Shower Trays

A shower tray is the base your shower sits in — the part that collects water and directs it to the waste. Choosing one comes down to three things: the shape that fits your space, how high you want to step, and which waste your floor will take.

Choose by shape

• Rectangular trays — 1000x700mm up to 1800x900mm. The most versatile shape, fitting an alcove between two walls. The longer the tray, the more it feels like a walk-in shower.
• Square trays — 800x800mm to 1200x1200mm. The natural fit for a corner, pairing with a quadrant or corner-entry enclosure.
• Quadrant trays — a curved front across a corner, keeping the walkway clear in a smaller bathroom.
• Offset quadrant trays — the same curve with unequal sides, giving more showering room than a square quadrant.

Choose by height

This is the decision that matters most for accessibility, and the one people think about least.

Low level trays sit around 40-45mm high. Some — such as the AKW Braddan at 40mm — can be recessed into a timber or screeded floor for a completely flush, step-free threshold. On a solid concrete floor they install as a low step-in tray instead.

Traditional raised trays sit higher and are simpler to plumb, because there is more room beneath for the trap. The trade-off is the step over the edge.

If step-free access matters, and the floor cannot be recessed, consider a wet floor former instead — a former replaces the floorboards entirely and gives a genuinely level finish.

Measure before you order

Measure the opening at floor level rather than at worktop height, and at three points along its length — few walls are truly square. Work from the smallest figure. If you are filling an alcove exactly, check the wall is reasonably true before committing to a tray sized to the millimetre.

Don't forget the waste

Most trays are supplied without a waste. Which one you need depends on the outlet size and how much depth you have below the floor — a low profile tray over shallow joists often needs a low-depth trap, and where there is no fall to the soil stack you will need a pumped waste.

See our shower tray wastes, or read the full waste selection guide for the depth and floor-finish rules.

Anti-slip finishes

Available across the accessible ranges and worth specifying wherever an elderly or less mobile user will be showering. A textured surface gives noticeably better grip underfoot when wet and soapy than a standard gloss tray.

Not sure what will fit your bathroom? Call our team on 0333 772 4162 and we will talk it through.