Why Narrow Bathtubs Are the Great Solution to Fit Small Spaces?

As time moves on and inflation is on the rise, owning a large apartment or home where you can have a large bathroom to accommodate a large bathtub is becoming a thing of the past. In small homes or apartments, having a bathtub in the bathroom is a retreat, but fixing a bulky tub can become physically impossible in such cramped spaces. To save space, settling for a standing shower isn’t an option for homeowners who are looking towards experiencing the feel and comfort of a bathtub.

The solution? A narrow bathtub for small spaces is a perfect choice for homeowners not willing to compromise, but settle for a smart design that fits perfectly in a small bathroom space. This allows homeowners to not only make their bathroom space more aesthetically appealing but also provides them with a full, luxurious soaking experience without disturbing the floor plan.

In this guide, we will be exploring what makes narrow bathtubs an ideal choice for bathrooms with limited space, their different types, key dimensions, and design implications that make an overall space feel larger than it is.

What Are Narrow Bathtubs?

To understand the functionality of narrow bathtubs, it's important to understand what the term narrow means in terms of sanitary ware. A standard bathtub has a width of around 30 to 32 inches, which comes out to be approximately 760 mm to 810 mm. Although it is considered a standard for bathtubs fitting with ease in a master bath, when it comes to bathroom spaces with limited space, these tubs can feel cramped or use a lot of space that is essential for other bathroom accessories.

On the other hand, a narrow bathtub is defined as a tub with a width of less than 30 inches, with some models that are ultra-slim coming in with a width measuring as narrow as 27 inches. Although narrow bathtubs for small spaces have several inches cut off from the standard, their clever design, steeper interior, and improved ergonomics compensate for those inches, making narrow bathtubs highly comfortable for use without the extra space for a traditional bathtub.

Types of Narrow Bathtubs for Small Spaces

When it comes to narrow bathtubs for small spaces, they come in various types and configurations to ensure that they can tackle complex and intricate-shaped bathroom spaces to maximize the potential of a small bathroom.

◆ Freestanding Narrow Bathtubs

In bathrooms where a luxurious feel and aesthetics are required, a freestanding tub is often considered an option that is usually associated with large bathroom spaces. However, with improved design and engineering, manufacturers have now introduced Freestanding Narrow Bathtubs that are a game-changer for small bathroom spaces.

• Visual Space: Freestanding narrow bathtubs make an overall space look larger due to an open-space around the tub.
• Flexibility: With freestanding narrow bathtubs, they don’t require being fixed to a side wall; they can be placed at an angle or closer to a wall without touching, allowing for creative layouts in tight spaces.
• Solid Surface Elegance: A high-end freestanding narrow bathtub for small spaces made from solid surface materials makes the tub's wall a lot thinner than acrylic, allowing more internal space for a submerged bathing experience.

◆ Japanese Soaking Tubs

When it comes to space-saving bathtubs, Japanese Soaking Tubs come out at the top, offering an ultimate space-saving solution to homeowners with limited bathroom space. What makes them perfect for bathrooms with limited space is that they are vertically steeper than standard tubs, while their width is significantly less, allowing them to fit in tight and limited spaces. One of the advantages of Japanese soaking tubs compared to traditional tubs is that their significant depth allows the user to have a relaxed seated bathing experience where the water touches the chin, giving users an extremely relaxing and comfortable feel.

◆ Back-to-Wall and Corner Narrow Tubs

If you are looking to install a tub in a limited floor space in a bathroom but want the premium aesthetics of a free-standing bathtub, back-to-wall freestanding hybrids are an excellent choice. What makes them great for bathrooms with limited space is that they have a flat back, which allows them to sit flush against the walls. This gives a premium feel of a freestanding tub without requiring an extra 4 to 6 inches of clearance. Furthermore, some models come with one or two flat sides, which allows these narrow bathtubs to utilize corners or dead spaces to free up space in the center for other bathroom essentials in a small bathroom space.

Dimensions: Finding the Perfect Fit

When it comes to fitting a bathtub in small places, every inch matters. A proper understanding of the dimensions of narrow bathtubs for small places helps to understand what specifications or measurements are needed to make it a perfect fit for the bathroom layout.

■ The Width Factor

• Standard Narrow: Width ranges from 27.5 inches to 29.5 inches, making standard narrow bathtubs a perfect option for small bathrooms where floor space is important, while also ensuring that the feel is similar to traditional bathtubs.
• Ultra-Narrow: Bathtubs with ultra-narrow configurations ranging from 23.5 to 27 inches in width, often found in solid-surface materials. These bathtubs are utilized in bathrooms where the highest priority is maintaining a long and straight pathway.

■ The Length Balance

Balance of length is crucial to ensure comfort and relaxation when having a submerged bathing experience. Although narrow bathtubs for small spaces come with reduced width, if your bathroom space is highly compact, you can go for narrow bathtubs with reduced lengths ranging from approximately 55 inches to 59 inches in length, allowing them to fit in small bathrooms with limited space. It’s important to note that if you are compromising on length and width, ensure that the bathtub is deep enough, typically ranging from 21 inches to 24 inches, to enjoy a fully submerged bathing experience with the knees and shoulders submerged to keep them warm.

