Since a bathtub or shower cabin is the focal point of every bathroom, a lot of consideration should go into deciding between the two. We’re here to make the task simpler with a ‘bathtubs vs. shower cabinets’ comparison, in accordance with all the relevant factors to help you make a smarter and wiser decision for your space.
Choosing Between Bathtubs and Shower Cubicles
Both bathtubs and shower cabins are available in a range of styles, looks, and materials. Both also require their share of cleaning and maintenance. Thus, we’ll be discussing all the factors where they differ with one another, keeping aesthetics and your personal selection of materials and interior styles on the side.
Here are some factors to consider when you’re debating between bathtubs vs. shower cabinets for your home:
- Ease of Installation
- Availability of Space
- Ease of Accessibility
- Conservation of Water
- Return on Investment
- Comparison of Costs
Let’s discuss each of these factors in detail to help you decide between shower cubicles and bathtubs for your interior.
Ease of Installation
If you’re confused between installing bathtubs or shower cabins, one major factor to consider is the ease of installation. A prefabricated shower cabinet is generally completely ready to be moved inside your bathroom, provided your door is wide enough. Otherwise, it will be taken apart and moved into place before being assembled. However, connecting the plumbing and ensuring that the cabin is leak-proof and fixed into place is all it takes to install a shower.
In contrast, bathtubs are available in two varieties. Freestanding tubs can easily be moved into your bathroom, and are ready for use once the pipes are connected. However, fitted tubs, whether full or half (chair tubs), require a lot more effort, time, and labour. If you had a tub previously installed, you’ll need to remove that, dig a hole in the area that the tub will fit into, apply a base of cement underneath to avoid water seepage, create the right base for the tub’s shape with cement, place the tub, seal it into place, caulking all the corners, and then tiling the edges to complete the look.
Availability of Space
Your choice between bathtubs vs. shower cabinets will also depend upon the size of your bathroom. A master bath is incomplete without a luxurious tub, but a smaller bathroom might only have space for a shower cabinet. Sometimes, even squeezing in a cabin might not be possible, forcing you to create a small curtained shower area using tiles.
An average full-sized bathtub is around 6 x 2.5 feet, while a shower cubicle can take around 3 x 3 feet of floor space. Considering that an average bathroom has about 5 x 8 feet of floor space, opting for a shower makes sense to ensure that your bathroom does not become too crowded. If you are leaning towards bathtubs in the bathtub vs. a shower cabinet conundrum, then opt for a chair tub, since it is available in two sizes, with the smaller one being 1 x 1.5 feet, making it the most convenient way to enjoy your cleansing rituals without crowding the space.
Ease of Accessibility
If you’re choosing a tub for your master bath, go for it, especially if you have small kids and want the ease and convenience of bathing them without getting splashed all over. However, if you live with your elderly parents, consider their ease of mobility. Bathtubs can be a pain to climb into for the elderly, and you might want to consider a shower in this case. Walk-in showers offer easy accessibility, and can even be modified to accommodate wheelchairs in the case of people having limited mobility.
Conservation of Water
Taking a shower consumes a lot less water than taking a bath, which is why people opt for shower cabinets over bathtubs for energy-efficient homes. That might seem impossible to believe, considering that a shower is constantly supplying water while you wash and clean yourself. But consider the alternative, where you fill a tub to the brim before you get in and then drain it all out again. An average of 30 to 40 gallons of water is required to fill a full-sized tub, while a short shower (5 to 10 minutes) uses about 20 to 30 gallons of water at max, which is still less than the water you’d use to fill the tub.
Return on Investment
It has generally been observed that homes containing bathtubs are considered more elite, high-class, and luxurious. They are also perfect for families with small children. Thus, you’ll see a spike in home prices upon resale if you have a bathtub installed in even one bathroom. The house will also attract better and more buyers as a whole. In contrast, if your target audience is retired and elderly couples, you might want to rethink the decision. Choosing between bathtubs and shower cubicles becomes easier if you know who you’re designing the bathroom for.
Comparison of Costs
If you want to decide between bathtubs and shower cabins based on price estimates, then you’ll see various online portals selling different types of ceramic tubs for anywhere between PKR 18,000 to PKR 25,000, while a pre-made shower cabinet might cost you around PKR 23,000 and above. These prices are just an average range, but they can give you a better idea of which fixture would cost you more. But that’s not all. Since installing a tub is a labour-intensive task, it will automatically add to the overall cost, which will be more than what you’ll pay to install a shower cabin.
The discussion about bathtubs vs. shower cabinets can go on for longer since both have their own pros, but don’t forget to consider the other side of the story before making your decision. You can also check out how to find the right sink for your bathroom, out of the five major types available in Pakistan.
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