Should You Choose A Copper Tub For Your Bathroom Design?
Written by Savannah Phillips, NCIDQ certified interior designer with a BS in Interior Design from Illinois State University, specializing in space planning, furniture layouts, and material and finish specification. Pricing and material specifications reviewed July 2026.
Copper tubs are a great addition to a bathroom. They can be relaxing and comfortable. The appearance is refined and timeless. Below are some selections that can be made to get the ideal copper tub for your bathroom design.
What Is a Copper Bathtub?
Simply, a copper bathtub is a bathtub made of the material copper. Copper is a durable, metal. Copper is also very easily bent and shaped without cracking or breaking. Copper is an environmentally friendly material as well as it possesses rust-resistant, antibacterial, and mold-resistant qualities.
Pros & Cons of a Copper Tub
As mentioned above copper is super durable as well as malleable. The appearance of copper tubs is beautiful and the material gives a timeless appearance. Copper is resistant to mold and is antibacterial. Additionally, these types of tubs retain heat, keeping a warm tub longer. The life span of copper is extremely long and at the end of it, the material can be recycled.
Unfortunately, due to all these pros, copper tubs are pretty expensive and are often found in luxury bathrooms. Copper, while being rust and corrosion-proof, is still susceptible to acids and other abrasive materials. Copper also requires some maintenance to keep all of its good qualities.
About the heat retention everyone mentions. It’s real, but the word copper isn’t what’s doing the work. Thickness is. A heavy, thick-walled tub holds a warm bath noticeably longer than a thin one, and all that mass also kills the hollow drumming sound you get from acrylic. If a long soak is the entire point, look specifically at a double-walled tub, where the cavity between the two skins does the insulating. You’ll pay for it. Double wall models generally run $7,500 to $10,000 against $4,000 to $6,000 for a standard tub.
How to Choose a Tub
There are a few features that should be looked at when it comes to choosing the correct copper tub, and when spending this much money they will want to be taken under careful consideration.
Quality – Ask how the seams are joined before you ask anything else. Welded seams fuse the copper to itself and they hold for decades. Soldered seams use a filler metal, which is both the weaker joint over time and the place where lead can turn up in a tub that’s being sold to you as pure copper. Welded seams plus a copper percentage in writing is the combination worth paying for.
Gauge – Gauge is sheet thickness, and the scale runs backwards. Smaller number, thicker metal. Most articles stop there, which isn’t much help when you’re comparing two listings, so here’s what those numbers actually measure.
| Gauge | Thickness | What it’s good for |
|---|---|---|
| 14 gauge | 0.064 in (1.63 mm) | The heaviest tub spec. Premium and custom work. |
| 16 gauge | 0.051 in (1.29 mm) | The common tub and sink spec, also sold as 48 ounce copper. |
| 18 gauge | 0.040 in (1.02 mm) | Too thin for a bathtub. Fine for a countertop. |
| 20 gauge | 0.032 in (0.81 mm) | Decorative and craft work only. |
Stay at 14 or 16 gauge. A 16 gauge tub feels solid when you knock on it and it won’t dent or scratch from ordinary use. Anything at 18 or thinner belongs on a tabletop, not under 200 litres of water and a person. If a listing won’t tell you the gauge, that’s your answer. You can check any figure a seller gives you against a published copper gauge thickness chart.
Cost – You’ll see the range $3,000 to $35,000 quoted everywhere, which tells you almost nothing. Here’s what the tub you’re actually looking at tends to cost.
| Type of copper tub | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Standard freestanding | $4,000 to $6,000 |
| Custom built | $6,000 to $10,000 |
| Double wall | $7,500 to $10,000 |
| Deep soaker | $7,500 to $10,000 |
| Large format | $10,000 to $18,000 |
| Fully bespoke and specialty | Up to $35,000 and past it |
Most people land between $3,000 and $10,000 for the tub itself. Where you fall inside that comes down to size, gauge, finish, and whether it’s sitting in a warehouse or being made for you. Made to order usually means one to two months, so it’s not a decision to leave until the plumber is booked.
If the copper tub is part of a bigger project, price it inside the whole job rather than on its own. Our bathroom remodel guide walks through where the rest of the money tends to go.
