A person thinks about buying a bathroom quite rarely in his adult life: according to the results of surveys by marketers - about 1-3 times, no more. Therefore, it will be doubly offensive to purchase low-quality consumer goods that can lose their presentation after just a few years of use. This is especially true acrylic bathtubs, as the most fragile, compared to cast iron and steel samples of this plumbing.
TOP 10: Rating of the best manufacturers of acrylic bathtubs according to experts
Despite their fragility, acrylic bathtubs are quite popular. They're on order better models made of steel and cast iron according to several parameters at once:
- Retains heat: acrylic bathtubs retain water temperature for about an hour;
- Variety of shapes: manufacturers offer angular, oval or rectangular models, or even make individual designs;
- They give a feeling of comfort: acrylic - the material is smooth, but not slippery, it leaves a pleasant feeling when touched;
- Painted in different colors: you can choose a more suitable color scheme that fits perfectly into the design of your bathroom;
- Provide sound insulation: water running into the bath is barely audible;
- Easy to restore: in most cases, repairs are carried out right on site;
- They are distinguished by their extensive functionality: equipping an acrylic bathtub with hydromassage is as easy as shelling pears.
As you can see, acrylic bathtubs have plenty of advantages. Coping with the main disadvantage - low strength - is quite simple: you need to choose a bathtub with thicker walls.
10th place. "Bas"
Russian manufacturer offering about 100 models of acrylic bathtubs. For production it uses imported equipment, therefore it produces high-quality products that meet European standards. Acrylic bathtubs are made by vacuum stamping; during final processing, an antibacterial coating is applied to the outer surface. Each model can be integrated or installed independently.
- Long warranty period - ten years;
- Variety of models;
- Reasonable price.
❌ Disadvantages:
- Unpleasant factory smell;
- There are complaints about the marriage;
- "Clumsy" design of some models.
9th place. "Triton"
Another domestic manufacturer is widely known not only in our country, but also in neighboring countries. The line of models of acrylic bathtubs is also quite extensive - about 60 items. In addition to proven vacuum stamping technology (using equipment made in the USA), it also produces bathtubs using the manual forming method - they are more durable and reliable.
✅ What buyers and experts liked:
- Good range of products;
- Availability of models of various sizes;
- The company's pricing policy: there are decent models for a low price;
- Large selection of corner baths, as well as with hydromassage;
- Possibility of additional equipment.
❌ Disadvantages:
- Judging by the reviews, you can find defective products;
- Some products are not intended for overweight people;
- Some models have very thin walls.
8th place. "Kolo"
A Polish company that appeared on the Russian market relatively recently. Buyers note the high quality of acrylic bathtubs, which is not surprising: the manufacturer uses new, European, recently manufactured equipment. Model range– extensive, the company initially offers bathtubs in a wide variety of colors and configurations.
✅ What buyers and experts liked:
- Workmanship;
- Warranty period of service;
- Models are offered in a wide variety of shapes and colors.
❌ Disadvantages:
- There are very few models with pre-installed hydromassage;
- Quite difficult to find on the market.
7th place. Villeroy&Boch
The top 7 manufacturers are opened by the famous French brand “Villeroy&Boch”. It is almost two centuries old and its products are very popular in the European Union: they are high quality, reliable and durable. In addition to the usual plumbing fixtures, this company produces acrylic bathtubs, distinguished by their elegant forms and versatility.
✅ What buyers and experts liked:
- The products meet strict European standards;
- Extensive range;
- Exquisite design.
❌ Disadvantages:
- Really high price: only because of this the company did not enter the top prize-winners;
- Difficult to find on the Russian market;
- Lots of fakes.
6th place. "Pool SPA"
A Spanish company famous for its interesting bathroom design projects. Offers an extensive line of acrylic bathtubs in various shapes. All products are made with high quality and meet all necessary standards. The equipment of each individual model is thoughtful and varied.
✅ What buyers and experts liked:
- Design;
- Quality and wear resistance;
- Variety of assortment and components.
