Which Are The Best Shower Enclosures For Electric Showers?

A shower is a key feature in a bathroom and builds a comforting space for a relaxing shower. The shape and style of a shower enclosure can have quite an impact on the design of your bathroom. In order to keep your bathtub and shower separate you need a shower that suits the style of the room, but where do you start?

Our shower enclosure buying guide is here to aid you in choosing the perfect style of shower enclosure for your bathroom.

Things To Consider When Buying A Shower Enclosure

Space

bathroom_space

Planning where your new electric shower enclosure will fit in your bathroom is a vital part of the planning process. It may seem obvious, but you need to consider if you can actually fit a shower in your bathroom and what size shower will fit well.

If you’re replacing the shower and keeping it in the same location as the old shower, space isn’t something you need to worry about. An added bonus is that this will require less plumbing too as your pipes will already be in the same place. However, if you are completely redesigning your bathroom you may want to move it to a different location in the room to get that brand new bathroom feeling. This will have an impact on what shower tray and door you choose. For example, if you are limited on space you may opt for a sliding door rather than a hinged door that opens towards you.

Think about the number of walls you want to utilise for the shower:

  • One wall - Placing the shower on the centre of one wall can make it a stylish centrepiece for the bathroom. This requires two panels and one door panel.
  • Two walls - Fitting the shower in the corner of the bathroom requires use of two walls. This is the more common approach for smaller bathrooms as it leaves you with more space in your bathroom for other essentials. This requires one door panel and one side panel.
  • Three walls - This style allows the walls to act as the panels, meaning you would only need a door panel.

How to measure a shower enclosure

measuring_shower

To achieve an easy installation, you need to measure the height, width and depth of the area the shower is being installed with a tape measure. Double check the accuracy of these measurements and make a note. If you're installing a corner shower, you should measure from the outside of the shower tray to the wall on each wall. You may need to measure at different heights as the distance between the walls are unlikely to be parallel the whole way up.

Types of Showers

Quadrant Shower

A quadrant shower enclosure is perfect for an average size UK bathroom. It will neatly slot into the corner of your bathroom and gives you the ability to have a shower even if you’re short on space. It is a very popular choice of shower enclosure as it can appear in many different shapes and styles of bathrooms because of its neat and contemporary design. Whether you have a large and spacious bathroom, or a small compact space, the quadrant shower is a simplistic design that will fit plenty of size bathrooms. It has low maintenance requirements as you only need to clean the glass doors and shower tray to ensure a squeaky clean shower. 

There are different styles of quadrant shower enclosures available, such as framed, frame-less and semi-framed. This decides how much metal frame you would like to be visible. Framed quadrants are more durable and frame-less quadrants are more sleek. However, it is your personal preference. 

What shower tray will I need?

We offer a variety of quadrant shower enclosure trays in various sizes and colours to suit your bathroom style. Most tray materials are resin, meaning they can withstand regular use as it is a very strong material.

Offset Quadrant Shower

This type of shower is very similar to the quadrant shower enclosure, however, the offset quadrant shower is slightly longer, providing a larger shower space. Just like the quadrant shower, it can fit neatly into the corner of the bathroom and allows you to have that extra shower space without taking up too much room if space is limited.

Offset Quadrant Door Styles

The two styles of doors for an offset quadrant enclosure are hinged doors and sliding doors. Hinged doors are ideal for a larger bathroom as there needs to be enough space for the doors to swing open. Sliding doors are a great space-saving option as you don’t need to worry about any opening doors getting in your way.

Square Shower

With an elegant style and great practicality, the square shower slots seamlessly into the corner of your bathroom to create a spacious surrounding and creates more space for other bathroom essentials. It has a square shape to suit all bathroom corners and is a great choice if you need floor space for other furniture.

Door Styles for Square Showers

There are a variety of door styles that will suit a square shower enclosure design. Pivot and hinged doors give the square shower a sleek and elegant finish, although they do require enough room for the door to swing out and a person to enter through the door. Bi-fold doors have a space-saving option as they fold in half rather than folding outwards towards you. They also add a stylish and modern touch to your bathroom. If you’re looking to save space, sliding doors are a great option as you do not need to worry about doors swinging towards you.

Rectangular Shower

If you have plenty of space to use, a rectangular shower is a luxury option to consider. A rectangular shower uses a similar space as a standard size bath because of its rectangular shape. With a versatile design, this enclosure can be placed in a bathroom corner or against one wall with 2 panels either side. It is also a great size and is more accessible for those with less mobility.

