What is the smallest bathtub size you can buy for a bathroom?

The smallest bathtub in the Ella's Bubbles line is the Mobile walk-in tub, which measures 26 inches wide by 45 inches long and still fits a full seat, a grab bar and a hydro or air and hydro therapy package. It is the model to look at when a standard 52 inch tub will not fit the room or will not pass through the doorway. The complete profile, with door, faucet and jet details, is in Ella Mobile 26x45: The Smallest Walk-In Tub.

The Compact Ella Models Side by Side

Every Ella walk-in tub has an exact factory size, and the compact end of the line spans three door platforms. The table lists the models most often considered for a small bathroom, using the actual sizes from the current spec sheets rather than the nominal names. The full list for every family is in Walk-in tub dimensions by model.

Length decides whether a tub fits the opening, width decides whether it passes the doorway and how much elbow room the bather has, and seat width decides comfort once seated. The Mobile wins on length and ties the Transfer26 on width, which is why it is the answer to the smallest tub question. The Front Entry is shorter front to back but needs 32 inches of width and enters from the front rather than the side. A bather who wants the stainless door or a wider seat gives up a few inches of floor and steps up to the Petite or the Elite.

What Fits Inside 45 Inches

The Mobile keeps the essentials of a full-size walk-in tub, but the compact frame changes a few things you should know before you order.

• The interior length is 38 7/8 inches, the seat is 19 inches on the video and 20 inches in the manual, and the tub stands 39 1/4 inches high with a step-in of about 3 3/4 inches.
• The door is 19 5/8 inches wide with a 19 1/4 inch opening, swings outward 165 degrees and locks with the 3-latch gear-and-shaft mechanism, so the floor in front of the tub must stay clear.
• There is one oversized 2 inch drain with an easy-turn opener and emergency pull chain rather than the dual drain found on larger models.
• Because the equipment sits under the seat, the Mobile carries at most two therapy systems. Air massage brings 14 jets with a three-speed pump and Auto Purge, hydro massage brings 15 jets with an intensity dial, in-line heater and ozone, and a soaking version is also offered. LED chromatherapy comes with the dual package.
• The Ella 2-piece single-lever fast-fill faucet in chrome or brushed nickel is included, with a solid brass spout, a diverter button and a 5-setting hand shower on a 5 ft hose. One video mentions a 5-piece option, so confirm the faucet at order time.
• A digital touchpad and a heated seat and backrest are optional. No extension panel is offered.

Getting the Tub Through the Door

For many small bathrooms the doorway, not the alcove, is the real limit. For a 25 inch opening the team names the Mobile as the only option, and only with the door frame removed so the 26 inch shell can pass. The Transfer26 shares that 26 inch width but is 52 inches long, and the Petite is 27.5 inches wide, so each is a candidate for a narrow hallway as long as the room itself has the length. Measure the narrowest doorway and turn on the route from the front door to the bathroom before you settle on a model, and plan on removing door stops or the frame if the clearance is tight. The Mobile is also the model the team recommends, along with the Front Entry, for single-wide mobile homes, though the name refers to its compact size rather than to mobile homes alone.

Fitting a Small Tub into a 60 Inch Alcove

Most bathrooms were framed around a 60 inch bathtub, so the space you are filling is usually a three-wall opening about 60 inches wide. Tubs that are 60 inches or longer fill that space on their own, and the Ultimate, at an actual 59.5 inches, needs no extension panel. Most 52 and 55 inch models use an Ella extension panel that mounts at the end of the tub frame so the finished installation looks built in. The Mobile and the Front Entry have no extension panel, so the installer frames and finishes the remaining space instead, which is why the Mobile suits a 45 inch space or a corner better than a full alcove. What Is an Alcove Installation for a Walk-In Tub? covers the extension panel, the tile flange and the wall access panel your installer should leave behind the plumbing end. Measure the opening wall to wall at the back and at the front, and plan around the actual size on the spec sheet rather than the nominal name.

When No Tub Fits: The Smallest Shower Pan

If the room cannot take even a 45 inch tub, an Ella shower base may. The standard pans are 30 by 60, 32 by 60 and 36 by 60 inches, each with a left or right drain, as described in What standard sizes do shower pans come in?. The smallest is a custom 30 by 30 inch base, and pans shorter than 60 inches are routine custom builds: 46 by 46, 50 by 30 and 36 by 44 inch bases have all been handled, and a 58 by 30 inch base with a center drain has been produced. Only rectangles are made, and the drain must sit at least 9 inches from each wall. The full range from smallest to largest is in What sizes do shower pans come in, from smallest to largest?.

How to Confirm Fit Before You Order

Bring three measurements to your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850: the width of the opening wall to wall at the back and at the front, the narrowest doorway on the route into the bathroom, and the clear floor in front of where the door will swing. Add the model name and the actual size from its spec sheet, and the team can confirm whether the tub, its extension panel where offered, and the door swing all work in your room. If you have already purchased, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with the same figures.

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
• Walk-In Tub Dimensions Explained: Which Figure Is the Width, the Length and the Height, and Where to Find the Spec Drawing

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