Do You Need to Reinforce the Floor?
Copper looks light. It isn’t, and the empty weight isn’t the number that matters. Most copper tubs weigh somewhere between 70 and 150 pounds on their own. Fill one and get in, and you’re near 750 pounds sitting on a patch of floor about the size of a doormat.
A 130 lb copper tub, 200 litres of water at about 440 lb, and a 175 lb bather. Every single bath, on the same joists.
Bigger tubs and double-walled models go higher, and total loads between 500 and 880 pounds are normal for copper. That’s the part people miss. It’s not a one-time delivery load, it’s a repeated one.
So before you order, have a structural engineer or a builder you trust look at the joists, the subfloor, and the underlayment and confirm they’ll carry it. It’s a short visit and it costs a fraction of finding out the hard way. If reinforcement is needed, get it into the budget and the schedule before the tub arrives, not after it’s sitting in your hallway.
Older homes and second floors deserve the extra look. So does any bathroom where the tub is going somewhere a tub has never been.
Types of Copper Tubs
A standard bathtub is roughly 60 by 30 by 15 inches. Copper tubs are made well outside that in both directions, which is most of the appeal and also the trap.
Japanese style soakers trade length for depth. Smaller footprint, more water, which means more weight concentrated in a tighter spot. Double ended and double slipper tubs go the other way and need real floor space around them to look right. If you want a reference point for how tub dimensions play out in a room, our walk in tub dimensions guide has the standard measurements side by side.
Measure the doorway, the stair turn, and the landing before you fall for a size. A copper tub can’t be flexed and angled through a tight corner the way an acrylic one can.
One more early decision: most freestanding copper tubs pair with a floor mounted filler rather than a deck faucet, and that’s a plumbing rough-in call, not a finish call. Sort it out before the floor goes down. Our guide to bathroom faucet types covers the options.
Choosing the type of copper tub is a big choice. There are shapes, sizes, and finishes that can help determine the exact sort of tub that you should purchase.
Copper Freestanding Tub
There are multiple types of freestanding tubs, some of these include- double ended, double slipper, Japanese soaking and many more. The freestanding double ended tub is rounded at both ends to allow the user to sit on either side of the tub. This can also allow for two individuals to sit in the tubs at the same time if they are large enough. The drains are commonly in the center to accommodate this option.
The freestanding double slipper tub is named after its appearance, which is meant to resemble a slipper. The double slipper tub is similar to the double ended tub mentioned above, but each end is raised and recliner for added comfort. As with the double ended the drain is on the center and typically large enough for two people. This type is a great deal more ergonomically friendly, as well as comfortable to relax in for long periods of time.
Copper Clawfoot Tub
A copper clawfoot tub is a freestanding tub that gives an extremely traditional aesthetic. The legs of the copper tub are raised and have a claw-shaped foot, reflecting the name.
Hammered Copper
A hammered copper tub refers to the finish of the tub. Hammered is a rough finish that is made by using a hammer to create indentations of a desired size to the surface. If a tub is not hammered, it typically has a smooth finish.
Copper Japanese Soaking Tub
Copper Japanese soaking tubs are typically in the shape of rectangles or ovals, and are particularly large. They are not typically large around, they are smaller and deeper, to give the larger footprint. This gives the ability to have almost the entire body submerged in water. There is often a seat placed in the tub to allow the user to sit up and the water to be above the shoulders.
Rather than a rounded design this Japanese copper tub features a rectangular shape.
Copper Soaking Tub
A copper soaking tub is not typically large around, they are smaller and deeper, to give more water volume but not take much space in the room. This gives the user to sit up and the water to be above the shoulders, this submerges almost the entire body. To do this the soaking tubs usually contain a seat, which adds comfort to the user as well.
Copper Drop In Tub
A copper drop in tub is inserted into a frame called the ‘surround’. This is typically tiled or part of a larger unit. The surround allows for a place to place soaps, candles, plants or other items you wish to place for the ultimate relaxing bath. Drop-in tubs are often installed in the open but can also be put in to a bathroom alcove.
Faux Copper
A faux copper tub design has gained popularity that provides a comparable look to a real copper tub at a fraction of the price. Faux copper tubs use an acrylic liner with a painted finish to get the look.
