Just like bathtubs made of other common materials (stone, cast iron, steel), acrylic structures have their advantages and disadvantages. The main factors to consider in this regard are cost, service life, ease of installation, variety of shapes and sizes, presence/absence of useful options.

Types of acrylic bathtubs
Acrylic is a relatively new polymer material for bathtubs – previously, stone and metal products prevailed. It combines several types, slightly different from each other in chemical composition and properties.


PMMA is a two-layer acrylic, cast polymethyl methacrylate - hence the abbreviated name. This is a classic acrylic, which is supplemented by a reinforcing layer at the bottom. Acrylic is processed by extrusion, or casting is used. First, the workpiece is heated, then the desired shape is formed;
PMMA/ABS is a regular plastic with a thin acrylic coating. It is applied on top of inexpensive plastic. This is how the desired material is made:
Quaryl is a German brand owned by Quaryl. The original composition includes 35% binder (resin), 60% filler to provide hardness, strength and wear resistance. The remaining 5% is added to improve the characteristics.
In essence, quaryl is a type of quartz agglomerate with the addition of mineral additives. However, quaryl is much less thermoplastic than quartz. Therefore, immediately after mixing the original components, it is poured into molds. As a result, a bathtub is formed.

Advantages and disadvantages
The common advantages of all acrylic bathtubs are:


· Possibility to manufacture bathtubs and toilet showers avahome.pk/product-category/toilet-showers/ of various shapes – straight, separate, corner, double along the perimeter, bowls of any shape;
Low specific heat capacity. Water in an acrylic bath retains heat and does not cool down for a long time;


Pleasant to the touch - it never feels cold in a bath made from it;
Silence – water flows into the acrylic bathtub with virtually no sound;
Non-slip surface;
Availability of useful options, such as hydromassage.

The disadvantages include:
Higher cost of materials and work on manufacturing bathtubs than analogues made of cast iron and steel;
Low resistance to abrasives, such as those found in cleaning products.
There are other negative aspects, but they are typical for specific types of acrylic.

Tips for choosing
To make an informed choice, it is necessary to set priorities, decide which properties and characteristics are most important. To do this, we will analyze them for each type of acrylic.

Cast acrylic
This material has a low specific gravity even compared to other types of acrylic, and even more so compared to metals. This is an undoubted advantage. Its price is slightly higher than average, but lower than that of quaryl. The shape can be arbitrary, but there are conditions - the corners will necessarily be rounded. There is a large selection of colors and shades.


Cast acrylic has a high level of sound insulation, but this is typical for all varieties of this material. The rigidity of the sides is average, vertical walls are above average. Baths made of cast acrylic are installed on a frame, which achieves high stability. In case of minor damage to the surface, they can be eliminated due to high repairability. Among the serious disadvantages, it is necessary to highlight low resistance to impacts and other mechanical influences.

Rectangular and corner models of cast acrylic bowls are available on the market.

PMMA/ABS
PMMA/ABS has a small mass, but it is slightly higher than that of cast acrylic. Baths made of this material cost less than any other acrylic. Any shape, with rounded corners. The variety of colors for PMMA/ABS is small.


The sides are low in rigidity, this should be taken into account when using such a bathtub. The vertical walls are medium in rigidity. Installation is carried out on a frame, the stability of the finished structure is average. Baths made of this material should be treated with care, as their repairability is below average. This is partially compensated by relative resistance to impact.

Rectangular and corner bathtubs are made from PMMA/ABS.

Quaril
Based on the totality of its characteristics, quaryl seems to be the most preferable option. It has a low specific gravity, although higher than cast acrylic. There are no restrictions on the shape of the bathtub - it can be any, even with sharp corners. The choice of colors is limited, but all the main ones are available.


The sides of quaryl bathtubs are highly rigid, and the vertical walls are very rigid. They are installed on legs, so (unlike the previous options) they do not necessarily need to be attached to the walls. The stability is very high, as is the impact resistance. You can choose a bowl of various configurations - rectangular, free-standing, corner, arbitrary shape. The only significant drawback is the high price.

Conclusion
Each type of acrylic has both advantages and disadvantages. Each buyer decides for himself which factors (cost, service life, appearance, functionality, additional options) are most important to him.