❌ Disadvantages:
- It is difficult to find something that is not a fake;
- High price for original products.
5th place. "Aquanet"
The best Russian manufacturer of acrylic bathtubs, according to most experts. In addition to the variety of models, they are famous for the good, one might even say good, quality of manufacturing of acrylic bathtubs. Also, in addition to bathtubs, it offers a wide range of additional components for each model: headrests, headrests and handrails. An additional plus is the low price compared to foreign models.
✅ What buyers and experts liked:
- Extensive range;
- Workmanship;
- Reasonable price.
❌ Disadvantages:
- Complaints about defective products;
- A number of models, due to the thickness of the walls, are not intended for large people.
4th place. "Riho"
A Dutch company specializing in the production of various plumbing components for bathrooms. I was pleased with the high quality of manufacturing of acrylic bathtubs, however, this is not surprising for European companies. What is really important is the thickness of the walls of the products: from 0.6 to 0.8 cm for the thinnest-walled bathtub. Like other European companies, it offers a lot of additional components and various bathtub designs that can highlight and embellish almost any bathroom interior.
✅ What buyers and experts liked:
- Sturdy design of the models;
- Quality materials;
- Varied equipment;
- Interesting design solutions.
❌ Disadvantages:
- Price: lower than other famous Western European brands, but still quite high.
3rd place. "Cersanit"
A joint Polish-Romanian-Russian enterprise that has won a significant share of the Russian market for the sale of sanitary products. Despite the fact that acrylic products are made here, the company’s bathtubs made from this material are of excellent quality. In addition to this advantage, it is worth noting the variety of models and a wide range of components. The last argument on the list, but not the least priority one, is the price of the products: it is significantly lower than that of European analogues.
✅ What buyers and experts liked:
- Price;
- Wear resistance and reliability;
- Variety of models.
❌ Disadvantages:
- Economy class products are not suitable for people with large weights - the walls are too thin;
- Possible marriage.
2nd place. "Ravak"
The silver medalist in our top list of the best manufacturers of acrylic bathtubs was the Czech company Ravak, which released its first acrylic bathtub model at the end of the last century. Over the past twenty years, it has produced about 25 serial models of this plumbing fixture. Today, many experts characterize its products as bathrooms with a convenient and comfortable design for use. Taking into account the wear resistance, reliability and reasonable price of most models, the Ravak company takes second place, just a little behind the gold medalist of the rating.
✅ What buyers and experts liked:
- Price;
- Quality;
- Durability;
- Assortment.
❌ Disadvantages:
- The cost of components must be paid separately;
- There are many fakes, you need to choose carefully.
1st place. "Roca"
Unanimously, according to buyers and experts, the best manufacturer of acrylic bathtubs, the products of which are available on the Russian market, remains the Roca company. We would like to immediately note that the bathrooms displayed under this brand on the shelves of our stores were made at production facilities located in the Russian Federation, that is, a subsidiary of the company. But this fact does not in any way affect the quality of production: all acrylic bathtubs meet all quality standards and, unlike other Russian companies, the amount of defects is minimal. Buyers will be able to choose a model from 200 different product options, and the range of components is also quite diverse. The factory warranty for bathtubs is up to 10 years, for additional components – for 2 years.
✅ What buyers and experts liked:
- Reasonable price;
- High quality workmanship;
- Variety of models and components.
❌ Disadvantages:
- Lots of fakes.
Acrylic bathtubs: which manufacturer is better?
We can answer this question as follows: there is simply no clear leader; each of the companies in our rating has its own advantages and disadvantages, which will be more important for each of us. The only thing worth noting is that the quality of workmanship from foreign manufacturers is, if at all, better than domestic ones, then not by much, but the price differs very much: in some cases, almost by an order of magnitude. It’s hardly worth paying extra money “for a name.”
I will never give up, I will not let myself be broken!
