Bathtubs Are Being Replaced with Something Far More Practical
Not everyone has a linen closet, breakfast nook, or private terrace at home, but just about everyone has a bathroom. There are certain necessities expected in one’s bathroom — a toilet, shower if it’s a half-bath, a tub, and something to store your toiletries — but there’s still lots of room for customization. You can have a big, funky ’80s-style bathroom, a small bathroom optimized for storage, and even a carpeted bathroom.
If you’re looking to majorly remodel your bathroom, one of the biggest choices you’ll have to make is deciding on whether you’ll have a shower or bathtub or some combination of both. While bathtubs seem like such an added luxury, a recent report revealed that showers are more favored than ever.
Angi, the home service site, shared in its 2024 State of Home Spending Report that people of all ages are actually moving away from tubs for multiple reasons, including seeking an even sleeker setup.
Bathroom Changes Afoot
According to the report, 93% of homeowners intend to upgrade or remodel their home in some way in 2025. Of those polled, 13% sought to remodel their bathroom in the next year, while 28% are planning on upgrading their bathroom in the next five years.
What’s the difference between an upgrade and remodel? Angi cofounder Angie Hicks explains that a remodel “often include[s] layout changes, complete replacement of fixtures and countertops, and will typically be more expensive,” while an upgrade “is typically smaller scale and focuses on more cosmetic updates like replacing faucets, updating tiles, or changing vanity tops.”
One of the most common bathroom remodels homeowners are looking to make is replacing a bathtub with “larger, groutless showers,” which are generally the type you’d see at a nice hotel. They’re smooth, aesthetically pleasing, and have plenty of practical benefits to offer.
Showering in Style
A spacious, groutless shower already has the potential to look more luxurious and modern than a plain bathtub or more traditional style of shower, but Angi’s study points to additional preferences that help homeowners boost this sense of sophistication even further. People are drawn to “black and gold finishes, double showerheads, and handheld sprayers.” The latter two tweaks do double duty; it’s practical to have multiple options for your shower experience, especially if you plan on aging in place and may need to have multiple accessibility options in your shower, but it also just feels fancy to even have those options available.
The Angi study isn’t the only indication that people want to create a more comfortable and indulgent bathroom experience in their homes these days. Zillow’s 2025 home trend forecast found that people have quite the desire for “wet rooms” that give you a spa-like experience in your own home. This shower design can also help transform your entire bathroom. As Andrew Hancock of Gilman Heating, Cooling, & Plumbing told us in November 2024, a larger shower can actually “make bathrooms feel bigger and more modern.”
The Importance of Accessibility
Per the State of Home Spending Report, one in four homeowners have a multigenerational household, which can present unique challenges. Hicks tells us that bathroom remodels are “most popular among millennials followed by Gen X, then Boomers, and then the Silent Generations.”
These are all age groups who are more likely to have both children (or grandchildren) as well as older family members, so it’s logical they’d want to make upgrades that create a comfortable living experience for all. Not everyone can easily step in and out of a bathtub without assistance, and surfaces can be slippery: After all, nearly 80% of falls in one’s home happen in the bathroom. Plus, these types of showers aren’t just well-suited for people of all ages and abilities; Hicks also notes that they’re “great for pets.”
Groutless showers are easier to get in and out of, low-maintenance, and less prone to unsightly stains than tile with grout, which should come as a relief to pretty much everyone, especially this Redditor that says they currently have “an ancient cast-iron tub that never feels clean.”
An Investment in Comfort That Lasts
Though a groutless shower has a multifaceted appeal and can be a smart choice for aging in place, it’s important to note that it can also be more expensive. However, 67% of homeowners polled for the Angi study said they’d rather renovate than move, which tends to be a pricier and more laborious venture overall.
Angi’s study states that homeowners are drawn to “modern and adaptable living spaces,” and a spacious shower that feels like a vacation while still being easy to clean couldn’t be a better example of this duality. And if you’re still married to the idea of having a tub around, you can always keep one in one bathroom and transform the other. You might find yourself wishing for that spa-like shower experience in every bathroom, or you may find that a tub in one and a sleek shower in another is the perfect balance of luxury and practicality for you.
