How do the Ella Zen and Zen60 compare to the Flow 28x48?

The Ella Zen 30x52, the Zen60 30x60 and the Flow 28x48 are all hydro-massage acrylic walk-in tubs built around the same parts: the inward-swing S-shape acrylic door, the 8.1A 900W hydro pump with an intensity dial, the 6A 650W in-line heater and the 2-piece single-lever fast-fill faucet, so the choice between them is a choice about size. The Zen is the mid-size tub at 29 1/2 by 52 by 37.5 inches with 17 hydro jets, the Zen60 is the roomy one at 29 1/2 by 59 1/2 by 37.5 inches with the largest seat, and the Flow is the compact tub at 28 by 48 by 36.5 inches with 16 jets and a shell built to pass a 28 inch doorway. The two Zen tubs are profiled in Ella Zen 30x52 and Zen60 30x60: Budget Hydro Tubs With a Single-Lever Faucet.

Zen, Zen60 and Flow Side by Side

The figures below come from the current Zen spec sheet and the published Zen60 and Flow profiles.

Read the table in two directions. Across the room, the Flow is the tub where 48 inches of length is all you can give, or where the tub must pass a 28 inch doorway, while the Zen needs 52 inches and the Zen60 takes the whole 60 inch alcove. Across the bather, the Zen and the Flow match in seat width, pump and water, so the Zen gains you two more inches of seat length and one more jet. The Zen60 is a different experience: a 21 by 17 inch seat, a longer tub and 95 gallons around you instead of 65, which also means a larger draw on your water heater.

Getting the Tub Through the Door and into the Alcove

The Flow's reason for existing is the doorway. The spec drawing shows a 27 3/4 inch shell width, and that shell is what passes a 28 inch door; the crate it ships in is 32 inches wide, the same as the Zen crates, so the crate is opened outside and the tub is carried in. The first video on this page presents the Flow as the space saver that fits through a 28 inch doorway and shows its extension panel and the end panel on the faucet side. The Zen's 29 1/2 inch shell is a little wider, and the Zen60's crate is longer at 62 inches, so measure the path from the truck to the bathroom for all three.

Inside the bathroom the picture flips. The Zen and the Flow both ship with an extension panel, a filler that lets the shorter tub sit in a standard 60 inch alcove with a finished face. The Zen60 is 59 1/2 inches long, so it fills a 60 inch alcove on its own with no extension panel, and is served instead by two front access panels and one end panel. The Zen has the same two front and one end removable access panels, and the Flow has a removable front apron and a removable end panel covering the faucet. The Zen and Zen60 also stand 37.5 inches tall against the Flow's 36.5. Ella Flow 28x48: The Tub That Fits a 28 Inch Doorway adds the foot well, backrest angle and extension kit details, and notes that the Flow has been suggested for mobile homes and trailers.

Seat, Jets and Water

All three tubs are hydro-only: 17 jets on the Zen and Zen60 against 16 on the Flow, all fed by the single 8.1A 900W pump, with the 6A 650W in-line heater holding the water temperature during the bath. Each has foot and calf jets, but they run on the same pump as the seat jets, so the tub must be filled above them before the pump starts; independent foot massage and air systems are not offered on this platform, so there is no Auto Purge cycle after a bath. The second video shows the intensity control dial: turning it up introduces more air into the jet stream for a stronger flow, and turning it down makes the massage gentler.

• Zen: a 20 inch wide, 15 inch long seat; 65 gallons unoccupied and 30 to 50 gallons occupied.
• Zen60: a 21 inch wide, 17 inch long seat; 95 gallons unoccupied and 55 to 85 gallons occupied.
• Flow: a 20 inch wide, 13 inch long seat, with a 39 3/8 inch inner length and a 16 1/2 by 22 1/2 inch foot well on the drawing; 65 gallons unoccupied and 30 to 50 gallons occupied.

Use the occupied range when you check whether your water heater can fill the tub at bathing temperature. The Zen and the Flow are equal here, so moving up from the Flow to the Zen costs nothing in hot water; moving up to the Zen60 does.

What Is the Same on All Three

A bather moving between the three notices the room, not the controls.

• The door. All three use the inward-swing acrylic S-shape door with the handle inside; the "U-shape" wording on the Zen spec sheet is a known misprint. Water pressure holds it shut, so enter, close the door while standing, then fill, and never open it until the tub has fully drained. What Is an S-Shape Inward-Swing Door on a Walk-In Tub? covers the habit and the care.
• The faucet. The 2-piece single-lever fast-fill faucet in chrome or brushed nickel, with a pull-out hand shower limited to 1.9 GPM and two 3/4 inch by 5 foot supply lines.
• The drain. One 2 inch gravity drain with an overflow on a T-type body that connects in either direction, with a drain plug on the emergency pull-up chain rather than dual-drain deck handles.
• The options. A heated seat and backrest at 4A on each, and a removable head and neck support on the Flow. The Zen spec sheet lists no ozone generator, so the monthly vinegar flush keeps the lines fresh.

Electrical and What It Means for Your Electrician

The Zen and the Zen60 each require one dedicated 110/120V 60Hz line with a 20 amp GFCI three-prong outlet, the usual Ella specification. The Flow's spec sheet instead calls for one dedicated 110/120V line with a 15 amp GFCI outlet, and it is the only Ella tub that does. Your electrician should still run a dedicated line, test the GFCI and confirm local code for any of the three. If you have already weighed the Flow against the 28 inch Petite, Ella Flow 28x48 vs Petite 28x52: which 28 inch tub is better? is the companion to this page; the Zen is the step up from the Flow inside the same acrylic-door family, not a move to the stainless door. Availability of the Flow has varied, so check with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 before you plan around it.

Watch: Walk-In Tub With Hydro Massage Control Dial, Customize Your Comfort | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Why Does the Ella Flow Call for a 15 Amp GFCI Outlet Instead of 20 Amp?
• What is the Ella Flow walk-in tub and what makes it different?

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