In this article, you will get acquainted with the five best steel enameled bathtubs, which are most often purchased in 2014. When studying the opinions of buyers, it turned out that the choice is mainly on Russian and European-made bathtubs. Many bathtub owners note that Russian factories produce good quality products and prefer to support domestic manufacturers. Moreover, such baths are much cheaper. So that you can form your own opinion, we will briefly tell you about them all.
Which brand of steel bathtubs is better?
I. Europe:
Among the European companies supplying us with steel bathtubs, the leader in quality is a German company Kaldewei. It also ranks first in terms of variety of assortment. More than half of all steel bathtub models in online stores are Kaldewei (for example, the Yandex.Market aggregator finds 380 steel bathtub models on sale, of which 211 are Kaldewei).
Kaldewei baths have established themselves as luxury baths. They are famous high strength. These are not just steel bathtubs coated with enamel. The company produces its own enamel according to a special recipe. After high-temperature treatment, the enamel is combined with steel into a single whole. Manufacturers even call this material “ steel-enamel“, it is so inseparable and durable. According to the company, the walls of the bathtub won't crack from falling objects, are not deformed when the temperature fluctuates (which means the geometry of the bathtub will not change, there will be no cracks in the seams and the walls of the bathroom will not become damp). "Steel-enamel" resistant to household chemicals, does not turn yellow and does not fade from light. Wall thickness - 3.5 mm.
When purchasing a Kaldewei bathtub, you do not have to worry about the environment - all bathtubs (at the end of their service life) and packaging materials can be 100% recycled. The warranty on bathtubs is 30 years.
Kaldewei baths regularly recognize winners at international competitions. In 2014, two new products became winners of the Interior Innovation Award 2014: the Centro Duo Oval bathtub with seamless enamel cladding received the title “Best of the Best”, and the Conopool bathtub became the “Winner” (title “Winner”).
Kaldewei's product range includes more than 300 models of steel bathtubs. There are simple rectangular bathtubs costing 3-5 thousand rubles and steel baths of increased comfort - ergonomic corner, oval, multifaceted, with a unique anti-slip coating, with hydromassage, double, with a hidden drain (with a lid) - costing about 100-150 thousand. Kaldewei also produces equipment for bathtubs and showers, sets of noise-reducing plates for steel bathtubs, and even such exotic things as speaker systems for baths
Other popular manufacturers of steel bathtubs:
- Concern Roca(Spain). Roca steel bathtubs look very elegant, but are no less durable. At the factory, enamel is applied in a 1 mm layer onto a hot surface, which is why Roca bathtubs are famous strength, absolutely smooth And retain color for a long time. Currently, stores offer three series of steel bathtubs: ROCA Swing, ROCA Princess and ROCA Contesa, the size range is from 100 to 180 cm. The Contesa series has flat sides, the bowl is slightly narrowed on the drain side. In the Princess series, the bowl has an elegant shape with slight curves on the sides, with an anti-slip bottom coating, sound insulation, and chrome-plated handles. The Swing series bathtub is expanded in the center, also has an anti-slip coating, chrome handles and sound insulation. Cost - from 2500 to 16000 rubles.
- JIKA. The company is part of the Roca holding, has several factories around the world, produces various sanitary ware and bathroom furniture. The plant for the production of steel bathtubs is located in Portugal. Jika steel bathtubs are made from 3 mm steel and coated with three layers of enamel, therefore they are characterized by reliability, excellent appearance, and durability. The baths have an anti-slip coating. The most famous series are Jika RIGA, Jika PRAGA, Jika ALMA. Size range - from 105 to 170 cm.
- Bette (Germany). Steel baths are the main activity of the company. The bathtub coating is unique. The company has developed and produces a special enamel - BetteGlaze, an enamel glaze. The walls of the bathtubs are resistant to household chemicals and mechanical damage (scratches, impacts). The enamel retains its smoothness and shine for a long time. Wall thickness - 3.5 mm. The company's assortment includes more than 300 models - free-standing, mortise, with the possibility of installation in the floor, different forms and sizes, with additional functions. Cost - from 10,000 rub. up to 200,000 rub.
