Easy access bathroom designs

By Benjamin Clarke | Published on 15th March 2022

For anyone with impaired mobility, or a disability related to mobility, having a comfortable and easily-accessible bathroom is vital for dignity and having a high standard of life.

Safety and comfort are of utmost importance when designing an accessible bathroom, and a specialist in this type of bathroom design should be consulted so that a full range of options and possibilities can be seen.

In this article, we'll offer a little advice on some easy ways to make a bathroom easy to navigate and more mobility friendly, with emphasis on our easy-access whirlpool baths.

Easy-access bathtubs

A regular bath with high sides can be very difficult to access for people with limited mobility.

Fortunately, there are a good range of easy-access baths that are fitted with a side door, enabling a person to enter the bath with ease and then fill up the water around then.

Some baths are traditionally shaped, allowing you to get in, lie back and enjoy the relaxing qualities of a hot bath whilst avoiding the inconvenience of stepping over high sides.

For those with particularly restricted movement, a sit-down bath may be a better choice. A sit-down bath is squarer and more upright than a standard bath and allows you to open the door and sit down, almost like in a chair, as the bath fills up around you. Getting up from a seat is easier that from a horizontal position.

Below are some of the best baths we offer that are particularly well-suited to those with mobility impairment.

The Bathe Easy Cascade Bath

The Bathe Easy Cascade will fit effortlessly into any bathroom style.

With an easy access glass door, this allows anyone who would otherwise struggle to climb over the rim of the bath, access to a wonderful hydro massage experience.

Available in the popular 1700x700 sizes, this bath can also be specified left or right-handed, making sure it can adapt to your personal requirements.

Designed with a double waste, you can expect 40% quicker drainage than a single waste, for safety, piece of mind and convenience.

View easy-access bath

2. Bathe Easy Comfort Bath

Officially the smallest bath we have, the Bathe Easy Comfort is an easy access bath specifically designed suitable for those with limited mobility or who need bathing assistance.

This space-saving bath showcases an integral seat, making the bathing experience both accessible and very enjoyable. Complete with a 10mm glass door with anti staining technology, the Comfort is fitted with a really swish stainless steel handle and door hinges.

A superb choice for anyone requiring this style of bath yet has limited available space in the bathroom.

View easy-access bath

Concept Freedom Superlux Whirlpool Bath

Rather than having a door in the side of the bath, the Concept Freedom bath has the look and feel of a regular bath tub, even though it is designed for varying levels of mobility.

This whirlpool bath forms part of the Ideal Standard range is actually designed by Robin Levien, co-founder of design company Levien Design, and considered one of Europe's most innovative and acclaimed product designers of the last few decades.

The overall style combines luxury with practicality, coming as it does with easy-access reinforced ledge, lower entry height and handy a inside step. This allows for a graduated entry and exit when getting in or out of the tub, making this bath a real luxury item for any bathroom with extra accessibility in mind.

View this whirlpool bath

Handrails

Well-placed handrails are another incredibly important featured of all mobility-friendly bathrooms.

A handrail next to the bath or in the shower are essential to help support a person's weight while getting up, sitting down and for manoeuvring comfortably.

A grab rail should also be placed next to the toilet (either side if possible) to allow someone to lower and raise themselves with ease.

Likewise, it would be very helpful for someone who can stand but needs support to have handrails either side of a sink or mirror. This allows ablutions to be completed with one hand and the option of the body being supported with the other.

Hand rails placed on the back of the main bathroom door can also be useful, allowing for very easy opening and closing with needing to stretch for a handle.

Non-slip flooring

Slipping over on a wet floor in a bathroom is easily done by an able-bodied person, so for anyone with disabilities or mobility issues, it's doubly important to address and get right.

Vinyl flooring is a popular choice because it's non-slip, easy to install and clean, wheelchair friendly and one of the best value types of flooring you can get.

Small mosaic tiles are also a good option as they are much gripper underfoot than large smooth floor tiles and less prone to becoming slippery when wet. Mosaic tiles are particularly for wet rooms and, while quite time-consuming to install, are durable and look fantastic. There are not really suitable for wheelchair users however.

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• Baths with doors: what should you look for?

• Best bath options for the elderly

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