Shopping for a soaking tub, or a soaker tub, today is a rewarding experience, with a range of options that guarantee that you can buy one that is perfect for you in every way. The modern soaking tubs are a lot more than the place you go to maintain personal hygiene and soak in warm water. The beautiful shapes and materials available offer you breathtaking masterpieces that can become the decorative focal point of your bathroom.
Here’s what you need to know in order to narrow down the selection to the soaking bathtub you want:
Installation type:
Freestanding - A freestanding soaker tub is the most comprehensive and impressive looking bathtub out there. It is beautifully finished on all four sides and is meant to be installed away from the walls, anywhere in the bathroom where all four tub walls can be seen and most appreciated. The free standing soaking tub comes in a wide variety of attractive shapes and finishes, some literally artistic sculptures, for maximum decorative enhancement.
Clawfoot tub - A clawfoot tub is a freestanding soaker tub that rests upon four decorative legs as opposed to resting directly on the floor - for a more uplifted, prestigious, and typically vintage, look.
Drop In - A drop in soaker tub is made to be installed in a perfectly sized cut out surrounded by walls and/or a tiled bathtub skirt. When fully surrounded, a drop in soaking tub has a built-in look that is very solid and upscale.
Undermount -Undermount soaking tubs are made to be installed similar to drop in soaking tubs, but with the lip of the tub walls covered by tiles as well. Undermount soaking tubs look even more solid and built in than drop in tubs, but they’re also typically more complex and expensive to install. Many drop in soaking tubs – those with flat lips - can be installed as undermount tubs too. See product specs as you browse the tubs on our website for installation options.
Alcove - An alcove soaking tub is the most common bathtub installation type. They are installed in the traditional manner, surrounded by three walls, with a nicely finished skirt for the open side. Drop in tubs can be installed as alcove tubs too, but you would need to install your own finished panel on one side of the tub.
Corner - A corner tub stands out in both shape and size. They are typically triangular, and large enough to comfortably accommodate two bathers. A corner soaker tub is installed in the corner of the bathroom, against two walls. They truly make a statement.
Size:
You can get your soaker tubs in a wide range of sizes, meeting your needs regarding your bathroom layout, aesthetics and bathing comfort. Larger tubs feel more regal and are more spacious, but the more modestly framed amongst us may also find bathing in them to be a bit too floaty and insecure.
The most common soaking bathtub lengths are 60”, 66” and 72”, which are the standard options for cutouts to accommodate drop in and undermount tubs. Soaking bathtubs whose widths fall between the abovementioned common sizes are typically a freestanding soaker tub, which does not need to fit squarely within any slot. Standard bathtub widths are 30”, 33”, 36” and 42”, with variations within this range primarily on freestanding tubs. The widest soaking tubs on the market is the typical corner soaking tub and other uniquely shaped tubs.
Material:
By far the most common soaking bathtub today is an acrylic soaking tub. This material is lightweight, easy to manufacture and practical for everyday use. However, you have a nice selection of non acrylic soaking tubs too, though they tend to cost more. A cast iron soaking tub is the way they used to all be made – are a lot heavier, and more solid and resilient to the wear and tear of everyday use. They also do a better job maintaining the heat of the bath water, which is important in a soaking tub.
For the more exquisite loving, solid surface/man made stone soaking tubs are an excellent choice. These tubs are made of unique, custom blended natural materials that are placed into a bathtub mold in the factory and solidified. The result is a soaking tub that is one piece, with thin and sleek panels, that can be produced in artistic sculpted shapes. Solid surface/man made stone also has a great, smooth feel whenever your skin comes in contact with it. If you want to be truly adventurous, you can choose a natural stone soaking tub, a wood soaking bathtub, a copper tub, and more.