Shower Trays

Buyers Guide to Shower Trays

How to Choose Your Shower Tray

Before looking at shower trays, you need to have decided the type of shower enclosure you'll be having. This is usually determined by the shower space in your bathroom and your budget. Measure carefully and once this is worked out, then pick a tray to match the shape and dimensions of your chosen type of enclosure. If you’d like a shower with no step up to access, consider a walk in shower or wet room system.

Shower Tray Types

Square Shower Trays

Square shower trays are not as popular as they once were, however they are still useful if you require a small tray, tucked away in a corner. They are perfect for ensuites and cloakroom bathrooms, and normally used in conjunction with hinged, pivoted or bi-fold shower doors. Sizes vary between manufacturers but generally start from 700mm x 700mm and do not normally exceed 1000mm x 1000mm. Origins, Bette and Kaldewei all produce quality shower trays.

See our square shower trays page for a full range of product options.

Rectangular Shower Trays

Rectangular trays are ideal if there is a bit more space to play with. They can either be used with a normal larger sized shower enclosure, such as one with a sliding door, or as part of a walk in shower. Standard width generally range from 700mm to 1000mm and tray lengths from 800mm to 1700mm. Crosswater, Kadlewei and Origins have a good choice of widths and lengths.

See our rectangular shower trays page for a full range of product options.

Quadrant Shower Trays

Quadrant shower trays have two straight edges to fit into the corner of a room, with the front edge made into a curve, and are still a highly popular shower shape in the UK. If space is at a premium, a quadrant or an offset quadrant could be the perfect way to maximise your layout.

Quadrant shower trays are mainly symmetrical, with dimensions typically ranging from 800mm to 1000mm. Some manufacturers will also have offset trays of similar sizes but including one longer 1200mm edge, such as Merlyn, Origins and Kaldewei.

See our quadrant shower trays page for a full range of product options.

Pentagonal Shower Trays

Pentagonal shower trays are not as often seen as other types, but can add a pleasing modern geometric touch to a new bathroom. They are much alike to quadrant shower trays except the front edge has a squared off shape, and offer the same space-saving benefit.

Like quadrant trays, pentagonal trays are mainly symmetrical as the dimension on each wall is the same, from 800mm to 1000mm. Some manufacturers will also have offset trays using the same dimensions but including longer side lengths of 1200mm and 1400mm. Crosswater are a good brand for this type of shower tray.

See our pentagonal shower trays page for a full range of product options.

Standard Shower Tray Sizes

Shower Tray Options

Wastes

A shower waste carries water out of your shower tray. They connect to your plumbing pipes and are an important part of your shower tray setup.

Most of our shower trays come with the option to include a waste. Waste diameters are standard size. If you already have a waste to match your bathroom brassware you may not wish to include the waste in your order.

Riser Kits

Shower tray riser kits are useful where the waste unit cannot be sunk below floor level. They raise the tray up on lengs to allow the waste to be plumbed in. n.b. They result in you having to step up into your shower and may not be appropriate for those with accessibility issues.

Accessibility Features

For level access look for products that are low profile. This enables the tray to be recessed into your floor and sit flush with your flooring tiles. Alternatively, consider a wetroom setup. Wetroom shower bases enable the floor to be tiled and water to drain away efficiently.

A tray with anti slip coating may be helpful if you are worried about slips and falls.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which shower trays are the best?

All of our shower trays are sourced from the leading brands and manufacturers in whose products and quality we have full confidence, drawn from our long experience in the bathroom industry.

Some of the leading brands we work with are:

• Just Trays
• Kudos Showers
• Matki Showers
• Kaldewei

What materials are shower trays made of?

Shower trays are usually made from enameled steel, acrylic, or stone resin - either solid or acrylic capped.

Steel is currently very popular, particularly in Europe, and the hard-wearing enamel coating gives a beautiful long lasting surface which is resistant to scratching and similar damage. Steel shower trays are very strong and will not flex, and so are generally used for larger sized shower trays.

Stone-resin is a tough composite material made from combining ground stone and minerals with an adhesive to produce a very strong composite structure. Acrylic-capped stone resin shower trays are very heavy and durable, perfect for placement between joists to ensure that it isn’t ever going to bow or flex.

Some manufacturers produce pure stone one-piece resin trays - with no acrylic outer skin - which have a naturally slip-resistant surface which is very pleasant to feel underfoot. Their smooth stone finish is very attractive and an optimal choice for a minimalistic modern bathroom design.

An acrylic shower tray has a similar appearance as an acrylic capped stone resin tray but is far lighter and more cost effective. Modern acrylic trays are perfectly safe for normal use; there is no chance of the tray snapping or cracking but if there is no direct support below you are likely to feel the tray flex slightly under significant weight. These trays are great for installations on a solid floor, when it will not flex.

What is the standard height of a shower tray?

A modern tray is from about 25mm to 40mm in height. They are almost flat, and some of these trays can be recessed into the floor for a flush fitting. They have very little depth, if any, and this is possible because modern wastes can remove water volume much more quickly.

What size shower tray do i need?

Take experienced advice. Your fitter will need to determine what size of tray and enclosure you will need; generally the shower tray is just wider than the enclosure to allow for tiling.

If at all possible, it is a recommendation to draw intended layout on the floor to give a real sense of where everything is going and if it seems to work.

Can you get made to measure shower trays?

Some manufacturers do offer a bespoke shower tray making service for non-standard requirements. This includes extra deep shower trays too, please get in touch if we can help you with a made-to-measure shower tray. .

What are shower tray upstands?

A shower tray upstand is a small lip around the tray which improves the waterproofing part of fitting your new shower. The tiles of shower wall panel board can be fitted straight down onto the tray.

Are shower trays non slip?

Not as such but buyers can order trays with anti-slip properties; they generally take a little longer as they are made to order. Or alternatively, non slip products such as the Origins Anti-slip coating are available.

What tray for a walk in shower?

We sell a variety of shower trays which are purpose built for a walk in shower or wet room. They are very low profile so there is no step up, and some are designed to be fitted underneath the floor tiles so there is a seamless transition from the shower area to the rest of the bathroom.

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