Bathtubs buying guide
This page holds the full range of baths at The Blue Space, from a short inset bath to a long freestanding soaker. Most are acrylic, many are solid surface or stone, and one is steel. Bath, bathtub and bath tub all name the same fixture. The choices that matter are the same whichever word you use: how the bath sits in the room, how big it is, what it is made from, what comes in the box, and who fits it. The sections below take those in order, and each type and size links to its own collection when you want to compare models.
How the bath sits in the room
Start with the installation type, because it sets the plumbing, the tiling and the floor plan before any model is chosen. An inset bath, also called a built-in or alcove bath, is enclosed by walls or a tiled hob. It needs a tiled surround or frame, careful waterproofing and the right fall in the hob. A freestanding bath is finished on every side, so it needs floor plumbing or a freestanding mixer and more clearance around it. A back to wall bath has one flat edge against the wall, and that wall should be flat, plumb and sealed. A corner bath fills a corner on two finished sides and comes in left and right hand versions.
The collections for each type are freestanding baths, back to wall baths, corner baths and built in baths. Two more formats sit between them. An island bath is set into a tiled island hob and can stand anywhere in the room, and the Caroma Luna island bath has no gap behind it for dust to collect. A shower bath is an inset bath shaped for a shower over it, and the Decina Modena has a slip resistant pattern on the base for safer entry and exit.
If the room has an existing recess, the alcove question is mostly about the surround. A tile flange bath has a flange along the edge so the wall tiling runs over it. The Caroma Stirling steel bath has a four tile flange design that lets the bath sit right against the wall and be tiled over the flange to make a water and dust tight seal. The baths for tile edge page collects those, and the steel baths page has the enamelled steel option.
Sizes that fit a bathroom
Bath lengths fall into bands. Lengths of 1400mm to 1500mm are small, 1500mm to 1700mm is standard, and 1800mm and over is large, with 1700mm the most common length for a family home. Built-in baths run about 1500mm to 1700mm long and 700mm to 800mm wide, and freestanding baths run 1500mm to 1800mm long with compact designs from about 1400mm. The baths here sit inside those bands. Lengths run from 1300mm to 1800mm and most widths from 700mm to 900mm, while corner and round baths are wider on both axes.
Three collections split the range by length. Baths under 1500mm suits a short wall, 1500mm to 1700mm baths covers the standard band, and baths over 1700mm is for rooms with the length to spare. Small baths are shorter or narrower models for en suites and apartments.
Reading the dimensions on a bath
A bath has more than one length and more than one depth, and they answer different questions. The overall length and width decide whether it fits the wall. The height decides how high the rim sits above the floor, which runs from about 400mm on an inset bath to 750mm on a tall freestanding bath. The inner depth is the figure that matters for soaking, and the values here run from 410mm to 490mm. About 450mm to 480mm is a comfortable middle. A bath at the shallow end of the range sits below that, and one at the top sits above it.
Materials and what they do
Acrylic is the material most of these baths use. It has a non-porous surface that wipes clean, a moulded shape and a support frame. Several baths have an inbuilt steel frame with adjustable legs, which is how the bath sits solid and levels on a floor that is not perfectly flat. A good acrylic bath should not flex or creak, and thicker walls hold heat longer, while thin acrylic can flex if it is poorly supported. The acrylic bathtubs collection shows the full range.
Solid surface and stone baths are the other main group. Solid surface is a dense stone and resin blend that is warm to the touch, does not flex, resists staining and holds heat well. The cost of that density is weight. Stone and solid surface baths here run from about 50kg up to 154kg empty, which is why the floor capacity should be checked for an upstairs bathroom or an older house, and a large stone bath full of water weighs far more than its empty weight. Stone baths are collected on their own page.
Weight and the floor
The floor carries the bath, the water and the bather together. An empty acrylic bath is light, but a full bath with a person in it weighs several times that, and a stone bath weighs far more. On a concrete slab that is rarely a concern. On a timber floor, or in an upstairs bathroom, ask the builder to confirm the floor structure before the bath is ordered, and plan the position of joists against the waste. A bath on adjustable feet spreads the load through the feet or the frame, so the number and position of the feet matter, and a level, flat floor under them keeps the shell from twisting.
Overflow, waste and plug
Overflow and waste are the detail most often missed. On many baths the plug and waste are sold separately, and several baths have no overflow, so the waste is chosen to suit the bath and the tapware. A bath with an overflow has one built into the body, and a non-overflow bath does not. Waste size differs by bath: the Otti Hampton comes with a 40mm pop-up waste included, and the Turner Hastings Kirkham Ball needs a 40mm waste with overflow.
Spa baths and shower baths
A spa bath adds a pump and jets to the bath shape. The Decina Elisi has twelve flush mounted jets in two sizes plus a flush suction, a remote control in place of rim controls, and a 750 watt pump at the end of the bath under the perimeter. It has a centre waste with an integrated overflow and suits two bathers. The spa baths collection lists the other models and their jet layouts. A shower bath is a different product: it is an inset bath with a flatter base and a slip resistant pattern, shaped to take a screen or a shower panel, and the shower baths page covers those.
A shower over the bath
A bath with a shower over it saves a room and suits a family bathroom, but it only works if the bath is the right size. Allow a length of at least 1500mm and a width of at least 700mm for a shower over a bath, and a flat base with a slip resistant pattern makes standing in it safer. Plan a screen or a curtain to keep the water in the bath, tile the wall to the height of the shower, and fit a hand shower or a rail shower so the water does not run down the wall behind the taps. The shower baths page holds the shapes made for the job.
Installing a bath
Bath installation is trade work. The water and waste connections must be done by licensed trades, and wet area waterproofing follows the National Construction Code and AS 3740 for domestic wet areas. The waste connection and floor cut-out decisions are for a suitably qualified person, and tapware connections follow AS/NZS 3500 with a qualified plumber.
For a back to wall bath the order of work is this. Fit a 40mm overflow pop-up waste and prepare the floor for it, then rest the bath on wooden blocks over the waste connections and test for leaks with water. Level the bath on its adjustable feet last. Freestanding baths have adjustable self supporting feet or an inbuilt steel frame with adjustable legs for the same reason. Before delivery, check the width of the doorway and any turns in the hall, because a bath that clears a bathroom door can still catch on the way there.
Cleaning and care
Rinse after each use and wipe with a soft sponge or microfibre cloth, warm water and a pH neutral cleaner. Avoid bleach, ammonia, abrasive powders, steel wool and scouring pads. Once a week, give the bath a deeper clean with a cream cleanser that is not abrasive, and descale with a mild vinegar solution or a descaler made for baths, keeping vinegar off natural stone. Test any new product on a small hidden spot first.
Bath brands on this page
The baths here come from a mix of makers, and each one has its own collection if you want to see a single range. Caroma baths sit beside Decina baths, which include spa, inset and shower models. Turner Hastings baths include the TitanCast freestanding range. Bao baths, Fienza baths, Kaskade stone baths, BelBagno baths, Clark baths, ADP baths and Otti baths complete the list.
Choosing between the options
The decision usually settles in three steps. Measure the wall and the doorway first, which narrows the type and the length. Choose the material by the floor and the soak you want: acrylic for a lighter bath that is simpler to carry and fit, solid surface or stone for a heavier bath that holds heat longer. Then read the product page for overflow, waste and the support frame, so it is clear what arrives in the box and what does not before the plumber books a day. If the room is small, small baths and baths under 1500mm are the first places to look. If the room is open and the bath is meant to be the feature, freestanding baths and baths over 1700mm give the most choice.
