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How do outward-swinging walk-in tub doors work on Ella tubs?

Updated September 2026

▶Glossary7
  1. Which Ella Tubs Have an Outward Door
  2. How the Door Opens, Locks and Seals
  3. Floor Space to Plan for
  4. Keeping an Outward Door Watertight
  5. Related Guides
  6. Related Videos
  7. Common Questions

An outward-swinging walk-in tub door opens away from the tub into the bathroom, so you step across the low threshold with nothing passing your knees or feet on the way in or out. On Ella's Bubbles tubs the outward door comes in two styles, the U-shape door and the L-shape door, each locked by a gear and shaft mechanism with more than one latch that compresses a watertight gasket when the handle is turned. The trade-off is floor space, since the U-shape door swings about 165 degrees into the room, which is why Will the Walk-In Tub Door Clear the Toilet? starts with a tape measure.

Which Ella Tubs Have an Outward Door

The U-shape outward door is fitted to the Capri, Monaco, Front Entry, Mobile, Lounger, Shak and Big4One, and to the two-seat Tub4Two and Big4Two. It is a plastic composite frame holding a tempered glass panel, not a stainless steel door. If a spec sheet revision describes the Tub4Two door as stainless steel or inward swinging, that line is a known misprint; the Tub4Two door swings outward. The L-shape outward door belongs to the Transfer tubs and has a lower cutout designed to pass over a standard-height toilet. Inward-swing doors, such as the stainless steel and tempered glass door on the Elite or the doors on the Companion and Escape, open into the tub instead and need no floor space at all.

How the Door Opens, Locks and Seals

On a U-shape door the handle sits on the outside face, so you release it from the bathroom side, swing the door out, step in over the threshold and close it behind you. Turning the handle drives Ella's three-latch gear and shaft locking mechanism, and on the L-shape door a two-latch gear and shaft mechanism does the same job. The latches act in concert with the gasket, which compresses as the door is locked to make the seal watertight. The video on this page walks through both door styles, shows why an outward door needs no knee clearance while an inward door has to pass your knees and feet, and explains the multi-latch lock compared with single-latch systems. On the Capri, for example, the step-in threshold is 3.5 inches, the seat is 17 inches high and the door opening is 17.25 inches wide; the full comparison with the inward-swing Elite is in Ella Capri Versus Ella Elite: Threshold, Seat Height, Door Width, Handle Location and Door Swing.

Floor Space to Plan for

Because the door swings into the room, nothing can sit in its arc. A U-shape door needs roughly 20 to 21 inches of clear floor in front of the tub; draw a half circle on the floor from the hinge side with a radius equal to the door width, and note that the Monaco and Mobile drawings print a 19 1/4 inch opening. Where the door begins along the tub matters too; on the Lounger it starts about 28 3/4 inches from the end. For a Transfer tub, budget the tub width plus about 36 inches beside the tub, and check that the toilet sits below the cutout, which is about 20 to 21 inches above the floor. Every model except the Front Entry is built left-hand or right-hand, so pick the door side before the toilet position is final.

Keeping an Outward Door Watertight

The seal is a silicone gasket seated in a channel around the door. Clean the gasket and the frame it closes onto regularly with a common household cleaner, because residue or debris on either surface can cause leaks. Leave the door at least slightly open whenever the tub is not in use so the gasket is not compressed needlessly. When a new tub arrives, a seal that has stuck to the frame or looks deformed can be squeezed and gently pulled away so it relaxes back into shape. Cleaning, reseating and replacement are covered in Caring for Your Door Seal: Cleaning, Reseating, and Replacing the Gasket, and the installer's leveling and door check for the two-seat outward-door models is in Installing the Two-Seat Family, Part 1.

Chapters in this video
  1. 0:00 Outward Swing Door Styles Ella's Bubbles walk-in tubs feature U-shaped and L-shaped outward swing door styles for easy entry.
  2. 0:28 Benefits of Outward Swing Doors Outward swing doors offer easier entry and exit without requiring knee clearance, enhancing comfort and safety.
  3. 0:40 Safety Features and Design All Ella's Bubbles tubs have a low threshold, easy entry step, and a textured slip-resistant floor for added safety.

Watch: Why Outward-Swinging Walk-In Tubs Are Better for Safety & Comfort | Ellas Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Chapters in this video
  1. 0:00 Outward Swing Door Styles Ella's Bubbles offers U-shaped and L-shaped outward swing doors for easy entry and exit, especially for wheelchair users.
  2. 0:27 Benefits of Outward Swing Doors Outward swing doors require no knee clearance, making entry and exit simpler and more comfortable.
  3. 0:47 Secure Locking Mechanisms The U-shaped door features a three-latch system, and the L-shaped door has a two-latch system, both superior to single-lock designs.
  4. 1:10 Watertight Gasket Seal Both locking mechanisms work with a watertight gasket that compresses when the door is locked, ensuring a secure seal.

Common Questions

Do outward-swinging doors need room for my knees?
No. An outward door opens away from the tub, so nothing has to pass your knees or feet as you enter or leave. That is the main comfort advantage over an inward door, which must swing past your legs after you are inside, and it is why the outward style is the easiest entry from a wheelchair.
How much floor space does an outward door need?
A U-shape door swings about 165 degrees and needs roughly 20 to 21 inches of clear floor in front of the tub. Draw a half circle from the hinge side with a radius equal to the door width and keep the toilet, vanity and cabinets outside it. A Transfer L-shape door needs the tub width plus about 36 inches beside the tub.
What is the outward U-shape door made of?
The U-shape door is a plastic composite frame with a tempered glass panel, locked by a three-latch gear and shaft mechanism. It is not a stainless steel door; the stainless steel and glass door is Ella's inward-swing design. Any paperwork that calls the Tub4Two door stainless or inward swinging is a misprint.
Do the U-shape and L-shape doors lock the same way?
Both use a gear and shaft mechanism that presses the door onto a compressing gasket, but the latch count differs. The U-shape door has three latches and the L-shape Transfer door has two. In each case, turning the handle fully is what compresses the gasket and makes the seal watertight.
Can I choose which side the outward door is on?
Yes. Every model except the Front Entry, whose door is at the end of the tub, comes left-hand or right-hand. The door side also sets where the drains sit, so confirm the side with your installer and check the toilet position before you order.
Why should I leave the door open between baths?
Leaving the door at least slightly open when the tub is not in use prevents unnecessary compression of the silicone gasket. That keeps the seal flexible and extends its life. Cleaning the gasket and the frame regularly does the rest.

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