If doing a freestanding be sure there something to hold on to when entering and exiting the tub.

Thank you for the feedback. I think we are leaning towards a drop in or alcove soaker. Maddielee has a good point on having something to hold on to when entering and exiting.

I like a drop in tub. I have a ledge in front of the tub that I sit on and then swing my legs into the tub. I also have handles in the tub and appreciate having something to hold onto when i get up out of the tub.

Karen, love that idea of having a ledge in front of the tub. If you’re comfortable posting I would love to see a photo.

We shopped around the plumbing showrooms and actually got in and out of the tubs. I was surprised that many free standing tubs, though quite stylish, were so deep and difficult to get in and out of and I strongly suggest you actually get in the tub and try to get out. We are not as nimble as we used to be now that we are age 65+, so we went with a drop in Bain Ultra tub with air jets with a marble surround. The surround makes it easy to get in and out and it's a nice landing area for shampoo bottles, etc. We picked a tub that was not especially deep (I think 19”) for easy exiting and one that was not overly large to conserve water since we use it often. I did not especially like the hand rails on the tub interior when I was shopping, but I am very glad we have them now for balancing and maneuvering in and out of the tub. We use the Bain Ultra tub almost every day—I do my morning stretches in the tub and it is great for soothing aches and pains. Good luck.

Thank you all for the feedback, it definitely gave us a few things to keep in mind as we head to the showroom.

Here's my 2 cents as someone who has had both a platform tub and a freestanding. I love my freestanding tub and would never go back. Here's why:

I can't count the number if times I stepped over the ledge of my platform tub and slid on the slick floor of the tub. Always terrified me as to what could have happened, but I was lucky. With my freestanding tub, I can grip the edge if the tub for support, and have never once slid since I am stepping straight down into the tub and not on an angle to get over the tiled platform edge. I can grip the edges to lift myself up and out as well.

The tile platform around my old tub was always hard to clean. It was too much of a reach to clean without getting into the tub to reach the edges along the back wall. With my freestanding tub, I allowed sufficient space around it and can easily mop it with my o'cedar.

I saved a lot on materials & labor on tile work or solid surface platform I would otherwise have spent, which helped offset the cost of the floor mounted filler I selected.

My tub was under $2k and is the most comfortable one I've ever tried. It has a small ledge on on the drain end which could have been used to mount the filler, but I use it to hold my body wash, etc. I also bought a small, easily movable round table that I can set next to the tub if I want to sip on a drink while soaking or need more space for bathing supplies.

I keep reading those who say freestanding tubs are hard to get in and out if, hard to clean around, lack space for bathing supplies, and/or are very expensive. That has not been my experience at all. I often wonder if they have ever tried one, or maybe just didn't get the right tub, or installed it too close to the walls. Like I said - my 2 cents.