What is the difference between the Ella Ultimate and Ella Deluxe?

The Ella Ultimate and the Ella Deluxe share the same brushed stainless steel inward-swing door with frosted tempered glass, so the differences come down to footprint and therapy. The Ultimate is the 30 by 60 inch flagship, actual size 29.625 by 59.50 by 35.75 inches, and it comes with hydro massage, air massage and an independent foot and calf massage on its own pump. The Deluxe is a 30 by 55 inch tub that stands 39 inches tall, ships with a fixed air plus hydro package, and uses a 4 inch extension panel to finish a 60 inch alcove. Ultimate, Zen, Standard or Deluxe: Comparing Ella's 30 by 60 Inch Inward-Swing Tubs sets the whole family side by side; this page is the two-tub comparison.

Same Door Family, Different Footprint

Both tubs belong to the stainless inward-door family alongside the Elite, Royal and Petite, with a removable brushed stainless steel door, frosted tempered glass and a chrome locking handle. Both are 30 inch class tubs, 29.625 inches wide on the Ultimate spec sheet and 29.5 inches on the Deluxe, and both carry a 21 inch seat on their spec sheets, with the Deluxe video quoting 22 inches. From there the shells diverge.

• The Ultimate is 59.50 inches long and 35.75 inches high. Its dimension drawings are printed as images, so the interior length and the seat-to-overflow depth are not printed as text; your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 can read them off the drawing for you.
• The Deluxe is 55 inches long and 39 inches high, with 46.5 inches of interior length, a 16 inch seat length and a large footwell. The video describes it as a well-sized tub for average to taller bathers who want a little extra legroom.
• The Ultimate holds 95 gallons unoccupied and 55 to 85 gallons with a bather seated. The Deluxe holds 107 gallons unoccupied and 60 to 75 gallons occupied, more water in a shorter shell, which is where its deeper seated soak comes from.

Ella's team describes the Ultimate as by far the most popular walk-in tub it makes, and the Deluxe as the tub for a bather who sits more upright and sinks lower into the water. Walk-in Tub Model Highlights: Longer, Deluxe, Monaco, and Transfer XXL draws that same line between a deeper upright soak and a longer reclined stretch.

Ultimate and Deluxe Side by Side

Every figure below is printed on the current spec sheets or in Ella's published model profiles. Where the Ultimate sheet prints a value only as an image, the cell says not listed.

What the differences mean: the Ultimate needs a true 60 inch run of wall and rewards it with the fuller therapy set and the longer shell, while the Deluxe gives up five inches of length to gain height, a seat that sits higher off the floor and a slightly deeper soak. The doorway question is the same for both. The Deluxe at 29.5 inches passes a standard 30 inch doorway, as the video and the team confirm, and the Ultimate is 29.625 inches wide on its spec sheet, so check every doorway and hallway on the route the same way.

The Therapy Packages, and What Independent Foot Massage Adds

The Ultimate ships fully loaded. Its spec sheet lists a hydro massage system with 11 seat jets, an intensity dial and ozone sterilization; a separate hydro foot and calf massage with its own pump, its own intensity dial, 2 calf jets and 4 foot jets, and the in-line water heater; a three-speed air massage system with 17 jets, 9 at the seat and 8 at the feet, with Auto Purge; and LED chromatherapy. Because the foot and calf jets run on their own pump, you can fill the tub only up to the seat and enjoy a foot massage without filling the whole tub. The Ultimate video shows that feature and points out the separate dial and pump behind it.

The Deluxe ships as a fixed dual-massage package: 16 air jets, 8 at the seat and 8 at the feet, on a three-speed pump with Auto Purge, and 14 hydro jets, 8 at the seat and 6 at the feet, with an intensity dial, ozone sterilization and an in-line water heater, plus LED chromatherapy. The Deluxe video highlights the side hip jets and bidet jets that competitors often overlook. What it does not have is the third pump, so its foot jets are fed by the main hydro and air systems rather than a dedicated one. The Deluxe is not offered as a soaker or hydro-only tub. The team can add Independent Hydro Foot Massage so it matches the Ultimate's hydro, air and foot set, and microbubble therapy is available as a special order. Ella Deluxe 30x55: Extra Legroom With a Fixed Air and Hydro Package lists the pump ratings for each system.

Auto Purge on both tubs activates automatically about 20 minutes after the air pump is turned off and runs 120 seconds to blow residual water out of the air lines; it cannot be stopped and is normal even if it starts while you are still in the room. The Ultimate's listed options are a heated seat and backrest and a digital controller; the Deluxe lists the heated seat and backrest. The Ultimate spec sheet notes that the amp value for each pump may change based on availability, and the Deluxe profile asks you to request the electrical schematic for your package, so have your Ella dealer or the team confirm the schematic before your electrician plans the circuits.

Height, Seat Height and the 60 Inch Alcove

The Deluxe stands 39 inches tall against the Ultimate's 35 3/4 inches, and that extra height is the point of the tub rather than a side effect. Its seat sits nearly 17 inches from the floor, which makes sitting down and standing up easier, and it gives a slightly deeper soak in a more compact space. How Tall Are Walk-In Tubs Compared to Standard Tubs? explains why the exterior height of a walk-in tub is what gives you depth rather than a wall to climb over, and it places both tubs in its height table.

In a standard 60 inch alcove the two tubs are finished differently. The Deluxe brings a 4 inch extension panel, not the 7 inch panel of the 52 inch models, plus a reversible end panel. The Ultimate's included features list one reversible end panel and no extension panel, because at 59.50 inches it is built for the full 60 inch space. If your opening is a little under 60 inches, the Deluxe with its trimmable panel is the tub that still fits; if you have the full run, either works. The Deluxe is offered in door and drain configurations that match the Ultimate, so confirm the side you need with your dealer, remembering that on an Ella walk-in tub the door and the drains are on opposite sides.

What Both Tubs Share

Beyond the door, the two tubs are equipped alike in the places that matter day to day. Each comes with the 5-piece single lever fast-fill faucet rated up to 18 GPM at 60 PSI under ideal in-home plumbing, with 5 foot braided supply lines and a pull-out hand shower on a 5 foot hose; the Ultimate video adds that you can choose between the five-piece set and the two-piece set. Each has Ella's dual drain technology, two 2 inch four-port drains with two overflows and two extended-handle openers, so the tub empties by gravity with no pump to fail. Each has deck and wall-mounted grab bars and the 360 degree swivel tray for a book or a beverage, and each runs on dedicated GFCI protected 110/120V service.

Which One to Choose

Choose the Ultimate when you have a true 60 inches of wall and want the fuller therapy set, especially the foot massage you can run without filling the tub, and when a taller bather wants the longer shell. Choose the Deluxe when the space cannot take a full 60 inches, when sitting down onto a higher seat and rising from it matters most, or when a deeper upright soak appeals more than stretching out, since the Deluxe is designed as a deeper soaking tub rather than a stretch-out tub. If the only thing holding you back from the Deluxe is the foot massage, ask about adding the independent foot pump. If the only thing holding you back from the Ultimate is the alcove, measure it at the finished wall before ruling the longer tub out. Your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 can confirm the current configuration of either model.

Watch: Ella’s Deluxe Walk-In Tub - More Legroom, More Comfort, More Luxury | Ella's Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• What does the Ella Ultimate 30 by 60 walk-in tub include?
• Where can I see photos of the Deluxe 30x55 walk-in tub?

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