What shower tray will I need?

There are a few options of shower trays you can choose from for a rectangle shower enclosure. Although, you should choose a rectangular shower tray, no matter the style, to fit your rectangular shower. If you want to go for the slightly raised shower option, a raised shower tray is the perfect match. Alternatively, you could opt for a walk-in shower style by purchasing a shower tray that fits flush to the floor and the glass panels will sit on the floor instead of being raised. This is a bespoke yet practical design that will look perfect in a modern bathroom. 

Choosing A Door

Pivot Door

This style of shower door adds an elegant and modern touch. They simply open and close and can also be designed to open inward and outward. If you have a larger bathroom, this door is ideal as it opens very wide and requires a lot of space to do so. Pivot doors also pair well with walk-in showers, as you don’t need to worry about stepping out of the shower and slipping on the floor.

Hinged Door

This style of door can be used for straight and curved shower enclosures. The hinged door opens and closes using the hinge on the side of the door. When closed, they provide a secure enclosure to prevent water from splashing out of the shower. With the door opening outwards into the room, you may opt for this door if you have the luxury of a larger bathroom.

Bi-fold Door

Bi-fold doors are a great space-saving option, however, they aren’t as functional as other doors. They are a lot more stylish and elegant than a traditional door and will pair well with a modern bathroom by turning a standard shower cubicle into a smart and stylish shower.

Sliding Door

Another space-saving feature is the sliding door. If your bathroom is on the smaller side, this door style is perfect as they create a compact shower enclosure. As they slide to the side rather than opening outwards, you wont need to worry about losing any bathroom space. They also fit most styles of shower enclosures. Opt for a frame-less glass sliding door for a bright and open feel to your bathroom.

Walk-in Shower & Wet Rooms

A walk-in shower creates a luxurious and refined feel to a bathroom as they are often large in size and fit seamlessly against a wall or in a corner. It’s door-less style allows for a simple entry and exit to the shower, although it may not work as well in smaller bathrooms because of the space it requires. Shower trays are needed for this shower enclosure, most people opt for a rectangular shower tray. 

A wet-room is a fully waterproof room that contains a shower with all walls and floor covered in tiles. It does not require a shower tray because of the tiled floors, meaning it is largely accessible as you don’t have to step out of the shower onto the floor.

Choosing A Shower Tray

We have a large variety of shower tray shapes and sizes available depending on your enclosure. The shower tray sits at the bottom of your shower and is what you stand on when showering. There is no way of guessing which shower tray pairs with which shower enclosures, but we have a list of some shower tray styles we have available:

  • Rectangle - This is a spacious shower tray and will give you more space in the enclosure than a square tray.
  • Square - This tray can be used with a variety of door styles, which makes it a great choice for small to medium sized bathrooms.
  • Quadrant - A quadrant is similar to a square tray, but has a curved front edge which pairs well with sliding doors if you’re limited on space.

FAQ's

What are standard shower enclosure sizes?

To measure the standard size of a shower enclosure, you need to measure the shower tray. The depth, width and height of the shower tray does vary depending on the tray, however they range from:

  • Square shower - Length 700mm-1000mm x width 700mm-1000mm
  • Rectangle shower - Length 800mm-2000mm x width 700mm-1000mm
  • Quadrant shower - Length & width 800mm - 1200mm

How do I choose a shower enclosure?

In order to choose a shower enclosure you need to think about the size of your bathroom and where the shower will be fitted. This can have an influence on the type of enclosure and door-style you choose. If you have a smaller bathroom, you may consider a square or quadrant enclosure to fit in the corner of your bathroom.

What are the best shower enclosures?

If you have a small bathroom we recommend a quadrant shower enclosure as it fits into the corner of your bathroom leaving enough spare floor space for other bathroom furniture. It is practical and stylish because of its small, modern design. If you have a larger bathroom, a rectangular shower enclosure or walk-in shower would be ideal as it uses your extra bathroom space to avoid your bathroom looking empty. They can both be adapted to any style of your choice, whether you're looking for a contemporary twist or a classic design.

What is the smallest shower cubicle?

The smallest shower enclosure size is 700 x 700mm. This is a great option if you're looking to optimise your bathroom space and still be able to enjoy a contemporary and stylish shower.