Finding The Perfect Bath
Baths are bathroom fixtures designed for full-body bathing, available in several installation types to suit different layouts. The main categories are freestanding baths, back to wall baths, corner baths and inset baths, with spa baths offering water or air jets within any of these formats. The right type depends on your available floor space, your plumbing layout, and whether the bath needs to be a standalone feature or fit within an existing recess.
This collection includes baths from Caroma, Bao Bath, Decina, Fienza and Turner Hastings.
What bath types are there?
- Freestanding baths stand independent of any wall, with a finished exterior on all sides. They require floor-mounted or wall-mounted tapware rather than tapware fixed to the bath itself, and they need clearance on all sides, typically at least 100mm, for cleaning and visual balance. Freestanding baths suit larger bathrooms where the bath is intended as a feature rather than a space-saving solution.
- Back to wall baths have a finished front and sides but sit flush against a wall on one edge. This gives the appearance of a freestanding bath from the front while keeping the plumbing and rear edge concealed. Back to wall baths suit bathrooms that want a freestanding look without the full floor space a true freestanding bath needs.
- Corner baths are shaped to fit into a right-angled corner, making use of space that would otherwise go unused. Internal capacity is often larger than the footprint suggests, and some models include a built-in seat or ledge. Corner baths suit bathrooms with an awkward or underused corner.
- Inset baths also known as built-in or alcove baths, install against one, two or three walls and are enclosed by a tiled hob or frame. This is the most common configuration in Australian bathrooms, generally the most straightforward to install, and the surrounding ledge provides a practical spot for bathroom essentials.
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Spa baths A spa bath is a bath fitted with water jets, air jets, or both, to provide a massaging effect during bathing. Spa functionality is available across freestanding, back to wall, corner and inset baths, so the spa feature is an addition to the installation type rather than a separate category.
If you're considering a spa bath, check the pump location and the access required for future servicing. Most spa baths need a small access panel built into the surrounding wall or hob for this purpose.
Bath materials
The main materials used in this collection are acrylic and composite stone.
Acrylic baths are lightweight, moulded into a wide range of shapes, and retain heat reasonably well. The surface is non-porous, so it resists staining and is straightforward to clean. Acrylic can scratch with abrasive cleaning products, though light scratches can usually be buffed out.
Composite stone baths are heavier and feel more solid underfoot and to the touch. They retain heat for longer than acrylic and resist scratching and chipping well. Given the additional weight, it's worth confirming the floor structure can support a stone bath before installation, particularly on upper floors.
Choosing the right size
Getting the size right matters more than most other decisions in this collection, since an oversized bath can dominate a small room and an undersized bath limits comfortable use.
For inset baths, measure the alcove precisely, including any tolerance needed for tiling. For freestanding, back to wall and corner baths, measure the full footprint plus clearance space around it, and confirm door swing and access to the vanity or toilet aren't affected.
To narrow the range by size, this collection is grouped as follows:
- Baths under 1500mm suited to smaller bathrooms and ensuites, view collection
- Baths from 1500mm to 1700mm the standard size range for most Australian bathrooms, view collection
- Baths over 1700mm for larger bathrooms with more available floor space, view collection
Choosing a bath for a renovation
Renovators replacing an existing bath generally start with the installation type already fixed by the existing plumbing and recess, particularly with inset baths, where the alcove dimensions set the available size range. Where the layout is changing, or the bathroom is being reconfigured from scratch, there's more flexibility to consider a freestanding or corner bath instead.
Brand selection across Caroma, Bao Bath, Decina, Fienza and Turner Hastings largely comes down to design detail, finish options and warranty terms, since all five brands offer acrylic and composite stone options across the installation types covered in this collection. Also consider bath plug and wastes that match your tapware colours.
