Buying a shower tray to go with your new shower enclosure? Read this expert buying guide first and choose the right size and design for your bathroom.
We'll give you an overview of the types of shower trays available and the things you should look out for when making that all-important purchase.
Want to skip to a relevant section? Simply click on any of the links below:
- Shower tray shapes
- Walk in shower trays
- Shower tray sizes
- Shower tray materials
- Raised or flat?
- Shower tray colours
- Shower tray brands
- Wet room shower trays
- Shop shower trays
- Shower tray ideas and advice
Shower tray shapes
The shape of your shower tray needs to match the shower enclosure above, so there are no gaps for water to escape. It’s worth thinking about which shape will best fit your bathroom too, especially keeping in mind how the doors open and if they need extra room.
Square shower tray
A square shower tray is a versatile choice and can be used with a variety of door styles, including bifold doors, which would make it a good choice for smaller bathrooms.
Rectangular shower tray
This more spacious shape is often used with sliding shower doors, so it can still be space-efficient for smaller rooms. However, a rectangular shower tray will give you a little more room than, say, a square version.
Quadrant shower tray
A quadrant shower tray features a curved front for a set of sliding or hinged doors, creating a luxurious shower enclosure that fits neatly into a corner space.
An offset quadrant shower tray is also available, combining rectangular and curved shapes, for a slightly more spacious space-saving design.
One of our designer quadrant stone shower trays, with scratch and stain-resistant acrylic capped construction and sleek, concealed waste
Shaped shower trays
Whilst the shower trays mentioned above make up the vast majority of those available, you may also find some more unusual shapes, like pentagonal shower trays, designed to go with a matching enclosure.
Walk in shower trays
If you're looking to buy a walk in shower enclosure, you will need a specific walk in shower tray. You can find out more about these in our walk in shower tray buying guide.
Complete with a separate grooved surface for drying, the rectangular walk in shower tray from Mode Bathrooms makes the perfect partner for your walk in shower enclosure
Shower tray sizes
Our shower trays come in standard sizes to match our shower enclosures, so you’ll always be able to create a complete shower system.
Shower trays at Victoria Plum range in size as follows:
| Shape | Width (mm) | Depth (mm) |
|---|---|---|
Make sure you always measure the space in your bathroom first to find a suitable size and take into account how much space an outward-opening shower door would need.
For more advice, please read our guide to bathroom clearance guidelines.
Shower tray materials
ABS acrylic capped stone resin
This material is made from shards of stone in a special resin, which is moulded and polished when finished. The acrylic cap means the stone core is protected, and the surface is more scratch-resistant and durable.
Our designer rectangular stone shower tray comes complete with a contemporary low profile for easy access
Acrylic
This is a popular choice for shower trays and provides a durable and contemporary finish that’s easy to clean and will stay looking fantastic for years. It’s also naturally non-slippery when wet.
Virtually all of our shower trays come with an acrylic coating, whether you choose our Simplite polyurethane foam trays or opt for stone resin, you are assured a quality product.
Raised or flat?
You may see options for shower trays to be raised on a plinth or riser. These are designed to accommodate pipework that isn’t set into the floor, such as the waste to drain the water away.
If you wish to increase the height of any shower tray, we have a wide range of shower tray riser kits available, with adjustable legs and clip on panels.
Raise your game… Choose from one of our sturdy shower tray riser kits
If the plumbing in your bathroom is set into the floor, then you can go for a slimline tray that has a much lower profile.
Shower tray colours
Whilst the vast majority of shower trays come in a simple white colouring, we also stock black shower trays with a slate effect finish, which can add fantastic contrast to your bathroom decor and even on-trend grey shower trays.
Turn up the style in your bathroom or ensuite with this grey slate-effect shower tray from Mode Bathrooms
Shower tray brands
Choose from the following shower tray brands available at Victoria Plum.
Clarity shower trays
- Low cost—perfect for those working to a tight budget or renovating a rental home
- Lightweight with a contemporary low profile
- Manufactured in ABS acrylic-capped polyurethane foam
- Rectangular and quadrant designs
Orchard Bathrooms shower trays
- High in quality, but great value for money
- Huge range of shapes and sizes available
- Made from hardwearing acrylic-capped stone resin
- Contemporary low profile
- Gel-coated, anti-slip designs available
- Choose from white, black and grey
Mode Bathrooms
- Highly contemporary in style—perfect for designer bathrooms
- Premium quality for that extra-special finishing touch
- Made from hardwearing acrylic-capped stone resin
- Contemporary low profile
- Minimalist style concealed wastes available
- Choose from white, black and grey, with colour-matched wastes
Mira Showers shower trays
We now stock the high quality Flight Safe range of shower trays from Mira, one of the most trusted brands in UK showering. Manufactured with an anti-slip coating, our selection of Mira shower trays also come with BioCote® technology which reduces bacteria and mould by up to 99.9%. A superb vortex waste, which drains at an incredible rate of 25-30 litres per minute is also included with each tray.
With an anti-slip surface tested to Class C DIN 51097 (an industrial standard for slip-resistance), Mira Flight Safe shower trays are ideal for elderly or very young users
Wet room shower trays
If you’ve decided to install a wet room, you’ll probably know by now that wet room shower trays (or wet room tray formers, as they are also known) work a little differently to any of the shower trays we’ve mentioned already in this guide.
Instead of sitting on top of your floor, wet room shower trays are designed to sit just below your flooring, and can then be tiled over to create level, step-free access to your shower area. The only part of the shower tray that will be visible is the waste. Each shower tray comes with a slight drop so that gravity will divert any water to the waste, where it will drain away into your wastewater plumbing.
At Victoria Plum, you’ll find a superb selection of wet room tray formers, including square and rectangular designs with different waste positions to suit your exact layout. We also stock wet room installation kits, so you’ll have everything you need to create your very own home spa.
Create the wet room you’ve always wanted with the rectangular wet room tray former from Orchard Bathrooms
Shop shower trays at Victoria Plum
All our shower enclosures have matching trays, so you’ll always be able to create a complete shower solution when you buy from Victoria Plum. Just be sure to check if the shower tray is included with your chosen enclosure in its product description on the website, as you might need to buy it separately.
Ready to buy? Go ahead and find the right shower tray for you.
Find out more about shower trays and enclosures
With easy-to-follow guides and installation advice, you'll find plenty of helpful resources right here at Victoria Plum. Simply click on any of the links below.
