How wide are walk-in tubs, and is there a 34-inch model?

Ella's Bubbles walk-in tubs range from 26 inches to 38 inches wide, and the most common footprint is 30 inches wide by 52 inches long. There is no 34-inch width in Ella's published sizes: the widths offered are 26, 27, 28, 30, 32 and 38 inches, so a bathroom with about 34 inches of room is usually fitted with a 32-inch tub. Walk-In Tub and Shower Base Sizes and How to Measure for Fit lists every standard size and explains what to measure before you order.

What the Width Figure Describes

The width by length listed for an Ella tub is the outside of the acrylic shell, the footprint the tub occupies on the floor. It is not the bathing space inside. That exterior figure is the one to compare with your alcove, and it is the number your installer checks against every doorway and hallway on the way into the bathroom. The inside of the tub is described separately by the seat width, the seat length and the depth from the top of the seat to the center of the overflow, as Are Walk-In Tub Dimensions the Floor Footprint or the Inside Bathing Space? explains.

Two details matter when you read a width. First, a nominal size can differ slightly from the actual size: the Petite is listed at 28 inches wide, and its actual exterior width is 27 1/2 inches. Second, use the current spec sheet rather than an older chart or video. The Elite, for example, is 30 inches wide on its current spec sheet, and that figure supersedes the older one quoted in the doorway-measuring videos. The spec sheet for each model is in the download tab for that tub on the Ella website.

Ella Walk-In Tub Widths Side by Side

The table shows why width alone does not tell you how a tub feels. Two 32-inch tubs put their room in different places: the Monaco pairs its width with a 23-inch seat and a low threshold, while the Transfer32 uses it for a 24-inch seat behind an outward-swing door with no sidewall beside the seat. A 30-inch tub can be a seated Elite, a wheelchair transfer tub or a lie-down LayDown. Ella seats run from 19 to 29 inches wide across the line, and the seat has to be wider than your seated hip measurement, so choose the width by the seat you need and then confirm that the exterior fits the alcove. What Are Seat Width and Seat Height on a Walk-In Tub? shows how to take that measurement.

Is There a 34-Inch Walk-In Tub?

Not in the Ella line. The published sizes are 26x45, 27x60, 28x52, 30x52, 30x55, 30x60, 32x52, 38x52 and the 32x72 lie-down size, with the Monaco also offered at 32 by 53 inches. If your opening measures about 34 inches across, the 32-inch models are the closest match, and three Ella tubs share the 32x52 footprint: the Monaco, the Transfer32 and the Ella Royal. If you need more room than 32 inches, the next step up is the 38x52 size. Ella Ultimate vs Ella Monaco 32x52: Key Differences compares the Monaco with the longer Ultimate if you have length to spare.

A tub that is a little smaller than the opening is normal, and the space is closed rather than left open. Ella offers extension panels that can be cut down to size to close a gap between the tub and the surrounding wall, which lets a standard size fit an alcove slightly larger than the tub without a custom unit. Every Ella tub shorter than 60 inches also includes an extension panel so that a 52-inch tub finishes inside a standard 60-inch alcove. Confirm the size and door layout with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 before finalizing your order.

The Different Types of Walk-In Tubs

Width is one way to sort Ella tubs; the door style and the bathing position are the others. The line includes these types:

• Inward-swing S-shape door tubs. The Standard, the Zen and the Zen60 use the inward-swinging acrylic S-shape door.
• Outward-swing U-shape door tubs. The Capri, Monaco, Front Entry, Mobile, Lounger, Shak, Big4One and Tub4Two have an outward-swinging door of PVC composite and tempered glass with a 3-latch gear and shaft mechanism.
• Wheelchair transfer tubs with an L-shaped door. The Transfer26, Transfer30, Transfer32, Transfer60 and TransferXXL use an oversized L-shaped outward-swing door with a two-latch gear and shaft lock. There is no sidewall next to the seat, so a bather can roll a wheelchair up, drop the arm and transfer straight onto the seat, or sit down and swing the feet in.
• Lie-down tubs. The LayDown60 at 30 by 60 inches and the LayDown72 at 32 by 72 inches are built for bathing lying down, and their interior is described by the floor size rather than by a seat.
• Two-seat tubs. Models such as the Tub4Two and the Escape list two seat widths, one per seat; the Escape's seats are 27 and 29 inches wide.

The first video shows the two outward-swing door styles: the U-shaped door with its three-shaft gear and lock system, and the extra-wide L-shaped door with its two-shaft system. The second video walks around a Transfer tub, shows the door swinging a full 180 degrees, and points out the open side that lets a bather approach from a wheelchair. Outward-swing doors need clear floor space in front of the tub, which is worth checking alongside the width.

Measuring for Width Before You Order

1. Measure the width, length and height of the existing tub or shower alcove.
2. Measure the doorway width and every opening on the route into the bathroom. For a Transfer tub, plan around the crate rather than the tub: the Transfer26 ships in a 29 by 60 by 50 inch crate, the Transfer30 in a 33 by 55 by 50 inch crate and the Transfer32 in a 35 by 55 by 50 inch crate.
3. Sit in a straight chair and measure your hips and shoulders at their widest, then your seated length from the top of your head to your feet, and compare those figures with the seat width, interior length and seat-to-overflow depth of each tub you are considering.
4. Check the door swing. An outward-swing door needs clear floor space in front of the tub.

Which Ella Wheelchair Transfer walk-in tub sizes are available: 26x52, 30x52 or 32x52? lays out the three 52-inch Transfer sizes with their capacities and crate sizes if a wheelchair-accessible tub is on your list.

Watch: Wheelchair Transfer Walk-In Tubs Designed for Easy Access | Voted Safest/Best 2020 | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Walk-in tub dimensions by model: exterior sizes, seat widths, and door types
• Will it fit through my doorway? How to measure your home for a walk-in tub
• Will it fit my alcove? Extension panels, end panels, and 60 inch spaces

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