Should I choose a walk-in tub or a roll-in shower?

Choose a roll-in shower when the person bathing stays in a wheelchair or shower chair and needs to roll straight in with no lip to cross. Choose a walk-in tub when you want to sit and soak, add therapies, and still shower from the seat with the hand shower. Ella's broader comparison of tubs and low-threshold showers is in Walk-In Tub or Low-Threshold Shower? Comparing Ella Options for Mobility, Space and Caregivers; this page focuses on the roll-in shower question.

What a Roll-In Shower Gives You

Ella's wheelchair accessible roll-in base is a curb-less pan that a wheelchair rolls straight into. It comes in three standard sizes, 30 x 60, 32 x 60 and 36 x 60 inches, with the drain position specified when you order, and sizes outside those three can be made to order. The 32 by 60 inch barrier-free base is offered in left and right configurations and is ready to ship. Details are in Wheelchair Accessible Shower Base Sizes, Drain Positions, and What Is Sold Separately.

• The entry is the lowest of any Ella product. AcrylX barrier-free bases have a beveled roll-in entry of 3/4 inch to 1 1/8 inch depending on size, and SMC bases are 1 inch or 1 1/8 inch. One-piece and three-piece stalls have a 4 inch threshold, and a 3 inch step-in base is available for those who prefer a slightly raised edge.
• The collapsible rubber shower dam keeps water in while a wheelchair rolls over it. The first video shows the dam being installed with silicone and then compressing under the wheels and springing back to hold the water in.
• Caregiver options include a weighted anti-bacterial nylon curtain, a stainless curtain rod and a slide bar with hand shower.
• A seat is optional: folding benches and seats rated from 300 to 600 pounds, or a 36 by 60 base with a molded seat.

Shower products are sold per item, so a complete roll-in shower is put together from the base, a wall system sized to it, and accessories such as grab bars or a door. The base and wall options are listed in Shower Bases, Walls, and Filler Pieces.

What a Walk-In Tub Gives You

• A molded seat and a soak, with soaking depths of roughly 14 to 17 1/2 inches on the models toured in the product videos, and therapy packages such as air massage, hydro massage, foot massage, microbubbles, chromatherapy and a heated seat.
• A shower as well. The 2-piece and 5-piece fast-fill faucets include a pull-out hand shower, and the optional shower column adds a 10 inch rain head for seated or standing showers. The second video shows how the column kit attaches to a deck-mount faucet.
• A wheelchair option. The Transfer family adds a wheelchair-height open side, and the transfer-style tub is available in a 60 by 30 inch size, for bathers who can slide across from a chair onto the seat.
• More plumbing and electrical work. Most models use dual 2 inch gravity drains, jetted packages need one or more dedicated GFCI-protected circuits installed by a licensed electrician, and a soaking tub with no powered options has nothing to plug in.
• Floor space. Models run from the 26 inch wide Mobile to the 36 by 72 inch ShaK, the most common footprint is 30 by 52 inches, and outward-swing doors need clear floor space in front of the tub.

How to Decide

If the bather stays seated in a wheelchair or rolling shower chair for the whole shower, the roll-in base with the dam is the direct fit. If the bather can transfer from a chair onto a seat, a Transfer tub gives that person a soak and therapies as well. If soaking is the goal, choose the tub. Measure the alcove and the doorway before either purchase; Walk-In Tub and Shower Base Sizes and How to Measure for Fit explains what to measure. Your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 can send drawings for the model or base you are weighing.

Watch: Easy Shower Column Installation for Your Walk-In Tub | Ellau2019s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Walk-In Tub Versus a Regular Bathtub: Seven Practical Differences in Entry, Seating, Fill and Drain, Water Use, Electrical, Installation and Cleaning
• Choosing a Walk-In Tub on Video: Measuring Yourself, Doorways, Door Styles, Therapies, Hot Water and the Line Overview
• What is a roll-in shower and who should get one?
• What Is a Shower Dam and When Do You Need One?
• Which accessible bathtub options work best for elderly users?
• Which Ella walk-in tub package is best for you and what does it include?

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