How Have Walk-In Baths Evolved & Developed Over The Years?

As a fundamental part of our daily routine, it is essential that everyone has a way to comfortably wash and bathe. Whether you prefer baths or showers, accessible options are available for you.

One of the most intriguing and constantly evolving areas in the world of accessible bathing is walk-in baths, the versatile, comfortable, often invigorating and relaxing way to bathe when it is difficult or impossible to step into a conventional tub.

The modern history of walk-in baths begins in the 1980s with the development of more sophisticated seals and bulkheads, as well as the early development of electronically-assisted bath designs that allowed for them to meet a wider set of needs.

Walk-in baths, however, are older than you might think, and they have changed in very fundamental ways over the past century.

Where did they start? What were they used for? When did they enter the home? And how has the bath evolved throughout this time?

 

Who Invented The Walk-In Bath?

Finding the inventor of the first walk-in bath is difficult, as much of the information surrounding the history of accessibility is remarkably scattered and difficult to collate.

Helpfully, there is a patent office classification (A47K3/006), which relates specifically to doors designed to make it easier to get into a bath, and given that the primary innovation of a walk-in bath is a door that eliminates the need for a stepover, this provides a potential inventor and invention date.

The first ever entry in this field by John Gourlay from 1868 is an exceedingly rough example of a standing bath, consisting of a cabinet with an outer wooden layer and an inner layer with a watertight door which opens inwards.

Exactly how the water would get in and out is not made clear, particularly since it was intended to be portable.

However, a much more promising design was patented by Ida W Schmidt in 1903, and consists of a more conventional bath with a bulkhead door on the front, which, according to the placement of the hinges, appears to open outwards.

This is unusual, given that most walk-in bath designs open inwards to allow the water pressure to keep the door closed and sealed.

 

When Did Walk-In Baths Become Popular?

Early designs for walk-in baths were primarily designed for hospitals, mental health facilities and care homes as an alternative to rudimentary hoists or physically lifting people into the bath.

They were purely functional in design, using either bulkhead access doors or removable panels to help people get in by themselves or with assistance, before the door was closed and the bath filled around them as normal.

The designs were bulky, utilitarian in design, focused on use with a carer and were intended as medical products. This would change.

 

How Did Walk-In Baths Evolve?

The first change was the development of Care in the Community, an initiative that took an independence-first approach to care, focusing on adaptations, home care and keeping people in their own home as much as possible.

The walk-in bath was redesigned to fit into modern bathroom design, with white acrylic materials, sculpted integrated seating inspired by Japanese bathing culture and doors which opened outward.

The latter development was massively important, as this allowed walk-in baths to be used by a broader number of people.