Hinged Shower Doors: Buyer's Guide

The shower door is one of the most critical aspects when designing your dream bathroom. Just imagine you've found your ideal bath and colour-matching furniture. The new basin is on its way, and your shower tray is the perfect design. So, what style of shower door should you buy?

A Hinged Shower Door is often a practical solution for its simplicity and minimalistic design appeal. This expert's guide will explain a Hinged Shower Door, the various available frames, and more.

What is a Hinged Shower Door?

Hinged Shower Doors are common designs of shower doors. They have one or two built-in hinges on one side of the door, resulting in an outward opening from the left or right-hand side (depending on the fitment and door handle location).

Hinged Doors can be built into an existing recessed/ alcove shower or one or two side panels (more on that shortly).

Pivot vs Hinged Shower Doors: What's the difference?

A Hinged Shower Door features the hinges on the side of the glass door. A Pivot Shower Door's hinges are located on the top and bottom of the door, resulting in part of the door opening into the enclosure and the rest into the bathroom area.

A Pivot Shower Door uses less protruding space than a Hinged Shower Door and usually opens up to 180°. A Hinged Shower Door can be opened fully, thus requiring more external bathroom space. If the space in your bathroom area is tight, opting for a Pivot Shower Door could be the better option.

Are Sliding Shower Doors better than Hinged Doors?

In terms of "better", this varies on individual circumstances.

A Sliding Shower Door opens from one side of the panel to the other using a rail system. These designs of shower doors are increasingly popular for bathrooms and ensuites with limited space.

Sliding Shower Doors are ideal for a space-saving bathroom design. Unlike Hinged Shower Doors, a Sliding design does not open into the bathroom area. However, similar to a Hinged design, Sliding Shower Doors can be found in a recess or corner fitting.

We recommend thoroughly measuring your bathroom shower enclosure to determine what design of shower door you can purchase accurately. A Hinged design is usually more suitable for a larger bathroom area with plenty of space.

How much can a Hinged Shower Door cost?

Depending on your space and budget, at ShowerstoYou, the prices range from £183.15 - £3,311.12. The brand can significantly contribute to the cost. For example, an affordable luxurious brand on ShowerstoYou is Nuie or Hudson Reed. Both brands have all Hinged Shower Doors under £370.

We have a thorough guide on the complete breakdown of costs for a shower enclosure.

What is a Frameless Hinged Shower Door?

A Frameless design of the Hinged Shower Door creates a concealed and disguised appearance in your bathroom. The only exposed parts of the door that can be seen are the hinges, tempered shower glass, and door handles. This creates a sleek, ultra-modern, elegant design and provides a clear view of your shower.

What different frames can I buy for Hinged Shower Doors?

Framed Hinged Shower Doors feature a coloured frame around the glass. The frame is usually constructed from a high-quality aluminium product and is supplied in various finishes, ranging from Chrome, Black and even Brushed Brass. Merlyn Showers have a variety of Framed Doors with Inline Panels.

In addition, Semi-Frameless designs can be purchased at ShowerstoYou. These contemporary styles are easily recognisable. The glass panel is often thicker than a Framed or Frameless design. The door incorporates framed and frameless edging on the glass panel, although this varies with each brand.

Can I extend the length of a Hinged Shower Door?

With most listings on ShowerstoYou, optional Inline and Side Panels can be purchased along with the Hinged Shower Door. These mount onto the door side to create a cosy corner enclosure of full-width shower enclosure. An Inline Panel extends the width of your Hinged Shower Door, whereas a Side Panel generally extends the depth of your enclosure.

Roman Showers have minimalistic designs of Hinged Doors with Two Inline Panels.

What is an Inline Hinged Shower Door?

An Inline Hinged Shower Door arguably becomes a centrepiece once installed. On either side of the door, an Inline Panel can be purchased and installed. They connect to the side of the Hinged doors at 180°. A maximum of two can be bought, significantly increasing the size and showering area of your visually appealing shower enclosure, allowing for larger rectangular shower trays.

Roman Showers offer elegant Hinged Inline Shower Doors through the Roman Liberty Collection.

What shower trays can I have for a Hinged Shower Door?

A square or rectangular designed shower tray works best with a matching Hinged Shower Door. If both sides are vertical and identical, a Squared tray will be needed.

However, some Hinged Shower Doors have a Quadrant design. This is where the door has a curved style for a corner fitment. If both sides of the Hinged Shower Door differ, an Offset Quadrant Shower Tray design will be required for the enclosure to work.

Many Aquadart Hinged Inline Doors have a drop-down available for a matching shower tray.

What are the positives and negatives of a Hinged Shower Door?

Owning a Hinged Shower Door has its upsides and downsides:

Pros

Hinged doors are easy to maintain. Unlike Sliding Shower Doors, they do not have any rails or tracks to clean constantly.

Semi-frameless and frameless designs create a sleek and minimalistic bathroom design, often complementing the surrounding luxurious bathroom décor.

Hinged Shower Doors often have a large opening, which creates a more expansive walk-in space in the enclosure.

Cons

Due to the opening, Hinged Shower Doors are generally not found in a smaller bathroom setting, potentially causing issues further down the line if purchased.

When the door opens after showering, small amounts of water may spill onto the shower mat or floor, potentially causing unnecessary cleaning and maintenance.

Why buy a Hinged Shower Door from ShowerstoYou?

At ShowerstoYou, we have provided exceptional bathroom and shower products for 38 years. We have a vast range of designer hinged shower doors, and we guarantee you will find the perfect shower for your home.

All Hinged Shower Doors include a generous manufacturer's warranty for complete peace of mind. We are ready to discuss any issues regarding any queries.