Which walk-in tub door type works best in a narrow bathroom?

In a narrow bathroom the door type that usually works best is the inward-swing stainless steel door, because it opens into the tub rather than into the room; the Petite at an actual 27.5 inches wide and the Elite at 30 inches both use it. An outward-swing U-shape door gives the smallest tub of all, the 26 inch wide Mobile, but an outward door needs clear floor in front of it, about 21 inches on the Capri tour, which a tight room may not have. Can a walk-in tub fit in a small bathroom, and which models work? covers the compact models; this page compares the door types themselves and what each asks of the room.

The Door Types Ella Uses

Every Ella walk-in tub door is hinged, and the choice is which way it swings. The inward-swing door on the Petite is stainless steel with a frosted glass panel, and the Elite shares the same inward door with a wider seat. The outward-swing doors come in two shapes, as the video on this page shows: the U-shaped door uses a three shaft gear and lock system, and the extra wide L-shaped door uses a two shaft gear and lock system. Both are described as easy to engage and disengage and as giving a tight, leak-proof seal. The outward U-shape family, per the current spec sheets, is the Capri, Monaco, Front Entry, Mobile, Lounger, ShaK and Big4One, with a plastic composite and tempered glass door on a 3-latch gear and shaft mechanism. So the practical question for a narrow bathroom is not which door seals better, since both are built to seal, but which swing your floor plan can absorb.

Compact Models and Their Doors Side by Side

What the differences mean: the two ways to save room work against each other. The Mobile saves the most floor with its 26 by 45 inch footprint but then spends some of it on the arc of an outward door, so it suits a corner or a room with open floor in front. The Petite and Elite keep their 52 inch length but ask nothing of the floor beside the tub once the door is closed, which is why the inward door is the usual answer when the room is narrow rather than short. The Monaco's wider seat comes with a wider tub and an outward door, so it needs both a wider passage and clear floor, a combination a narrow room rarely offers. How wide are walk-in tubs, and is there a 34-inch model? lists every published width, 26, 27, 28, 30, 32 and 38 inches, so you can match your alcove before you think about the door.

Getting the Tub Through the Doorway First

The doorway is usually harder than the bathroom itself, so measure the path before the room. You need a door opening larger than 26 inches to pass the narrowest tub, and the passage must be wider than the actual width of the model you choose, counting corners and turns along the way. For a 25 inch opening the Mobile is the only option, and only with the door frame removed. For the Petite a 30 inch door is no problem, while a 28 inch opening leaves very little margin. Tubs ship fully assembled and cannot be disassembled to fit a doorway; what your installer can do is remove the front apron, access panels and end panels once the tub is uncrated and carry the bare frame. The crate is the first clearance question and the bare tub the second, and What Are Shipping Size and Shipping Weight on a Walk-In Tub? gives the Petite as the example: 27.5 inches wide and 200 lbs bare, 31 x 57 x 47 inches and 305 lbs crated. Walk the route from the curb with a tape, note the narrowest doorway and tightest turn, and plan more than one person for the weight.

Door Side, Drains and the Fixtures Beside the Tub

The side is named as you face the tub, ready to enter: the door and seat are on one side and the drains, water supply and faucet are at the opposite end, so a right-side door means left-side drains and a left-side door means right-side drains. Every Ella walk-in tub except the Front Entry is built in left-hand and right-hand versions, and the Front Entry puts its outward U-shape door on the end of the tub instead, so the bather walks straight in from the front. In a narrow room the side decision is mostly about the swing: check an outward door against your toilet and vanity, and put the seat where the grab bars fall on the bather's stronger side. Your house drain need not dictate the side. There is roughly 3 inches of clearance beneath the frame, enough for a 2 inch PVC line, and the dual T-type drains have four 2 inch ports, so the installer connects the ports needed and caps the rest. Left-Hand or Right-Hand? Choosing Door, Drain, and Faucet Side shows the drain connection on either side.

Fit for the Bather, Not Just the Room

Once the door and footprint are settled, check the person against the seat. Take hip and shoulder measurements seated in a chair, and measure head to feet while seated for length. The Petite's 19 inch seat suits average widths, and bathers over about 5 ft 10 may find legroom tighter than in longer models. The same inward door comes with a 22 inch seat on the Elite and a wider seat still on the Royal 32x52, while in the Transfer family the seat grows from 19 inches on the Transfer26 to 22 inches on the Transfer30 and 24 inches on the Transfer32. Are there walk-in bathtubs only 28 inches wide for small bathrooms? explains why the Petite's nominal 28 inches and actual 27.5 inches both appear in print, and which figure to write on your measuring notes. If clearance is tight, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 with the doorway, hallway and alcove measurements before ordering.

Watch: Benefits of Outward Door Swing Walk-In Tubs | Ella's Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Will it fit through my doorway? How to measure your home for a walk-in tub
• Inward or Outward Swing Door: Which Should I Choose Before Ordering?

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