Freestanding VS built-in baths: What’s right for your bathroom?

Freestanding baths can add so much to your bathroom. They’re generous in size, with a curvy, sculptural appearance that can take your design to the next level. Built-ins can also be great with the right tiling, and tend to be a little more practical and easier to clean.

To help you choose the right fittings for your space, we’ve taken a look at the pros and cons of freestanding vs built-in baths.

Freestanding baths pros & cons

• Sculptural design that makes an impact
• May be larger and more luxurious to soak in
• No extra building or tiling work required when installing
• Must be placed carefully and may not suit all bathrooms
• Can be hard to clean if certain parts of the bath’s exterior are hard to reach

Freestanding baths make an impact. If they’re placed well in a space that’s large enough they look amazing and can really elevate a bathroom design. If you’re going for unique design and luxury this is the option for you.

These baths also tend to be large, with high backs, which makes them very comfortable to soak in. They may even fit two people if you fancy it. Another plus is that since these baths are freestanding it’s generally not necessary to build and tile a structure to place the bath in – they can be installed directly onto the sub floor or floor.

With all that said, freestanding baths may not be suitable for every bathroom. It can be tough to incorporate them in smaller spaces as it’s usually best to not install them hard up against walls. And if they are installed against a wall, getting access to the back of the bath to clean can be tricky.

View the Abey range of freestanding baths

Built-in baths pros and cons

• May be more suitable for smaller bathrooms
• Can be easier to clean
• Extra cost to install structure and tiling
• Hard to achieve the same design impact as with freestanding baths

Built-in baths are a practical option for smaller bathrooms. They can be easier to clean because the bath doesn’t meet the floor in the same way, so there are fewer low down nooks and crannies to get to.

With that said, there are drawbacks to built-in baths. There may be an extra cost involved as you’ll need to build a structure to house the bath, then tile it or cover it in another suitable material. This means you’ll need to pay for extra materials and labour, which could push the price of installation up.

What’s more, built-in baths often don’t have the same impact. Because you can’t see the entire bath, most of the impact will come from the surrounding tiling and fixtures, so it’s important to choose these well.

What’s right for your bathroom?

We may be a little biased as an Australian supplier of some of the best freestanding baths on the market, but we believe freestanding is the way to go if you can manage it. These baths look amazing and are so luxurious to soak in. They may require a bit more space, but they’re generally easier to install if you’ve got the room. With that said, if you’ve got a small bathroom a freestanding bath may not be practical, so it’s important you measure up and speak to an expert before you choose anything.

To get started, drop into your nearest Abey showroom to speak to our bathroom design experts and view freestanding baths in person.