How do I measure my bathroom and myself for a walk-in tub?

Choosing a walk-in tub takes two sets of measurements: three of your own body, taken while you sit in a chair, and a set of your bathroom that covers the alcove where the tub will sit and every doorway and hallway the tub must pass through on the way in. Your seated hip width, shoulder width and head-to-feet length are compared with the seat width, interior length and seat-to-overflow depth on each model's drawings, and the bathroom figures are compared with the actual size on the spec sheet rather than the nominal name. Choosing a Walk-In Tub on Video shows both methods on camera, and this page walks through them in order.

Measuring Yourself: Three Numbers, Taken Seated

Sit in a straight chair facing a wall, in a relaxed position, and take the measurements in this order. Sitting matters because once you are in the water it is the molded seat, not the tub wall, that your body is measured against.

1. Hips at their widest while seated. The tub seat must be wider than this number, so it is the first figure to check against any model.
2. Shoulders at their widest while seated. Different tubs offer different shoulder room, so this figure rules models in or out at the top of the tub rather than at the seat.
3. Length from the top of your head to your feet while seated. Compare it with the tub drawings and specifications on the product pages, because it decides whether the interior length lets you sit naturally.

Seat height is the one figure you do not need to measure yourself against, because it is similar across the line: about 17 inches from the tub floor on most Ella models, within the 17 to 19 inch range used for accessible seating, and the Ultra's 17 inch seat is called ADA-compliant on its spec sheet. The seat is molded into the shell as one piece and cannot be moved, but a seat pillow riser adds a few inches on the models it fits. What Are Seat Width and Seat Height on a Walk-In Tub? explains how both figures are measured.

One caution from the measuring video: two extra-large tubs have very long seats designed for taller bathers and would be uncomfortable for a normal to shorter person. Bigger is not automatically better, and if a shorter partner will share the tub, compare both sets of measurements before you decide.

How to Read Soaking Depth

The video on this page shows that the overall soaking depth of an Ella walk-in tub is determined by three factors: the interior length of the tub, the length of the seat, and the depth from the top of the seat to the center of the overflow drains. On every Ella tub the published depth is measured to the overflow, because water rises to the overflow opening and then runs out, so that figure is the depth you can actually fill to. Across the mid-size models the seat-to-overflow measurement runs roughly 15 to 18 inches.

Your own size then sets the depth you feel. A tall bather with a long torso sits higher in the water than a shorter bather on the same seat, so compare your seated torso length with the seat-to-overflow figure for each model. What size walk-in tub fits a six-foot-tall person? works through this for tall bathers.

Measuring the Bathroom and the Path in

Measure the width, length and height of your existing tub or shower alcove. Then measure every doorway and hallway on the path to the bathroom, because the tub has to travel through each one to get there. Use the Downloads tab on the product page to get the tub's specific dimensions, and work from the actual size on the spec sheet rather than the nominal name. The Petite, for example, is listed as 28 inches wide when its actual exterior width is 27 1/2 inches. Where an older video quotes a tub width, the current spec sheet is the figure to use, because the doorway videos were recorded before the current sheets.

The footprints Ella offers, so you can see which is closest to your opening:

• 30 by 52 inches, the most common walk-in tub size, which fits many standard tub alcoves.
• 32x52, 38x52, 30x60, 30x55, 28x52, 27x60 and 26x45 inches.
• The Monaco in 32 by 53 inch or 32 by 52 inch sizes.
• A transfer-style tub at 60 by 30 inches.
• Laid-down soaking tubs at 32 by 72 inches.

If your alcove is slightly larger than the tub, an Ella extension panel can be cut down to close the gap cleanly, so a standard size can go into an opening that is a little longer than the tub without a custom unit. Walk-In Tub and Shower Base Sizes and How to Measure for Fit lists every size in one place.

Door Side and Door Swing

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. Stand where you will approach the tub, note which side your house drain is on, and the door goes on the opposite side. The hand is set at the factory and cannot be reversed after delivery. There is roughly 3 inches of clearance beneath the frame for a 2 inch PVC line and the drain body has ports on both sides, so the house drain does not have to dictate the side, but your licensed installer should confirm the plan.

Door swing is a floor-space question. Inward-swing doors need no floor space in front of the tub, so they suit small bathrooms, while an outward-swing door eases entry. Describe who will be bathing and any mobility concerns to your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, and that single choice narrows the model list quickly. How Do I Choose the Right Walk-In Tub for My Bathroom? covers the four checks together.

Seat Widths and Sizes by Model

The table shows why hip width comes first. Ella seats run from 19 inches to 29 inches, so a seated hip measurement rules models in or out before the room is even measured. The size column then has to clear your alcove and your doorways, and the two long tubs, the Big4One and the ShaK, only make sense if your seated head-to-feet length is long enough to use that interior. A figure marked not listed means the supplied spec digest does not give it, so take it from the spec sheet on that model's product page.

Watch: How to Measure the Soaking Depth in Your Walk-In-Tub | Ellas Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• 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
• What is the standard bathtub size, and will a walk-in tub fit it?

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