A walk in tub and a walk in shower are the two most popular safe bathing upgrades, and they solve the same core problem: climbing over a high tub wall is the single most common way people fall in the bathroom. They just solve it in different ways. Here is how they compare so you can pick with confidence.
| Walk in tub | Walk in shower | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Soaking, sore joints, hydrotherapy | Quick easy access, small spaces |
| Entry | Low threshold door, you sit then fill | Low step or curbless, walk straight in |
| Bathing style | Seated soak in a deep tub | Stand or use a bench seat |
| Space | Fits a standard tub alcove | Opens up a small bathroom |
| Typical installed range | $14,000 to $25,000 | $14,000 to $25,000 |
| Install time | About 1 day | 1 to 2 days |
Choose a walk in tub if you love a warm soak, want hydrotherapy jets for arthritis or sore muscles, or feel safest seated with the water around you. You step in over a low threshold, sit on a built in seat, and the door seals before you fill. Look for a fast drain so you are not waiting in the cold while it empties.
Choose a walk in shower if you prefer to shower rather than bathe, have limited mobility that makes sitting down into a tub hard, or want to open up a small bathroom. A low step or curbless entry, a bench seat, grab bars, and a handheld sprayer make it easy and safe whether you stand or sit.
Both land in a similar range for a quality one day system, so budget is rarely the deciding factor. The bigger questions are how you like to bathe and whether anyone in the home needs to roll a wheelchair or walker straight in, which points to a curbless walk in shower. Tubbs by Grubbs installs either with our own trained team, usually in about a day, and backs it with a lifetime product warranty and a 2 year labor warranty.
Both are far safer than a standard tub because they remove the high wall you have to step over. A walk in shower with a curbless entry is usually easiest for a wheelchair or walker, while a walk in tub is great for a secure seated soak. The safest choice depends on the person's mobility.
A walk in shower tends to appeal to the widest range of buyers and keeps a bathroom feeling open, while a walk in tub is a strong draw for buyers focused on aging in place. Tubbs by Grubbs can help you weigh comfort now against resale later.
Yes. A walk in tub with a shower combination, or a tub and shower combo, lets you keep a soaking option and a standing shower in one space. We review the layout during your free in home visit.
A walk in shower is usually the better choice for an elderly parent who can stand or sit on a bench for a 10 to 15 minute wash, while a walk in tub is better for a parent who needs a seated soak for sore joints or hydrotherapy. The shower wins on speed and simplicity: the entry is a low step or curbless, there is no waiting on water, and a bench seat leaves room for a walker or a caregiver. The tub wins on comfort, but the bather sits inside while it fills and drains, and a tub holding 50 gallons or more can outrun a 40 gallon water heater. Layout moves the decision too. A tub fits a standard tub alcove with little change, while a shower opens up a small bathroom. Both typically install for $14,000 to $25,000, about 1 day for a tub and 1 to 2 days for a shower, according to Tubbs by Grubbs' published price table, so pick by mobility, not budget.
Yes, Bath Planet is a strong choice for a one day tub or shower, and Tubbs by Grubbs installs it as Bath Planet of Northern Louisiana, with a typical installed range of $14,000 to $25,000 on its published price table. Bath Planet tubs and showers are acrylic, a nonporous surface that resists chips, cracks, stains, mold and mildew, and the showers are infused with antimicrobial protection to keep mold growth down. Because the walls go up as panels with no grout lines, daily cleaning is a wipe rather than a scrub, and the published table lists about 1 day to install a walk in tub and 1 to 2 days for a walk in shower. Tubbs by Grubbs holds the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, BBB accreditation and several Bath Planet awards, and its own crews do the installation under a lifetime product warranty and a 2 year labor warranty. The brand matters less than the install, so the price moves with the size of the unit, the entry type, glass, and any water damage found behind the old tub. Ask for the scope and warranty in writing before you sign.
A walk in tub is a deep tub with a low threshold door that you step through, sit down in, and then fill. A walk in shower has a low step or curbless entry that you walk straight into, and you stand or sit on a bench seat. Both typically install for $14,000 to $25,000, according to Tubbs by Grubbs' published price table. The same table lists about 1 day to install a walk in tub and 1 to 2 days for a walk in shower, so budget rarely decides the choice and mobility usually does. A walk in tub suits soaking, sore joints and hydrotherapy, and it fits a standard tub alcove, but you stay seated inside while it fills and drains. A walk in shower suits quick daily access and can open up a small bathroom. The price moves toward the top of the range when the job adds curbless entry or relocates the drain and supply lines. It also rises when a tub is converted to a shower, or when the project adds hydrotherapy jets, built in seating, grab bars or upgraded wall panels.
Yes. Tubbs by Grubbs installs both walk in tubs and walk in showers, and our own crews do the work from demolition to the final seal, so one company stays accountable for the whole bathroom. We operate as Bath Planet of Northern Louisiana, and our bath remodeling work covers walk in tubs, tub to shower conversions, and tub and shower enclosures. Because we self perform instead of handing the job to a subcontractor, the people who install your bathroom are our own crews, and the same company you call afterward. We are family owned and based at 402 Cypress St in West Monroe, Louisiana. See the walk in tub and shower options at tubbsbygrubbs.com or call (318) 239 7954.
Free, no obligation in home estimate. Licensed and insured, installed by our own trained team, one day on most projects, lifetime product warranty, 2 year labor warranty, financing available.
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