Clawfoot Tubs Tips Guide

Tub material

Cast iron and acrylic are the choices, and each has its own strengths and weaknesses. If you want vintage style, there's no substitute for cast iron clawfoot tubs. A cast iron clawfoot tub will last for many years - even decades - with excellent stain- and scratch-resistance. The exterior can also be painted to complement your bathroom decor.

The downsides of cast iron tubs? They're very heavy, scratch repair is difficult, and they take a longer time to heat up than acrylic tubs.

Acrylic clawfoot tubs are an affordable, lightweight alternative to cast iron. They're ideal for second-story bathrooms that may not support the weight of cast iron. Scratch repair is much easier, and an acrylic clawfoot tub will heat up quickly.

Tub type

Claw foot tubs are available in classic, doubled ended, double slipper, modern, and slipper styles. A classic claw foot tub features a roll rim on the back end and tub wall drillings on the straight-edged front end. A tub wall mount would give you the greatest number of options when shopping for different faucet styles.

If a shared bathtub with room for leaning back and relaxing is your ideal design, then you'll likely want a high-backed double slipper clawfoot tub.

Need something a little more contemporary? In addition to our selection of modern clawfoot tubs, we also carry freestanding tubs (e.g., pedestal and non-clawfoot legs) made from acrylic, cast iron, copper, and stone.

Faucets

While shopping for clawfoot bathtubs, keep in mind that the tub drillings will determine the type of faucet that's required for installation. There are clawfoot tub faucets available for every configuration, including faucets with adjustable centers. But if you're buying a tub and faucets at the same time, double check that the mounting style is a match.

Also, if you plan to install a handheld shower or shower enclosure, you'll need a clawfoot tub faucet that's shower capable. Our handheld shower faucets section is the place to look if you just want a shower head and flexible hose for occasional showering. If you need a standard shower setup, most clawfoot tub shower enclosure conversion kits come with a shower-compatible faucet.

Supply lines

A general rule of thumb when shopping for clawfoot tub supply lines is that single offset supply lines (one bend) go with deck mount or rim mount faucets; double offset supply lines (two bends) are usually used with tub wall mount faucets. If your tub doesn't have drillings, then you'll need freestanding supply lines.