Bath buying advice

Do I Need a Left or Right Hand Bath?

Stand beside the long open side of the bath — the side you would step over to get in. Face the bath normally from that position. Do not stand at either short end.

Now look at the end with the wider showering area and screen. If that end is on your left, choose a left-hand bath. If it is on your right, choose a right-hand bath.

1. Stand at the open side Stand beside the long side you would use to step into the bath.

2. Face the bath Look straight across the bath from its long open side, not along its length.

3. Find the L shape Look for the square section that sticks out and creates the L-shaped end.

4. Name the side L-shaped section on your left means left hand; on your right means right hand.

Stand on the Side You Would Step Into the Bath

For an L-shaped shower bath, stand beside the long open side — the side you would normally step over to get in. Face the bath and look for the square section that forms the “L”. That wider showering section is what decides whether the bath is left hand or right hand.

Correct: stand at the entry side

Stand beside the long open edge you would step over when getting into the bath.

Wrong: stand at a short end

Do not stand at the taps or the opposite end looking along the bath, because that reverses the viewpoint.

The one rule to remember for an L-shaped bath Stand at the long open side. If the square “L” section is on your left, it is a left-hand bath. If the square “L” section is on your right, it is a right-hand bath.

What Does Left Hand Bath Mean?

A left-hand bath has its handed feature on the left when you stand in front of it and face the bath. Using the 1700mm Kartell Elite bath below as an example, stand in front of the long panel and face towards the wall. The wider showering end, screen and taps then appear on your left.

Choose left hand when: The showering end needs to sit on the left side of your bathroom layout when viewed from the front.

What Does Right Hand Bath Mean?

A right-hand bath is the mirror image. Stand in front of the long panel and face towards the wall; on the 1700mm Kartell Elite example, the wider showering end, screen and taps then appear on your right.

Choose right hand when: The showering end needs to sit on the right side of your bathroom layout when viewed from the front.

Use These L-Shaped Bath Examples

These 1700mm Kartell Elite L-shaped shower baths show the handing clearly. Both are the same bath design, but the square section that creates the “L” is positioned on opposite sides.

Stand at the long open side: square L section left = LEFT HAND · square L section right = RIGHT HAND

Left-hand example

1700mm Kartell Elite left-hand L-shaped bath example with the wider showering end on the left

The square L-shaped section is on your LEFT.

Example: 1700mm Kartell Elite Left-Hand L-Shaped Bath

Stand beside the long open side. The square section that creates the “L” is on your left, so this is the left-hand version.

View this 1700mm L-shaped left-hand bath

Right-hand example

1700mm Kartell Elite right-hand L-shaped bath example with the wider showering end on the right

The square L-shaped section is on your RIGHT.

Example: 1700mm Kartell Elite Right-Hand L-Shaped Bath

Stand beside the long open side. The square section that creates the “L” is on your right, so this is the right-hand version.

View this 1700mm L-shaped right-hand bath

Which View Should I Use?

Stand beside the bath’s long open side — the side you would step over to get in — and face the bath.

Do this: stand at the long open side used to enter the bath.
Do not do this: stand at either short end and look along the bath.
Then check: which side has the square section that forms the L?

Does the Tap Position Decide the Hand?

Not usually. The hand normally describes the bath’s fixed shape, showering end, corner or panel arrangement rather than the tap position. Some baths are supplied undrilled so the installer can position the taps where the product allows.

Check the technical drawing before buying, especially if you plan to use deck-mounted taps, a bath filler or wall-mounted controls.

Check Your Bathroom Layout Before Choosing

Handedness should follow the room layout, not just personal preference. Draw the room from above and mark every fixed item before ordering.

Wall and corner position

Confirm which end of the bath will sit against the shower wall and which side remains open to the room.

Door swing

Make sure the wider bath end, screen and panel will not obstruct the bathroom door or reduce the entrance space.

Basin and toilet clearance

Allow comfortable standing space and avoid positioning the wider shower end too close to other sanitaryware.

Shower screen access

Check that the screen can be fitted, cleaned and opened where applicable without hitting furniture or a window.

Pipework and waste

Confirm the location of the water supplies, waste connection and access required beneath or behind the bath.

Panel arrangement

Check which front and end panels are needed, particularly where one short end remains visible.

A Simple Four-Step Way to Choose

Draw the room

Sketch the walls, door, window, toilet, basin and existing pipe positions from above.

Place the bath

Mark the long bath body and decide which end will be used as the showering area.

Stand at the entry side

Use the long open side that a person would step over when getting into the bath.

Name the hand

Wide end on your left is left hand; wide end on your right is right hand.

Final check: compare your room sketch with the product photographs and technical drawing. Do not rely on the product title alone, as manufacturers may describe corner, offset and shaped baths differently.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Looking at the bath from the wall side instead of from the front.
Choosing the hand by the tap position rather than the bath shape.
Forgetting the shower-screen position and its clearance.
Ignoring a door, basin, toilet, towel rail or vanity beside the wider end.
Assuming the product image is reversible.
Booking installation before checking the delivered bath and panels.

Are All Baths Left or Right Handed?

No. Standard rectangular baths are often universal because both ends and sides are symmetrical. Handed versions are more common with L-shaped, P-shaped, offset corner, D-shaped and other asymmetrical baths.

A bath described as reversible or universal may fit either orientation, but this must be confirmed in its specification and installation instructions.

How do I know whether my bath is left or right handed?

Stand in front of the bath and face it. If the shaped or wider showering end is on your left, it is left handed. If that end is on your right, it is right handed.

Is a left hand bath viewed from inside or outside?

Stand beside the long open side used to get into the bath and face it normally. Do not stand at either short end, and do not judge it while sitting or lying inside the bath.

Should I stand facing the taps?

No. Stand beside the long open side used to enter the bath. For an L-shaped bath, identify the square section that forms the L. Its position tells you the hand; the taps do not.

Can a left hand bath be installed as right hand?

A genuinely handed bath normally cannot be reversed because its shell, panel and screen arrangement are shaped for one side. Choose the matching version unless the manufacturer specifically states that it is reversible.

Does left or right hand refer to the taps?

Usually no. It normally refers to the bath’s asymmetrical shape or showering end. Tap positions must be checked separately using the specification and installation drawing.

Which hand is best for a shower bath?

The best hand is the one that places the wider showering end against the correct wall while preserving clear access to the door, basin, toilet, screen and pipework.

Should I confirm the bath hand before ordering?

Yes. Measure the room, check the technical drawing and compare the left and right product images before ordering. A handed bath is not normally interchangeable after delivery.