My mom went from a tub/shower (66x32") to a shower with a curb and she did not want a door so just did a fixed panel. The shower now is about 32.5" wide and 64" long. The fixed panel is 40" long and there's a 24" opening. She went with 1/2" starphire glass. I would not recommend anything less than a 40" long panel personally.
The curb where the opening is does get a little bit of water on the curb but she just squeegees or towels it off with her Pluffle when she is done showering. The curb is also sloped toward the shower. There might be some water droplets that land on her towel bathmat next to the curb, but not many. I've showered in there several times.
When turning on the shower, I get in, make sure the diverter is set to the handheld, make sure the handheld spray is directed away from me and turn on the shower and wait until the temp is warm enough before getting under the fixed head or handheld spray. I don't think I'd be happy if there was only a fixed head and I was standing under cold water spray because of where the controls are.
Personally, if it was my shower, I would have done a door, even though it would mean more squeegeeing and cleaning because apparently I like to "go wild" with the handheld sprayer. Here's what I wrote about it in a similar thread: "However, with the handheld, I feel like I have to be careful what angles I'm spraying at and which way I'm facing and how far back in the shower I'm standing to mind the splash factor. Definitely gets the curb wet and a little bit of water may hit the thick bathmat right in front of the 24" opening. So whenever I shower in there, I feel a little constrained.
It doesn't seem to bother my mom at all; maybe I just go more "crazy" with the handheld than she does?"
https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5668283/fixed-glass-panel-for-walk-in-shower
FYI, she picked where she wanted the grab bars located. I would have done them differently but it's her house. I also would not have kept all of her many towel bars and rings and I tried many times to get her to consider getting a new vanity vs. reinstalling the old one but she insisted she wanted to keep the same vanity and granite top.
Photos:
Q