What kind of bath to choose so as not to regret later

Bath size

Many dream of a luxurious corner bathtub for two with a jacuzzi and built-in radio. But a typical bathroom is only 3-6 square meters. And on them, as a rule, you still need to place a sink, a washing machine and cabinets for cosmetics. Therefore, your spa dreams need to be correlated with the possibilities of the room where the bathtub will stand.

When doing this, consider the following parameters:

The height of the tub along the side. The optimal height is 65–70 cm. But if the family has children, the elderly or people with disabilities, it is worth considering the bathtubs below or on very small legs.
Bowl depth. This is the distance from the edge or overflow hole to the bottom. The optimum depth is 50–60 cm. It is important here that the water completely covers the person lying in the bathtub.
Bath length and width. They are selected based on the size of the bathroom and the individual characteristics of family members. For a person who is not inclined to be overweight, 160–180 cm tall, the optimal bowl is 70–80 cm wide and 150–180 cm long.

Certain size restrictions are also imposed by the materials from which the baths are made. Cast iron, for example, are generally 150 or 170 cm long and 70 cm wide. Small cars 100–120 cm long are often made of steel, while corner or asymmetric baths are just acrylic.

Bath types

According to the material, the baths are divided into cast iron, steel, acrylic, quartz and ceramic. In this article, we will talk about the first three, since they are the most popular.

Cast iron bath: pros and cons

A cast iron bathtub is a bathtub made of an alloy of iron with a small amount of carbon and covered with enamel.

This is a classic in the world of plumbing. Cast iron keeps heat for a long time and absorbs noise well. Baths from it were previously placed in Khrushchevs, so many know from childhood: a cast-iron bath is for centuries.

There really is no doubt about its durability and reliability.

A cast iron bathtub will serve you for 20 years or more.

But there are two but:

In order for the enamel not to wear out in a couple of years, but to serve for decades, it must be of very good quality. The best manufacturers of cast iron bathtubs are considered Roca (Spain), Jacob Delafon (France), Oxame (France), Kirovsky plant (Russia) and Universal plant (Russia). A high-quality cast-iron bathtub costs about 20 thousand rubles and more.
A cast iron bath can weigh up to 150 kg, which creates great difficulties during transportation and installation.

Thus, cast iron models have the following advantages and disadvantages.

Pros:	Minuses:
reliable and durable;	weigh a lot;
keep warm well;	poor choice of sizes and shapes;
unpretentious in care;	top models are expensive;
do not make noise when drawing water.	do not have additional functions.

Steel bath: pros and cons

Steel baths are made of stainless steel or structural steel. They have an enamel finish. Stainless steel bathtubs are poorly represented on the market, as they are sometimes more expensive than cast iron bathtubs. But the main feature of the steel bathtub is its budget.

Another plus is the variety of configurations. Steel is a fairly lightweight and ductile material. You can easily find a steel bathtub with armrests, headrests and other beautiful curves. But be careful: the more complex the shape, the thinner the metal.

The thickness of the steel is the Achilles heel of the tubs made of it. Under the weight of water and the human body, a steel bowl with thin walls can bend and deform, and the enamel can crack. The optimum wall thickness for steel baths is 3 mm.

The average service life of a steel bath is 15 years.

Provided that you have chosen well-established manufacturers: Kaldewei (Germany), Roca (Spain), Bette (Germany), BLB (Portugal) or Estap (Slovakia). Among Russian manufacturers, the products of the Verkh-Isetsky Metallurgical Plant and the Lipetsk Pipe Plant are in demand.

But even high-quality steel and good enamel will not eliminate such disadvantages as high heat loss and noise. The water in the steel bath cools down very quickly, and when it is poured, there is noise throughout the apartment.

The last problem can be solved by gluing the bottom and outer walls of the bowl with foam or rubber, or by treating it with polyurethane foam. But this is already, as you know, dancing with a tambourine.

In the dry residue, steel baths have the following advantages and disadvantages.

Pros:	Minuses:
lightweight and inexpensive;	unreliable;
unpretentious in care (enamel can restore);	do not keep warm well;
there is a choice in shape and size.	noisy.

Acrylic bath: pros and cons

Acrylic baths are made from polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and polymethyl methacrylate with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS / PMMA). Simply put, 100% acrylic and plastic with an acrylic top layer.

Pure acrylic bathtubs are reliable, durable, and keep warm for a long time. The price tag is appropriate. ABS / PMMA baths are more affordable and can also delight their owners for a long time. Provided that the thickness of the acrylic layer is at least 6 mm.

The average service life of an acrylic bath is 10 years.

The variety of shapes, sizes and colors is striking. In addition, hydromassage and other additional functions are found mainly in acrylic bathtubs.

The best manufacturers of acrylic bathtubs are Ravak (Czech Republic), Cersanit (Poland), Riho (Holland), PoolSpa (Spain). Among Russian brands BAS, 1Marka, Triton are in demand.

On the one hand, acrylic baths are unpretentious in leaving. To keep them clean, you can simply rinse them with warm water. On the other hand, acrylic baths cannot be treated with alkaline or abrasive detergents. It is better to use special compounds for acrylics.

Thus, the following advantages and disadvantages of acrylic bathtubs can be highlighted.

Pros:	Minuses:
lightweight and reliable;	you need to carefully select cleaning agents;
a large selection of shapes, sizes and colors;	a lot of low-quality products;
there are additional functions.	good models are expensive.

Hydromassage and other additional functions

Having decided on the size and material of the bath, consider whether you need hydro or air massage, chromotherapy, a disinfection system and a water level sensor. After all, the presence of any of these options leads not only to an increase in the price of the bath, but also to additional costs of water and electricity, as well as difficulties in installation and maintenance.

Hydromassage improves muscle tone and blood microcirculation. The jets of water are pumped in by a special pump and massage the body through the nozzles in the walls and at the bottom of the font. Usually there are 6 to 8 jets in whirlpool baths. But there may be several dozen of them in premium models.
Aeromassage relaxes. The principle of operation is the same, only the electric pump does not supply water, but oxygen.
Chromotherapy increases the overall tone of the body, has a beneficial effect on the work of blood vessels. Purple lamps in special reflectors are built into the walls of the bathtub, which illuminate the body of a person lying in the water from all sides.
Auto disinfection simplifies bathroom care. Disinfectant is dispensed at the push of a button, which is then automatically rinsed off.
Water level sensor controls how filled the bathtub is with water. It usually goes in addition to hydro and air massage.

Read more about the jacuzzi device in this video.

Output

It is much easier to choose a bathtub if you correctly determine the size and know the features of the materials.

If you are for reliability and are ready to give up the sleek design and additional functions, buy a good cast iron bath. If you are on a budget or need a bathtub, for example, for a summer cottage, you can take a steel one. If you dream, having come home from work, to bask in a bathtub with a hydromassage, choose among acrylic models.