Tips for Choosing the Right Shower Door for Your Bathroom

Picking out the right shower door is crucial for a practical bathroom that doesn't flood with every use. We'll show you the best ones out there.
Tips for Choosing the Right Shower Door for Your Bathroom

Last update: 03 November, 2018

There are a wide variety of shower doors out there. Choosing the right one isn’t an easy task with so many options. In today’s post, we’ll help you choose the best one for your bathroom.

First, you have to consider your bathroom layout, type of shower and space.

Shower doors are becoming more and more popular. Their convenience, versatility and abundant options mean they’re a popular choice.

Types of shower doors

There are mainly three kinds of doors available on the market. Your choice should depend on how spacious your bathroom is and how much distance there is between your shower and counters. These are the three types of doors:

  • Sliding door: sliding doors are the most popular option because they don’t take up any space. Bathrooms aren’t normally too spacious, which is what makes a sliding door a great solution for small spaces.

Sliding doors are especially good for alcove showers or walled-tubs.

They’re completely sealed, meaning that it’s impossible for water to escape and the doors slide easily because they fit onto a rail or track.

Shower Door Sliding
  • Accordion door: similar to sliding doors, accordion doors also make a great choice if your bathroom layout has other furniture next to the shower.

These doors also only use the area bordering the shower, making the most of the space.

However, we don’t recommend installing an accordion door for smaller showers or tubs. Because they fold back on the inside, they take up far too much space in the actual shower or tub when you are entering or exiting.

  • Opening door: opening doors look beautiful and work as a normal door would. They’re a good option for a larger bathroom. However, they’d take up too much space in a small bathroom.

You have to remember that you’ll need space in front of the shower to be able to completely open the door.

Shower door opening door

Material

Once we’ve picked out the right kind of door for our bathroom, we need to decide on the material.

Below, we’ll explain the differences between the materials to make shower doors:

  • Acrylic shower doors: these doors are made with acrylic glass. They’re economical and have a long life. If children will be using the bathroom as well, acrylic doors are a great option.

Acrylic doors, however, aren’t as visually appealing as glass doors are. In addition, they’re more prone to lime build-up.

  • Glass shower doors: glass doors are easy to clean and include a safety system in case of breakage. They’re also more resistant to lime.

The variety of glass shower doors include transparent, completely or partially frosted and mirrored glass doors. Transparent doors work well for smaller bathrooms because they help the room feel more spacious.

If you prefer privacy, you should opt for either of the latter two models.

Shower door material

For a bolder look

If you’re someone who seeks out original and unique designs, frosted glass doors will be a great choice for you.

Only frosted glass allows for such designs, so go ahead and try it out if you like originality.

Frosted glass can showcase a design on the glass. It could be a landscape, pattern or whatever you might want. It’ll definitely set your bathroom apart from the rest.