BelBagno baths buying guide
BelBagno baths are freestanding and back to wall baths in acrylic, solid surface and cast stone, across nine designs on this page. Most are premium sanitary grade acrylic, with a few in solid surface and cast stone. The acrylic designs are the Baden, Ally, Romano, Palermo, Terriccio and Alto, the solid surface designs are the Berg in Soft Sand and the Bucciano in matte grey, and the Ritz is cast stone. Almost every one includes a chrome waste in the box. BelBagno bath, Italian bath and European bathtub all describe this group. This guide sets out the materials, the sizes and what each design offers, and what to plan around the bath before you order.
What the baths are made of
The BelBagno acrylic baths are made from premium sanitary grade acrylic, fibreglass reinforced in five layers for rigidity, with an acrylic thickness of 3.8mm on the Palermo, the Ally and the Ritz. Each stands on a built-in metal frame with adjustable feet, so the shell is supported and the bath levels on a floor that is slightly out of true. The surface is more slip resistant than many acrylics,. The Terriccio and Alto are cast acrylic (PMMA) with a semi-gloss finish, light and durable. The Berg and Bucciano are solid surface, and the Ritz is cast stone.
The designs side by side
| Design | Format | Sizes | Material and finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baden | Freestanding | 1500 x 720 x 560mm, 1700 x 780 x 600mm | Acrylic, white |
| Ally | Freestanding | 1500 x 720 x 590mm, 1700 x 780 x 600mm | Acrylic, semi-gloss white |
| Romano | Freestanding, back support | 1500 x 720 x 710mm, 1700 x 780 x 710mm | Acrylic, white |
| Palermo | Back to wall freestanding | 1650 x 800 x 580mm, 1750 x 850 x 600mm | Acrylic, high gloss white |
| Terriccio | Freestanding rectangular | 1500mm, 1700mm | Cast acrylic, semi-gloss white |
| Alto | Back to wall rectangular | 1500mm, 1700mm | Cast acrylic, semi-gloss white |
| Berg | Freestanding | 1500 x 700 x 420mm, 1700 x 780 x 450mm | Solid surface, Soft Sand, soft satin |
| Ritz | Freestanding | 1676 x 900mm, 650mm to 750mm high | Cast stone |
| Bucciano | Freestanding oval | 1675 x 780 x 600mm | Solid surface, matte grey |
The Baden, Ally and Romano
These three are the classic freestanding ovals. The Baden is 40kg in the 1500mm size and 49kg in the 1700mm size. The Ally has a semi-gloss white finish and excellent thermal properties, with weights of 44kg and 49kg and capacities of 240 litres and 300 litres in the two sizes. The Romano has back support built into the shell, with a height of 710mm in both lengths, so it gives the most support of the three. All three come with a chrome waste included.
The Palermo, Terriccio and Alto
The Palermo is a back to wall freestanding bath in 100% high gloss pure acrylic, with excellent thermal properties and a chrome waste included. The Terriccio and the Alto have a modern rectangular design with soft curves and a narrow shelf for storing bathroom supplies or decorative items, and both can be drilled on site for taps. The Terriccio is freestanding and the Alto is back to wall, and the Alto has an ergonomic shape with good back support. Both include a chrome pop-up plug and waste. Their cast acrylic is lightweight, which makes installation easier.
The Berg, Ritz and Bucciano
The Berg is a sleek, contemporary solid surface bath in a neutral Soft Sand colour with a soft satin finish and an ergonomic shape for back support. It weighs 50kg to 52kg, holds 230 to 260 litres, and includes a chrome pop-up plug and waste with no overflow. It is a lightweight solid surface bath. The Ritz is a cast stone freestanding bath designed to give wonderful back support, with an overflow and a plug and waste included. The Bucciano is a solid surface oval in matte grey, 1675mm long, weighing 70kg, with an overflow drain, a drain assembly and a tub waste kit included. For other colours, see clay baths.
Freestanding or back to wall
A freestanding bath stands clear of the walls and is finished on every side, so it needs access around it for cleaning and for the tapware. A back to wall bath such as the Palermo or the Alto has a flat side against the wall, which saves floor and keeps a freestanding look. Choose by the room: a short or narrow room suits a back to wall bath, and open floor suits a freestanding one. For the types across every maker, see freestanding baths and back to wall baths. Many buyers also search for a corner bath, and corner baths lists those, since the BelBagno baths here are not corner baths.
