Nancy, those comments are very helpful. I like the look of the Underscore better inside the tub--Underscore is plain, no ridges. However, now I am thinking that I want a lower tub. This is going in a vacation condo that we plan to have forever and 24 inches is pretty tall to step into...or it might be in the future!

I think the heights are 21 and 19 inches. If you can't make 21, you probably wouldn't be able to make 19 either!

I am also considering both of these tubs. And, like others, I prefer the look of the interior of the Underscore (no embellishments!), and the exterior of the Archer (subtle panel). I love the water depth and rectangular appearances of both of these, but may just go with the Archer for its lower overall height. Does anyone have a photo of an underscore in an alcove? There are not that many photos available on line.

Kohler does have a compare feature on their site, but their filters work very badly.

We purchased the underscore for our master bath as did our neighbors. Primarily because I liked the sleek look of the underscore.

I have the Underscore in 60" x 36" size with no jets. It has a slanted back which I like. I have not seen an Archer in person; I was unable to find one in my area that I could actually sit in before purchasing.

Forgot to mention, we have a separate shower, Our Underscore is installed as a drop-in with stone surround and panels to match cabinetry, so there is no tub apron showing.

Thanks ajuju for the excellent comparison of archer and underscore! You helped me make up my mind - I will go with the underscore for the extra room.

Is the finish of the underscore glossy? I am looking for something similar and want a mat finish.

Does anyone know how the Underscore compares to the Waterworks Classic or the Americh Miro? I don’t want to pay for the Waterworks but I love the 17” (Miro) and 16.25” (Waterworks) depth to overflow. Both of them have 20” depth—tub floor to lip. The Miro is the closest I’ve found to the Waterworks while being less expensive. I want my arms to comfortably rest on the deck, I want a confortable pitch, and I want my knees covered. I’m 5’8 And vacant tell you how many tubs I sit in where the water doesn’t even cover my knees. But I also appreciate what you all are saying about being able to climb over the side. This is for a tub/shower. Let me know If you have any thoughts on comps to the America Miro (60x32) or know any other tub that is close to the Waterworks Classic (60x31). Thanks!

I took my first bath in the underscore last night and have to say it was very comfortable. I have the drop in model that has the slope for your back. Loved it!

ssdarb I would love to see a photo!

I was just debating on which one to order and stumbled on this thread. I prefer the look of the Underscore, but the 19" version is available in white only. I need biscuit. Does the 2 inches make that big of a difference?

I don't think 2 inches would make a big difference. Here's mine. Drop-in with decking around. This pic was taken before the window shutters were installed.

That looks great. I think I'm going with the Underscore. I just like the clean lines. I checked into the 19" Underscore, but it is only available in white. I need biscuit to match what I already have. Two inches isn't going to make much of a difference.

I have a bad back as well, so I think the 15 degree angle would be better than the 25 degree angle.

The Underscore looks good and I like the idea of that 15 degree angle. Anyone care to opine if it would work for someone who's just 5-1? I would rather not spend energy trying to brace myself from sloshing around while I soak!

I am 5' 2" and it works fine for me. In fact, I am not much of a tub girl, but had a bad back so I tried it out. It was very comfortable and I took a bath a couple of more times just to relax.

Thanks Carolyn T for weighing in. SO many different choices, yikes!

This is just what I needed - a good comparison! Thanks, all

@Diana Heyd, I also went with the Kohler Underscore and am generally happy I did.

Pros: seems well constructed, not too expensive ($668, plus what-a-joke $145 for drain), looks sharp in our contemporary-style space, seems to hold water temperature long enough.

Cons: I wish the back rest slant had maybe 10 degrees more slant to it so I could lean back more, and I wish both sides had equal width armrests (this issue could have been remedied in our case by centering the tub in the space and building a narrow ledge on the thinner side, but my G.C. spaced out on my request to do so and installed the tub as is). But overall, I'm good with it.

One general thought: if you're in California or other state that has low-flow water restrictions (or are generally eco-minded!), this tub will take a long time to fill. I've gotten used to taking shallow (to the waist) baths. Glad I didn't go with an even deeper tub!

For the underscore tub the installation directions allow a mortar base or construction adhesive. Any preference on either or? We have a wood subfloor so I'm assuming anything either would work. Also any preference on the brass or pvc overflow drains?

@J. Do I had to get the Archer due to sizing limitations. My plumber used a mortar base. I'm not sure what he used for drains.

@ Jane Do I don't know anything about tub installation but I just recently bought the Underscore and I spoke with an agent from Kohler on the phone and what he told me is that the best way is to put plastic, then mortar and then more plastic. He said that you should make a "mortar sandwich" for the tub installation. I have no idea if that helps, but that is what he told me. I literally just passed on that information to my plumber who will be installing, and he seemed to understand what that meant. :) Good luck!

Thanks so much!

this whole dialogue is so helpful even though much of it is from 2 years ago. Thank you.

I have not had any issue with the Archer tub. I have read reviews about cracking and noises, and I did hear a crack while soaking one night. Just the one time. I will say that I don't like the little ledges inside the Archer tub. I guess they are supposed to be armrests, but they don't work for me. Plus, the armrests collect soap scum.

We currently have a 72” Archer and are choosing a 60” Underscore for our new home. The 72” was a splurge but we had a space we needed to fill and are tall (I’m 5’10” and my husband is 6’4”). Our kids will still occasionally bathe together so the extra length has been ideal.

