Whether you’re shopping for a freestanding, alcove, or under-mount soaking tub, there is one essential number you must check before you buy (and no, I don’t mean the price lol 😉)… it’s the overflow height!

A lot of folks will only look at the width and length numbers when choosing a tub – 30″ x 60″? Does it fit? Great! But there’s more to it than that.

Savvier folks will also look at the height of the tub, hoping to ensure there will be plenty of water to actually cover their bodies while soaking. But did they look at what the water depth will be based on the overflow height, or just at the height from the floor to the top of the tub (which really won’t tell you much about the water depth!)?

It’s easy to be seduced by a deep-looking tub. This lovely soaking tub to the right is a great example – it’s nearly 29″ at its tallest point (that’s almost as high as a table-top!) and 23″ at its lowest point! That must mean a lot of soaking depth, right?

Well… no.

As you can see in the diagram to the left… the bottom 6″ is taken up by the base and plumbing. And there is actually only 13.75″ of water depth to the overflow. That’s not a terrible amount of water, but it’s not awesome, either.

The overflow is the spot where the water escapes from your tub, helping avoid flooding your home if someone forgets to turn off the tub water. So the height of the overflow from the floor of the tub is the key dimension you want to pay attention to when choosing a new tub for your remodel. If you’re *not* remodeling, but you’re currently stuck with a shallow tub, this overflow drain cover might gain you an extra inch or two of water depth. But assuming you *are* remodeling, it’s better to just choose a tub with a deeper water depth from the get-go.

So, now you may be wanting some options for tubs.

Here are 6 tubs that have a soaking depth of at least 15″

(some go as deep as 20″!):

The 72″ Kohler Underscore under-mount soaking tub gives you 20 glorious inches of water depth!

Heads up! Size matters! The 60″ version of the same tub, while still generous, provides just under 17″ of water depth. That is still considered a deep soaking tub, just not *as* deep as provided by the 72″ version. Likewise, if you are installing the 3-wall alcove version, you’ll get just under 16″ of water depth.

The Toto Clayton drop-in soaking tub fits a standard 60″ wide bathroom and offers 20.25 inches of water depth! Wow!

Signature Hardware’s Sitka 60″ alcove tub will give you a lovely 15.75″ of water depth.

Jacuzzi ‘s Signature 60″ Free Standing soaking tub looks beautiful and will give you nearly 17″ of water depth – yum!

Thinking about a new tub and wondering what overflow height will work for you?

If you have a tub in your home go take a peek at the height of your current overflow. Hop in, cover yourself with as much water as your tub will allow, and then consider how another few inches might transform your bathing experience.

If you can, go visit some plumbing showrooms and sit in a few tubs (don’t worry, it’s normal, just take off your shoes before you hop in.)

Pay attention to the overflow/water height (as well as to the comfort of the slope of the back and to the safety of the step-over height). But don’t despair if you’re stuck choosing something online – at least you can check that overflow height and make sure that at the very least you’ll be soaking in a blissful amount of water!

Need help thinking through details like these for *your* bathroom remodel? That’s what we’re here for! If you just need pro guidance for your DIY project, check out our Design Helplines to get started! We’re here to help make creating your happy place as easy as possible. Seriously. 😉

May your home, and your bathtub, always be happy!