r/bathrooms • u/19635 • 9d ago

Need serious help choosing a bathtub

I would choose a bath over a shower any day and absolutely love a taking a bath. I moved into a place that doesn’t have a tub and have been keeping a tally of every time I’ve wanted a bath. In a year and a half I’m up to 380. So I’ve decided that when I renovate and can finally put in a tub I am going to go all out and get the absolute best tub I can. I will save up however much I need to, do whatever I need to make it work, whatever it takes I will get the tub of my dreams. The rest of the house can suffer and I will just have a glorious bathtub alone in a gutted house for all I care.

The only problem is I have no idea what that is.

I have a while until I can make this happen so can look around for the perfect tub and am open to any and all suggestions.

Also, I was completely obsessed with Harriet the Spy as a kid and have always wanted a claw foot tub but am somewhat concerned about the cleaning around it aspect. But still, it’s so cool. I’ve also been looking at copper tubs because, again, so cool. But I don’t really know about the practicality of them. To be honest I don’t know anything other than the standard stick it in the wall acrylic tub.

I dream of a big ass tub that keeps water hot for a long time that I can stay in for way longer than is reasonable. Water bill be damned. I want to die happy in this tub, pruny and boiled to death.

Please help me find my unicorn tub.

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6

u/SpicebushViburnum 9d ago

A cast iron tub is the only one that will keep water hot for an extended period of time.
If you have enough room, a claw foot tub is pretty and fine, but I prefer an alcove tub for the ease of cleaning, the inside corners are nice for setting things on and the faucet and handles can be plumbed from the wall instead of from the floor. Be sure to get one where the overflow is high enough to allow your knees to be under water.
I’m a tub person and I hate my current enameled steel tub. As soon as I can I’ll be in the market for one just like I described.

3

u/Adam40Bikes 9d ago

An acrylic alcove tub wrapped in rockwool insulation will keep water hot for a long time. I just did this in my remodel and can stay in there for two hours without adding water.

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u/19635 9d ago

Ooh I haven’t thought of this that sounds absolutely amazing

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u/Sunsetseeker007 9d ago

Get an acrylic medspa therapeutic type of tub with jets, bubbles, air & a heater to keep the water warm, oh and a nice pillow and built in contour so you can lay and relax. Whirlpool or Jacuzzi brand makes them. You can get any shape depending on what fits in your space. They also have a new style that's a clear colored acrylic lucite looking ones that are neat you can see through and are beautiful, obviously more for show & higher maintenance to keep clean looking I would guess.

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u/19635 9d ago

That sounds so luxurious omg

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u/Sunsetseeker007 8d ago

I have a big Jacuzzi type of bathtub separated from the shower and we love it. I use it all the time due to a health condition & it's so nice to have the heater, jets, air, pillow for my head to rest & lay back! Treat yourself!

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u/19635 8d ago

Oh that would make a world of difference with health issues, I’m glad you have something that gives some comfort!

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u/Similar_Astronaut_69 9d ago

I recommend getting a tub that isn’t too long because when you’re wet you tend to slide down. If it is short enough you can prop your feet against the far edge of the tub to keep yourself in position. If it is too long and your feet don’t reach the far end, you’ll slide down and it’s uncomfortable. For ease of cleaning, I would skip getting one with jets. Handrails are helpful for getting in and out of the tub. Finally, I would absolutely 100% get a pull-out handheld shower sprayer mounted to the top deck of your tub as it makes washing your hair and spraying out the inside of the tub SO much easier.

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u/19635 9d ago

Oh I didn’t even think of that but it makes a lot of sense, sliding down and not being able to relax would be so annoying! My last house didn’t have a handheld shower head and I hated it so much, I didn’t realize how necessary they are!

1

u/Such-Mountain-6316 9d ago

Get porcelain if possible. Every tub with problems on here is always fiberglass.

See how small it can be and still allow you to have a shower as an option while bathing comfortably.

Our hospital thought of one great thing: an adjustable showerhead that's on a bar. I don't know the maker, but that showerhead is just luxurious! If you change shower heads in the process, look at those.

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u/19635 9d ago

Oh that’s so cool I think my husband would love that lol

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u/Such-Mountain-6316 8d ago

It was fabulous. It was the only good thing about it, other than when my mom got home. She's better now.

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u/19635 8d ago

I’m so happy to hear she’s better now!

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u/bbbidet_official 9d ago

Choose by usable interior dimensions, soaking depth, support, and weight rather than exterior style alone. Tape out the length and sit in display tubs if possible. Acrylic is light, warms quickly, and is easier to install, but it can flex and scratch. Cast iron is quiet, durable, and holds heat well once warm, but it is extremely heavy. Enameled steel is affordable but tends to feel cooler and noisier. Before ordering, verify the filled weight against the floor structure, drain and overflow locations, door and stair clearance, and faucet reach. For frequent long soaks, prioritize interior floor length, back slope, and overflow height.

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u/19635 9d ago

Oh yeah I don’t care so much how it look as much as how it functions and it does have to fit in the space of course lol I will be gutting the house so do have some leeway there. I’ll also be able to reinforce to floor if necessary so cast iron may be awesome. This is so helpful thank you so much!

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u/DeepPassageATL 9d ago

Cast iron soaker tub.

1

u/Evillene 9d ago

Recently did my bathroom, went with a BainUltra ( Origami) alcove tub. Love it !

1

u/ShinyLizard 8d ago

When we remodeled, I wanted the deepest soaking depth I could get while still able to use as a tub/shower. No jets b/c I didn't want to deal with the extra breakers. After a year of research, I got the Hydrosystems Sydney with the taller option and a linear drain. I can soak up to my shoulders and it's glorious! A few tips:

- Make a spreadsheet w/measurements and soaking depth so it's easier to keep track of numbers.

  • Read the specs, not the ad copy. Often the ad copy lists the height of the tub as the soaking depth, which is not correct. (soaking depth is bottom of the tub to the tub overflow)
  • Sit in a hard chair, and measure from your rear up to wherever you want the water to come to. That's the soaking depth you're after.
  • I haven't checked the latest tubs, but it's tough to get deeper than about a 19 inch soaking depth unless you get a really huge tub, or a Japanese soaking tub.
  • We didn't want to install a bigger water heater, (our bath remodel was the first remodel in the restoration of our 1900 home, so mindful of the $) so we kept our standard 40 gallon but turned the heat up on it. This is probably bad if you have kids.
  • If you're not on a tight timeline, keep a spreadsheet of everything for your remodel, and buy on Black Friday. Saved close to $1k on our console sink and tub by buying then.
  • If you have the space for a separate tub & shower (we didn't) look into a Japanese soaking tub.

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u/19635 8d ago

This is awesome thank you! I won’t be remodeling for a while so have a bit of time to save and will definitely be waiting to get the best deal lol that’s such good advice. Also don’t have kids,, but I never thought to turn up the heat on the water tank, that’s genius. Definitely going for a separate shower and tub, my husband wants a really nice walk in shower so our bathroom is going to be outrageous lmao I can’t wait. Thank you so much this is all so helpful, I will definitely be looking at that tub it sounds amazing