I love to soak in a nice hot tub as well...especially in the winter. I'm getting a drop in tub in my new build because I like to have easy access to my products. I lovee I.

Kohler Underscore drop-in, so you have a place to put your things.

About $900

Believe me. I didn't think I was a bath person, but when we remodeled, we pretty much had to keep a bath in the master bc in my neighborhood it's required for re-sale. The MB is big enough, so no problem to have a bath and a separate large shower. But after we put the Kohler Underscore drop-in, with decking around it, I became a semi-bath-person, about once every few weeks. My best friend is an everyday bath person and just remodeled her bathroom. For a couple weeks she considered a free-standing, but after thinking it over, she decided a drop-in tub is a requirement for a true bath person because you'll want some decking to be able to put your candle, bath salts, etc, etc. And the decking (same as countertop please) can be so beautiful. And she also chose the Kohler Underscore.

The more I look at drop in tubs, I definitely see the allure of having easy access to “stuff!” I think that seems to be one of the easier tubs to navigate in and out of too!

Try to go to a good plumbing store, such as Fergusons; and maybe in your area there are others. In my area there are a couple of competing plumbing supply stores. Actually climb into and try out the tubs.

I sat in a Kohler Underscore that was the wrong dimensions for what I wanted (because that was what was available the store to look at), but I could tell that I liked the lumbar support. I ordered a 36" x 72" soaker tub. No jets or anything like that.

It's great. Even DH occasionally takes a bath, and I never saw that before in the whole time we've been married; and that's a long time.

We built this year and as a tub soaking queen, my tub was definitively one of my splurges. I went to the stores and climbed in to try out. Lumbar support was so important. We got the Kohler Abrazzo free standing and I CANNOT wait to get in it each night. (Got a great deal through a local plumbing supply) Thought must be put into surrounding areas for things to be close at hand. We did recessed shelves(for towels,soap,shampoo) from space that I stole from hubbies shower and a small table nearby provides access to my iPad and a cold beverage. It’s one of the few splurges I’m so glad we did.

Jazz, if you have pictures of the recessed shelving/table, I’d love to see that set up! I agree that Lumbar support is a huge factor!

AJCN, it’s a great idea to go and check them out in person!

Here ya go! I LOVE LOVE LOVE my TUB!! I can see though as you get older how it could be cumbersome climbing in and out. Thank God I’m pretty agile and in good health but that doesn’t always last so hubbies shower is curbless and doorless so it’s always been the back up plan. But I will soak as long as the day is long as long as I can!!

All finished!

Jazz, this is a gorgeous set up! I love that you w already planned for a back up as agility becomes a concern!

You’ve also styled this area beautifully! Thank you for sharing!!!

Correction: I got the 36” x 60” Kohler Underscore.

I've been eyeing the Kohler Expanse tub. Any input on this vs the Underscore?

My favorite tub was at a hotel in Scotland, lol. It was a smidge narrower, a whole lot deeper, and had a great back angle going on compared to what is often found in the states.

Look into tubs from Oceania and Bain Ultra - they offer therapeutic tubs. Those types always seem to have great lumbar supports and just the right slope. It is also critical to decide on which tub offers you the best bathing well ( where you sit ). A double curved tub like the one in Jazz' s picture with have a smaller seating area than the same overall width of a more rectangle tub. You will want your seating area big enough for you to really stretch your legs out, but not so long that you slide down. Take a few dimensions while you are sitting on the floor of everyone who will be using the tub.

While I am not a fan of the traditional whirlpool tub, the newer air massage models ae intriguing!

There are tons out there, you'll find a good one!

Thanks for this thread! It's actually harder than you might guess to see these in person. I'm right outside DC and made an appointment at my local Ferguson's showroom with the hope of hopping in some tubs. They only had 2 drop-in tubs on the floor, neither happened to be the Underscore or the Archer which also seems to get a lot of love on this forum. They indicated their other stores in the DC area probably didn't have many others that you could see first-hand. The other big plumbing supply store near me didn't have any dropins on display.

