What is a walk-in tub and who is it designed for?

A walk-in tub is a bathtub with a door in its side and a low threshold, so you step in through the door instead of climbing over a tub rim, then sit and bathe with the door closed. Ella's Bubbles builds its walk-in tubs for a safer, more comfortable bathing experience, and the line is introduced in Ella's Bubbles Walk-In Tubs: A General Overview. It is designed for anyone who worries about slipping while getting in or out of a bath, including wheelchair users, bathers who need a caregiver's help, and people who simply want a spa-style soak at home.

How a Walk-In Tub Differs from a Standard Bathtub

• A door instead of a rim to climb over. Depending on the model, the door swings inward into the tub or outward into the room. The Deluxe, for example, has an in-swing door, and the Monaco uses an out-swing door.
• A low threshold for easy entry and exit, and a textured slip-resistant floor. The video below shows how the low threshold makes entering and exiting safer, even from a wheelchair.
• A built-in seat. Some models, like the Deluxe at 30 by 55 inches, are shaped for sitting upright in deeper water, while the Longer at 27 by 60 inches has an extended seat area so a bather can scoot down and stretch out.
• A deck-mounted faucet with a pull-out hand shower, so the tub fills and rinses with the bather seated. Most Ella tubs ship with a fast-fill set, described in What Is a Fast-Fill Faucet on a Walk-In Tub?.

Ella walk-in tubs are assembled in Chicago and ship nationwide, and Ella also offers walk-in showers for anyone who prefers a shower-based option.

Who a Walk-In Tub Is Designed for

• Anyone at risk of a slip-and-fall accident entering or exiting a bathtub. The low threshold, slip-resistant floor and seat take the climbing and balancing out of a bath.
• Wheelchair users. Transfer-style tubs are built so a bather can move in from a wheelchair, and the Transfer XXL at 36 by 55 inches is a wheelchair accessible, bariatric model for bathers who need extra width.
• Bathers who need assisted bathing. The HoistAssist pairs a transfer tub with its own battery hoist for a bather who cannot bear weight or slide across, and the HomeCare is designed exclusively for assisted bathing with a caregiver present. Both are compared in Which Ella Walk-In Tub Works With a Hoyer Lift or Patient Lift?.
• Anyone who wants an in-home spa experience. Depending on the model, therapy options include a heated seat and back, hydro jets, air jets, microbubbles and hydrofoot therapy.

Soaker or Therapy Tub

Most Ella models can be ordered as a soaker with no jets for bathers who simply want a safe, comfortable soak, or with therapy features added. Extras such as a 24 inch hand shower slide bar or a head pillow can be included on some models. A summary of the Longer, Deluxe, Monaco and Transfer XXL is in Walk-in Tub Model Highlights: Longer, Deluxe, Monaco, and Transfer XXL, and your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 can help match a model to your bathroom and the way you like to bathe.

Watch: Ella's Bubbles Walk-In Tub's Low Threshold, Easy Entry Makes Bathing Safer with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Walk-in tub dimensions by model: exterior sizes, seat widths, and door types
• Choosing a Walk-In Tub on Video: Measuring Yourself, Doorways, Door Styles, Therapies, Hot Water and the Line Overview
• Walk-In Tub Therapy Options and Features

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