ᐅ Bathroom materials: steel enamel, ceramic, sanitary acrylic

Hello everyone,

I would like to hear about your experiences with different bathroom materials. This mainly concerns sinks, shower trays, and bathtubs (maybe toilets as well?).

Which material (roughly in the same price range, or have I misunderstood?) have you had positive and negative experiences with:
- Steel enamel
- Ceramic
- Sanitary acrylic
- Solid surface is not really an option for me due to the above-average prices.

What would you prefer for the sink or for the shower tray/bathtub, and why?

Thank you very much for your answers. After reading for a long time, I’m really glad to finally actively ask for your expert knowledge. Great forum here

Ann.

We quickly ruled out sanitary acrylic/plastics when searching for a bathtub. It didn’t feel premium, somewhat soft and unusually flexible. Additionally, it scratches easily and the surface then appears dull.
So, for the bathtub we went with the classic option: steel enamel.

Sanitary acrylic is essentially the material you encounter in hardware stores or plumbing supply shops that feels slightly flexible when stepped on, causing the shower tray to wobble, making you really think you are stepping on a cheap, fragile plastic plate. Okay, combined with its susceptibility to scratches, sanitary acrylic can be ruled out.

The advantage of steel enamel compared to ceramic is that you cannot chip it (which inevitably happens to ceramic sinks sooner or later), right?

Enameling can - if things go wrong - also chip off.

For the bathtub, we chose steel enamel. It’s easy to maintain, not prone to scratching or discoloration, and has a premium feel. For the sinks, we opted for ceramic. In my apartment, I also had a steel enamel sink, but currently, we don’t like the available options for sinks in that material.

In my current rental house, the ceramic sink already has two chips, so I hope that steel enamel products are not as prone to this. Has any enamel chipped in your apartment?

annab377 schrieb:

In my current rental house, the ceramic sink unfortunately already has two chips, and I hope steel enamel products are not as prone to that.

Ceramic is the standard and has been proven reliable for decades. Steel enamel sinks are quite rare for bathrooms. Who even makes stylish ones anymore?

When it comes to shower trays or bathtubs, it’s a matter of preference. Both options serve their purpose. Acrylic is lighter (more flexible) and feels warmer to the touch. Steel enamel is a bit more expensive and more solid. For the bathtub, I wouldn’t mind either way, but for the shower tray, I would prefer steel enamel because the tray no longer moves on its feet (which can be important for the joints where it meets the wall).

P.S. If you ever get scratches on a steel enamel tub, they will be visible forever. On acrylic, scratches are less noticeable.