Alcove Bathtubs
That item has been discontinued, but here are similar options.
An alcove bathtub is the one tub that disappears into the architecture. Three walls hold it, a finished apron faces the room, and the tile runs right down to the rim. It gives up the sculpture of a freestanding tub in exchange for something most bathrooms need more: a shower above it and every inch of floor back. Of all the bathtubs we carry, this is the hardest working.
Every tub here is the Grayley, a white acrylic alcove tub in two lengths. The 60 inch tub is the standard replacement size in most American bathrooms. The 66 inch version suits a recess that was framed longer. Both come 30, 32 or 36 inches wide. If your bathroom is tight enough that even the recess is in question, a small tub in freestanding form may fit where you assumed only an alcove would.
How to measure for an alcove tub
Measure the recess at the back wall and at the front opening. Old framing is rarely square, and a quarter inch decides whether the tub slides in or gets sent back. Then measure height above the floor to the first row of tile you plan to keep.
Left hand or right hand drain
This is the mistake people make most. Stand facing the tub. If the drain is at your left, it is a left hand drain. It has to match the plumbing already in the wall unless you are prepared to open the floor. The Grayley comes in both, so check before you check finishes.
18 inch or 22 inch alcove bathtub height
The 18 inch Grayley, offered in the 60 inch length at 30 or 32 inches wide, is built to an ADA compliant height, which makes stepping over the side easier for anyone with stiff knees and for bathing small children. The 22 inch version holds more water and reads more substantial under a shower curtain. Choose by who uses the room, not by the photo.
An alcove soaking tub that still showers well
The Grayley has a sloped back for lumbar support and a deeper soak than the contractor grade tub it usually replaces. The integrated tile flange runs up behind the wall finish so water stays out of the framing, and the overflow is built into the shell. These are the details that never appear in a listing photo and decide whether the tub lasts.
Reinforced acrylic versus steel and cast iron
Acrylic is light enough to carry up a narrow stair and warm to the touch the moment you sit down. Enameled steel feels cold for the first minute and can sound hollow underfoot. Cast iron is heavy enough that it often needs the floor checked. In a second floor bath, acrylic is the sensible choice.
Alcove tub trim under the showerhead
Drain and overflow trim comes in shiny white, matte black, brushed nickel or polished chrome. Match it to the shower valve, because in an alcove the two sit almost on top of each other.
Making a three wall alcove feel designed
Run the wall tile in one material from the floor to the ceiling and let the white apron sit against it like a clean line of trim. A glass panel instead of a curtain keeps the tile visible from the door. In low evening light, that one uninterrupted wall does more for the room than any feature you could add to it.