Design Details to Maximize Space

To fit a bathtub in bathrooms with limited space, the dimensions are reduced, but there are some of the key intelligent design and engineering involved to compensate for the reduced dimensions to make sure the feel and the comfort would match that of a traditional bathtub.

1. Thin Rims maximize Internal Volume

One of the crucial design factors associated with narrow bathtubs is that they are designed to be thin. With the reduced width, users need the same internal surface area to get the same feel of the traditional bathtub without feeling cramped. This is where narrow tubs made with solid surface material shine, offering the same strength or even more, with rims that are as thin as 0.5 inches to 1 inch. So a 27.5-inch wide solid surface tub would have the same internal bathing width as a 31-inches bathtub made from acrylic. This allows the users to get the same amount of comfort as a standard-sized tub with a reduced occupied area.

2. Seamless Construction

Fitting a bathtub in a small bathroom space can cause visual clutter, which can make a small space look much smaller. This is where seamless construction without visible seams, joints, or heavy paneling matters the most, as it helps the tub blend in with the overall aesthetics of the bathroom, making the overall space look clean, open, and spacious.

One of the other advantages associated with seamless construction is that it prevents the accumulation of dust, mold, or grime, making the cleaning and maintenance process a lot easier and helping to keep the overall look of the tub clean and bright, contributing to an airy, fresh bathroom atmosphere.

3. Tapered Footprints

When selecting a narrow bathtub for small spaces, you may encounter tapered designs where the base of the tub is slightly smaller than the rim. Some of the advantages offered by this tapered design of narrow bathtubs are mentioned below:

• Floor Visibility: With a tapered design, more floor area at the base is visible, giving the room a wider feel.
• Toe Kick: A toe kick area is provided, allowing you to stand closer to the tub when cleaning or bathing a child, which improves the ergonomic flow of a tight bathroom.
• Natural Recline: One of the significant advantages offered by the tapered design is that it supports the back of the bather to lie comfortably and rest their head, offering superior ergonomics compared to vertical-walled tubs.

4. Matte vs. Glossy Finishes

The finish of the tub defines how the tub interacts with the light, which is a crucial factor that defines how well the overall bathroom space comes out.

• Matte White: A matte finish on a tub diffuses light softly rather than creating harsh reflections. This is great for creating a soft focus effect, which can blur the hard boundaries of the tub, helping it blend into the room.
• Glossy White: If the overall bathroom has a dark aesthetic, with a glossy finish, a small bathroom can light up, bouncing light around, essentially acting as a secondary mirror.

Material Selection: Why Solid Surface is the Superior Choice?

When choosing a narrow bathtub for small spaces, the material defines the wall thickness, water temperature, and longevity of the tub. The material that stands out and outperforms traditional acrylic or standard stone resin is solid surface. Below are some of the reasons why choosing a solid surface material can be the best choice for your narrow bathtub.

• Maximized Internal Width: Solid surface is known for its strength, and when it comes to making an ultra-thin, narrow bathtub for small spaces, you are guaranteed strength with a much wider internal bathing area compared to thick-rimmed acrylic tubs of the same size.
• Superior Heat Retention: One of the biggest problems with narrow bathtubs made from cast iron is that they dissipate heat more quickly. With a solid surface, you get excellent heat retention, absorbing warmth and keeping the tub warm, allowing you to soak hotter for longer periods, critical for small tubs with less volume.
• Renewable Durability: One of the critical advantages offered by solid surface is homogeneity. The material is the same throughout the tub. The non-porous and material homogeneity of the tub allows accidental scratches to be simply sanded away, making the tub look like it came straight from the factory.
• Grounded Stability: Narrow bathroom tubs for small spaces can feel unstable if made from lightweight material like plastic. Solid surface material used in a bathtub is heavy, keeping the tub stable and secure on the floor, providing a feeling of permanence and luxury.

Installation Tips for Narrow Spaces

• The Wet Room Approach: In bathrooms that are extremely small, placing the bathtub in the shower area can help save space by sharing the same drainage zone, doubling the functionality of the same area.
• Angled Placement: If the space is limited in your bathroom, placing narrow bathtubs slightly at an angle could free up space for other bathroom accessories, while also improving the overall architecture of the space, which cannot be possible with parallel placement.
• Wall-Mounted Faucets: If you want to install narrow bathtubs for small spaces, avoid deck-mounted faucets as they require a wider rim. Instead, opt for wall-mounted or floor-standing fillers to keep the rim thin and maximize the bathing area.

Conclusion

So if you are looking towards upgrading, renovating, or making a bathroom space with a bathtub, and have limited space, narrow bathtubs come out to be a perfect fit. When compared to traditional bathtubs, these narrow bathtubs for small spaces use clever engineering, design, and material to ensure that there isn’t any compromise on comfort and usability. The use of solid surface resin, thin rim design, and deeper profiles compensates for the width lost to make a narrow bathtub for small spaces. These narrow bathtubs offer a perfect combination of form and function, saving space without any compromises on style and comfort.

If you are looking for premium narrow bathtubs that embody these design principles, KKR (King Konree) stands as a global leader in the field. With over 26years of manufacturing experience in the field, KKR is a manufacturer that specializes in solid surface sanitary ware that is both aesthetically stunning and highly durable. Explore the KKR catalogue today to find the perfect narrow bathtub that is a perfect fit for your space and your style.