What Are the Negatives of a Walk-In Tub and How Do I Choose One?

The real negatives of a walk-in tub are commitments you make before it ships: the door side and swing are set at the factory and cannot be reversed, an outward-swing door needs clear floor in front of it, and the molded seat height is fixed. Choosing well means measuring the route and the bathroom first, matching the door side to your house drain, and then picking the door style and features that suit your mobility, comfort and safety. Door side itself is explained in What Is Door Side (Left-Hand vs Right-Hand) on a Walk-In Tub?, and this page puts that decision alongside the others you will face.

Trade-Offs to Know Before You Buy

• The hand cannot be changed later. Every current Ella tub except the Front Entry comes in a left-hand or right-hand version, and the hand is set at the factory and cannot be reversed after delivery. Get it right before your order is placed.
• The drains sit opposite the door. 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, so the door side has to work with where your house drain is.
• An outward door needs floor space. Outward U-shape doors swing 165 degrees and need about 21 inches of clearance in front, and the outward L-shape Transfer door swings 172 degrees and needs about 36.5 inches.
• An inward door needs room inside. Inward-swing doors need no floor space in front of the tub, but the bather steps in, stands, and closes the door past the knees, so some room inside the tub is needed.
• The seat height is fixed. The molded seat on Ella tubs is about 17 inches high and is not adjustable. A seat pillow riser adds about 3 1/2 inches with suction cups, and a 6 inch riser is made to order for the Ultimate but covers the seat jets.
• Some models use a single chain-operated drain. The Standard, Standard60, Zen, Zen60 and Flow have one 2 inch gravity drain closed by a removable plug on a chain, not a dual drain, and the plug and rim must be kept clean so the tub holds water.
• Nominal sizes are not actual sizes. The Petite is listed as 28 inches wide when its actual exterior width is 27 1/2 inches, so plan around the spec sheet.

Step 1: Measure the Route and the Bathroom

The first video on this page lays out the four things to weigh: your specific needs for mobility, comfort and safety; whether the tub fits your bathroom; the features that improve the bath, such as hydrotherapy or heated seats; and professional installation with reliable support. The second video shows why the route matters: correct measurements of all doorways and hallways must be taken, and the download tab of each tub on the website lists that model's specific dimensions. One figure in that video is out of date. The Elite's actual size on the current spec sheet is 30 inches wide by 52 inches long by 35 inches high, and that 30 inch width is the figure to use for doorway checks. The Petite example still holds: 28 inches nominal, 27 1/2 inches actual.

Step 2: Match the Door Side to Your House Drain

Stand where you will approach the tub and note which side the house drain is on. If the house drain is on the left side of the alcove, select the tub with the right-side drain, which places the door and seat on the left. Left and right tubs share the same measurements mirrored, so only the swing side changes, never the footprint. The house drain does not have to dictate the side outright, because there is roughly 3 inches of clearance beneath the frame, enough for a 2 inch PVC line, and the drain body has ports on both sides. Confirm the connection plan with your licensed installer and the orientation with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 before your order is placed. The full walkthrough is in Should My Walk-In Tub Door Be on the Left or Right Side?.

Step 3: Pick the Door Swing by Picking the Model

Doors are not interchangeable, so you choose the swing direction by choosing the tub.

What the table means in practice: if the clear floor in front of the door side is under 21 inches, an inward-swing model is the safer fit. If you have the room, an outward door such as the U-shape on the Lounger, which begins 28 3/4 inches from the wall, may still clear a nearby toilet. The Monaco is the Royal's outward counterpart at the same size, and the Tub4Two is the outward two-seater, so the same footprint is often available in either swing.

Step 4: Choose Features for the Bather

Once the size and door are settled, match the seat and the drain to the person who will bathe. If sitting higher would help, the seat pillow riser sits on the molded seat with suction cups and comes in a standard rectangle or a U-shape with a bidet cutout so the bidet air jets keep flowing; the cutout version fits one way only. It is described in What Is a Seat Pillow Riser on a Walk-In Tub?. If you are considering the Standard, Zen or Flow, understand that the drain is opened by hand with a chain-operated plug, as covered in What Is the Emergency Pull-Up Chain on a Walk-In Tub?. Finally, plan for a licensed installer, and have your model name and serial number ready whenever you contact your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850.

Watch: How to Choose Your Walk-In Tub | 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
• Left-Hand or Right-Hand? Choosing Door, Drain, and Faucet Side
• Inward or Outward Swing Door: Which Should I Choose Before Ordering?

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