sit before choosing between inward and outward, because that is usually what settles it in a small room.

Fit for the Bather, Not Just the Room

Take hip and shoulder measurements seated in a chair, and measure head to feet while seated for length. The Petite's 19 inch seat suits average widths, and bathers over about 5 ft 10 may find legroom tighter than in longer models. For the same inward door with a wider seat, the Elite 30x52 has 22 inches and the Royal 32x52 is the next step up in width, both at the same 35 inch height. The Flow's seat is 20 inches wide by 13 inches long, which suits a smaller bather. Can a walk-in tub fit in a small bathroom, and which models work? covers the Mobile and Petite in more depth. If clearance is tight, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 with the width of the opening measured wall to wall at the back and front, the doorway width, the model name and the actual size from the spec sheet before ordering.

Related Guides

• What are the door widths and step-in heights for each Ella door style?
• Which Ella walk-in tub is right for me? Choosing between the tub families

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