How to find a luxury bathtub to fit every bathroom and budget

Oct 31, 2023

Verdigris Green Copper Traditional Rolltop Double-Ended Freestanding Boat Bath; €4942, BC Designs at deluxebathrooms.ie.

In a time where the wet room has stepped up on property specs to an acceptable full "bathroom" the traditional tub shows no sign of giving up its status as the ultimate luxury swoon spot.

Reclined in the sensual embrace of a full, calming immersion — nothing can touch it.

All that said, baths are space-hungry inclusions which may have to ally with an independent shower unit or a showering option lanced to their tap end.

Let's get the basics right before diving into the sophisticated detail, and fasten on the perfect vessel for your rubber ducky to take a bob.

SIZING

The standard size of a typical bath is 1700mm in length by 700mm in width, enough to cross the depth of a smaller bathroom and be stowed in a nook on one end.

Going up, with the exclusion of stately free-standing divas, we’re looking at the modest extension to 1800mm by 800mm, so a little more length for a larger adult and just that bit more elbow room to take away any coffin feel with your arms braced down your body.

Smaller baths, going down to 1400mm or 1500mm, may force a taller user to bring their knees up — not a deal breaker with a shower bath where you have the occasional plunge in an ensuite and largely use the shower.

Set the taps on the long side for a double-ended bath.

Now, don't just look over the figures. Go to a showroom and lie down in the bath you’re considering. Variations in bath design tend to be minor size differences and detailing in any shower standing area, and armrests. Steeper sides will give you a deeper interior and more water coverage.

Slippers and tapers are an internal variation on this basic scooped-out rectangle, so consider both the internal and external dimensions and styling as they will impact both your comfort and the potential matching up of the complete suite.

The taps, shower panels, tiling, or panelling to the bath and its surrounds will create individuality for even an inexpensive, traditional family bath. Go for build quality first.

Offset-corner models can be a sacrifice in terms of interior space, and with a bowed front leading into the room, does that bath really make ergonomic sense?

If the taps are on the right when you are standing in front of the bath it is termed a right-handed offset. Know what you are ordering in.

"B" shapes with a double bloom are gaining popularity. Going up to free-standing character baths, both Victorian and Japanese "ofuro" inspired baths carry an immersive depth of 50cm plus that might prove intimidating for old or very young members of the family without adequate grip rails.

Moving up to a free-standing or a mighty soaking tub, your bath can demand well over two metres to breathe on the long side.

SHAPES

In a renovation with a slender budget, do all you can to keep the current plumbed positions for your new suite.

Crisp, clean, and contemporary, with plenty of room to flail while washing your hair, the "P" or "D" shaped shower-bath that swells from a straight-sided bath into a shower stall with 15cm to 20cm more width at the tap end, is an affordable family winner for a suite change. Prices from €449-€750 including a fitted screen and side panel without taps and traps.

Floating a free-standing bath on legs does create expansive light flow. but some of your pipework will inevitably be dangling down, rudely on show, even if you wall-mount the taps.

Sleeves and shrouds in a variety of metal finishes are a good fix (ask your plumber). Decorative stand-pipe taps have a highly architectural feel, but starting at €500 plus they can outstrip the cost of a decent tub. Try bigbathroomshop.ie for the Milano Elizabeth.

A perfect demonstration of a simple angular 1800mm bath playing out some character with the right tiles, taps and paneling. Room-set by Drench UK. Bath by Butler and Rose in geometric style. Similar 1700mm bath for €299 (undrilled), B&Q.

Raise one end in a shoulder-supporting slipper design and adapt your dreams to a slightly shorter bath if you don't have masses of room.

Contemporary versions of Edwardian or Victorian originals are generally more compact, and consequently less demanding on your hot water system too. If you have the room and the inclination for romance, a bateau style, double-ended bath is deep and generously proportioned, designed for relaxing and naughty adult dips, Gallic style from €850 in tough acrylic.

One huge advantage for the bath at the centre of the room, apart from feeling like Cleopatra if you have a view, is being able to reach very young children from every side when they are frolicking around on bath night.

A compromise? Use a delicately tapering standard bath with one side set back-to-the-wall with a closeted plinth base (termed a one-piece).

MATERIALS

The least expensive bath option is a reinforced quality acrylic (5mm-8mm), but this doesn't mean they are a sad sacrifice. Acrylic is a great choice for upstairs bathrooms with typical wood-joisted upper floors as they are lightweight even full, and deliciously warm on the skin.

If you have a modest spend, acrylic moulds well, so there is a huge range of curvy, soft-edged, models from €200 for a generic 170cm inset bath, stepping up to around €420 for an Ideal Standard Tempo Cube.

The pricier variations include roll-top pretenders in Lucite acrylic which is tough, durable, and stain-resistant, and acrylic branded baths with additional steel re-enforcement like fiberglass baseboards and stainless-steel cradles to reduce any "creak".

Check the specs to see what you’re paying for.

Enamelled cast-iron, steel, and nickel-coated copper baths due to their metallic nature will radiate away heat, bringing water temperature down a little to start, but once the bath has warmed up they will hold their heat well. The surface of an enamelled bath can be repaired, and it will carry ripples, dimples and other minor hints of character.

Cast-iron, free-standing baths are extremely heavy. Have an engineer check that your joists are up to the weight of a tub full of water with you lolling around in it.

Gorgeous spa versions of classic roll-tops are available in acrylic if you want that voluptuous curve without the physical heft. Steel enamelled baths offer a good mid-range, but they carry a finer enamel that's more prone to chipping and staining. Bargains from €175 for a robust, no-frills straight sided steel bath without a panel.

If you want to revamp a vintage darling — be prepared to shell out several hundred euro for sandblasting, re-enamelling, painting of the underside, and matching of new taps and traps.

Always look for the original feet — no foot, no horse. They are very hard to match otherwise. New Heritage branded Essex roll-top models from €2127, deluxebathrooms.ie.

In copper, you can get the look in a copper-leaf finish from €1359 with the Cannes 1500mm at the BathShack, or lose your soap completely and run to Catchpole & Rye for a real copper bateau in the €6,500 plus range, catchpoleandrye.com.

Great deal in a vintage quality acrylic plunge? The Monarch double-ended bateau on a close classical plinth from Sonas, €1355.

Finally, there's the dreamy world of composite "cast marble".

I’m weak for the classic Roman sophistication of the Granlusso Francesca, which is a stately 170cm freestanding, fluted double-ended stone bath. A drop in someone's ocean at €2,600, deluxebathrooms.ie.

LIGHTS AND ACTION

Air jets transform a bath into a personal hydrotherapy experience.

The price will depend on brand and number of functions the bath performs including massage programs, digitally controlled thermostats, and the various sizes and ergonomic internal design of the bath itself.

Prices range from €1000 (six jets and a 170cm x 70cm bodym Clover, double end by Sonas) to €2900 (8 targeted rotating jets with rainbow LED lighting in 170cm by 70cm by the Rolls Royce of bubbling fizz - Jacuzzi) depending on size and brand.

Don't get carried away by the number of jets — check real-user reviews for quality and performance.

Two-person whirlpools for cosy couples, raised and sunken, range from €2,650 to €4,990, from suppliers including crystalbathroom.ie.

Can you even imagine the fun? Better models will include detailing like an invisible water level sensor to protect the electrical system, self-cleaning water pipes and automatic disinfection with ozone to destroy germs and bacteria.

Chromotherapy is having a bit of a moment if you believe in the sensory power of light and colour.

Adding lighting to your order is less expensive that you might thing, from around €150 at suppliers including bigbathroomshop.ie.