Curbless Shower Pros and Cons: Everything You Should Consider

Curbless showers are stealing the spotlight, and for good reason. Not only do they look great, but they also have some valuable upsides, like increasing accessibility and offering plenty of customization options. Familiarize yourself with curbless shower pros and cons so you can decide if this luxury shower option is right for you.

What Is a Curbless Shower?

Curbless showers don’t have a curb, threshold, door, or curtain. Instead, they have a clear glass partition that’s 2 to 3 feet wide to help prevent water from splashing out. The floor of the shower looks like it’s part of the bathroom floor, but it has a gentle slope that allows the water to drain.

This seamless transition from the bathroom to the shower is visually pleasing and has a modern, luxury feel. Since there are no barriers to step over, there’s less risk of falling, making the design optimal for some people with disabilities or older adults.

These showers are more complex to install than traditional ones, so hire a curbless shower installer who knows how to properly install the system, including the correct drainage, waterproofing, and slope. Poorly installed curbless showers can lead to water puddling and leaks, which can cause mold, mildew, and structural damage to the floors and walls.

Pros of Curbless Showers

Curbless showers have many advantages, from visual appeal to functionality.

1. Visually Pleasing

Curbless showers have a sleek look, especially since most feature clear glass partitions instead of a curtain or door. These partitions, which are like room dividers, help define the shape of the shower. Their open-concept design can also make the room feel bigger, which is a plus if you love airy, expansive spaces.

2. Easily Accessible

Whether children or older adults live in the home, a curbless shower means one less trip hazard. If you’re renovating your forever home, it’s an opportunity to plan ahead for aging in place or look into universal design concepts. With thresholds removed, curbless showers can also be a good fit for people with disabilities because it’s easier to enter the shower. 

3. Several Design Options

Curbless showers allow you to choose from several design options because the placement, size, and shape are all customizable. There are add-ons to choose from, including benches, built-in shower shelves, and heated floors.

You can also customize the look of the shower by choosing a partition that best fits your design. Although many homeowners opt for a frameless glass partition, you can get creative with a metal-framed gridwork partition or with different types of glass.

4. Easy to Clean

A curbless design makes shower cleaning easy because there are no nooks or crannies to clean like those in traditional showers. You don’t have to clean around a curb, change out a shower curtain, or wipe down large glass walls and doors. 

Cons of Curbless Showers

Consider all of the disadvantages of curbless showers before you commit to installing one in your bathroom.

1. Issues With Drainage and Water on the Floor

If installed correctly, a curbless shower will have good drainage, so you won’t have to worry about water leaking from the shower onto the bathroom floor. However, you’ll still want to take extra care to prevent water from getting everywhere, like properly positioning the showerhead and regularly maintaining the drain to prevent clogs.

If your shower is installed improperly, water may puddle on the shower floor, leak into the rest of the bathroom, or leak into your subfloor and walls.

2. No Privacy

You’re good to go as long as you lock the bathroom door, but the open-concept design of a curbless shower might not appeal to everyone. With a traditional shower, you close the door or curtain shut, which makes for a cozy, private shower experience. With a curbless shower, on the other hand, there’s no coverage. However, you can opt for frosted or textured glass for your partition, which adds more privacy.

3. Colder Showers

Since traditional showers are enclosed with a door or curtain, heat and steam build up as you shower. However, with a curbless shower, the heat and steam dissipate quickly due to the lack of barriers. One way to combat cold showers is to install radiant floor heating in your bathroom, like heated tile.

4. Conversions Are Complex

It’s much more difficult to convert an existing shower into a curbless one than it is to install a curbless shower in a new bathroom. This is because traditional showers don’t have the waterproofing and precise drainage that curbless ones do. Conversions may require lowering the floor and adding blocking to the joists below the subfloor, which increases labor and materials costs.

Alternatives to Curbless Showers

If you’re not sure if curbless is right for you, here are other shower options you can consider:

• Walk-In Shower: There are curbless and curbed walk-in showers, and the former allows you to enjoy the benefits of curbless showers plus the privacy of having a door.

• Walk-In Bathtub: For older adults who want a safer way to enjoy long soaks, a walk-in bathtub may be a better option.

• Curbed Shower: Choose a traditional shower if it fits better with your budget and you don’t need all of the advantages that curbless ones offer.

Is a Curbless Shower Right for You?

Curbless showers are right for you if their visual aesthetics fit your bathroom and you’re looking for a way to make your shower safer and accessible for people with disabilities or older adults. Since you have many options for layout, tile design, and amenities, you’ll be able to put together the shower you’ve been dreaming of.

The best time to choose a curbless shower is during the design phase when building a new home or remodeling a bathroom. Converting an existing shower is possible, but it’s more complicated. If you know this is the right choice, hire a shower installer near you to move forward with your curbless shower project.

On the other hand, a curbless shower may not be the best fit for you if you’re not looking for a sleek, modern shower. You may also opt for a traditional shower design if you’d like to stick to a smaller budget. Installing a prefabricated shower instead of a curbless one can help you save thousands of dollars, which you could use toward another project.