What Are the Features of the Ella TransferXXL Wheelchair Accessible Walk-In Tub?

The TransferXXL is the widest wheelchair accessible model in Ella's Transfer family, a bariatric walk-in tub measuring 36 by 55 inches with a 29 inch wide seat and the outward-swing L-shape transfer door that opens through 172 degrees so there is no sidewall beside the seat. It can be ordered as a soaking tub or with one of six therapy packages, and its place in the lineup is summarized in Walk-in Tub Model Highlights: Longer, Deluxe, Monaco, and Transfer XXL. The correct model name is TransferXXL; there is no XXXL model in the Ella's Bubbles lineup.

Size, Seat and Water Capacity

The current spec sheet prints the figures that matter for planning the bathroom and the path into the house:

• Actual size: 36 inches wide by 55 inches long by 40 inches tall.
• Seat width: 29 inches, the widest seat in the Transfer family and the reason the model is described as bariatric.
• Water capacity: 132 gallons unoccupied and 55 to 75 gallons occupied, so the actual fill depends on the size of the bather.
• Shipping crate: 38 by 57 by 50 inches. Net weight 220 pounds, shipping weight 300 pounds.
• Included with the tub: one reversible end panel and a 5 inch extension panel, a removable front apron with two access panels, and a stainless steel chrome finish deck and wall mounted grab bar.

Because the tub is 55 inches long, the 5 inch extension panel is what finishes it inside a standard alcove. Measure the width of the space as carefully as the length: at 36 inches the TransferXXL is wider than the 26, 30 and 32 inch Transfer models, and How do I choose a wheelchair accessible walk-in tub? walks through the width and seat decision across the whole family.

The L-Shape Outward-Swing Door

Every Transfer model carries the L-shape transfer door, also called the wheelchair transfer door. On the TransferXXL it swings outward through 172 degrees and, because of its L shape, takes the whole side of the tub with it. The handle sits on the front of the door. Swing the door fully open, position the wheelchair beside the tub, transfer onto the seat, then pull the door closed and turn the handle clockwise. The handle drives a 2-latch gear and shaft mechanism that pushes two tapered pins into the frame and compresses the seal evenly. The seal is just as tight with the tub empty as with it full, and the door must never be opened until the tub has completely drained. The L shape is also designed to fit over a standard toilet in a typical vanity, toilet, tub layout.

Plan for the swing. The door needs about 36.5 inches of clear floor in front of the tub for its arc, and the wheelchair needs room to sit alongside. Never put your weight on the open door during a transfer, since the door and seal warranty is valid only when the alignment has not been changed by a bather's weight; use the grab bar and the seat instead. What Is an L-Shape Transfer Door on a Walk-In Tub? covers the lock in detail, and How Wide Is the Door Opening? compares the 172 degree Transfer arc with the other Ella door families. The video on this page shows the difference between the three-shaft lock on the U-shape door and the two-shaft lock on the extra wide L-shaped door.

Getting Onto the Seat

With the door open there is no sidewall next to the seat, so a bather can roll up alongside, drop the wheelchair arm and slide across onto the molded seat, then bring the legs over the low threshold into the footwell and close the door. A more mobile bather can sit and swing the feet in, or simply step in and sit down. The textured floor and the deck and wall mounted grab bar give support during the move. How Do You Transfer From a Wheelchair Into an Ella Walk-In Tub? shows those three approaches on video. How a particular person should be lifted or positioned is a question for that person's physical or occupational therapist.

Therapy Packages and Jet Counts

The TransferXXL is one of the Ella tubs that offers triple packages. The spec sheet lists seven configurations:

1. Air + Hydro, with the LED chromatherapy light included.
2. Air + Hydro + Hydro Independent Foot Massage, with the LED light included.
3. Air + Hydro + Microbubble, with the LED light included.
4. Hydro + Hydro Independent Foot Massage, with the LED light included.
5. Hydro Massage + Microbubble, with the LED light included.
6. Hydro Massage alone, without the LED light.
7. Soaking, with no jets.

There is no single jet count for the TransferXXL; the count is determined by the package. The Hydro Massage package lists 22 jets, 16 seat jets and 6 foot jets, on a 7A pump with an intensity dial air control, ozone sterilization at 0.04A, an on/off push control and a 6A 650W in-line water heater. Hydro plus Hydro Foot Massage keeps the 22 jets and adds a second pump, 5A and 7A together, with two intensity dials. The Hydro + Air Massage package pairs 11 hydro jets, 5 back and 6 foot, with 17 air jets, 11 seat and 6 foot, driven by a 4.5A 500W three-speed air pump. The air system's Auto Purge activates on its own 20 minutes after the pump shuts down to blow residual water out of the air lines. Microbubble therapy adds a 1 HP 7.3A pump, a pressure vessel, an agitator valve and its own push control. The LED chromatherapy light is rated 0.5A with an on/off push control and is included with the dual or triple packages. The spec sheet notes that the amp value for each pump may change based on availability and asks buyers to verify before purchase.

Faucet, Drains, Options and Electrical

The tub ships with the 5 piece faucet, rated up to 18 GPM at 60 PSI on ideal in-home plumbing, with two 5 foot 3/4 inch water supply lines and a pull-out chrome hand shower on a 5 foot retractable stainless steel braided hose. Drainage is by two 2 inch 4-port PVC drains with two end caps, two overflows and two stainless steel operated openers with extended chrome handles. Optional features are the heated seat and backrest and the digital controller. Electrically, the tub requires dedicated GFCI protected 115/120V 60Hz lines; the number of circuits depends on the package. The shell is gloss white acrylic reinforced with fiberglass gelcoat on a stainless steel frame with adjustable leveling legs, and the spec sheet states a lifetime limited warranty on the shell, frame, door and parts to the original purchaser.

Watch: Benefits of Outward Door Swing Walk-In Tubs | Ella's Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Wheelchair Transfer Tubs Compared: Transfer26, Transfer30, Transfer32, Transfer60, and TransferXXL
• What are the door widths and step-in heights for each Ella door style?

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