- BLB (Portugal). The enamel is applied by baking into a steel sheet - this makes the surface very durable. The material contains polymer additives to reduce noise when filling the bath with water.
- Estap (Slovakia). The range includes 9 basic models, among which the most popular are Estap Classic and Estap Deluxe.
II. Russia:
In the Russian Federation, steel bathtubs are produced by 2 factories. This Verkh-Isetsky Metallurgical Plant(VIZ) and Lipetsk Pipe Plant(OJSC Santo-Holding).
VIZ steel bathtubs are known under the brands Antika And Donna Vanna. Modern technologies and equipment are used in production. Durable enamel layer resistant to abrasion and scratches, to the effects of household chemicals. The glassy surface is capable of refracting light rays, so the baths have a deep, natural shine. VIZ baths are very stable thanks to the large mounting area of the legs. Donna Vanna steel bathtubs are equipped with vibration damping plate(to suppress noise when drawing water into the bath). For this series the plant gives 10 year warranty(the declared service life is 15 years). An important advantage of Russian baths over Western ones is price. For the same sizes (up to 170 cm), the cost does not exceed 10,000 rubles. (on average - 4000-5000 rubles).
Steel bathtubs from the Lipetsk plant cannot be found in all stores. And it produces only two models (150 and 170 cm). Lipetsk baths perform their functions well, but these products are not included in our rating.
You can be sure of the quality of bathtubs from any of the listed manufacturers. What models Are baths better?
Table 1: Rating of the most popular steel bathtubs in Russia in 2014 according to the “Price Expert”
|
model |
description |
nomination |
|
|
JSC "Verkh-Isetsky Metallurgical Plant" ANTIKA 170 |
Freestanding steel bathtub. 185 l. 170x70x40 cm |
Best Budget Steel Bathtub |
|
|
Jika RIGA 105x70 |
Freestanding steel bathtub. 120 l. 105x70x40 cm |
Best Sitz Steel Bathtub |
|
|
Roca Contesa 170x70 |
Freestanding steel bathtub. 195 l. 170x70x41.50 cm |
The best steel bathtub in terms of price/quality ratio |
|
|
Roca Swing 170x75 |
Freestanding steel bathtub. 215 l. 170x75x43.20 cm |
The best large-volume steel bathtub |
|
|
Kaldewei SANIFORM PLUS 363-1 Easy-clean |
Freestanding steel bathtub. 111 l. 170x70x41 cm |
The easiest steel bathtub to clean |
1. The best budget steel bathtub is JSC Verkh-Isetsky Metallurgical Plant ANTIKA 170
Photo: domsaiver.ru
Bathtub made in Russia. This model (or a similar one in a different size) is easy to find in the store. Meets all modern requirements for coating quality. If you want a simple, no-frills steel bathtub just for washing, Antika is the perfect option.
From reviews of the bathtub OJSC "VIZ" ANTIKA 170:
“I have a steel one. It's called "Antika". I don't really like rinsing in the bathtub, so I don't care if the water cools quickly. I'm used to the noise. For me, this is the most best option. Cheap and cheerful."
Pros of the model:
- affordable price;
- sufficient volume;
- easy to wash.
Disadvantages of the model:
- noise when filling.
2. The best sit-down steel bathtub - Jika RIGA 105x70
Photo: www.aquadomspb.ru
One of the few bathtubs of reduced length. Suitable not only for those who want to take a bath while sitting. Jika RIGA 105x70 will fit perfectly into small bathroom, where every centimeter counts. If you can’t decide what to install, a shower stall or a full-fledged bathtub, a shower combined with a small Jika RIGA 105x70 (for every taste) may be a good solution. Suitable for guest bathrooms. And if you have a family old man- be sure to consider this model. After all, the overhead grates that we usually sit on in the bathtub can be so unreliable! For safety, it is better to buy an additional rubber mat. And the seat itself will not slip anywhere.
