Acrylic
Acrylic tubs are light, 50 to 100 pounds, and run 1,500 to 10,000 dollars.[1]
Durability is good and the surface resists cracking, though it can scratch. It is also non-porous and easy to clean, which is why it shows up so often in mid-range replacements.[1]
Fiberglass
Fiberglass is the lightest option, 40 to 80 pounds, and runs 1,500 to 15,000 dollars depending on the model.[1]
Durability is only fair: fiberglass is more prone to fading and chipping than acrylic, and it can stain over time even though it is easy to wipe down day to day.[1]
Cast iron
Cast iron is heavy, 200 to 500 pounds, and runs 1,500 to 13,000 dollars.[1]
It is also the most durable of the four, highly resistant to damage, and its enamel resists stains well enough that a cast iron tub can outlast the bathroom around it.[1]
Enameled steel
Enameled steel tubs weigh about 150 to 200 pounds, lighter than cast iron but heavier than acrylic or fiberglass, and price close to what a cast iron tub costs.[2]
Steel resists corrosion and abrasion well, but its enamel coat runs thinner than cast iron's, so it scratches and chips more easily over time.[2]
Weight is not just a spec sheet number
A 500-pound cast iron tub is not something two people carry up a flight of stairs, and it is also a real load on an old floor structure, which is worth mentioning to whoever is doing the install.[1]
An acrylic or fiberglass tub under 100 pounds is a different kind of job entirely, one a single installer can maneuver without extra hands or a plan for reinforcing anything underneath it.[1]
Our licensing guides cover which trade is actually allowed to do the plumbing connections once the material decision is made.
Cost is not a straight line from acrylic to cast iron
The published ranges overlap more than the weight numbers suggest: acrylic tops out around 10,000 dollars and cast iron's own range starts at 1,500 dollars, the same floor as the other three materials.[1]
A premium acrylic soaking tub can cost more than a basic cast iron one, so material alone is not a reliable shortcut for guessing price.[1]
Shape, brand and finish quality move the price inside each material's range just as much as the material choice itself does.[1]
Matching material to how the bathroom gets used
A rental unit or a guest bathroom rarely needs cast iron's decades-long durability, where fiberglass or acrylic covers the job at a fraction of the weight and cost.[1]
A primary bathroom a family uses daily for years is the more common place cast iron's higher upfront cost pays off over time.[1]
Enameled steel sits in between: a reasonable step up from fiberglass for a household that wants more durability without cast iron's weight or price ceiling.[2]