Ella Royal vs Elite: what does the extra width actually change?

The Ella Royal and the Ella Elite share the same length, the same height and the same stainless steel inward-swing door, and the one dimension that separates them is width: the Royal's shell measures 31.5 inches wide against the Elite's 30 inches, and that wider shell carries a 23 inch seat where the Elite has a 22 inch seat. The two inch figure people search for comes from the nominal names, because the Royal is sold as a 32 inch tub and the Elite as a 30 inch tub, while the actual shells differ by an inch and a half. Both tubs sit in the lineup described in Comparing Ella's Bubbles Walk-In Tub Models, and this page puts them side by side so you can see what the extra width buys you inside the tub and what it asks of your bathroom and delivery route.

Where the Two Inches Come from

Ella names each tub by its nominal size, the rounded figure used on the product page and in the brochure, and prints the actual size on the spec sheet. The Elite is one of the models where the two match: it is listed as 30 inches wide and its current spec sheet gives an actual size of 30 x 52 x 35 inches. The Royal is the wider of the two stainless steel door 52 inch tubs, and its current spec sheet gives an actual size of 31.5 x 52 x 35 inches. So the marketing gap is two inches and the measured gap is an inch and a half, and it is the measured gap that matters when you check a doorway or an alcove. The same habit runs through the whole family. The Petite, for example, is sold as a 28 inch tub and measures 27.5 inches, as What Is the Ella Petite Walk-In Tub and Who Does It Fit? explains, so always plan around the spec sheet figure rather than the name.

Elite and Royal Side by Side

Read the table in two directions. The rows for seat width, water capacity and therapy packages describe what the bather gets, and there the Royal is the more generous tub: a wider seat, and the only stainless steel door model that can carry hydro, air and microbubble therapy together. The rows for actual size, crate size and weight describe what the house has to accept, and there the Elite is the easier tub: a narrower shell for the doorway, a smaller crate for the delivery path, and the same 52 inch length and 7 inch extension panel for the alcove.

What the Width Changes Inside the Tub

The extra inch and a half of shell shows up as one more inch of seat. Ella's measuring video does not ask how tall you are; it asks you to sit in a chair facing a wall, in a relaxed position, and measure your hips while seated, your shoulder width while seated, and your length from head to feet while seated. The tub seat must be wider than your seated hip figure, so a bather whose hips measure close to 22 inches is a Royal bather, while a bather comfortably under that number can choose either tub on the strength of the other measurements. What size walk-in tub fits a five foot or six foot person? puts the Elite and Royal alongside the rest of the line for a shorter bather.

Both tubs stand 35 inches high, which is the lower platform that shorter bathers often find easiest to settle into, so the height decision does not separate them. The Royal's spec sheet also lists a few extras that come with the wider shell: a stainless steel chrome grab bar mounted on both the deck and the wall, a removable swivel tray in white matte finish, and a hydro massage layout of 16 jets, 10 at the seat and 6 at the feet, with a 15 jet air layout of 7 seat jets and 8 foot jets when air massage is added. The Elite's own jet counts and included accessories are printed on its spec sheet, so compare the two sheets line by line rather than assuming they match.

What the Width Changes in the Bathroom and on the Delivery Route

• The alcove. Both tubs are 52 inches long and both include a 7 inch extension panel, so either one reaches a standard 60 inch alcove the same way. The difference is depth: the Royal needs the alcove to accept a 31.5 inch shell where the Elite needs 30 inches.
• The doorway. The passage must be wider than the actual width of the tub, and the Elite should never be assumed to clear a 30 inch doorway just because it measures 30 inches. The Royal needs correspondingly more, so measure every doorway, hallway and turn before you choose.
• The crate. The Royal ships in a 36 x 57 x 46 inch crate at 320 lbs, against a 32 x 54 x 50 inch crate for the Elite, and only the path up to the entry has to clear the crate because the tub is carried in by its frame.
• The door. Both tubs use the inward-swinging brushed stainless steel door with frosted tempered glass. The team quotes the opening at about 16 1/4 to 16 1/2 inches, and the door needs roughly 17 1/2 inches of interior room to swing fully open, on either tub. How Wide Is the Door Opening? Published Door Widths, Swing Arcs and Clearance by Door Family lists the figures for every door family.

What Does Not Change

The height of 35 inches, the 52 inch length, the stainless steel inward door, the 7 inch extension panel and the door opening are the same on both tubs. The drains sit on the opposite side from the door on both, so a right-side door puts the drains on the left and a left-side door puts the drains on the right, sides taken as you face the tub. Both tubs also share the reversible end panel and the removable front apron with two access panels, so the installer's job at the alcove is the same apart from the extra depth the Royal asks for.

Which One to Choose

Choose the Royal when your seated hip measurement is close to the Elite's 22 inch seat, when you want the widest seat available behind a stainless steel door, or when you want hydro, air and microbubble therapy in one tub. Choose the Elite when the doorway, the hallway turn or the depth of the alcove is tight and the 22 inch seat clears your seated hip figure with room to spare. If even the Elite is more tub than the room can take, the narrower options are compared in What is the smallest walk-in tub for a petite bather?. Bring your three seated measurements and your doorway and alcove figures to your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, and they can confirm the fit before your order is placed.

Related Guides

• Will it fit through my doorway? How to measure your home for a walk-in tub
• Will a Crated Walk-In Tub Fit Up Stairs, Through Doorways or in an Elevator?
• Will it fit my alcove? Extension panels, end panels, and 60 inch spaces

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