Bathtubs are where you get clean. Soaking tubs, however, are where you bathe yourself in luxury. If you're interested in adding glamour and creating a spa-like atmosphere in your bathroom, you need to immerse yourself in what is a soaking tub.

What Is a Soaking Tub?

In the most basic terms, a soaking tub is a tub that's large and deep enough to allow you to submerge your whole body in water. The epitome of bathroom luxury, soaking tubs are designed for a relaxing, indulgent, and even therapeutic bathing experience.

Soaking Tub Sizes

So you can completely submerge yourself in water, soaking tubs are usually between 2' and 3' deep, which is around twice the depth of standard bathtubs. They are typically around 72" long, more than a foot longer than standard bathtubs, so you can stretch your legs out as well.

Because they are much larger than standard bathtubs, it's easiest to install a soaking tub if you're building a home or completely remodeling your bathroom so you can plan around the soaking tub. It might be harder to squeeze a soaking tub into an existing bathroom, but smaller versions might work in your space.

Types of Soaking Tubs

Soaking tubs come in all shapes and sizes and can be made from a wide variety of materials including resin, acrylic, porcelain-enameled cast iron, stone, marble, wood, ceramic, copper, concrete, and even wood.

Soaking tubs are categorized based on how they are installed in a bathroom. The most common types of soaking tubs include:

Freestanding: As the name implies, freestanding soaking tubs are finished on all sides, sit directly on the floor, and have space around them. Commonly considered the most luxurious soaking tub option, freestanding soaking tubs are, in many cases, the bathroom's centerpiece.

Pedestal: Pedestal soaking tubs are freestanding soaking tubs that sit on a raised pedestal instead of sitting directly on the floor.

Claw Foot Soaking Tubs: Claw foot soaking tubs are also freestanding, but instead of sitting on the floor, they sit on classic and timeless claw feet.

Alcove Soaking Tubs: An alcove soaking tub is placed in a recess in the bathroom, which means there are walls on three of the four sides of the soaking tub.

Corner Soaking Tubs: A corner soaking tub has walls on two sides, as it sits in a corner. Because they usually take up less floor space than other types of tubs, corner soaking tubs are often a good choice for smaller bathrooms.

Drop-In Soaking Tubs:Drop-in soaking tubs have no finished sides and are dropped into a structure built specifically for the tub, which is called a deck. These types of soaking tubs feature a rounded, visible rim that sits above the deck.

Undermount Soaking Tubs:Undermount tubs are similar to drop-in tubs, with the difference being the rim. With undermount tubs, you do not see the rim. Instead, a deck surface is installed on top of the tub so all you see is the basin.

Walk-In Soaking Tubs:Walk-in tubs have a watertight door that opens to allow you to walk into the tub. These tubs are ideal for people with mobility issues who have difficulty getting in and out of regular tubs.

Soaking Tub vs. Bathtub

Soaking tubs are designed for a relaxing, luxurious experience. They are a statement piece for your bathroom. However, their depth can make them impractical for daily use. For example, it would be difficult to bathe small children in a deep soaking tub. Also, many standard bathtubs are part of a bathtub-shower combination but soaking tubs are typically too deep to use in the bathtub-shower configuration. In most cases, a bathroom with a soaking tub will also feature a shower or other bathing option.

Soaking tubs can also have features like jets, heaters, arm or headrests, and contours designed for extended soaking. As you can imagine, because they are larger and have more bells and whistles than standard tubs, soaking tubs are usually more expensive than regular bathtubs.

What Is a Soaking Tub? The Ultimate Bathroom Luxury

Soaking tubs add elegance and turn your bathroom into a personal oasis where you can relax and unwind. To find the right soaking tub for your bathroom, check out the wide range of options Wayfair offers.

Written by Amy Wright

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