Are they in or are they out? By some accounts, homeowners are done with bathtubs. Others say the bathtub is making a comeback. Although a case can be made for both trends, the shower is the washing environment of choice for the majority of Americans.

The bathtub has long been a staple of the American home, and real estate agents still advise maintaining at least one bathroom with a tub to retain a house's resale value. Especially for families with young children, bath time revolves around the tub. So for the time being, rubber duckies need not fear for their jobs.

Nonetheless, lifestyle changes have made the tub rather impractical for teens and adults. Particularly in master bathrooms today, the trend is toward no tub and more spacious showers.

Whether in tub or shower, today's multitasking, overscheduled, overconnected homeowners regard the bathroom as their place of refuge. A survey conducted in 2008 by American Standard found that respondents in general valued their time alone in the bathroom, but that having children "increased their desire to escape to the shower, with 58 percent of people with children taking longer showers than those who don't."

That trend has increased as people's lives have become more harried. In the 2008 survey, respondents spent an average of 30 minutes a day in the bathroom. In fact, 1 in 4 said they spent an hour or more, with women much more likely than men to do so (37 percent vs. 15 percent, respectively). Average showering time was under 10 minutes, again with women somewhat more likely to take longer showers.

A survey conducted earlier this year by Hansgrohe found that the average time spent in the bathroom has increased to 70 minutes (74 minutes for women, 67 minutes for men), and average showering time increased also (13.27 minutes for women, 12.66 minutes for men).

No wonder that in Houzz's 2014 Winter Bathroom Trends Study, 60 percent of the respondents who were undertaking a bathroom renovation chose to upgrade the master bathroom.

Lifestyle changes have made the tub rather impractical for teens and adults. Particularly in master bathrooms today, the trend is toward no tub and more spacious showers.


With the bathroom taking primacy as one's place of refuge, it's easy to see why oversized soaking tubs have grown in popularity in recent years. Samantha Toscana, who writes about interior design for the Huffington Post predicts that for 2015 the rain shower is out and the soaking tub is in.

Free-standing tubs were the most popular option (33 percent) with the participants in the Houzz study who planned to install a new tub. However, 43 percent of all participants were choosing to forgo a tub completely, in the master or other full bath.

Older homeowners, perhaps with an eye on aging in place, were more likely to remodel without a tub. Half of those ages 50 to 64 and close to two-thirds of those ages 65 and older (59 percent) planned tub-less bathrooms.

Gender also makes a difference. In one survey, one-third of women, but only 10 percent of men, said they would want a tub in the master bathroom — but only if it also had a large shower.

A long soak in the tub still appeals to some, but today's fixtures and serene surfaces have transformed the shower into a uniquely luxurious experience. Time-pressed homeowners find the shower a quicker, more convenient alternative.

In the shower, one doesn't have to wait for it to fill, the water doesn't gradually get colder, and the dirt and germs get washed away. Showers usually use less water and less energy to heat the water.

As an additional benefit, the Hansgrohe survey found that 72 percent of respondents experienced new ideas and fresh thinking while in the shower, with 14 percent saying it was their main reason for having a shower. The researchers conjecture that the feel of the water, the tranquility of the shower environment, and having uninterrupted time to oneself allows the mind to wander, which is conducive to creativity and problem solving.

Wash, unwind and improve your productivity at the same time. For multitaskers, it's a tough combination to beat.