Deep Japanese baths

[Oldbutnotdead]

Hi hoping to install a deep Japanese style bath, small piddly bathroom and I'm a bather not a showerer. Two types seen to be available with or without seats, now sure which would be best.
Any reviews much appreciated 😀

We are renovating and recently installed this in an en-suite that couldn't fit a regular length bath. Its very relaxing, with a comfy moulded seat and jets, but at 300litres per fill- I've only used it twice so far. I partly wish we'd just bought a jacuzzi or a 2 person spa bath instead.

www.cabuchon.com/product/nirvana-deep-soaking-tub/

If you get one, make sure it has free standing taps, not deck mounted. Unless the tub comes in two parts.

And make sure your floor drain can be easily moved, if necessary.

We have a omnitub, not the smallest one. I love it I can sit with my leg stretched out, i am approx 5'3 and a bit 😁 the water comes up to near your shoulder. Although I have learned don't have your water to hot as it's so easy to over heat

Can you explain? Why would you move a floor drain?

What are the disadvantages of the two things you warn about?

I have a very small ensuite and have been thinking about having one of these put in with perhaps a shower over it. How do you go about doing so though? I have never had a bathroom refit and wouldn't know where to start.

How much are the cabuchon tubs @GatherlyGal @CC4712 ?

Why did I just think of 'Alan's Deep Bath?'🤣

Is a French bath similar ?

@picklemewalnuts because the tap deck can only be accessed via a narrow gap up the side of the tub. Whoever is doing the plumbing will need very long arms or specialised, longer, tools to bolt the taps on to the deck.

Your current bath may have its drain on the left or right end, close to the wall. Quite a lot of modern tubs have central drains. The law of sod will dictate there is a floor joist in-between, with no space to divert the plumbing under said joist …

Ooh, all good stuff. Thanks Moose!

@picklemewalnuts regarding needing access underneath, we too were advised to allow an access door/port somehow incase of a leak or issue with the pipework in time. We had the sides of the bath tiled- but behind this, the ply has access ports cut out. Instead of grouting the tiles around these access holes- they used a similar coloured silicone. IF we ever need to get underneath the bath, all we need to do is cut through the silicone with a knife and remove both the tiles and the attached ply behind- rather than breaking apart tiles and grout.

@Perennis I 'think' a basic cabuchon start at £2-3000 depending on the model. They then add extras like jets, music, coloured lights etc.

I think baths with doors are a bit of a con if you have mobility issues and like a bath. You can't use the door while the bath is full of water, so you'll have to get into an bath and wait for it to fill up; and after you've had a bath, you'll have to wait for the water to drain - getting cold in both situations!😬

No seat.

Our deep tub, not Japanese style, it is one you lay down in, but it comes up to the neck, has an access panel held in with a combination of magnets and silicone that matches the grout. The expensive contractor we hired was well worth the price because we were replacing a tub partly because the previous access panel design was so poor and we were need up just having to smash the tile.

I have been looking at these, omnitub in particular, and the max volume of water seems bonkers - 2-3x a normal tub? I would love to get one, but it is going upstairs and I would worry about the weight? I’ve never looked at energy/water bill per bath before - are they expensive to use?

or in reality do you tend to not fill to the max like you would with a normal tub?

My omnitub uses the same amount of water a normal bath does. No difference at all there. And that’s enough water to be just below my shoulders

My mum had one in the 80s. As little kids we loved it for stand up baths. As teens it was a bit awkward because we would inevitably over fill it and nearly drown ourselves when we sat down.

Good times. 😂

I have one with a seat - makes it easier to get in and out. It's very comfortable and the water still comes up to my chest/neck.

We got the bath for the same reasons as you - small bathroom and wanted a separate shower. We're very happy with it.

As for resale, I don't care! I'm not living for 20 years with something that doesn't work for us. Maybe worth thinking about if you're planning to move again within 5 years.

I've never seen one with a seat when I lived in Japan, no seat seemed to function perfectly fine :)

@honeyandbutterontoast Looking at the specs, the absolute smallest is still 50L more than the typical tub (standard is 180L to overflow), and 1050x750 seems really cramped even for a seated tub? The larger (but still classed as small) are 400L plus, which just seems bonkers? Are omnitub counting total volume (past overflow)?

I probably need to construct some mock ups to see what sizes I would be happy with…

I think thats the size mine is. I fit fine in it at 5ft 5 but I don’t think someone very tall would find it that comfortable.

I think maybe they count total volume? Mine has the overflow quite high and I don’t need the water up that far. Maybe they are measuring it without someone in it?

on their website they have some videos of people sitting in the different size baths so you can get an idea of sizes. I had to choose a small one as only a tiny bathroom.

Well after pursuing I decided on a whirlpool Lewis, measured designed my bathroom around it only to see I can't put one in my shopping cart. Off I trot to investigate company, it's in liquidation 🙄😬.

So that leaves essential bathing, omnitub or the more expensive ranges😬.

We’ve got a deep bath and I spend half my life in it

I found omnitub’s customer service to be really good. I messed up my online order with them and they put it all right super quickly even though it was totally my fault.

Delivery was good too although you do need someone to be there to help you carry it in the house as they leave it on the doorstep and it’s a two person job to carry it in.

I will now look at omnitubs in more depth.
honeyandbutterontoast do you have the smallest one or did you go a little bigger.
I've a kitchen to sort too, flooring throughout, windows, log burner its endless 😬