That's why your opinions are so helpful - thanks to all who are chiming in!!

smalloldhouse, Interesting! It wouldn’t have occurred to me that it was so difficult to try drop ins before buying. That’s good to know.

Another thing I’ve noticed about myself is that I sometimes like to bend my knees to my chest while bathing and kind of curl up. I’ve been in baths before where the side of the tub sort of jutted in slightly, almost like a vertical footrest of either side. It made bending my knees possible without slipping and sliding about. Does anyone know what I’m talking about and if so, is there a name for this feature?

I love to soak in the tub!

We decided on a free standing (Victoria and Albert Marlborough...almost 75” long). BIG tub, but in the world of soaking tubs, bigger is not always better! The problem with such a long tub is there is nothing to brace your feet on to keep from sliding down into the water.

When trying out tubs in the showroom, there is no way to replicate what happens when you get in a tub that is actually filled with water. In an empty tub, your body rests nicely on the floor of the tub and will not slide around, but once it’s filled with water, EVERYTHING changes. The body becomes buoyant, and unless there is a way to brace yourself with your feet against the far wall of the tub, you will be continually fighting to keep from sliding.....not at all relaxing when you have to hold yourself up for the entire soak! I solved this problem by adding a suctioned cup mat which keeps the body from sliding, but I don’t like the way it feels. Someone recommended a suction cup bar that can be placed on the bottom of the tub to brace your feet on (I think oxo makes it).

I like my tub, and honestly, it’s very easy to get in and out of, but I do think that for pure function, an under mount tub surrounded by a slab (so that there is no bumpy lip as there is in a drop in) would be the best, and as one poster mentioned, it’s nice to have a deck to put things on. With a free standing you will need something that hooks across the top (easy to bump and have things fall into the tub) or have a tub side table which needs to be fairly high and that’s also not ideal.....neither of these can compare with normal tub decking.

Our tub...

When you try a tub in a showroom, bring a tape measure or be sure to get the model number. get the dimensions of the place where you sit ( the well at the top and the bottom ) and then the height and the width. This will help when you are lookng into tubs that are not displayed in showrooms.

My drop in tub is a Kohler also. I like to decorate the tub deck with various items. Here's the tub I'm getting and the tile that will cover the deck and face of the tub. I'm so excited!

Atlas Homewares Sleek 6-5/16 Inch Center to Center Champagne Cabinet Pull A849-C · More Info

KBF1163-S1-0 White kohler - Google Search · More Info

Himalaya | Lint Tile · More Info

We completed our custom home in May, splurged on the tub, and LOVE it.

It's my own indoor spa with jets and air. We didn't add the heater since it's well insulated, and we're in Houston with mild winters. The longest I've been in is 2 hours, lol, and the water temp was still great at the end.

While I like the look of freestanding, I really wanted the jets and air. They feel so nice! I also wanted the tub deck surrounding the area to set my book and drink down. It's worked out perfectly.

I also researched the heck out of bath length to body height. This steered me away from 72" inch tubs (even though that's what I designed the space for...) since I'm only 5'4" and settled on a 66" length. My husband is 6' and fits just fine.

Jetta FREEMONT J-30V

Specs are 66"x36"x24" with a soaking depth of 19"

ETA: The back rest has a 120° recline angle that is very comfortable.

https://www.jettacorp.com/product-category/bathtubs/collection/elite/product/fremont-j30v/J30V

https://d2q1863be721or.cloudfront.net/0000002016/items/cef0ab97-356b-453e-9ec6-c7aa3b702dad.pdf

Alcove/deck size is 42"x84"

I'm 5'4" and went with 66" also. @Morgan B, when you are looking for a tub, make sure you consider the depth. I am not happy with a shallow tub.

Good point @Rachel about depth! @Morgan B be sure to check the water depth not just the tub depth. Some "deep" tubs have a lower overflow drain which makes for a shallower water level.

I'm pleased with a 19" water depth. Sitting with legs out, water covers to just below my collar bone at arm pit level, and I can slightly bend my knees while keeping them submerged to sink down to my chin.

If money were no object, I'd get a hot tub. With in and out handicapped access railings and grab bars. I have bum knees. Being tall, it would have to have at least one section two feet deep, so the water can come to my neck or at least collar bone while seated. (Well, you asked.)

