Straight bath buying guide

A straight bath is one of the more versatile choices for the contemporary bathroom, not to mention one of the most popular options. They offer a comfortable, stylish option while remaining cost-effective. There are a lot of designs and styles to choose from in the straight bath range, and so you can create the bathroom style that best suits you even if space is limited.

A straight bath is going to fit rather neatly into most bathrooms and it is the most common style of bath that you are going to come across. The style name 'straight bath' comes from the overall footprint because the outside edges form the shape of a rectangle. However, the inside shape of the bath can be different from this and the tap choice will impact the overall look too, as will whether you choose a single or double-ended bath.

Straight baths are normally installed against a wall or in a corner to save space. A corner tub will also make it easier to install a shower above the bath later if that is an option you think you might explore at some point. You might also want to consider if you want a single or double-ended bath.

The double Vs the single-ended straight bath

What is the difference between a single and a double-ended bath? When it comes to the number of available styling options, you cannot beat the straight bath. For one thing, they come in two distinct styles:

• Single-ended
• Double-ended

What is the difference between the two, and what are the advantages? With a double-ended bath, the taps are perhaps not where you would expect them to be (and no, not one set of taps either end of the bath). Here, as with the Cascade, the taps and waste are central as opposed to being on one of the ends as with a more traditional layout that can be seen on the majority of slightly more traditional baths.

The double-ended straight bath offers slightly more than a single-ended bath in terms of comfort, primarily because no matter which way you prefer to lie, you are not going to end up with taps in your back. You end up with more options when it comes to placement in the bathroom too because you are not restricted to having it installed in a corner.

By far the most popular type of bath style, the single-ended bath features the taps at one end of the bath. The majority of bathrooms sport a single-ended bath since they fit into the most bathrooms, even those that are spatially challenged. Whichever type you go for, take a look through all of your options before deciding.

Bath shapes

While the exterior of a straight is usually a plain rectangle (one corner is often rounded off), the interior can be a very different story. The various designs can be ideal if you are shopping for a built-in bath that matches your existing bathroom décor.

For a slightly softer look than the basic rectangle, you can choose a rounded interior shape. It depends on the style on the bathroom itself and, of course, your personal preferences. There are a variety of different internal contour options, so it is certainly worth your while to look through the available options before deciding on one.

Consider your fixtures

The majority of baths, from anywhere, do not include things like taps or even drilled holes for them (this is to make placement easier because you have a wider range of tap style to choose from).

When choosing your taps, you should keep in mind the fact that whatever you go for it is going to have an impact on the finished look of the bath and chosen correctly the tap style can very easily add a sense of luxury and style.

For a more traditional look, for instance, you could always go for the classic separate pillar hot and cold taps, or if your thinking of adding a shower attachment then a mixer tap may be more the style you are looking for.

There are a lot of tap styles to choose from too, so finding the right one for the existing style of your bathroom shouldn’t be too difficult.

In short

When choosing a straight bath, the main thing to consider is whether or not a double-ended bath would fit in your bathroom. If the answer is yes, then you immediately have more options available to you. Of course, even if a double-ended straight bath is an option, you may feel that the single-ended style will fit more with your existing style.

You should also make note of the fact that very often, side panels are not included so you need to budget for those too. Overall though, the straight bath is an excellent choice for any bathroom.