Does the Stainless Steel Walk-In Tub Door Only Open Inward?

Yes. Every brushed stainless steel door Ella's Bubbles makes is an inward-swing door: it swings into the tub, closes with an interior chrome locking handle, and is pressed into its seal by the weight of the water once the tub fills. There is no outward-swing version of this door, and the Ella doors that do open outward are a different platform built from a composite frame and tempered glass rather than stainless steel. What Is the Stainless Steel Inward-Swing Door on a Walk-In Tub? describes the door itself; this page explains why it swings only one way, what that means for your bathroom, and which Ella doors to look at if you need one that opens outward.

Why the Stainless Door Always Swings in

The stainless door is fitted to the Elite, Petite, Royal, Deluxe and Ultimate, and to the two-seat Companion and Escape. On every one of them the door works the same way. You enter through the opening while standing, swing the door closed toward you, and turn the interior chrome handle to lock it. The handle pulls the door into its seal, and as the tub fills the weight of the water presses it even more firmly into place. That is the reason the door swings in rather than out: the water itself holds it shut, so the door stays closed on its own and will not open until the tub has completely drained. An outward door cannot use the water that way, which is why Ella's outward doors rely on a gear and shaft latching mechanism instead.

Two design details follow from the inward swing. The extended stainless lever was shaped to bypass the bather's leg when locking and unlocking from a seated position, and the whole door lifts off its hinges so you can clean the seal and the tub wall behind it. One habit matters more than any other: close and latch the door while you are still standing, because closing it from a seated position is much harder.

What Inward-Only Means in Your Bathroom

• No floor space in front of the tub is taken by the door. Because the door travels into the tub, it stays clear of a toilet or vanity that sits close by. Outward doors swing into the room instead and need clear floor space in front of the tub.
• The swing happens inside the tub. The team quotes roughly 17 1/2 inches of interior room for the stainless door to swing fully open, and your feet and knees need to be clear of the door as it closes. That is another reason to latch it before you sit.
• It is the narrowest opening in the line. The stainless door opening is about 16 1/4 to 16 1/2 inches wide, so check it against the bather's needs before you decide. How Wide Is the Door Opening? Published Door Widths, Swing Arcs and Clearance by Door Family collects the published figures for every door family.
• You wait for the drain. Since water pressure is what keeps the door sealed, you step in before filling and step out only after the tub has emptied completely.
• The swivel tray fits only this family. The patented 360 degree swivel tray stem sits in a housing built into the deck of the stainless-door tubs, and the single-seat models on this deck, except the Petite, include it. Is There a Cup Holder for My Walk-In Tub, and Which Tubs Fit the Swivel Tray? explains why outward-door tubs cannot take it.

The Ella Door Families Side by Side

The table shows that swing direction follows the door material, not the tub size. Every stainless door swings in, every composite door swings out, and the only other inward doors are the acrylic S-shape and the Ultra's aluminum door. If a toilet or vanity sits within reach of the tub, an inward door keeps the floor in front of it free. If the bather needs the widest possible opening, or needs to slide across from a wheelchair, the outward families open wider but ask for clear floor space in front of the tub. What Are the Shell, Frame, Door and Towel Bar of an Ella Walk-In Tub Made Of? goes deeper on the two door constructions.

If You Need a Door That Opens Outward

The outward-swing U-shape door is found on the Capri, Monaco, Front Entry, Mobile, Lounger, ShaK and Big4One, and the Tub4Two and Big4Two share it. It is made of white PVC composite and tempered glass, closed by a 3 latch gear and shaft mechanism, and the drawings for the Capri, Monaco and Mobile show it swinging through a 165 degree arc into the room. The Transfer family uses the L-shape outward door with two latches and the handle on the front face; it has an extra wide opening for wheelchair users, fits over a standard size toilet, and the door-styles video quotes 36 1/2 inches of clearance for it. The video on this page walks through all five Ella door styles so you can see the stainless inward door next to the outward U-shape, the L-shape, the Ultra door and the acrylic S-shape door.

Two printed documents can confuse the picture. The Tub4Two spec sheet lists a removable stainless steel door, a line carried over from the Companion and Escape sheets; the Tub4Two door swings outward and is composite and glass. The outward-swing owner manual also includes a diagram of the stainless door by mistake. If a manual or spec sheet disagrees with the door in front of you, trust the tub, and use Is My Tub Door Inward or Outward Swing, and Which Door Do I Have? to confirm which family you own.

Caring for the Door so It Keeps Sealing

Wipe the stainless frame and glass with a mild, non-abrasive cleaner and clean the seal with rubbing alcohol. Lift the door off its hinges from time to time to clean the seal and the wall behind it, and leave the door open when the tub is not in use. Never lean on the door or use it to lower yourself into the seat; the door and seal warranty is valid only while the alignment is correct and has not been changed by a bather's weight. If the handle no longer sits flush when locked, it is adjusted at the lock nut behind the front apron. For a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or (800) 480-6850, have your model name, your order details from where you purchased, and photos of the handle and seal ready.

Watch: Pick the Perfect Walk-In Tub Door: 5 Elegant Door Options | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

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