The Acanthus is legendary. It has everything you would like from a free standing bath. It is big enough for two people, and what is more, it has a wide rim so you can put some candles, champagne and…oh yes, soap and shampoo around you. The Acanthus is a feature in any bathroom, don’t try and hide it, display it and love it. The only disadvantage is that it is a little shallow, so I would not order the bath with the overflow option.

The Acanthus comes in pearl white only, but now you have the option of a matt or highly polished finish. The rim is wide enough to accept deck mounted taps, but then you have to have an access hole on the side of the bath.

Pro’s: Spacious

Con’s: Depth

The Maya is a new generation free standing bath from DadoQuartz. Why is it included here, well, I love it for its space. It’s not that long, only 1700 mm, but 900 mm wide on the outside. So it is suitable for 2 people. The base has a width of nearly 570mm which makes to very comfortable. In my opinion the Maya is a grown up Moloko. Although not a thick rimmed bath like the Acanthus and Moloko, it is just wide enough for small bathroom items. The Maya has pleasing soft lines so it will suit almost any bathroom design. Unlike the Acanthus, the Maya is egg shaped, so in a sense, you have more perceived space around the bath.

Pro’s: Spacious & design

The Ravello is made from Volcanic Limestone by Victoria & Albert. The Ravello is a modern free standing bath with clean lines and a silky smooth polished finish. There are not many modern rectangular thin rimmed free standing baths that can compete with the Ravello’s comfort. It has a moderate size 1800 x 800 x 550 mm, but don’t be fooled. It is actually quite big inside. This is achieved by the almost vertical thin rim, so the base of the bath is quite wide. What is more it is deep, nearly 550 mm, that is deep enough for a 6ft person to soak his whole body, not just buttocks.

Pro’s: Width and style

Con’s: Narrow rim

In terms of value, nothing can beat the Como from Victoria & Albert. It is the smallest of the top 5 and the cheapest. If you really want a free standing bath with a limited budget and limited space, the Como is ideal. The Como’s design has all the elements that you would like in a free standing bath; wide base, wide rim for bathroom items and small enough to fit in most medium sized bathrooms.

An important factor which many people miss is the Como’s waste height above the floor, which is 110 mm. This makes the Como easy to install an outlet system without drilling too much into your bathroom floor. Great if you are renovating your bathroom and don’t want to dig up your floor.

Pro’s: Price

Con’s: Size

The Orchard design is totally unique. It looks more like a leaf than an orchard. If it did not have a beautiful matching basin it would not make the top 5 in my opinion. Don’t be fooled by the image, the bath is actually egg shaped in the inside. The base is 564 mm wide which is more than enough for two people. The total length, tip to tip, is 1960 mm, so it is quite long. There is no space on the rim for any bathroom items so install it close to a wall with a shelf. You will need either a floor standing bath mixer or wall mounted spout. The angle of the two opposing sides against which you lean against might be a tad shallow, so short people might slip down. The bath is ideal for deep long soaking with a lot of candles throughout the bathroom.

It might be a bit pricey, but you get a bath that is totally different from any other design with matching basins.

Pro’s: Different

Con’s: Price