I would definitely stick to cast iron, for durability and warmth.

There are many shades of white, but Kohler has been one of the easiest to match, IMO, since they are so common. Maybe people using the newer "bright" whites are having issue?

We have Toto cast iron tubs in (?) white in two bathrooms, Toto Soirée toilets in cotton white, Sonia white fireclay/porcelain sinks, and Daltile Arctic White field tile on one tub surround, and in the other bathroom Porcelanosa glossy white large format field tile (I forget which style/model). The whites all appear to "play nicely" together, IMO. :)

My bathroom has different whites for the tub, sinks and toilet and no one would ever notice. (And I am probably the only person who would notice but then again, color is my business.) I wouldn't sweat it.

Thanks. Since I read several comments about the Kohler white, I was worried it might look like a glaring mistake to put it in the bathroom. It sounds like that is not a worry. I am leaning toward the cast iron, but would entertain other viewpoints.

I was very surprised by my acrylic tub. It keeps the heat in and the water stays warm much longer. Of course in your situation, your child may not choose to leave the tub quickly! If you do go acrylic, make sure it's braced properly from below. some people reported problems with flexing. Ours is well set and doesn't have a problem.

Compumom, Thanks for the information about bracing. I've heard that some set it in mud? Durability is my #1 concern, as my child tends to be very rough on everything and I can't seem to explain the need to be more careful in a way that it is understandable to my child.

I don't know how it is braced, I know that its' set into a wood frame, but I don't recall if there's mud underneath. Due to a plumbing fixture problem, we will be removing a small area of tile soon to change out the spout. If you email me, I will look to see how it's braced. I don't know how the durability ranks vs cast iron. My kids were hard on their cast iron Kohler tub and it never showed any wear.

Yeah, I need to discuss this with DH and then the builder, but I think cast iron is probably the way to go---just to be sure. My child has actually punched a hole in a wall due to carelessness. Better safe than sorry. It's a lot easier to patch a wall than pull out and replace a tub.

Sail away, I don't know if you've made a decision yet, but if it's durability you're after, I think cast iron would be the way to go. A neighbor of mine tells me that her Maax acrylic tub has been damaged a number of times by accident, such as the hand-held shower head being let go by a grandchild, swinging down, and hitting the tub. Better safe than sorry.

Thank you, Granny. Durability is my #1 concern. Of course, if the tub is easy to clean, comfortable, and stylish that would certainly be nice, too.

My acrylic Bain Ultra air tub was set in a bed of mud with a piece of think plastic between the mud and tub. This was done for the ease of removing the tub if ever the need arises. It's as solid feeling on the bottom as my husband's Kohler cast iron tub. As for cleaning, that's a different story. You're not supposed to use anything abrasive on acrylic. Believe it or not, Scrubbing Bubbles is considered abrasive :( That's been my go to tub cleaner for years. To clean my acrylic tub RIGHT, I use Gel Gloss. It's a pain (literally!). You spray it on, let it sit, buff it and let it dry and then wipe the residue. When I'm in a pinch for time or physically limited, I will use Scrubbing Bubbles. There are very few non abrasive cleaners out there. One Bain Ultra suggested was Lemon scent Lysol. NOTHING works better than Scrubbing Bubbles!

Thanks for all the good advice.

I thought a cast iron tub would be much more expensive, but have been surprised to see that they can range in price from less than most acrylic tubs (Kohler Villager) to about the same cost. Of course, I'm not looking at high-end tubs for this bathroom. However, I'm wondering if there is an increase in labor costs for installing a cast iron tub?