Comfort and back support
How a bath supports your back matters more than its length. The Romano has back support built into the shell and a height of 710mm, the Alto has an ergonomic shape with good back support, the Berg has an ergonomic shape for back support, and the Ritz is designed to give wonderful back support. The Palermo, Baden and Ally are plainer ovals that suit a bather who prefers to sit upright or move position. If you like to recline, look at the Romano, the Alto, the Berg or the Ritz, and check the inner depth on the product page, because the Berg is 420mm to 450mm high and the Romano is much taller.
Capacity and hot water
The stated capacities run from 230 litres on the Berg 1500mm to 350 litres on the Alto 1700mm, and the Ally holds 240 litres in the 1500mm size and 300 litres in the 1700mm size. Capacity is not the water in the bath when someone sits in it, and makers measure it in different ways, so compare litres only between baths that use the same measure. A bath that holds more takes longer to fill and needs more hot water, so check that the hot water system can fill the bath comfortably.
The shelf on the Terriccio and Alto
The narrow shelf along the edge of the Terriccio and the Alto is a practical feature. It holds soap, a shampoo bottle or a decorative item within reach, and it makes the bath useful without a separate caddy. Because both baths can be drilled on site for taps, a deck mounted tap can sit on the shelf, which suits a room where a floor mounted mixer is not wanted. Decide on the tap position before the bath is drilled, and confirm it with your plumber, since a drilled hole cannot be moved.
A shower with a BelBagno bath
A freestanding bath stands away from the walls, so a fixed screen is hard to fit, and the usual answer is a handheld shower on the mixer or a separate shower. A back to wall bath such as the Palermo or the Alto is the better base for a shower, because the wall behind the bath holds the screen. For a comfortable shower over a bath, the bath should be at least 1500mm long and 700mm wide, with a screen of at least 1400mm, and every BelBagno bath here meets the length. Shower baths lists the full set.
Waste and overflow
Nearly every BelBagno bath here includes a chrome waste, so the bath arrives ready for plumbing. The Bucciano includes a drain assembly and a tub waste kit with its overflow drain, and the Ritz includes a plug and waste for its overflow. The Berg has no overflow. Check the product page for the version you want, because the overflow decides which waste is correct. Australian building codes require a fully removable bath waste in some situations, so confirm with your plumber before you order. The bath wastes collection has other finishes if you want the waste to match your tapware.
Weight and the floor
The acrylic baths are light, from 40kg to 49kg, and the solid surface Berg is 50kg to 52kg, which makes them easier to carry in and gentler on the floor. The Bucciano weighs 70kg, and the cast stone Ritz is heavier. Water adds roughly 1kg per litre, so a bath holding 300 litres adds about 300kg, and a bather adds more. The floor needs to be sound and level, a timber floor should be checked, and the route into the room should be measured, since a bath of 1700mm may not clear a standard 820mm doorway when carried upright.
Tapware
The freestanding baths have no tap holes, so the tapware is a separate choice. A floor mounted spout or mixer stands beside the bath, and a wall mounted set suits a bath placed close to a wall. The Terriccio and the Alto can be drilled on site for taps, which gives a deck mounted option. Decide before the plumber roughs in, because the pipes are inside the floor or the wall once the room is finished. The freestanding bath mixers collection lists the floor mounted options.
Matching the colour
The Berg in Soft Sand and the Bucciano in matte grey are colour choices, and colour changes with the light. A sample box lets you see a swatch of the colour in your own space before you order, and it is good advice for any coloured bath. Look at the swatch in morning and evening light, next to your tiles and tapware. The white baths pair easily with most schemes, and the semi-gloss and soft satin finishes read softer than gloss.
Care
Rinse the bath after each use and wipe it with a soft sponge or microfibre cloth and a pH neutral cleaner. Keep abrasive powders and steel wool away from the surface, and use a mild, non-abrasive cleaner on the matte and satin finishes. Clean spills such as hair dye, bath bombs and oils promptly. In a back to wall bath, check the silicone seal along the wall each month and renew it if it lifts or discolours.
Choosing a BelBagno bath
Start with the room and the format. Then choose the material for the weight and finish you want, the length for the space, and the support for the way you bathe: the Romano and Ritz for the most back support, the Terriccio and Alto for a shelf. Confirm the waste and plan the tapware and the floor. The lengths sit in the standard band covered by 1500mm baths and 1700mm baths, and every bath at every length is at bathtubs.
