Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Original poster

What bathroom brand?

28 replies

Potterwolfie · 23/11/2015 16:29

We're renovating a family bathroom and en suite early next year but don't know which brands to look at. We want something good quality and durable, mid range price wise...it's really hard to know where to start looking, does anyone have any suggestions for sinks/showers/toilets?

OP posts:
Higge · 23/11/2015 16:52

I have been massively disappointed by the bathroom stuff I bought. The Laufen toilet seat has eroded chrome - apparently I should have only used water to clean it. Saneux toilet seat which cost £170 needed pads replaced every 3 months as they were made from plastic and no surprise they broke. and then the seat snapped at the back - only 2 years after we bought it and it took no abuse. Our showers all leaked - we put in 3, we had to adapt the shower screen. We bought a Duravit sink - the over flow cover snapped off - it was just cheap plastic. Really regret quite a few of our purchases. Sad

Original poster
Potterwolfie · 23/11/2015 16:59

How can you be expected to just use water to clean a toilet?! We've looked at Duravit, Roca and Vitra, they all look very nice, but how do we know they're going to last? Back to the drawing board. . .

OP posts:
Higge · 23/11/2015 17:29

I don't know - we tried to buy quality items that would last - I could cry when I think of the money we spent. Ask the question about approved cleaning products....would never have checked that the pads on a toilet seat were rubber based. My feeling is that bathroom stuff is pretty shit in quality - very design led. My chrome towel rails leaked - I was told I should not have touched them - the valves always leak - they are designed to look good but don't work very well. I'd go basic - Ideal Standard and I'd go with a range that's been around for a while.

Original poster
Potterwolfie · 23/11/2015 22:13

We're looking in a brochure of supposed 'reasonably priced' Vitra units, which at more than £1,200 for a sink and vanity is taking the proverbial! ! Might just check out Ikea at this rate. . .sorry you had such a bad experience, how frustrating for you.

OP posts:
Kerberos · 23/11/2015 22:31

We have an IKEA double bathroom sink and I love it. They do a vast under unit and a mirror the same size too.

Bath we went Roca and it's been fab. Was only about £120 online too.

Higge · 24/11/2015 07:59

We are now going for an Ikea Bathroom cabinet....rather than spending £800 we'll spend around £100 - lesson learnt! Grin

Higge · 24/11/2015 08:00

Top tip - get in a bath before you buy it to make sure it's comfortable, it never occurred to me that a bath wouldn't be!

MamaDuckling · 24/11/2015 08:12

We've got a Laufen suite and downstairs w/c. Toilet seats are wobbly after two years (toddler likes to hang off them though) but otherwise I can't complain.
Grohe great for fittings/shower and taps etc are brilliant.

Original poster
Potterwolfie · 24/11/2015 08:25

Thanks for your ideas everyone, I didn't think it would be so tricky to buy a decent bathroom! Great tip about the bath. . .who knew they had different comfort levels?!

OP posts:
blueobsessive · 24/11/2015 08:29

We got ours from the bath store 2 years ago. All seems to work fine. They seem to have a perpetual sale on, and the shop allowed us to haggle down another 15% or so. I'm not a plumber so I have no idea if in another few years we may have all manner of troubles. Good luck.

slicedfinger · 24/11/2015 08:34

We have fitted Duravit in two bathrooms. It is fabulous. Hansgrohe taps again just lovely to use and no wear apparent after many years. It does cost a small fortune, but we think it's worth it. Our shower was Majestic, and wall cabinet Shneider. Again, loved them. I wish we had the money to put them in our current house.

MamaDuckling · 24/11/2015 08:34

Also, get as long a bath as you can. Preferably double ended so you and DH/DP can share if so inclined! Mount taps on the wall, in the middle.

We didn't think we'd have space for this so have taps at one end of our single ended bath... There is easily space for a bigger tub but no sharing here now!!

DSClarke · 24/11/2015 08:37

We got Burlington and it has been very poor. Bath tap and loo seat broken after 2 years. Avoid!

Ps any reccomendations for a nice wooden loo seat anyone?

pinechesterdrawers · 24/11/2015 08:41

I was going to suggest classics like ideal standard, hansgrohe and grohe.

At my parents' house, they had actually a lovely avocado vanity unit and loo/bath. It was ideal standard and was such good quality for 30 years. I only remember it having the cistern lid off x1 in 30 years and my dad could repair it himself

3 years ago they replaced it with another ideal standard vanity sink thing and grohe taps/grohe toilet.

