Which inward swing walk-in tub fits a space only 55 inches long?

The Deluxe is the inward swing walk-in tub built for a space that is only 55 inches long. Ella lists it as a 30 by 55 inch tub with an in-swing door, and it is the one inward swing model whose length matches a 55 inch opening exactly. If you would rather leave room to spare, the 52 inch inward swing models, the Elite, Petite, Ultra and Standard, also fit, and the Flow at 28 by 48 inches is the shortest of all. Walk-in Tub Models and Sizes: Soakers, Transfer, Two-Person, and Inswing Options covers the whole lineup, and this page narrows it to the inward swing tubs that fit 55 inches and what to confirm before you order.

Why an Inward Swing Door Suits a Tight Bathroom

Inward-swing doors need no floor space in front of the tub, so they suit small bathrooms and a nearby toilet. The bather steps in, stands, and closes the door past the knees, which is why some room inside the tub is needed instead of room in front of it. Outward U-shape doors swing 165 degrees and need about 21 inches of clearance in front, and the outward L-shape door on the Transfer family swings 172 degrees and needs about 36.5 inches. If the clear floor in front of the door side is under 21 inches, an inward-swing model is the safer fit, and the overview guide points to a 30 by 55 inch tub as a good option for smaller bathrooms where swing room matters.

Two inward swing door families are in the line. The Royal, Elite, Petite, Deluxe, Ultimate, Ultra, Companion, Escape and LayDown are inward only, and the Standard, Zen and Flow are inward only with the acrylic S-shape door. The door video on this page shows the inward swing stainless steel door with its tempered frosted glass panel and interior chrome locking handle, the brushed aluminum Ultra door, and the standard S-shaped inward swing door, and it notes that the stainless steel and Ultra doors lift off for easy cleaning. Doors are not interchangeable, so you choose the swing by choosing the tub, as Should My Walk-In Tub Door Be on the Left or Right Side? explains.

The Inward Swing Models That Fit 55 Inches

Every figure below is an outside shell dimension, so measure finished wall to finished wall at the tightest point before you compare. Where Ella publishes both a listed size and an actual size, both are shown.

What the differences mean: a 55 inch opening is a hard limit, and the Deluxe uses every inch of it, so the opening must truly measure 55 inches finished wall to finished wall at its tightest point. Walk-in Tub Model Highlights: Longer, Deluxe, Monaco, and Transfer XXL describes the Deluxe as a deeper soaking tub rather than a stretch-out tub, so bathers sit more upright and sink lower into the water. The 52 inch models trade that extra length for margin. The Elite is the pick when therapy options and a heated seat matter, the Petite when the width is tight as well, and the Standard or Ultra when you want the same 52 inch footprint with a different door. The Flow at 48 inches leaves the most room of all. Ask your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 how the leftover length is finished on a 52 inch tub in a 55 inch opening, because the standard extension panel is sized to fill out a 60 inch alcove.

If Your Space Is 60 Inches: The 30 by 60 Inward Swing Options

Searches for a 60 by 30 soaking tub with a swing-in door come up often, so here is where they land. The LayDown walk-in tub is built in a 30 by 60 inch size with a left or right drain position chosen at order time. It uses a centered inward-swing tempered glass door, it does not include a seat, and jetting is an optional add-on, with the owner manual covering both soaking and jetted versions, so a no-jets build in that footprint is the configuration to have the team confirm. The Zen60 fills the same 30 by 60 footprint with an inward swing acrylic door but cannot be ordered as a soaker. The 30 by 60 inch Transfer 60 can come with no jets, but it uses the outward L-shape door, so it is not an inward swing answer. Most 52 and 55 inch models also accept an extension panel if you need to fill out a 60 inch alcove, so a Deluxe or an Elite is not ruled out by a 60 inch opening.

Door Side, Drain Side and the Options People Ask for Together

The door and the drains are on opposite sides of an Ella walk-in tub. A right-side door tub has its drains on the left, and a left-side door tub has its drains on the right, with sides taken as you face the tub. Door side is chosen at order time, so a left-opening door is no problem. Confirm it with your installer before you order, because the tub is built with the door on the side you specify and the drains have to line up with your house drain.

A common 52 by 30 request pairs a left inward door with a heated seat and two grab bars. The Elite belongs to the stainless steel inward swing door family, and that family is set up with both a deck-mount grab bar and a wall-mounted safety grab bar, with a heated seat and backrest available as an option. If you want a soak without jets, soaking tubs are available in 30 by 52 and 28 by 52 inch sizes. On timing, Ella walk-in tubs are assembled and tested to order, and total time from paid invoice to delivery varies by model, options and stock, so the team confirms current timing for your specific order rather than this page.

Measuring and Confirming the Fit

1. Measure the opening finished wall to finished wall at the tightest point, since the figures above are outside shell dimensions.
2. Measure the clear floor in front of the door side. Under 21 inches, stay with an inward swing model.
3. Locate the house drain and put the door on the opposite side.
4. Decide on jets or a soaker, and on any heated seat or grab bar add-ons.
5. Have a licensed contractor do the fit check, as How Do I Choose the Right Walk-In Tub for Mobility Issues? describes, then confirm the model, door side and options with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850.

For a wider side-by-side of the seated models beyond the inward swing family, see Comparing Ella's Bubbles Walk-In Tub Models.

Watch: Pick the Perfect Walk-In Tub Door: 5 Elegant Door Options | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

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