I am not a fan of the built-in bench. As you said, I'd rather just have a little teak bench. My issues with the built-in bench are that they can be cold to sit on, the underside can be harboring places for mildew, they become one more surface to have to clean (including craning underneath to clean the underside), and most of all, I am not sitting down in my shower and just sitting there whiling away the time while the water is going. If I need to prop my leg up, the teak bench will do fine.

I guess it's a personal thing, I hate my shower bench & have never sat on it - but I do kick my legs up there while shaving. I'm about to have it removed during a bathroom reno.

I had a built in bench installed when I remodeled and it is one of the best parts about my new shower - of course installing a walk in shower in place of the tub/shower was the initial best decision.

I use it every time I shower. I have a second hand held shower head installed by the bench so that it is easy to access when I am sitting on the bench.

I had surgery several years ago when it was advised that I use a shower seat for safety and there is no comparison. The shower seat either sits in the shower obstructing the middle of the floor or you have to figure out where to store the thing. It is also ugly and obtrusive versus my beautiful built in bench that blends into the rest of the shower using a portion of the marble slab from my counter.

A stool or even a small fold down doesn't give one the same degree of comfort and stability as my built in shower does. As others have pointed out, when I am using it, I have a very convenient place for items that I am using while seated on the bench.

I don't understand what a possible con would be. It certainly wouldn't be a factor that would make it undesirable to any potential buyer and it would increase salability to most people.

I'm considering putting one in just for shaving purposes. I don't really think anyone uses them for sitting. IMO they are for storing products if you don't have a corner shelf or niche, and for putting your foot on when you shave your legs. I HATE not having a spot to put my foot. But I suppose a teak bench would accomplish the same thing, albeit not as steady. Obviously, people who do not shave their legs might find a bench useless. FWIW I would also choose a bench over a niche for product storage ANY DAY, if those were the choices (corner shelf is the best option of the 3, though).

ETA: You can do a solid built in bench that wouldn't be any more difficult to clean than the rest of the shower.

Love mine! Use it every day. It’s in the back of the shower so by the time I wet myself down it’s never cold, rarely even cool depending on water temp. Boxed so nothing to clean under. I keep a squeegee in the shower and just give it a quick swipe.

@anj_p FWIW they make little extensions and niches especially for shaving.

I use my shower bench every time I shower so many people actually use their benches to sit on. If you do anything in the shower besides standing under water they are extremely functional and turn the experience into more of a relaxing spa thing - and they are literally absolutely necessary at times even if you are younger. If you are thinking of aging in place or that your house might be bought by people who want to age in place, a large built in bench is something that is a necessity - in my experience.

Again if you are building a reasonably large shower what is the reason not to put one in. It is there if you don't want to use it and would be appealing to a lot of people if you sell your home. It is easy to maintain - mine is solid like the rest of the shower walls and has a solid surface top. I generally just spray a bit of water on it before I sit so that it is warm - if that is an issue. It is so relaxing to sit on the bench after the shower has become delightfully warm and just take a few minutes to just - well sit.

I use mine every day. I generally don't sit on it (though I have); I use it to raise my legs for washing and for shaving my legs. the front is tiled like the rest of the shower, and the top is of a piece with my marble tub surround. The shower is not huge, but adequate, and the bench is not very deep. When we remodeled our guest bath, a year later, we put in a much larger shower and made sure to have a larger bench. We love them both!

In my former house I had a boxed bench, so no need to clean underneath, with a granite top that matched the sink counters and the curb of the shower. Never sat on it but used it for shaving my legs. Kept a squeegee in the shower for the walls (glass and tile) and bench. I've sold that house and in my current (temporary) rental I have a small shower with no bench, and it's a pain to shave my legs.

I am a HUGE fan of our built in bench. I am 50 have had to have surgery so having this bench to shave my legs or even sit when I was recovering was essential. I will never have another bathroom without a built in bench. Especially as I age.

In a previous place I had a teak stool (not bench) for seating and every time I tried to sit on it I felt incredibly dizzy, and unstable, and thus was afraid to use it. It didn't slip by the way, my DH saw to it. Still couldn't use it.

So in a new place where we had an opportunity to remodel and go for a larger shower too, we put in a build in bench, wide enough, large enough. I use it all the time when showering. Sitting, shaving, you name it. We did make sure to have a hand held shower next to it as well. It's boxed, which gives a bigger sense of stability, and has the sime tile as everything else, as I was afraid of the solid surface being too slippery.

It's easy to keep clean. I also keep a squegee in the shower.

I'd say it really depends on a person and his set of preferences/ troubles if he has them.

On bad days I take baths only, standing is hard even if it's just for a short time.

(on good days I take baths too, only in the evenings.)

