What Is a Soaker Tub and How Does It Compare to Walk-In Tubs?

In Ella's lineup, a soaker tub is not a separate kind of bathtub. It is a walk-in tub ordered in the soaking configuration, with no jets, no pumps and no therapy controls, and it keeps the same door, seat, faucet, hand shower and drain hardware as the jetted version of the same model. The real comparison is therefore between a soaker walk-in tub and a jetted walk-in tub, and it comes down to massage, electrical wiring, water temperature and upkeep. What Is a Soaking Walk-In Tub? gives the definition; this page sets the two side by side.

What a Soaker Is on an Ella Walk-In Tub

Every Ella therapy system is built into the shell at the factory. A soaker is molded without jet openings, and nothing is installed under the tub. The drains work by gravity, so a plain soaking tub needs no dedicated electrical circuit at all. Because the in-line water heater, ozone sterilization and Auto Purge all belong to the hydro and air systems, a soaker has none of them, and it does not include the LED chromatherapy light, which comes only with dual and triple packages. Everything structural matches the jetted version: acrylic shell on a stainless frame, door and seal, grab bars, textured floor, fast-fill faucet and hand shower, dual 2 inch drains (single on the Front Entry and Mobile), end panel, and the extension panel where offered. As one example, the Elite soaking option includes a 22 inch wide seat, the 360 degree swivel tray, the 5-piece Ella fast fill faucet, two chrome stainless steel grab bars, 2 inch dual drains with two drain openers, one reversible end panel for a left or right corner installation, and one 7 inch extension panel.

The one decision that cannot be reversed is massage. Jets cannot be added later, and a jetted tub cannot be turned into a soaker, because the package is part of the shell. Decide before you order.

Soaker vs Jetted Walk-In Tub, Side by Side

What the table means for your bathroom: a soaker is the only configuration your licensed electrician can skip entirely, unless you add the heated seat, and it is the only one with no equipment under the tub to flush or service. The price of that simplicity is that nothing holds the bath at temperature and there is no massage. If holding temperature through a long soak matters to the bather, a hydro package is the way to get the heater, because an air-only tub does not include one either.

Water Temperature and Hot Water Supply

This is the point the team asks soaker buyers to weigh. A soaker has no heater, so the bath is as warm as the water you fill it with, and it cools the way any bathtub does. A hydro package has a built-in in-line water heater that sustains the water temperature while the hydro system is engaged. It does not heat cold water from the tap; your home water heater still does the work of filling the tub with hot water. Does a Soaking Walk-In Tub Need Electrical Wiring or Keep the Water Warm? covers that trade-off, and Does My Ella Tub Include an In-Line Heater? explains how to confirm the configuration on a tub you already own, including clearance units, which sell exactly as they were built.

Because a soaker relies entirely on fill water, hot water supply matters more, not less. The video on this page shows Ella's recommendation: the maximum capacity hot water heater available for your house, with anything less than 75 gallons not recommended, 3/4 inch supply lines with easily accessible shut-off valves, and a check of the compare specs page on ellasbubbles.com for your model's water capacity in gallons, occupied and unoccupied. When you order an Ella 2 or 5-piece fast fill faucet set, 5-foot supply lines are included. Consult your installer or professional plumber about a dedicated hot water system for the tub, or a combination of two systems, if your household demand is high.

Deep Soaking Shape Is a Separate Question

Shoppers searching for a soaker tub are sometimes asking about posture rather than jets, and Ella treats those as two different choices. The Deluxe, at 30 by 55 inches, is designed as a deeper soaking tub rather than a stretch-out tub, so bathers sit more upright and sink lower into the water, and it comes with an in-swing door. The Longer, at 27 by 60 inches, has an extended seat area so a bather can scoot down and stretch their legs out, and it tends to suit someone of smaller stature. The Deluxe always includes at least one massage system, so a deep upright soak and the no-jets package are not the same thing. Walk-in Tub Model Highlights compares these shapes along with door swing.

Which Models Come as Soakers

Most models can be ordered as a soaker: the Elite, Petite and Royal with the stainless inward-swing door, the Capri, Monaco, Front Entry, Mobile and Lounger with the U-shape outward door, the whole Transfer family (Transfer26, Transfer30, Transfer32, Transfer60 and TransferXXL) and both LayDown sizes. A few models are always jetted: the Ultimate, Deluxe and Ultra, the Big4One and ShaK, the Standard, Standard60, Zen, Zen60 and Flow, and the two-seat tubs. The Elite, at 30 by 52 inches with the stainless steel inward-swing door, is the usual answer when a customer wants a clean look without electronics. Your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 can confirm a specific model.

Upkeep: Where the Soaker Wins

A soaker is the easiest Ella tub to care for. There is no monthly vinegar flush because there are no jet lines to clean, and bath salts and oils simply rinse away with the drain rather than collecting in plumbing lines. Care comes down to the acrylic, the door seal and the drain: clean the acrylic with approved non-abrasive cleaners and keep the door open when the tub is not in use to protect the seal. A jetted tub needs the monthly vinegar flush of its air and hydro lines and carries pumps, an in-line heater and ozone or Auto Purge equipment under the tub. Soaking Walk-In Tub vs Jetted Tub: Which Is Easier to Maintain? goes through the routine for each.

Watch: Ella's Bubbles: Determining Correct Hot Water Supply For A Walk-In Tub with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• What is a hydro tub and how does hydro massage work?
• What is an air bath tub and how does the air massage feel?
• What Is Infusion Microbubble Therapy on a Walk-In Tub?

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