A well-chosen shower cabin is an excellent solution both for a small and quite spacious bathroom. However, choosing a variant with a shower tray presents us with another important dilemma – is a shallow or deep shower tray better? Both options have their pros and cons. Before going shopping, it's worth considering which one will work better in our bathroom. It is worth taking into account several important criteria.
Shallow shower tray
A shallow shower tray makes the bathroom look very attractive and appears larger. It can be recessed into the floor or mounted directly on the tiles. Such a product can be shaped so that water properly drains into the siphon. The parameters of a shallow shower tray usually define its height, measured from the floor to the edge where the shower cabin is located. It is most often 15 cm. It is recommended to buy a shower tray and cabin from the same company. This is definitely a more cost-effective option.
If this is not possible, the shower tray and cabin should have the same radius, which is usually 55 cm. Some shallow shower trays are a bit larger than standard and are covered, which can either match the tray or be removable. These covers are sometimes also called panels. It is worth noting that entering a shallow tray is much simpler than a deep one. Choosing this product is a much better solution for elderly people and those with mobility issues.
Deep shower tray
Apart from the depth of the deep shower tray measured from the edge by the floor to the edge where the cabin is located, the depth of the basin is also often provided, measured from the bottom to the upper edge. It is usually 5-15 cm, but the deepest available trays can be up to 30 cm deep. Using the tray for purposes like bathing small children or doing laundry is a very functional solution that a product of quite a considerable height will enable.
Using a deep tray as a bath will of course be less comfortable but useful if there is no room to install one in the bathroom. Elderly people or children will certainly feel comfortable in trays with considerable depth. However, keep in mind that they require a bathroom of quite a large size to be installed. Many of these trays include a seat that can also serve as a shelf for bath accessories. A deep tray features a removable front panel but can also be invested in other enclosures.
Shapes and dimensions of the shower tray and cabin
The shower tray and cabin must match each other. The simplest solution is to purchase a set, which is also cheaper than buying individual products. The radius of a tray is usually 50 or 55 cm. On the market, these sizes are usually maintained, which makes it very easy to choose this product and fit it to the cabin. Always remember to choose tray shape appropriately for the size of the bathroom. Apart from a square tray, you can choose a semicircular or rectangular one.
However, the standard dimensions of trays are 80 x 80 cm and 90 x 90 cm, so a size of 100 x 100 cm belongs to slightly larger ones. There are also asymmetrical products. The tray should be chosen to suit the needs of all household members. This is especially important for children, large people, the elderly, or those with disabilities. Even a small number of additional centimetres will make us feel much more comfortable in the shower.
What criteria to consider
One of the most important criteria to consider when purchasing a shower tray is not its appearance, but functionality – before visiting the store, it is worth considering who and for what purpose will use the purchased product. For elderly or disabled people, a flat tray no higher than 6-8 cm is an excellent solution – many manufacturers also offer models with ribbed bottoms or non-slip coatings, which significantly increase safety and comfort during daily baths. A flat tray ensures easy movement and is much easier to keep clean.
Planning to have children or are you new parents? There should be space in the new bathroom for a shower cabin with a deep tray, which can have many uses – you can successfully soak laundry, bathe a child, or even wash larger items in it. Many models available on the market have the aforementioned wide, comfortable seats, which can serve as an additional shelf for cosmetics, accessories needed for daily hygiene or toys that will make bath time enjoyable for a small child.