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Inward or Outward Swing Door: Which Should I Choose Before Ordering?

Updated September 2026

▶Glossary6
  1. Inward-Swing
  2. Outward-Swing
  3. Door Type Is Fixed by Model
  4. Checklist
  5. The Three Door Styles on Video
  6. Common Questions

Choosing between an inward swing door and an outward swing door is mostly about your bathroom and how you enter, because both seal watertight. Ella builds three door styles. Inward-swing doors (brushed stainless with frosted glass on the Elite, Petite, Royal, Deluxe, Ultimate, Companion and Escape; aluminum on the Ultra; acrylic S-shape on the Standard, Zen and Flow) save floor space and are held shut by water pressure. Outward U-shape doors (Capri, Monaco, Front Entry, Mobile, Lounger, ShaK, Big4One, Tub4Two, Big4Two) are easier to step through. The outward L-shape door on the Transfer family opens the whole side for wheelchair transfers.

Woman seated inside the Ella Royal walk-in tub holding the handle of the stainless steel inward swing door
The inward-swing stainless steel door on the Royal closes inside the tub and is sealed tighter by the water.

Inward-Swing

  • No floor space needed in front, so they suit small bathrooms and a nearby toilet.
  • Water pressure adds to the seal; stainless and aluminum doors lift off for cleaning.
  • You enter, stand, and close the door past your knees, so some room inside is needed.

Outward-Swing

  • U-shape: white PVC composite and tempered glass, 3-latch gear-and-shaft lock, 165 degree swing, about 21 inches of clearance in front.
  • L-shape (Transfer): aluminum, 2-latch lock, 172 degree swing, about 36.5 inches of clearance; the opening clears a toilet up to about 21 inches tall.
  • No knee clearance needed inside, which many bathers find simpler.
Diagram comparing a standard single latch walk-in tub door with the Ella 2-latch L-shape and 3-latch U-shape outward doors
Outward doors lock with a gear-and-shaft mechanism: three latches on the U-shape door, two on the L-shape door.

Door Type Is Fixed by Model

Doors are not interchangeable. The Royal, Elite, Petite, Deluxe, Ultimate, Ultra, Companion, Escape, and LayDown are inward only; the Monaco is the Royal's outward counterpart at the same size, and the Tub4Two is the outward two-seater. The Transfer family is outward only; Standard, Zen, and Flow are inward only. If you already own a tub and are not sure which door it has, which door does my Ella tub have identifies it by model.

Checklist

  1. Measure clear floor in front of the tub: under 21 in favors inward. The outward door swing clearance guide maps the full 165 degree envelope.
  2. Note the toilet position; a U-door beginning 28 3/4 in from the wall (Lounger) may still clear it. Published door widths and arcs for every family are in door opening widths and swing arcs by model.
  3. Ask whether the bather can close a door past their knees; if not, choose outward.
  4. Match the seat width you need to a model in that door family.

The Three Door Styles on Video

The video shows the three styles: outward doors needing 21 inches of clearance, the L-door needing 36.5 inches and fitting over a toilet, and inward stainless doors that lift off for cleaning.
This clip compares the detachable stainless door, the 3-latch composite U-door, and the 2-latch aluminum L-door with its 21 inch toilet clearance. For a closer look at wheelchair entry, see getting into a Transfer tub.
A dealer walks through the stainless jamb with welded hinges, the roughly 30 lb lift-off door, the integrated lifetime seal, and the long torque-bar handle that clicks when sealed.

This video makes the case for outward doors: the U-door and L-door need no knee clearance inside the tub, the U-door locks with three latches and the L-door with two, and both compress a watertight gasket when locked.

Common Questions

Which is safer?
Both families share grab bars, textured floors, and multi-latch seals; choose by space and mobility. An outward door is easier for someone who cannot step around a door inside the tub, and an inward door cannot be pushed open by the water.
Will the outward door clear my toilet?
A U-shape door needs about 21 inches of clear floor in front of the tub, and a toilet about 10 inches away will block it. The Transfer L-door is designed to swing over a toilet up to about 21 inches tall. Send the team a sketch with the toilet distance and they will confirm.
Can I get the Royal or Ultimate with an outward door?
No. The Royal and Ultimate are inward-swing only. The Monaco is the outward-swing tub at the Royal's 32x52 size, and the Lounger or Transfer60 are the 60 inch outward options.
Can an inward door open accidentally while the tub is full?
No. Water pressure pushes the inward door against its seal, and no door on any Ella tub can be opened until the tub has drained. The door will not open until drained article explains why.
Do I have to close the inward door past my knees?
Yes. You step in, stand in the footwell, and swing the door closed past your legs before sitting. If knee bend or balance makes that difficult, an outward door avoids it entirely.
What is the difference between a U-shape and an L-shape door?
The U-shape door is the outward door on seated tubs like the Capri and Monaco. The L-shape door on the Transfer family is taller and opens the entire side of the tub so a bather can slide across from a wheelchair.
Which door has the lowest step-in?
The Transfer L-door tubs have the lowest thresholds in the line at roughly 3.5 to 4 inches. Thresholds for every model are listed in step-in threshold heights by model.
Which models have the acrylic S-shape inward door?
The Standard, Standard60, Zen, Zen60 and Flow. It swings inward like the stainless door but is molded acrylic, so it is not a lift-off door. The Zen spec sheet's mention of a U-shape door is a known misprint; the Zen shares the Standard's S-shape door.
Can the doors be removed for cleaning?
The stainless steel and Ultra aluminum inward doors lift off their hinges. Outward U-shape and L-shape doors stay on their hinges and are cleaned in place; see using your stainless steel inward door for the lift-off steps.

For anything model-specific, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850.

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