Hot tubs in the house..Hot Tub Lung.

https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(11)61814-4/pdf

I had the Kohler Iron Works tub in my last house. Not freestanding. Dd has the same tub (installed free standing ) in the house she just sold and is putting this same tub in her new house. It is a comfortable tub with the textured bottom which my new tub doesn’t have.

i put a different Kohler tub (longer and deeper) in this new house. It is harder to get in and out of..should have stuck with the Iron Works. Darn it.

In my last major bath reno, I undermounted an MTI Andrea beneath a nice slab of Cambria Montgomery. It was The Beauty. It was the right length to keep me from floating away, and had excellent lumbar curve. (MTI spec sheets will always show the lumbar’s degree of angle — Kohler’s, too, IIRC.) It was, however, deeper than we needed, and we never filled it full. So there was some unnecessary risk when climbing out for us 60+ folks. It also felt a trifle claustrophobic. But I loved it, especially the undermount deck.

Fast forward to a next house, a rambly old lake house with a very dated Kohler cast iron oval tub from 1979. In brown. Yep, it’s ugly — and not that deep. But we were pressed to move in as The Beauty sold in 36 hours. So we left the The Beast bathtub to be removed later. But. It is AWESOME. The oval is so wide and spacious, the deck is integrated, the depth is safer, and plenty deep enough. My husband loves it. I had forgotten how cast iron holds heat. We have decided to keep The Beast. I even managed to decorate around it so that it isn’t hideous.

Lesson - if you’re planning to age in place, don’t get anything deeper or longer than you need. Get it as wide as space allows. And do consider cast iron. Maybe even an oval. For diehard bath people like us, function trumps looks.

Mislizzie

Lesson - if you’re planning to age in place, don’t get anything deeper or longer than you need. Get it as wide as space allows. And do consider cast iron. Maybe even an oval. For diehard bath people like us, function trumps looks.

I couldn’t agree more.

Mislizzie & ILoveRed, how do you suggest determining the maximum depth and length needed with aging in place being a consideration?

I love all of the tubs we have to offer, but as a STYLE preference, I prefer free standing soaking tubs. The ones with a nice lip to sit back and enjoy.

Hard to beat a Cinderella tub. Hard to find one, though. :(

Freestanding cast iron. If I take a bath, it's either with the windows open to listen to nature or windows closed listening to music. Jets/etc are noisy and don't really do much for me. Cast iron tubs hold heat and just feels "permanent". Whatever suits your style, but large enough to sit/stretch in comfortably. Crappy pic:

I wanted a freestanding tub and searched for years to find the perfect one. I found the Neptune Rouge Paris in the 66 x 32 size and couldn't be happier. Im 5'4" and 200 lbs (ouch) and it is very comfortable. It is contemporary in style, but has a higher back and a ledge on the drain end that holds my "stuff", but could take a mounted filler. Not expensive and their customer service was excellent when I asked for a new drain because plumber thought it was defective (it wasn't) - sent it quick and no charge.

sprink1es, interesting comment about the noise. Sometimes I like the jets for therapy, but other times I like to soak in silence and find that so relaxing. I'm a realtor, and I've found that most people who really like to take tubs regularly prefer a deck mounted tub to a free standing tub, even though most will acknowledge they are beautiful. My buyers, in the Northern Suburbs of Pittsburgh tend to fall into 3 categories.

1. Please give me the larges nices walk-in shower possible. I never take baths and don't want a tub. As long as there is one tub in the house, I don't want it in my master.

2. I love taking a tub bath and want the most functional kind and want a deck mounted unit.

3. I love the way a sculptural, free standing tub looks and want that as part of my master bath.

I had a jetted tub In my last house and hated the slime and sludge that built up in the pipes if it ever was not in use for longer than a week or two. They may have come along way since that tub design as far as drainage as that one was about 15 years ago so hopefully the new models don’t get the nasty buildup inside the pipes.

