What is the smallest walk-in tub for a petite bather?

The smallest Ella walk-in tub by footprint is the Mobile at 26 inches wide by 45 inches long, the shortest of the seated tubs with a full-size seat is the Flow at 28 inches by 48 inches, and the narrowest seat in the line is the 19 inch seat shared by the Petite and the Transfer26. For a bather around five feet tall, though, the right tub is chosen from your seated hip, shoulder and head-to-feet measurements rather than from height alone, and the shortest seated tubs, the Elite, Petite and Royal at 35 inches tall, carry the lower seat that shorter bathers often prefer. Every model's factory size is in Walk-in tub dimensions by model: exterior sizes, seat widths, and door types.

The Compact Models Side by Side

Read the table in two directions. Width and length tell you what fits the bathroom, and here the Mobile, Transfer26 and Petite are the narrowest, with the Mobile and Flow the shortest front to back. Seat width and tub height tell you what fits the bather. The 19 inch seat on the Petite and Transfer26 is the narrowest Ella offers, and the Petite, Elite and Royal are the shortest seated tubs at 35 inches because they carry a lower seat, which is the platform many shorter bathers find easiest to settle into. A small footprint and a small seat do not always come together, so decide which matters more before you compare drawings.

Why Height Alone Does Not Pick the Tub

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 take three measurements:

1. Your hips while seated. The tub seat must be wider than this number.
2. Your shoulder width while seated, so the tub has the proper shoulder room for your body size.
3. Your length from head to feet while sitting, to gauge the tub length that fits you.

Compare those numbers to the tub drawings and specifications on each product page, and be exact, because different body sizes require different size tubs. The tip from the video that matters most for a petite bather is that Ella's extra-large tubs with very long seats are designed for taller bathers and can be uncomfortable for an average or shorter person, so bigger is not automatically better. The step-by-step method and the full seat-width table are in Seat sizes and soaking depth: how to measure yourself for a comfortable fit.

Seat Height and Soaking Depth for a Shorter Bather

Every seated Ella walk-in tub stands between 35 and 40 inches tall, and the difference is mostly the seat. The Deluxe, the outward-swing U-door family, the Transfer family, the Ultra and the two-seat tubs carry a seat about 17 inches high, in the range used for accessible seating, which is easier to rise from and pairs with a low step-in. The 35 inch Elite, Petite and Royal carry a lower seat, and a lower seat means a shorter tub overall. Shorter bathers often prefer the lower seat, while taller bathers usually prefer the higher one. Tub height cannot be special-ordered in either direction, and the heights by family are in Low Windows and Countertops: Checking Tub Height Before You Order.

Soaking depth is the other number a petite bather should check. On every Ella tub the published depth is measured to the overflow, because water rises to the overflow opening and then runs out, and on a seated tub the figure to use is the seat-to-overflow measurement for your model, which runs roughly 15 to 18 inches across the mid-size models. Soaking depth 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 overflow drains. Note your seated torso length so you can compare it with that figure, since where the water lands on your body depends on your own seated height. How Deep Is the Water Really in a Walk-In Tub? shows how to read the figure and where to fill to.

Widths, Doors and the Bathroom

A few details on the compact models are easy to get wrong. The Petite is marketed as 28 by 52 inches nominal, but its actual width is 27.5 inches per the current spec sheet, and a 27 inch figure printed in one older manual table is a misprint that should not be used for planning. The Zen and Zen60 spec sheets contain a known U-shape misprint; the Zen door is the inward-swinging acrylic S-shape design shared with the Standard. The Petite and Elite use a brushed stainless steel frame with frosted tempered glass that swings inward and lifts out for cleaning. The Mobile and Capri use the outward-swinging U-shape door, and the Transfer26 uses the outward L-shape transfer door, so those three need clear floor space in front of the tub while the inward-door models do not. If a taller partner will share the tub, compare both sets of seated measurements before deciding, and read What size walk-in tub fits a six-foot-tall person? for the other end of the range.

Before You Order

Measure yourself first, then the bathroom. Sit and take the three measurements above, write down the seat width, seat-to-overflow figure and interior length for the models you are considering, and compare them with the drawing under Download Specifications on each product page. If you would like a fit check, send your model, your seated measurements and your doorway and alcove dimensions through ellasbubbles.com/support, and your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 will confirm the fit before you order.

Related Guides

• Interior Length, Seat-to-Overflow and Seat-to-Footwell by Model: The Soaking Depth Table
• How Far Does the Backrest Recline? Published Backrest Angles and What Owners Say About Seating Comfort by Model

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