Is a soaking tub as luxurious as it sounds? If you're considering one for your home, here's what you'll want to know before you buy.
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Ultimate Soaking Tubs Buying Guide: Here’s Everything You Need to Know
Updated on Nov. 05, 2024
Soaking tubs may seem like the epitome of decadence, but this type of bathtub certainly isn’t new. Let’s take a look at what they are and whether one is right for you.
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What Is a Soaking Tub?
Soaking tubs, by their very nature, are places of luxury. Designed to submerge your body, they’re perfect for extended, leisurely bathtub soaks with or without bubbles, delivering soothing relaxation and relief from aches and pains after a long day.
Soaking tubs come in various depths, dimensions and styles. Many come with extra features such as ergonomic contours for comfort, heaters, mood lighting and whirlpool jets for an in-home spa experience. Some manufacturers offer customization to accommodate taller and larger bathers. Make yourself a priority with these relaxing home spa ideas.
When choosing a soaking tub for a bathroom in a new build or renovation, it’s important to take these factors into account:
- Size, shape and layout;
- Durability of materials;
- Installation/pipe placement;
- Energy efficiency/water heater capacity;
- Comfort;
- Style;
- Price.
Pro tip: Make sure your water heater can provide enough hot water to fill the tub. Often this gets overlooked. Upgrading the water heater adds unexpected time, hassle and expense to the project, so do your homework first.
The Best Soaking Tubs
VIA MERCHANT
Woodbridge Freestanding Soaking Acrylic Bathtub
Like putting a square peg in a round hole, finding a soaking tub that fits into an existing bathroom can be tricky. It’s especially challenging in small bathrooms with limited floor space.
The Woodbridge Freestanding Soaking Acrylic Bathtub is a great option that’s as attractive as it is space-saving. Despite its compact size, this soaker measures 14.5 inches deep, rivaling many full-sized competitors in immersability.
An overflow slot allows the tub to be filled to its 60-gallon capacity without spilling over, and it comes with a choice of five faucet finishes. Add a bamboo bath caddy to hold scented candles, bath salts or a favorite book. Ahhh.
VIA MERCHANT
Kohler Underscore Alcove Bathtub
If you’re looking for a soaking tub in a three-wall, recessed design, the Kohler Underscore Alcove Bathtub fits the bill. A mid-priced option, the durable acrylic Underscore resists chips and cracks, with molded lumbar support and a sloped backrest for comfort.
A textured bottom surface promises safer ins and outs. Despite its depth, it has a low step-over height, making it ADA-compliant.
VIA MERCHANT
Signature Hardware Raksha Hammered Copper Japanese Soaking Tub
The Raksha Hammered Copper Japanese Soaking Tub by Signature Hardware lets you unwind in extra-deep luxury. This splurge-worthy tub is hand-crafted, using a French hot process to ingrain the patina into the 16-gauge, polished copper. The result is a rustic-chic look.
Because its water depth to the rim is a profound 26-1/4 inches, you can look forward to hours of pampering soaks.
Types of Soaking Tubs
Soaking tubs can be made of porcelain-enameled cast iron, ceramic, fiberglass, resin, acrylic, copper, wood, concrete, stone or marble. They also come in several styles, from traditional to contemporary to transitional (an eclectic mix of the two).
- Alcove:Â A recessed style, surrounded by three walls. Alcove tubs are often tub and shower combinations.
- Freestanding: These are installed away from walls, so it’s best suited for larger bathrooms. One well-known example is the clawfoot tub.
- Corner:Â Shaped to fit in awkward, angled spaces.
- Drop-in/overmount:Â Made to be lowered into a built-in surround. The sides of the tub are hidden, leaving only the top of the rim exposed.
- Undermount:Â Similar to overmounts, except the tub is installed underneath a ledge or bathtub deck. It’s mostly supported by the floor below.
- Japanese:Â Ultra-deep and usually standalone, it lets bathers sit upright, much like a hot tub.
- Jetted: Jacuzzi tubs fitted with whirlpool jets to produce bubbles and therapeutic massage action.
- Walk-in: Engineered with a door to allow bathers to step in and out easily. Walk-in tubs are ideal for older people and those with mobility issues.
- One- or two-piece:Â One-piece tubs feature a single hunk of material, while two-piece tubs generally consist of a skirt and vessel inserted into one another.
Materials
There are many materials a soaking tub may be made out of. Here are some of the most common, as well as their benefits and drawbacks:
- Fiberglass: The cheapest and lightest common soaking tub material, fiberglass offers excellent heat retention, easy cleaning and simple installation. However, it isn’t very durable, may stain with continued use and can be prone to cracking over time.
- Porcelain: The classic tub material, porcelain is relatively inexpensive, easy to install and care for and resists stains and cracking. However, it is very heavy and not as refined as some other options.
- Acrylic: Situated in the middle of the road, price-wise, acrylic offers superb heat retention, as well as easy cleaning and installation. However, it’s not as durable as other materials
- Cast Iron: This material offers outstanding heat retention, ease of cleaning, crack resistance, stain resistance and overall durability, but it is very heavy, difficult to install and expensive.