While to somebody else, getting in bathtub would be hard if not impossible. My Mom for example can hardly manage tubs anymore. I suspect there are more people like my Mom, obviously not it's like I have statistics on that.

As for aesthetics- both types can work very well.

Did built in benches before, but next project will not have them. I find the built in benches too hard to sit on and cold. Next project will have custom teak benches to fit the width of the shower, so they will not be small and unstable. Also be sure to block for any future grab bars, which will make the bench even easier to use.

In my last house, we did a basement in-law suite. We did a shower with a teak fold down bench. The free standing benches are good, but if you are unsteady(geriatric or post surgery) they can be tippy. I liked that it could be out of the way if you didn’t want it in the way. The built in bench in my master shower tended to collect bottles more than being used as a place to sit. It was cold, too.

👍

I thought I wanted one when we remodeled a bathroom at my last house. The ONLY time I used it was when I broke my leg. Then we sold that house and bought another one and guess what it has! Since I haven’t broken my leg again (yet) I have never used it.

It’s a PITA to clean under. And both have been in the corner, NOT under the rain head. I like a warm toasty shower - I’m not going to move out from under the rain head to sit on the bench that’s cold and wet.

edit to add: I’m 65 years old, if that makes a difference.

@littlebug zone 5 Missouri - Not to belabor but there is no "under" to clean in a built in bench. The front is solid and is just the equivalent of a tile "wall".

When I sit on the bench the shower is toasty and warm - sitting on the bench is not a nasty wet and cold experience. Most people move out of the shower head at some point anyway because they don't want water running down them when they are doing other stuff in the shower besides actually rinsing off.

I have a built-in bench (tiled, like the rest of the shower) and I like it. I don't shave my legs but do wash them and my feet and it's very convenient for those activities. I rarely sit on it, but I do sometimes.

Be sure to put in a nice diagonal grab bar, properly connected to the studs. Helpful for both fit and ailing users!

We have a corner built in bench. I use it to prop my foot when I shave my legs and sit down on it when I want to scrub the heck out of my feet with a pumice stone. Initially our builder was going to put a longer bench going down the back wall of the shower. That seemed too big to me but I wouldn't trade my corner bench for anything! And as Helen posted above, nothing to clean under as it is built in.

Wish I put a small one in like this, to be used for:

shaving legs;

washing feet, if not able to safely balance on one foot;

placing bottles unexpectedly too large to fit in niche;

to sit while deep conditioner is working on hair;

a place to quickly sit down, if you get a little lightheaded taking a warm shower when ill (vomiting & diarrhea = dehydration + warm water = vasodilation = lightheartedness or syncope);

being seated, when giving dog a shower.

I have a small ledge that holds products and can put a leg up to shave. If desperate could kind of sit on it. ha. Love it.

I think you can have the best of both with a solid bench, and a niche plus multiple shower heads and a handheld. Also no smaller than 4x6 if you want it to accommodate two people, which may be handy should you grow older here and someone needs help to shower.

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Here’s my built-in bench. I had the very same built-in bench at my last house, as mentioned in my post above. The shower and bench is Onyx, the trademark name of an easy care solid surface product sold commonly in the Midwest.

My bench definitely has an “under” which, as I see now, needs cleaning. 🙄

I would prefer a solid ledge like what Trish or decoenthusiaste posted above. big enough that you can store extra products on it, prop your foot while shaving, or sit down. stable and versatile.

plus a ledge that style would be easier to keep clean than a teak bench or folding unit. way fewer nooks and crannies to scrub.

I'm all about minimal cleaning chores!

Freezing cold... on body parts that do not enjoy being freezing cold. I now just add a freestanding bamboo/teak bench at a fraction of the cost, and my downunder parts are far happier.

Twice I've had leg injuries. I put a cooler in the tub - fully waterproof, sturdy to sit on, and nearly everyone has one!

We are planning to have heated floors in bath and understood bench seat could be heated also. Wondering if anyone has done this?

I’m in the “love my bench” crowd. I just remodeled, and adding a bench was high on my list. I use it to out my foot in when I shave or exfoliate my legs and I sit on it to pumice my feet. I also sit on it with the shower off to do my pedicure. It’s a great place to put polish on bc if you drip or spill you just use nail polish remover to clean it up.

If you decide to have one, make sure it is allows just a little so the water runs off.

@Mstein009 I have a built in bench with a solid surface and IT IS NOT COLD when I am sitting on it,😂😂. If you have a particularly frigid tush, then just use your hand held shower head and spray some warm water and it heats it. When you are actually sitting on it it doesn’t get cold. I would recommend a solid surface rather than tile because who wants to sit on grout. 😂😂😂