Corner baths

Does a corner bath actually save space, or just move it around?

It's the right question, because corner baths have a reputation as the small-bathroom answer that doesn't always hold up. A corner bath fits into the corner of a room and frees up the wall a straight bath would occupy, which genuinely helps some layouts. But it needs floor space in two directions rather than one, so in a narrow room a compact straight bath often fits better. The honest position is that a corner bath is the right choice for a specific situation, an awkward or squarish room with an underused corner, rather than a universal space-saver. This page covers when a corner bath wins, how to get the orientation right, and the compact and corner-shower options, so you can tell whether it suits your room or whether a straight bath would serve you better.

When does a corner bath work?

A corner bath earns its place in a few specific situations:

• An awkward or squarish room where no wall is long enough for a standard 1700mm straight bath, but the diagonal corner-to-corner space is generous. The corner form uses geometry a rectangular tub can't.
• A room with an underused corner and a need to keep one or more walls clear, for a vanity, storage, or circulation. The corner bath concentrates the tub into the corner and frees the walls.
• A larger bathroom where a corner bath becomes a relaxed feature rather than a space-saver, often with a wider, deeper form for comfortable soaking.

Where a corner bath is often the wrong choice is a narrow rectangular room: there, a corner bath's two-directional footprint eats into the floor more than a slim straight bath against the long wall, and a compact straight tub usually fits better. Measure both directions before assuming the corner is the space-saving answer.

If your room is narrow, compare with small & compact baths before deciding.

Left or right hand?

Corner baths come in left-hand and right-hand orientations, and getting this right before ordering matters because a corner bath can't simply be flipped on installation. The 'hand' describes the orientation as you stand facing the bath from the room: a left-hand corner bath has its longer side and the tap/waste end running to the left; a right-hand has them to the right. The hand determines which wall the longer side sits against and where the plumbing connects. Before ordering, stand where you'll enter the bathroom, picture the bath in its corner, and confirm which way the long side and waste need to face to meet your walls and existing plumbing. Ordering the wrong hand is one of the most common and avoidable corner-bath mistakes.

Compact and corner shower options

Two variants extend the corner bath's usefulness in smaller rooms:

• Compact corner baths in shorter footprints (around 1200–1400mm on each side) suit genuinely small bathrooms where even a standard corner bath would be too large, some with a built-in seat for a supported soak in a small space.
• Corner shower baths combine the corner form with a widened showering area, giving a bath, a shower, and corner space-efficiency in one fixture, with a matching screen to keep water in.

For combined bath-and-shower options, see shower baths, or return to the baths hub.

Corner bath FAQs

My bathroom is small and rectangular. Is a corner bath the best space-saver?

Often not, in a narrow rectangular room. A corner bath needs floor space in two directions, so in a long, narrow bathroom a compact straight bath against the long wall usually leaves more usable floor than a corner tub. Corner baths save space best in squarish or awkward rooms with an underused corner, not in narrow rectangles. Measure both directions of your room and compare a corner bath's footprint against a compact straight bath before assuming the corner is the more space-efficient choice; quite often it isn't.

How do I know whether I need a left-hand or right-hand corner bath?

Stand where you'll walk into the bathroom and picture the bath in its corner. The hand describes which way the longer side and the tap/waste end run as you face the bath: left-hand runs to the left, right-hand to the right. The hand has to match which wall the long side sits against and where your plumbing connects. A corner bath can't be flipped on installation, so confirm the hand against your actual room and waste position before ordering; it's the most common corner-bath ordering error and entirely avoidable.

Can I have a shower over a corner bath?

Yes, with a corner shower bath: a corner-form tub with a widened, flattened showering area and a matching screen to keep water in. It combines the corner's space-efficiency with a bath-and-shower-in-one, which suits a small or awkward family bathroom well. A standard corner bath with a curved or narrowing edge is less suited to standing and showering, so if you want a shower over the bath, choose a model specifically designed as a corner shower bath rather than adapting a plain corner tub.

Filter the grid above by hand, footprint, and corner-shower options. For small-room alternatives, see small & compact baths, or read best baths for small bathrooms.

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