- Stone: One of the heaviest materials for a soaking tub, stone is stain- and crack-resistant, easy to clean, easy to install and offers decent heat retention. However, it can be extremely expensive.
- Copper: One of the most historically iconic materials, copper is among the most durable, is very easy to clean, boasts both stain and crack resistance, is super easy to clean and offers superb heat retention. However, it is extremely heavy, difficult to install and is among the most expensive materials.
Heating and Temperature Retention
As you can see from the list of materials above, some are better at retaining heat than others. Those that do are better for longer soaks, as the water will stay warmer for longer. However, there are some options for heated tubs. If you want to take longer soaks in your tubs, we recommend looking into heated tubs, as well as considering materials with good heat retention.
Therapeutic Benefits and Accessories
Like heated tubs, there is a bevy of other potential additional features you should look for if you want more than just a tub. Some brands offer soaking tubs with therapeutic features, such as air jets or chromotherapy lights, which enhance the relaxing experience. You can also add some accessories yourself to help upgrade your experience, like neck pillows, armrests, and bath trays. However, most of these must be purchased separately from third-party sellers and not the tub brands themselves.
Are Soaking Tubs Comfortable?
They can be extremely luxurious and cozy. They can also be quite uncomfortable. A 6-foot, 4-inch, 250-pound person would need a larger tub than a five-foot, 120-pound person. A lot depends on how well the soaking tub meets a bather’s needs. Keep the size of your users at the forefront when you make your choice.
Soaking tub comfort-makers
- Deep enough to submerge up to the neck;
- Sufficient legroom to stretch out completely;
- Ergonomically contoured to cradle the body;
- Built-in arm and headrests;
- Massaging jets to soothe sore muscles and ease stress.
Comfort buzz-kills
- Awkward slopes that don’t support the back;
- Sides that are too high, making it difficult to climb in or out;
- Slippery surfaces that cause drifting and sliding beneath the waterline;
- Uninsulated materials that don’t maintain the water temperature.
How To Install a Soaking Tub
Bret Hepola of All City Plumbing in Minnetrista, Minnesota, a master plumber with more than 21 years of experience, recommends hiring a licensed plumber to install your soaking tub. But if you feel you have the DIY chops to take on such an ambitious bathroom project yourself, be prepared for anything.
“A remodel typically requires removal of flooring and walls to install the waterlines, drain and vent per local code,” says Hepola. In the midst of that, you could encounter unforeseen conditions that impact the layout. If the tub isn’t roughed-in correctly, you might need to tear out flooring, cut open walls, remove tile, etc., complicating the job.
“There is no room for error,” he says.
One- vs. Two-Piece Tubs
Hepola favors one-piece tubs with integrated overflows drain connections over two-piece tubs. Why? First, if you spring a leak after installation, the faucet access on some requires the removal of one of the pieces. They’re also more complicated to install.
“I just can’t emphasize a one-piece enough!” he says.
Size and Space Requirements
The most common standard bathtub size is usually about 60 inches long, 30 inches wide, and 14 to 16 inches high. It also has a soaking depth of about 12 inches. By contrast, soaking tubs are typically much larger, at 60 to 72 inches long (sometimes even longer) and have a soaking depth of at least 14 inches (but typically 16 inches or more). As you can see from these measurements, soaking tubs are a good deal larger than standard tubs and likely can’t fit into the same spaces. Unless you are a seasoned contractor yourself, we cannot recommend getting professional installation assistance enough.
Soaking Tub Costs
Standard soaking tub prices begin at around $400 and go up to $5,000 or more. As with most things, the cost depends on size, materials and embellishments. Cast iron tubs tend to be pricier, but they also last longer and retain heat better. Basic acrylic tubs are affordable and lightweight, making them a good choice for DIYers on a budget.
The main thing? Before purchasing a soaking tub, make sure you fit in it. “Length and depth,” Hepola says. “No one wants to be scrunched up in a tub that is meant for relaxing.”
FAQ
What is the difference between a soaking tub and a regular tub?
Depth is typically the primary difference between regular and soaking tubs. On average, regular tubs have around 12 inches of soaking depth, whereas soaking tubs start at around 14 inches. Along with the depth of the tub, soaking tubs are also usually longer and even wider; this allows users to get completely submerged inside of them, which may be difficult for most people with a regular tub.
Are soaking tubs worth it?
That depends on several factors, including how much you enjoy baths, what your budgetary and space constraints are, etc. However, if you have the space and can afford it, a soaking tub can provide some serious relaxation. It can even promote deep relaxation and improve your sleep habits.
What are the disadvantages of a soaking tub?
The biggest disadvantages of soaking tubs are their size, weight and cost. Soaking tubs take up quite a lot of space and are extremely heavy, both of which contribute to their cost. Furthermore, their cost isn’t just in purchasing the tub but also in installation—typically a separate, additional cost—and operation (especially if you have additional features, like heating or jets).
