I don't have any answers, but do have similar questions. We're about to start renovating a full bath, and I came here to look for tub information. I am also looking for 5' - 6', and cost will definitely have to be under $100. I'm also curious about material - cast iron or acrylic.

Hi,

I can share my experience as I was in this same position last summer when we had to choose a tub so that the plumber knew where to put the valve, drain etc. I found the decision a difficult one to make since I also wanted to sit in the tub first before ordering -but unfortunately that wasn't possible in my case.

I was looking for a tub with same criteria in length, cost, and comfortable back angle. The two I found were the Kohler Mariposa and the Americh Madison Oval. I have seen the Kohler Mariposa tubs and sat in them - very very comfortable back rest angle, nice arm rests. You should definitely consider this one because it is a very nice tub and also a good price. However the Mariposa is rectangular and I wanted an oval shape. So I found the Americh Madison oval tub that I liked a lot - I only looked at it online as it wasn't in a showroom near me. But in the link below you'll find a link to the list of dealers that have that product.

I hope this helps.

Here is a link that might be useful: Americh Madison Oval tub

i live in a large midwestern city & have several showrooms in town, so I'd imagine dallas would as well. the yellow pages would be a place to start. i went to each one i could find locally and sat in every tub they had that wasn't filled with water already :) people shopping there looked at me funny, but i got over it. it was more important to me to find a comfortable tub. and the more i sat in, the more sure i was that i was doing the right thing by sitting in them... there were so many that were uncomfortable, too short/thin/hard/sloped...

don't be shy - run the bubbles if there is water in a tub, get in & out several times to see how tub fillers & grab bars are set up for the way you feel comfortable, sink down as if you're soaking for a while. sort of like buying a mattress.

i narrowed down my brands and then did searches on their websites for any showroom in the state. i then called each one and asked the showroom which models of tubs they had. the websites were never right, of course, but at least i had the list of places to call.

i ended up driving over an hour to sit in some tubs. i never got to sit in the model i ended up buying, but i sat in enough by that company (maax) to know they did things the way that worked for me, so i just took the leap at that point.

i ordered online since the price difference was about 30%. otherwise i would have stayed local.

good luck!

First decided cast iron - which to me is far superior to plastic - I want a tub that will hold the heat - cast iron will do that plastic will not. Also, want a tub that is tried true, and withstand the test of time

I searched & sat in many tubs - finally decided on Kohler I think memoirs - I knew I could only go 5' and chose the widest option as well as the deepest for our application -

You need to really look at the specs on tubs many will really leave you in the cold! - Look at the INTERIOR specs - which are quite different than the external dimension & some fill at 10" brrrrrrr

Tub was the easiest decision for me - probably the only element in my k&b renovation that I didn't obsess about endlessly. Perhaps because I couldn't really go see and sit in them. I'm in a large metro area - NYC, doesn't get larger than that. Yet very few models tubs on display here.

I wanted a cast iron tub, 60" x 32". There were really only two choices - Kohler or Toto. I'd heard that the enamel finish on the Toto was nicer than Kohler, and I was planning to get a Toto toilet anyway, so that was that. (It helped that I read good things about this tub here on GW.)

Very happy with the tub. It's comfortable, non-slip, nice-looking. I don't take a lot of baths, so maybe I'm less fussy than I might have been, but it's fine.

> I am also looking for 5' - 6', and cost will definitely have to be under $100. I'm also curious about material - cast iron or acrylic.

At least in our market, at that price point your only options are steel or acrylic, unless you can find something used.

I sat in dozens of tubs. It was absolutely necessary for me, because I needed to be comfortable and I'm the Princess and the Pea when it comes to my back.

Re cast iron/acrylic: we insulated our acrylic choice (Maax Melodie) with spray on foam onto the surface of the back, and insulated the tub cavity with loads and loads of cellulose--it holds its heat just beautifully, I'm relieved to say.

(Under $100 I'd be looking on c's list and really hoping, or going to an Architectural Salvage).

Under $1000? Shouldn't be a problem... My cast iron Toto (60" x 32") was between $700-800 plus tax and delivery.

The $100 was a typo - I only wish I could find a tub I liked for that much!

I wanted cast iron based on my research into the different options. People on this forum had posted positively about their Toto 1525's, and since we were planning to get Toto toilets anyway....

We have deposits on two of them for our upstairs bathrooms--yet to be renovated, so haven't had any first-hand experience with them yet.

Are the Toto 1525s alcove style, or are they available as drop-ins? I was looking around on the web, and they seem to be for alcove installation (apron on one side).

I know the one(s) we ordered has an apron along one side (and we had to designate a left-hand or right-hand drain. If you check out the Toto website, you might find one that best meets your needs. FYI--I took quick glance, and the 1550P appears to be a similar size (to the 1525), but in a drop-in model.

Here is a link that might be useful: Toto Bathtubs

Thank you, cat_mom. I like the 1550P very much, but it seems to be around $1500 - seems high for a plain tub (not air or water jet).

Ah, well $1000, that's different. Phew. :)

One thing I can say re the Totos: *only* the 6' long cast iron one felt at all comfortable *to me*. I was all ready to get a 5.5' long one or a 5' long, if I couldn't find the 5.5, and the 5' was SO uncomfortable I couldn't believe it was a Toto. The 6' Toto was fabulous, however. That's just my experience but it does suggest that you'd really better sit in one for a while before you decide and see how it fits you personally.

We are limited as to size/space so that's another reason why we chose the one(s) we did......

OK, if anyone's still following this thread, I think I've selected a tub. I went to some K&B showrooms where I found only a handful of displays, none of which really stood out in terms of comfort...

THEN I took a long, hard look at the space again and realized that I could only do a tub that was 5'5" long or less and 34" wide or less. And I realized I didn't want to spend a lot of money for a tub. So I ended up finding the biggest tub that fit those dimensions, at a reasonable price.

I ended up deciding on a Jacuzzi Luxura. Haven't ordered it yet.

I wanted cast iron. In the first layout we were constrained in width. The narrowest tub we could find was the Porcher Ardennes. It is only about 29 inches wide. 5 feet long. I am small so this has turned out great for me -- very comfortable. It is oval and the bottom is wider at the back where you sit. It is nice and deep, holds 42-44 gallons. Might not work for a bigger person though. Price similar to Toto.

Like most other people we had size restrictions, especially on width as the tub will be in an alcove behind the bathroom door. DH wanted modern and looked online and in my home and decor magazines until he found one he loved. We called around and found it on display at a tile store north of NYC. Walked in one Saturday, told the receptionist, 'don't mind us, just checking out the tub' and proceeded to clamber in and out, lie down and test out its comfort.

Our choice was based on size too. We only had room for a 6 foot tub or smaller. Here's our little beauty...Victoria and Albert Wessex. We got the white iron feet which I love the look of, more so than the silver feet. Looks very vintage!

Sorry, ours is a 5 foot tub...59 7/8 to be exact. It's made of a material called Englishcast which I guess V&A has branded..."A unique blend of finely ground volcanic limestone mixed with resin".