I searched several weeks this summer for a tub that was NOT free standing so I could sit in it. Jetta tubs had the deepest soaker tub so we bought it. It has not been installed yet, but the tub is 21" tall. That is tough to step over, but it is so tall that we can sit on the deck and swing our legs over. The water depth is also the deepest that I found, and it is 18" deep before the overflow.

Some companies list exterior back angles and some list interior back angles. The more slope you have, the less length of tub interior on the bottom. Our tub has interior 115° back angle so, 180° - 115° = 65° exterior back angle. Pay attention to number of gallons of water it holds.

Plan on how you will get out of the tub. Some tubs have clear acrylic grab bars, but they only help you to lift up a little, then you will need grab bars higher up that are not too big for your hands. You will use the higher grab bars to get into and out of the tub. We did not buy the tub with acrylic grab bars built in the the arm rests because we worry about them breaking or discoloring. I think we will use grab bars that are both horizontal and vertical.

Jetted tubs have definitely come along way. The plumbing on ours is angled for gravity draining, antimicrobial, has an automatic purge, and dishwasher safe jet heads.

We're putting in a Kohler Underscore, drop-in mounted (they can also be undermounted). It was the most comfortable one we sat in.

I LOVE my Kohler Vintage - https://www.us.kohler.com/us/vintage-72-x-42-freestanding-bath/productDetail/bathing/419183.htm

For heat retention and ease of use in and out, a fiberglass soaker tub with grab bars around the edge and a tile surround ledge you can sit and scoot on is your best bet. Freestanding are NOT easier if you have compromised mobility, no place to transfer easily and no hand holds. And they don’t stay as warm either, the surrounds have an air gap down in the studs that insulated far better. It’s not fully ADA compliant, but the closest you’re going to get with any tub design without a ramp.

The insulated tub I looked at looked like it had canned foam underneath it. It might not be, but it sure looked like it.

Moral of the story here is everyone has different wants. Back in the 2000's all I would see are jetted drop-in tubs, so I perceived those to be "the best that rich people bought" lol. Gotta take a step back and figure out your personal wants and how you'll realistically use

I agree for mobility, drop-in is much easier to use

Heat retention, I'm still voting for cast iron. I've owned insulated fiberglass with jets, used just about everything in between, then own a freestanding cast iron now. Realistically, you draw a bath then sit in it for maybe half an hour. I've seen fiberglass/acrylic units with heat pads in them (...why?) to combat this, or you do what everyone has done for hundreds of years and turn the hot valve on low. My last fiberglass tub, the tub would feel a hair colder than the water as it cooled down at the end. My current iron tub doesn't do that, seems to maintain temp longer, but again metal=conduction.

Could think resale, or maybe you'll barely ever use it so it's more for looks. Can't go wrong if you do the right thing for you

I travel for work, and I’ve found myself using tubs more often when I get a hotel with a nice clean one (rare). A tub is part of the master bath design, so I want to make the best of it.

I don’t like the noise of jets, and honestly, don’t spend much time with them on in hot tubs. But I’m sold on the appeal of these newer air bubble massagers and even more so with the self-cleaning features. And I want a heater because I want to enjoy it without messing around with draining and adding water.

The Kohler Underscore with its lumbar support would be perfect, except the drain locations won’t work for our installation. We need a side drain due to a structural beam that runs lengthwise under the tub.

So I’m looking at the Kohler Memoirs or MTI Tranquility right now. Would appreciate any advice on either of these, or other suggestions.

DW is getting this for the new build.

Maax bubble air

mrs. worthy's favourite. (And, here, I thought it was me!)

Our Kaldewei gets soaked in 30-90 minutes a day. Think about not only comfort, but how much water it takes to fill up to get you under water, many people don't need hugely wide or long tubs. Their tubs have nice clean lines too that go well in contemporary homes. https://www.kaldewei.us/products/baths/detail/product/puro/

Derek Hurd

Gravitas, Inc.

112 E 33rd St.

Garden City, ID 83714

208.367.1184

www.gravitaslc.com

Does anyone havw a favorite acrylicfreestanding? i love
the slipper tubs but the acrylic ones seemkind of flimsy? And how do they attach? Some i havw looked at just seem to siton top andnot be attached to the floor.