Should My Walk-In Tub Door Be on the Left or Right Side?

Match the door side to your house drain, because the door and the drains sit on opposite sides of an Ella walk-in tub. A right-side door puts the drains on the left, and a left-side door puts the drains on the right, with sides taken as you face the tub. Choosing between an inward and an outward swing is a separate decision, explained in Inward or Outward Swing Door: Which Should I Choose Before Ordering?.

The Drain Decides the Door Side

Every Ella walk-in tub has its door on one side and its drains on the other. Because the drains have to line up with your house drain, the plumbing location is the first thing to settle. Stand where you will face the tub, note which side the drain is on, and the door goes on the opposite side. Confirm this with your installer before you place your order, because the tub is built with the door on the side you order.

Check the Swing Clearance on That Side

Once the door side is set, check the floor space in front of it against the door style that comes with your model.

• 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, so some room inside the tub is needed.
• Outward U-shape doors on the Capri, Monaco, Front Entry, Mobile, Lounger, ShaK, Big4One, Tub4Two and Big4Two swing 165 degrees and need about 21 inches of clearance in front.
• The outward L-shape door on the Transfer family swings 172 degrees and needs about 36.5 inches of clearance. Its opening clears a toilet up to about 21 inches tall.

Toilet and Wall Positions

Note where the toilet sits relative to where the door will swing. A U-shape door that begins 28 3/4 inches from the wall, as on the Lounger, may still clear a nearby toilet. If the clear floor in front of the door side is under 21 inches, an inward-swing model is the safer fit. The outward door swing clearance guide maps the full 165 degree envelope, and the door opening widths and swing arcs by model article lists the published figures for every family.

Door Type Comes with the Model

Doors are not interchangeable, so you choose the swing direction by choosing the tub. 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 Monaco is the Royal's outward counterpart at the same size, the Tub4Two is the outward two-seater, and the Transfer family is outward only. The LayDown tubs come only with the glass side door.

Before You Order

• Locate the house drain and confirm the door side with your installer.
• Measure the clear floor in front of the door side.
• Note the toilet position relative to the swing.
• Ask whether the bather can close a door past their knees; if not, choose an outward model.
• Match the seat width you need to a model in that door family.

Related Guides

• Left-Hand or Right-Hand? Choosing Door, Drain, and Faucet Side
• Plumbing and drain configurations: connecting your walk-in tub to the house drain
• How Wide Is the Door Opening? Published Door Widths, Swing Arcs and Clearance by Door Family

Common Questions

Can I order the door on the same side as the drain? No. The door and the drains are on opposite sides of an Ella walk-in tub, so the house drain location drives the door side. Confirm it with your installer before ordering.

Which side is left and which is right on a walk-in tub? Sides are taken as you face the tub. A right-side door tub has its drains on the left, and a left-side door tub has its drains on the right.

When do I need to decide on the door side? Before you place your order. The tub is built with the door on the side you order, so settle the drain location and door side with your installer first.

Does the door side change how much floor space I need? The clearance depends on the door style, not the side. Inward doors need no floor space in front, U-shape outward doors need about 21 inches, and the Transfer L-shape door needs about 36.5 inches.

Will an outward door clear my toilet? It depends on the toilet position. The Transfer L-shape opening clears a toilet up to about 21 inches tall, and a U-shape door beginning 28 3/4 inches from the wall, as on the Lounger, may still clear one. Check the swing clearance guide for your model.