We have installed a Roper Rhodes r2 vanity sink and vitra toilet in our en suite. We got the entry level hansgrohe croma shower set and the total for the en suite stuff (not installed) was £1650, so very close to the wickes quote.

Both us and our parents went to independent local shops and asked them to price match. on many items, they gave a 10% anyway.

Original poster
Potterwolfie · 24/11/2015 15:08

We'd hoped to budget around £4,000 for each bathroom so much as I love the idea of paying for super quality stuff, sadly I don't think the likes of Hansgrohe are within our range, particularly as we may not be in this house in a couple of years' time.

Agree on the delights of an Ideal Standard avocado suite, my parents also had one and it was a brilliant set, reliable and solid. . .shame it was a revolting colour though, hey?!

OP posts:
Loumate666 · 24/11/2015 18:20

I've done a positive post about this lot before - I found Gary there extremely helpful and the prices the best I could find online on a bottom line basis (i.e. I could get some items a few £ cheaper elsewhere but they had the best bottom line price for the 4 bathrooms that I ordered through them). I think it helps if you go for the same thing in more than one bathroom e.g. we went for the same toilet and shower valve 4 times and the same shower screen and tray three times. Gary advised us on the brands where he could get a bigger discount although we didn't always go for them.

FYI, we ended up with mainly :

  • Simpsons shower enclosures / trays
  • Roper Rhodes Vanity Units and toilet
  • Cross water Shower Valve and taps
  • Carronite bath
Original poster
Potterwolfie · 24/11/2015 18:25

Thanks Loumate666, really helpful info! We've chosen a Carron bath, that's about the only thing we're decided on. Looking at Hudson Reed as our fitter recommended them but we're not convinced that they're necessarily the best quality, it may just be something he can get a good deal on . .going to research your suggestions now, thank you!

OP posts:
JulesLo · 25/11/2015 13:57

Agree the expensive stuff is design-led - that's what you are paying for. In current house we have Duravit with Crosswater taps. Wouldn't waste my money on Duravit again but crosswater taps and shower head/valve are great - work well and look good. Also have another bathroom with a combination of items:
cheap (victorianplumbing) basin and loo
not so cheap (Arte Form) taps
expensive Mistley shower enclosure
I would recommend all of these and the cheaper items enabled us to go for the Mistley shower which I love.

Don't forget the cost of tiles in your budget

Higge · 25/11/2015 14:18

Crosswater taps and Hansgrohe shower and taps have been great, Vado tap is eroding after 4 years use.

RaphaellaTheSpanishWaterDog · 25/11/2015 17:37

We've previously used V&B, Hansgrohe, Ideal Standard, Sottini, Duravit, Crosswater and have been very pleased with the quality, longevity etc, although the Hansgrohe Axor Montreux was ridiculously expensive and we can't afford to fit it here just yet.

Fitted a Clearwater bath at the last house - not so good as the waste leaked.

We have Sottini here - fitted by PO - although they put nasty çheap taps which we'll have to replace.

Bette baths are a very well respected brand, although I have no personal experience.

Arte Form is our friend's company and I can't recommend them highly enough Grin

lolalotta · 02/05/2018 20:15

Following

Worieddd · 02/05/2018 23:25

I would recommend Roca and Handsgrohe

violet116 · 31/07/2018 09:21

BEWARE the "5 year manufacturers warranty" is non-existent. when the soft-close hinge on our Roper Rhodes soft close toilet seat broke last year RR refused to honour their "5 year manufacturers warranty" to replace the toilet seat, and only offered to replace the hinges. They have erroneously claimed that the "5 year manufacturers warranty" is only available via their supplier. When I spoke to the supplier - they only offer a 1 year "retail warranty" and said the "5 year manufacturers warranty" should be available from RR. So BEWARE the "5 year manufacturers warranty" from RR is completely non-existent.

LOVELYDOVEY05 · 02/08/2018 12:10

Just got Roca laura suite. It is great for a smaller bathroom and I thought Roca would be good but after only a month the sink does not empty. Waiting for the plumber. I would get a round toilet seat. Friends have a rectangular one and when it broke it cost a lot to replace

QuinionsRainbow · 02/08/2018 12:41

We've had Roca for over eight years. Still going strong!