The high overflow means I can actually take a bath with my knees submerged. We had some issues with our contractor so I can’t speak to installation - the tub (alcove) was installed after the framing was done and they used construction adhesive. Instead of framing the tub in, it meant that our wall tile sloped and we have very large caulk line at the edge, so... don’t do that 😆. I’m not a big fan of the armrests, although they do give a nice “stop here” visual to our kids for filling the tub. I’m looking forward to having fewer ledges to clean on the Underscore.

I have been trying to decide between these two drop in tubs - the Underscore or the Archer, both 60" x 30" - and the price discrepancy is quite steep. It seems the Underscore used to be quite a bit cheaper, but it's now up to around $1,040, while you can get the Archer for around $700. My two biggest concerns are I cannot tell whether the Archer drop in has indents on the side for armrests (I do not want these), and I don't know what the "textured bottom" looks like (I would prefer a tub without this. Anyone know any details on either of these two issues?

@kellyhushin I have had the Archer for about two years. I wanted the Underscore for the clean, simple design, but it was not available in the height and color I needed. Prices were comparable at that time, and they still look comparable on the Home Depot site. I have a combination bath/shower, so the tub does not get used a lot. The tub does have arm rests. I'm short, so those arm rests are useless. I read reviews and a lot of people like them (maybe they are tall). I find that water just stays there. I never noticed the textured bottom, but the Underscore has it as well. I just consider it non-slip. Here is a photo.

The world has changed significantly since we purchased our bathtubs but I found that I was able to negotiate the best price at Fergusons well off of MSRP and less than Lowes and Home Depot plus they had free delivery. Not sure if that is true anymore, but might be worth a try. I love the look of the Underscore which we have in our master bathroom because of its clean and sleek look. I know that when you are building a home it all adds up, but I would spend the extra money to get the look you want because bathtubs are not something you are going to easily switch out when you get more money.

These comments are so helpful - thank you both so much! And @Marguerite Mastromatto - is your Archer the 1946 model? Do you know? Thank you again!

@kellyhushin Yes K-1946

When I last commented, I'd only used our new Underscore a couple times. Eighteen months and many baths later, I can say I'm very pleased with the Underscore. It seems very well insulated, it's definitely deep enough for petite me (5-1) and the textured bottom is barely there—just enough to prevent slips but not enough to be felt under butt. As I mentioned the only flaw IMO was there isn't enough space to place both arms on deck. This hasn't been an issue for me, though. I normally only take baths when it's cold out and so I would want my arms in the warm water anyway. I also really like the style. Clean, modern, simple.

Has anyone experienced any quality issues with the Underscore? My mom put in a 60x32 drop in Underscore into a tub/shower application about 8 years ago, but now needs to be replaced (should have been an alcove model with flange). We loved the original one, great depth and super comfortable. No quality issues except for a nick when dropping a screwdriver into the tub on accident. I believe it was installed in a mortar bed, because the bottom feels solid with no flex and I'm over 200 pounds. The alcove version looks slightly different, mostly 2 inches narrower, 2 inches shorter, and a slightly steeper back.

My concerns, however, are that looking for the best price on the replacement, I keep seeing issues with cracking and damage. During delivery, I understand, things happen, but I saw one review where the tub cracked 2 years in. That has me really concerned because it's going to be surrounded by tile, including the apron, in a full-tile wall bath. If it needs replacing, the whole bathroom will need to be torn out. I'm hoping it's just the 1 out of 1,000 who wrote a review because most people don't, especially if they don't have a problem.

I am on year 4 with no issues.

Year 2.5 no issues .

Treat thread everyone - still relevant as i am going thru this decision now. I prefer the clean lines of the underscore. Was considering a diff brand but read issues with cracking. This should not be that hard!

I ended up getting a Jacuzzi undermount tub. I like it a lot.

@Carolyn T How did you negotiate the tub price with Ferguson's? This is not a skill I have and it would not even have occurred to me to try at a retail store like that. Very interested in your method!

I think I just asked what the best price was that they could give me. I dealt with the local Fergusons distributor. At that time, the msrps listed on Fergusons website didn't seem to be what they actually charged. Please keep in mind that we were building a house in 2017-2018, so I am well aware that the world has changed since then. I was surprised over and over again how often I was able to get a better price just by asking. I don't know that anyone ever told me no.

@Carolyn T Thank you!

Great thread! I am also in the throes of deciding between the archer and the underscore (alcove, apron). If anyone has any updates to share, would love to hear them. This is for a tub/shower combo. I am really trying to figure out if the back slope of the underscore is too straight for comfort? I like to read in the tub! Also, if you have a tub/shower situation, what did you use for the faucets? I am finding the Kohler site a little hard to navigate and I am not the least bit knowledgeable on any of these things!

I am making the same decision--would love feedback on how people are still liking their underscores!

Same questions as above :)

I would highly recommend the underscore! I've had it for over 4 years - it's still like new, and I am a daily bather. Mine is in an alcove, tub only no shower. The back angle is personal preference. I like it.

Late question about Archer 60"x30" tub width. Mother in law likes the look but worried the 30" will be too narrow, does anyone have this tub and an opinion. She's about 5'4". Thanks

We replaced an older Underscore overmount that was improperly being used for a tub/shower combo with a newer Underscore alcove tub, no apron K-1121-R-0. The 30” width is no problem, I would be more concerned about her height as far as ability to get out of the tub as its somewhat deep (great for soaking!). I am 6’ 260lbs and feel the tub is still roomy. We did have problems ordering the tub so I recommend ordering before you start construction. We got a left facing tub first, the second tub was cracked, the third one was fine. Ordered through Home Depot first and then Amazon, returns were all handled just fine.

Photo is after tile but before the glass swinging splash panel was installed.