What Size Walk-In Tub Is Best for a Five Foot Person?

For a bather around five feet tall, the Ella walk-in tubs to compare first are the models built on the lower 35 inch platform, the Petite, Elite and Royal, along with compact models such as the Flow, which has the shortest seat length listed. Height alone never picks the tub, because your seated hip width, shoulder width and head-to-feet length decide the fit. What size walk-in tub fits a five foot or six foot person? puts both heights side by side. This page is for the shorter bather: which figures to read, what they mean, and why a bigger tub is rarely the better one.

Why a Shorter Bather Should Start with the Compact Models

It is natural to assume that more tub means more comfort. Ella's own guidance says otherwise. The extra-large tubs with very long seats are designed for taller bathers, and they can be uncomfortable for an average or shorter person. A seat that is longer than your upper leg, or an interior that is longer than your reach from head to feet, does not hold you the way a well matched tub does.

This is why the compact and lower-platform models lead the list for a bather around five feet. The Petite, Elite and Royal share the lower 35 inch platform, and the Elite is described as pairing the lower seat height with a wider 22 inch seat. The Flow is the shortest seated tub in the comparison, and its seat is listed at 13 inches long, the shortest seat length listed. Ella's size comparison also places its standard-size models, with seats from 19 inches and capacities of 65 to 107 gallons, as the range for average and shorter bathers.

Ella Walk-In Tub Sizes Compared for a Shorter Bather

The table runs from the most compact tubs to the largest, using the figures published in Ella's size guides. The last two rows are included so you can see what to pass over.

What the differences mean: the first four rows are where a five foot bather should spend their time. Between them, the choice comes down to seat width, not length. The Petite's 19 inch seat is the narrowest in the line, the Flow's is 20 inches, and the Elite's is 22 inches, so your seated hip measurement will usually point to one of them. The Deluxe and the Ultimate add interior length and legroom that taller bathers need. A shorter bather gains little from that length, and the tub takes more of the bathroom. The Big4One and the ShaK have long seats and long interiors on purpose, and What size walk-in tub fits a six-foot-tall person? explains who they are for.

Measure Yourself Seated, Not Standing

Ella's measuring method 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 seated, to gauge the tub length that fits you.

Compare those numbers with the drawings and specifications for each model, and be exact, because different body sizes require different size tubs. Ella seat widths run from 19 inches on the Petite and Transfer26 to 29 inches on the TransferXXL, so the hip figure narrows the field quickly. A person who is five feet tall with wider hips may be happier on the Elite's 22 inch seat than on the Petite's 19 inch seat, even though both tubs share the same length and platform. The wider method for weighing seat, depth, door style and therapy options together is in What is the best walk-in tub, and how do I compare models?

How Soaking Depth Works for a Shorter Bather

The soaking depth of an Ella walk-in tub 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. On every Ella tub the published depth is measured to the overflow, because water rises to the overflow opening and then runs out. The spec sheet figure is the real depth you can fill to. On a seated tub, the number to use is the seat-to-overflow measurement for your model, which runs roughly 15 to 18 inches across the mid-size models.

Here a shorter bather has a pleasant advantage. A tall bather with a long torso sits higher in the water than a shorter bather on the same seat. With a shorter torso, the same seat-to-overflow figure brings the water higher on your body. Measure your seated torso length and compare it with the seat-to-overflow figure for the model you are considering. How Deep Is the Water Really in a Walk-In Tub? shows how to read that figure. Fill no higher than the center of the drain handle, and remember that the overflow carries away anything that rises above it.

Sharing the Tub with a Taller Partner, and Getting a Fit Check

Many households have one shorter bather and one taller one. The guidance is to compare both sets of measurements before you decide. A tub sized for a bather around six feet can be uncomfortable for a shorter person, and a very compact tub may not give the taller partner the head-to-feet length they need. The Deluxe, with its 46.5 inch interior length, and the 60 inch Ultimate sit between the compact models and the extra-large tubs, so they are the middle ground to look at with both sets of numbers in hand.

Weight does not change this advice. Ella does not publish a single bather weight limit across the lineup, because the deciding factor is fit. If you would like a second opinion before you order, send your seated measurements and the model you are considering through ellasbubbles.com/support. Your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 will confirm the figures for that model.

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