From reviews of the Jika RIGA bath:
“We installed a Czech steel bathtub from Jika Riga - we are very pleased. Mine by Mr. Proper - the enamel is like new. By the way, we were scared that the steel bathtub would be loud. Nothing of the kind! Installed correctly - and it doesn’t rattle at all! "
Pros of the model:
- compactness;
- reliability;
- good enamel;
- built-in seat.
Disadvantages of the model:
- the size is not sufficient for a tall or overweight person;
- legs are often not included.
3. The best steel bathtub in terms of price/quality ratio - Roca Contesa 170x70
Photo: santeh-stroy-market.ru
The optimal choice for an ordinary family. It's not too expensive. Thanks to the high quality of the coating, it is easy to care for the surface. On the contrary, it is difficult to damage it.
From reviews of the Roca Contesa steel bathtub:
“The enamel is good, smooth, without defects. In the store it looked yellowish compared to others, but at home it looks snow-white. Another thing I like is that there is no groove on the sides of the bathtub. In our old bathtub, water constantly accumulated there.”
“During installation, they dropped the hammer! During inspection, we didn’t find a scratch)) The surface is slippery, but we decided not to use an anti-slip coating - they say that the enamel wears off quickly. This one is easy to clean and doesn’t scratch the enamel.”
Pros of the model:
- affordable price;
- ease of installation;
- easy care;
- smooth surface;
- snow-white;
- There is no groove on the side - there is nowhere for water to accumulate.
Disadvantages of the model:
- The legs are rather weak and need support.
4. The best large-volume steel bathtub - Roca Swing 170x75
Photo: otd.4in.ru
A model for those who like to soak in the bath in comfort. You can pour as much water into it as you need - and you won’t feel like it’s too shallow. This bath will be comfortable for any member of your family. Suitable for tall people.
From reviews of the Roca Swing bathtub:
“We bought a bathtub 7 years ago. With careful care it remains white and shiny. Our family is very pleased with this purchase."
“We bought an excellent steel Roka bathtub. The craftsmen installed it for us - it holds tightly. Classic design, comfortable shape, reasonable price. There is nothing better than classic models, practical and convenient.”
Pros of the model:
- roomy, large volume;
- comfortable shape, slightly widened in the center;
- there are chrome handles;
- anti-slip bottom coating.
Disadvantages of the model:
- non-standard width (rather, not a minus, but a feature that you need to pay attention to if the area is very limited);
- Anti-slip coating is more difficult to clean.
5. The easiest steel bathtub to clean - Kaldewei SANIFORM PLUS 363-1 Easy-clean
Photo: www.kaldewei.de
Leader in our quality rating. Even microcracks do not appear on the snow-white smooth enamel during use, which means that there is no place for bacteria and limescale to accumulate. The coating does not turn yellow and remains as uniform as immediately after purchase. Strong walls (3.5 mm) will not bend, even if a large and heavy person takes a bath.
From reviews of the Kaldewei SANIFORM PLUS bathtub:
“I have been using the bathtub for more than a year, it is in excellent condition, despite the fact that it does not require any maintenance at all. The bathtub area is large - I periodically soak tablecloths in it, use bleach and a brush, the surface is not damaged at all. Doesn't rattle like a bucket when water fills. I dropped bath supplies into it several times - no scratches left.”
Pros of the model:
- reliability;
- durable enamel;
- Easy Clean coating (easy to clean);
- classic shape;
- stable;
- legs are height adjustable;
- no additional sound insulation required;
- the water cools slowly.
Disadvantages of the model:
- shallow depth.
Which steel bathtub is best to buy?
Steel baths are much lighter (both in weight and for installation) and cheaper than cast iron. They are much stronger than acrylic and are not as demanding on detergents. Modern steel bathtubs are coated with very high-quality enamel, so they have a long service life. And it turns out that the two main problems of this type of bathtub (noisiness and rapid cooling) can also be solved. There are special noise reduction kits, and proper installation is more important. Perhaps a steel bathtub is your ideal option? Study our rating - and make right choice!
