British bath manufacturer Cabuchon Bathforms has launched its sixth-generation deep soaking tub, the Takara. Like the other baths in its deep soaking range, it is inspired by the traditional Japanese ofuro but it includes a host of refinements designed to enhance comfort and to better suit Western bathing habits. It will also accommodate modern technologies such as spa hydrotherapy.

In 1991, Cabuchon launched the world’s first modern deep soaking tub – the Imersa. Since then, the company has refined and developed the concept with the introduction of five successive designs, including a two-person model. The Takara is therefore based on more than 25 years of design experience and customer feedback.

The new bath retains many design features that previous customers have valued. In particular, it has an in-built seat with armrests. This holds the bather in a comfortable, well supported, semi-reclined sitting position that puts no strain on the neck and shoulders.

The distinctive feature of the Takara is the addition of grab bars above the armrests. Like all of Cabuchon’s deep soaking tubs, the Takara is easy to enter and exit, but the incorporation of these ergonomically placed bars adds an additional sense of security for those who want it.

The bath has a compact design, with external dimensions of 1372mm by 860mm. This makes it well suited for use in smaller bathrooms, but there is another important reason for its limited size. Placing the side walls closer to the bather’s body makes the bath particularly well suited to the incorporation of a hydrotherapy system. This is because jets set close to muscles and other soft tissue are more effective at delivering heat and a therapeutic massaging action.

The bath is available with the option of a bespoke hydrotherapy system; Cabuchon will tailor the placement of jets according to the needs of the individual user. The Takara is also available with options including an inline water heater, chromotherapy lights and Bluetooth speakers.

Soaking tubs are increasingly being chosen for smaller bathrooms, including en-suites. The Takara has therefore been designed with a flat footwell that makes it suitable for use with an overhead or wall-mounted shower. On request, it can also be supplied with a bath/shower screen.

The Takara can be built into a raised deck or a surround, or set into the floor. It can also be installed free-standing, in which case, Cabuchon can produce bespoke panels on request.

Like all Cabuchon baths, the Takara is hand-built by a team of British craftsmen. It carries a 25 year guarantee and it is manufactured using the company’s own Ficore® composite. The material is exceptionally strong and scratch-resistant, and it can be manufactured in literally any colour. Cabuchon will match any current (and many past) sanitaryware colours in its standard pricing. For a fee, it can also match the base colour of any tile, paint, stone or textile.

The use of Ficore affords additional benefits: it is more rigid than any non-metal or non-stone bath and it possesses superior heat insulation and energy-saving properties. In independent tests, it has been shown to keep water hot more than six times longer than acrylic and more than twelve times longer than vitreous enamelled metal.

More information about the Takara, including specification sheets, can be found on the company’s website – www.cabuchon.com – or by calling 01524 66022.