How do I measure a seated bather to pick a Transfer tub width?

Sit the bather in a straight chair facing a wall, in a relaxed position, and take three measurements: hip width while seated, shoulder width while seated, and the length from the top of the head to the feet while seated. The seat of the Transfer tub you choose must be wider than the seated hip figure with a little room to spare, and across the Transfer family the published seat widths run from 19 inches on the Transfer26 to 29 inches on the TransferXXL, so the hip number narrows the choice quickly. How Wide, High and Deep Is a Walk-In Tub Seat and Backrest? covers the seat figures for the whole lineup, and this page applies them to the Transfer tubs, which are built for a bather who slides onto the seat from a wheelchair.

Why a Transfer Tub Is Measured Seated

The Transfer family has a wide L-shape door that swings outward so a bather can transfer from a wheelchair onto the seat, and the Transfer60 is the model named as wheelchair accessible in Ella's lineup comparison. The seat sits at about 17 inches on the Transfer family, in line with a standard chair, and the step-in threshold is around 3 1/2 to 4 inches. Because the bather moves across at seat level and stays seated for the whole bath, standing height tells you very little. The figures that decide comfort are the ones taken in a chair. What is a mobility tub and who is it designed for? explains the seat-height and threshold choices behind this, and if the bather will stay in the wheelchair or a shower chair rather than transferring, Walk-In Tub or Walk-In Shower: Which Accessible Retrofit Is Right for You? explains why a roll-in shower base is the better choice in that case.

The Three Measurements, Step by Step

The second video on this page is Ella's own guide to body measurements, and it shows each step below.

1. Hips. Have the bather sit in a straight chair and measure across the hips at their widest point. The tub seat must be wider than this figure. Write it down with a little room added, since the seat width printed on the drawing is the full surface and the bather should not be pressed against the sides.
2. Shoulders. Still seated, measure across the shoulders at their widest. Different body sizes require different size tubs, and this figure tells you whether the interior of the tub gives proper shoulder room.
3. Seated length. Have the bather sit facing a wall in a relaxed position and measure from the top of the head to the feet. This is the figure you compare with the interior length on each model drawing, and it tells you whether a 52 inch tub or a longer one suits.

The video stresses that it is important to be exact. It also notes that Ella has two extra-large tubs with very long seats designed for taller bathers, and that those would be uncomfortable for a person of normal or shorter height. Bigger is not automatically better. A seat that is too long leaves a shorter bather's legs unsupported and pushes them forward, so match the seated numbers rather than buying the widest or longest tub available.

Transfer Seat Widths Side by Side

With the three figures in hand, compare them against the published seat widths for each Transfer model. The table uses only figures that appear in Ella's current guides and our knowledge system's filed answer for this question.

What the differences mean is this. The hip measurement sets a floor, not a target. If the seated hip figure is comfortably under 19 inches, every Transfer model is open and the room and the seated length decide. If it is near or over 22 inches, the Transfer32 with its 24 inch seat gives hip room without a longer tub, and if it is wider still, the TransferXXL is the only Transfer seat that fits. The seated head-to-feet length then separates the Transfer30 and Transfer32 from the Transfer60: a longer seated figure points to the longer tub, while an average or shorter bather is usually more comfortable in the 52 inch length. Seat height is the same about 17 inches across the family, so it does not change the choice, but it does tell a caregiver that the transfer is level with a standard chair.

Soaking Depth and Interior Length

The seated length figure does one more job. The first video on this page explains that the overall soaking depth of a 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. A bather's particular size then determines the depth they actually experience. So when you compare your seated length with a Transfer drawing, look at all three of those figures, not just the outside length of the tub. Every Ella walk-in tub also has a large foot well, which makes showering while seated easier and gives the legs somewhere to go. There is no published backrest height for any model, so if a tall backrest matters to the bather, that is the one figure to ask the team to confirm.

Reading the Drawing and Getting Help

Each model's product page has a Downloads tab where you can print the specifications and the measurement instructions, so you can work from paper with the bather beside you. Write the three seated figures on the sheet, then check them against the seat width, interior length and seat-to-overflow depth on the drawing for each Transfer model you are considering. If two models fit, let the room decide: How do I choose the best walk-in tub for my space and budget? continues the checklist with the alcove measurements, door side and therapy package. If the numbers are close or the bather's needs are changing, share the three figures with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 and they will help you narrow it down. Remember that the seat is molded into the shell as one piece and cannot be moved or widened after installation, so a few careful minutes with a tape measure now is the step that matters most.

Watch: How to Measure the Soaking Depth of Your Walk-In Tub | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

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• Wheelchair Transfer Tubs Compared: Transfer26, Transfer30, Transfer32, Transfer60, and TransferXXL

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