I just posted that last message before I did a search on this forum for acrylic vs. cast iron and found some very good discussions about it. But would still appreciate any insight into the weight of the cast iron for a second floor bathroom of a 30 year old home and how to get it up the stairs!

Hi, we recently installed the Tea for Two whirlpool bath in our kids' bathroom, and we use it as a shower as well. We love it. It's the 5.5' model, alcove installation, left hand drain. I was originally concerned that it would be too hard for them to get into -- they are not little kids -- (three girls, ages 17, 13 and 12 when it was installed last year) but so far they have no complaints about having to climb into the tub to shower. I love it too for the occassional bath, as our master bath has only a shower. Here is a picture of it. It has subway tile on the walls and the apron of the tub, and a minimal deck. Our contracter initially put in a more gigantic deck, and I made him tear it out because it overwhelmed our somewhat small bathroom. It has a marble shelf at one end and niches at both ends to hold the girls' many bottles of products. I'm so glad we built in that much storage. Instead of a shower curtain, we went with a partial frameless glass door, because I thought it would give you more of a feeling of openness when you took a bath. We bought it through Expo, back in Nov. 2006 (it was not installed til last spring though because construction took so long). The price at the time was more reasonable, although I notice they keep going up in price. I don't find the whirlpool too noisy at all. It's probably quieter than other whirlpool tubs, and also more gentle, which suprised us at first. I love how deep and roomy it is. Hope this helps. Here is a link that might be useful: The rest of Hmsweethm's kidsbath

I don't think the Highbridge is offered anymore without the enameled apron although they still may be in stock with a number of suppliers. The apron covers only the middle part of the front, so you have to custom build something to cover the front at each end (storage or tile) or cover the whole front with a tiled apron. Its essentially styled like a drop in tub but built as an alcove tub with flanges. This tub will offer the deepest bathing. The Mendota differs from the Bellwether also in that the Bellwether has a flattish rim around the top that you can set down things at least temporarily, but the Mendota has a thin and beveled rim, which probably makes the interior a bit wider, but I don't think you could put a shampoo bottle down or sit on the edge of this tub comfortably. The other option is the Kohler Dynametric. I just bought the Bellwether 30x60 without the angled front but it is not installed yet.

@wdccruise I didn't mean they were comparable nor was I criticizing cast iron shower pans - I've had cast iron bathtubs and kitchen sinks and I love the material, so I'm heavily leaning toward that choice. The shower will be replacing a large soaking tub that we never use, so I'm basically starting with a blank slate and trying to decide which way to go. Curbless is nice and we are an older couple so designing for the future makes sense. The designer is strongly recommending a tiled shower pan but I detest grout, especially when there's so much of it in mosaic tile installations. Lots to think about before making a big expense...