Questions & Answers
Here are some of the most common questions asked before and after buying a copper tub.
Are copper bathtubs healthy?
Pure copper is a genuinely good choice. The problem is that “pure copper” is a phrase, not a spec, and this is where cheap tubs get you.
Ask the seller for the copper content in writing before you buy. Reputable makers work with recycled copper that’s at least 97% pure, and plenty quote 99.7%, which is the grade normally described as pure copper. Cutting the copper percentage is how a suspiciously affordable tub gets to its price, and lower grade mixes are where lead or mercury show up. A seller who can’t tell you the number has told you something.
Are copper tubs antibacterial?
Yes, and the claim is narrower than most articles let on, so it’s worth being straight about it.
The EPA registered copper alloys as antimicrobial surfaces, and testing under EPA protocols shows a regularly cleaned copper surface kills more than 99.9% of several serious bacteria within two hours of contact, including MRSA, VRE, Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli O157:H7. The EPA also requires anyone quoting that to add the caveat: a copper surface supplements normal cleaning, it doesn’t replace it, and it doesn’t prevent cross contamination. You can read the detail from the Copper Development Association.
What that means standing in your bathroom: the tub surface resists bacterial growth between baths, which is why a rinse and a towel is usually all it needs. It isn’t a reason to stop cleaning, and it doesn’t do anything magic to the water you’re sitting in.
Can you use bath salts in a copper tub?
Skip them. Salt and the acids in a lot of bath products go after the wax seal first, then the patina underneath. The green cast people describe is copper oxidising where that protection has been stripped off.
If it’s already happened, don’t reach for a scouring pad. Wash the area with mild soap and water, dry it, and leave it alone. The surrounding oxidation pulls the colour back over a few weeks. Then re-wax. Keep the tub waxed and keep salts out of it and you’ll never see it. And if you actually like the green, stop waxing the outside and let it come on by itself.
Are copper tubs comfortable?
Some are more comfortable than others. Slipper tubs are the most ergonomically friendly as well as comfortable for longer use. There can even be added jets for added comfort.
What is patina?
Patina is a chemical reaction that happens to untreated metals. This can happen to copper tubs if left untreated. The patina can change the colour of the metal tub, and sometimes that’s a desirable change. If it is, when the colour wears to the state you want it can be waxed or polished to keep it there. Darker finishes tend to show patina less than brighter copper. To strip patina, a polishing cream helps, but only polish once or twice a year. More than that can damage the surface.
How to Clean a Copper Tub
Copper is low maintenance, not no maintenance. The good news is that the routine is about thirty seconds long and the rest is occasional.
| Do this | Not this |
|---|---|
| Rinse and towel dry after every bath. This matters most on hard water. | Abrasive pads or steel wool. They scratch straight through the finish. |
| Clean monthly with mild soap, warm water and a soft cloth. | Bleach, ammonia or anything acidic. All three strip the wax and the patina. |
| Wax the outside roughly monthly, or whenever water stops beading on it. A clear paste wax works. Use a dark paste wax on darker patinas. | Bath salts. See above. |
| Use a little olive oil on the inside surface. | Long stretches of direct sunlight, which fades the patina. |
| Wipe acidic spills fast. There’s a clock on this one. | Panicking about a scratch. Read the next bit first. |
The test for when to wax is easy. Splash a little water on the outside. If it beads, you’re fine. If it soaks in and sits flat, the wax has worn off.
How long an acidic spill can sit on waxed copper before it leaves a mark.
Cola, wine, vinegar, lemon. Any of them will mark a waxed copper surface if they sit longer than about ten minutes. Wipe with a damp cloth and the mark usually fades on its own.
Here’s the part nobody tells you before you buy, and it’s the thing that makes living with copper much less stressful. Copper is a living finish. Oxidation gradually pulls a discoloured patch, or a scratch, back toward the colour around it, normally over two to three weeks. So the right response to a fresh scratch is almost always nothing at all. Leave it, let it recover, then seal that area again with paste wax.
One exception. Chemically darkened finishes won’t oxidise back to their original tone, so on those the ten minute rule is real and you should treat spills like they matter.
For more related content check out our article on how to choose a bathtub.
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