The fastest way to find your Ella model is to settle three facts in order: the space you have, the side your house drain is on, and the kind of therapy you want. Most people who reach out start with a length limit or an awkward bathroom, and nearly all of them end up with a short list of one or two models once those points are pinned down. Your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 can email the spec sheet for each finalist so your installer can confirm the fit.

Start with the Space, Not the Model

Measure the length, width and height of the opening where the tub will sit, plus every doorway and hallway on the way in. Our guide to tub sizes and how to measure walks through each measurement, and the printable pre-install checklist gives you one sheet to hand your installer. Then compare your numbers against the exterior sizes, seat widths and door types for every model.

A few reference points come up often. The Ella Petite measures 27.5 inches wide by 52 inches long by 35 inches tall, and its 28 inch label is the nominal size. The Ella Elite measures 30 by 52 by 35 inches. On any model, the inch figures on the current spec sheet are the authoritative specifications.

If no model matches your opening exactly, choose the nearest standard size that fits inside it. Every Ella tub can be installed in a three-wall alcove or against one or two walls, and tubs shorter than 60 inches include one extension panel to fill the gap in a standard alcove.

Let the House Drain Pick the Door Side

Door side is a plumbing question before it is a preference. On every Ella walk-in tub the door and the drains sit at opposite ends: a right-side door puts the drains on the left, and a left-side door puts the drains on the right, sides as you face the tub. Find your existing drain and the door side follows. Confirm it with your installer.

Door swing is the other half of the choice. Outward-swing doors need clear floor space in front of the tub but make stepping in easier. This family includes the Capri, Monaco, Front Entry, Mobile, Lounger, Shak and Big4One, each with a PVC composite and tempered glass door on a 3-latch gear and shaft mechanism. Inward-swing doors suit smaller bathrooms, and the stainless steel and glass versions can be lifted out for cleaning. The Zen and Zen60 use the same inward-swing acrylic S-shape door as the Standard. The video guide to choosing a tub shows both door styles in motion.

Seat Width, Height and Larger Bathers

There is no set weight limit on an Ella walk-in tub. If you sit comfortably in it, it will hold you, because every shell is reinforced with a rustproof stainless steel frame. What matters is seat width and seat height, explained in what seat width means on a walk-in tub. Taller bathers and anyone who wants more room usually look at the larger models. The Big4One stands 39.5 inches tall and holds 127 gallons unoccupied, or about 75 to 100 gallons with a bather in it. A tub that size deserves a water heater check, since average tubs usually need a 75 gallon or larger heater and the largest models may need a dedicated additional heater.

For two bathers, the two-seat family includes the Companion, Escape and Tub4Two. The Tub4Two uses an outward-swing door with a tempered frosted glass panel in a white composite frame.

Wheelchair Transfer and Lying Down

If you transfer from a wheelchair, look at the Transfer family: Transfer26, Transfer30, Transfer32, Transfer60 and TransferXXL. The video tour of the Transfer tubs shows each one. If you want to lie flat, choose one of the two Lay Down models, 30 by 60 inches or 32 by 72 inches, each with a glass side door and an optional glass shower screen. Seated walk-in tubs are not designed for lying down, and doing so is not recommended. The LayDown60 has no faucet option and needs a customer-supplied faucet, usually wall mounted, while the LayDown72 is faucet-ready and offers optional Ella deck-mount fast-fill faucets at order time.

Match the Therapy to How You Bathe

1. Soaking only. No jets or pumps, just warm water and a safe door. See our guide to soaking-only walk-in tubs.
2. Air massage. A three-speed push control: the first press is high, the second medium, the third low and the fourth turns it off. About 20 minutes after the pump is switched off, the Auto Purge runs for 120 seconds to blow water out of the air lines. It is automatic and completely normal.
3. Hydro massage. Water jets with a push control and intensity dial, an in-line heater that helps maintain water temperature while the pump runs, and an ozone generator that runs with the hydro pump. The Ella Standard ships as a hydro configuration with 18 hydro jets.
4. Combination and foot massage. Air and hydro together, or hydro plus independent hydro foot massage. On the Transfer family the jet count is set by the package: the Hydro and the Hydro + Independent Hydro Foot Massage packages both carry 22 hydro jets, 16 at the seat and upper body and 6 at the feet.
5. Hydrogen and microbubble. Offered on models such as the Standard60 with the H2 option. The water reaches 1500 parts per billion of hydrogen by the time the tub fills to the overflow, and every hydrogen tub is tested before it ships.
6. Comfort extras. LED chromatherapy lighting and a heated seat and backrest, which take the chill off while the tub fills.

The therapy package cheat sheet lists what each package includes. Whichever you choose, the system is fully plumbed, so a monthly vinegar flush is all the upkeep it needs.

Related Guides

• Left-Hand or Right-Hand? Choosing Door, Drain, and Faucet Side
• Common Model Questions: Soakers Without Jets, Big Tubs Without Jets, Colors, Off-White Transfer Tubs, Royal Versus Ultimate, Two-Seat Doors, Inward-Only Models and Front Entry Faucet Side
• Which Therapy Combinations Fit Which Tub: Hydro, Air, Microbubble, and Foot Massage by Model

Related Videos

Common Questions

Still Need Help?

Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 and have your model and serial number ready.