Freestanding bath - who has one and what do you think?

[Vijac]

We're updating our bathroom and adding a shower. We really like the freestanding baths with feet that are made of stone but have a few qualms about it-our bathroom isn't huge so it will have to be near the wall, will it be a nightmare to clean? No storage around the sides for shampoo etc. Is stone dangerous for kids and would acrylic be better (but don't like the feel). Does anyone have one and what do you think of it? Also, where did you get it? Thanks!

[TrashPanda]

My parents have a cast iron freestanding roll top bath with claw feet. Their bathroom is tiny and the bath is next to the wall and takes up maybe 40% of the room. The window and windowsill is to one side and at one end there is a sort of recess in the wall with glass shelves in for bottles. I'm 5’2” and can lie down flat in the bath and we used to love sliding up and down it as kids when the water was draining. We did used to splash over the sides but the floor underneath is tiled so easy to dry.

[sofakitten1]

I have recently had a beautiful freestanding bath installed and it looks great. It has an integral shelf at the back so water going over the back is not an issue. However, I have developed chronic back pain in my upper back and wondered if the bath is responsible. I cannot get comfortable in it as you can't rest your neck on the rim like a normal bath and your back is unsupported by the slope. I just wondered if anyone else had had a problem.

[minipie]

Hi sofakitten I tried a few baths out in shops when we were buying ours and I did find that shape very uncomfortable- the near vertical slope at the ends means you can’t lean back. We went for one where the ends were more like a 45 degree slope for this reason.

However I’d doubt a bath would cause back pain on its own unless you are spending hours in there every day?! More likely to be leaning over at a desk or table or a mattress issue I’d say...

[HappyDinosaur]

I love ours and so does my toddler, I have no worries about safety as I'm always there with her and the base is actually flatter than other baths we've had. It's so comfy to lay in for a nice long soak. Our main shower is separate though as our bathroom is qhite a good size. Unless I had no choice I would not go back to a built in one now.

[goldierocks]

Hi @sofakitten1

I've had surgery on my lower spine following an accident; it's full of metal rods and bolts now.

My freestanding bath is the most comfortable bath I've ever used/had, I couldn't be without it.

My bath is a different shape to yours. I have zero issues with splashing/water going outside the bath, however it's only used by x3 adults.

Picture was taken when the bath was fitted during my house renovations (2018). I saw it for sale at lots of different places, the best price I found was from Victorian Plumbing.

[Africa2go]

We had one like this in a previous house - throughout twin pregnancy and then with twin babies/toddlers. Love, love, loved it. So deep it was really relaxing for me, then when the babies arrived, they went ballistic in it, splashing everywhere, so deep that water didn't really go over the edge. I did buy a special bath pillow that attached to the inside of the bath with suckers as your head doesn't reach the lip, it was bliss.

Do agree that you need a fairly big bathroom. Sadly, only have a small bathroom in new house so don't have one and I miss it!

[Raaraaboonah]

I've got a silly question but when you go looking for a bath, how do you know if it will be comfortable?

Do you climb into it in the showroom? I just can't quite get my head around how you test the slope etc.

We have room to put in a freestanding bath but the backs seem to be really steep so i can't work out how they will be comfortable at all.

[goldierocks]

Yep, I must have climbed in 70+ different baths across many showrooms! The sales assistants were most obliging. I always took my shoes off (I wasn't asked to).

Completely fell in love with the back support and depth of 'my' bath, then searched online for the best price.

Of course people experience things differently; I don't find the ends of my bath to be at all steep. I'm definitely leaning back comfortably and the angle of the curve supports my lower back.

My son and OH are both much taller than me and they find it equally as comfortable. OH has fallen asleep in it more than once! (Not recommended, but he didn't do it on purpose).

[emmathedilemma]

Style over substance IME. A nightmare for storage of bottles etc, they tend to be really deep and not always comfortable to recline in, take ages to fill (not to mention the amount of water they use), and if you've got kids or use a shower attachment to wash your hair in the bath you'll have water all down the sides and the floor.

[sunshinesupermum]

goldierocks I love your bath/shower and the design on the wall. Where is the soap/shower get/bath oil etc?

[goldierocks]

@sunshinesupermum - I've got a little shelf behind the bath which is out of sight (to the left of the shower curtain, iyswim). Bath stuff is on the shelf, shampoo etc is in the tall unit behind the bath.

The shower over the bath is used when we have guests, but for daily use we use the ensuite showers.

[QueenStromba]

Don't do it if you can't have plenty of space around it. You lose all of your razors etc down the side of it, water goes everywhere and they end up filthy underneath.

[Chuchyduck]

Goldierocks, your bath is lovely
I love freestanding baths. We’ve had a couple of old cast iron ones and we now have a Carronite freestanding bath. It was also second hand, but like new and is so comfortable as well as beautiful. We are moving soon hopefully, so will be on the hunt for another one, but I absolutely love them. But, I don’t know what we will choose for the new house, as we’ve never lived anywhere like it before. It’s a chapel that needs converting. Shopping for baths etc, is a long way off yet.

[minipie]

Do you climb into it in the showroom?

Yep absolutely. shoes off and away i go. Of course this was pre covid...

[user1471538283]

We had one and whilst it looked great we rarely used it. It took ages to fill and was really only big enough for me (I'm small). It was lovely once you were in it. It was a bugger to clean underneath. But we had a big bathroom then. I like the ones without feet

[areallthenamesusedup]

I was always anti until I found one that goes down to floor (so no dirty underneath), I had a reachable shelf for cups of tea/wine, soap etc. Just now invested in funky stool for a magazine or two and I have LOADS of space between wall and bath so VERY easy to clean. Total convert,

[areallthenamesusedup]

Mine came from
fired Eartn and cost a ridiculous amount even in half price sale. Silly of me as they just “re-badge” their baths as Fired Earth. Next time I will choose the design and size and use independent plumbers merchant to help me find same model.

[JustStuck]

I have a large and deep cast iron free standing bath..few cms away from the wall in the centre of bathroom. Painted Farrow and Ball. Took 3/4 men to hoist it up. I love it. Pay a bathroom designer and create visuals. Yes its extra money but its so worth it.

[missl1]

I can’t believe there are so many freestanding bath haters. I love our cast iron one. I would never have another type. Also bathed two kids from newborn (with sponge floaty thing) who also love it. I’m not sure why people would view it as any more dangerous than a regular bath. Plus no fighting over who sits at the uncomfortable tap end as there is no tap end. Perfect.

[missl1]

Forgot to say purchased on eBay for £300 secondhand.