Woman sparks debate after buying an inflatable bathtub for her apartment

A common drawback that comes with living in a rented apartment is not having the ability to change some of the aspects that may not be ideal.

Kaleigh Barrett took to TikTok to share one addition to her apartment that she loves, which is an inflatable bathtub. “My favourite purchase ever,” she captioned her video, where she showed off the tub that was sitting on top of her shower.

The clip showed Barrett’s entire bath setup, complete with a tray, candle, and book for the ultimate self-care experience.

“This is for the girlies who love baths but their apartment only has a shower,” Barrett wrote over the clip.

After posting, her video went on to receive over five million views. Opinions were divided, with many people questioning how badly she actually needed a bathtub to go through the process of purchasing and installing one.

“Idk if I’d even need a bath THAT badly,” one comment read.

Another commenter agreed, writing, “Genius, but also the thought of cleaning that gives me anxiety.”

Although some commenters thought the bathtub idea was great and looked very comfortable.

“But like… that looks way more comfy than a regular tub,” one commenter pointed out.

“I have a tub and still want this because it’s so soft and cosy looking,” another person agreed in the comments.

“This is perfect because it’ll keep the water warm longer,” a third commenter wrote.

Others questioned how the water gets drained and whether or not mould can easily grow inside. In another video, Barrett answered all of the questions that came up the most, demonstrating how to place the attached hose directly into the shower drain for easy drainage.

She also revealed that the tub is extremely easy to clean and that she’s never had any issues with mould because she uses it regularly.

In an interview with People, Barrett explained that she decided to purchase the tub to help her relax in between her 12-hour shifts as a NICU nurse. “I was ecstatic when I received the bathtub in the mail and couldn’t wait to inflate it,” she told the outlet.

“Following the step-by-step instructions, I had the bathtub assembled in just 10 minutes. That night, I took a bath in my bathroom that only had a shower.”

Despite how much she loves the tub, it doesn’t come without its drawbacks as Barrett explained that while she thinks it’s great for self-care, she wishes the cupholder were slightly larger and that the bathtub had more built-in compartments.

“I know something like this isn’t for everyone,” she said, acknowledging that there were “varying opinions” on the tub.

“However, I recognise that people take baths for a variety of reasons, including stress relief and medical problems such as arthritis. I created this video as a means to help those who may be in a similar position as me.”

Barrett added that the tub can be “easily deflated and stored” whenever she has guests over, although previous guests have commented on how “genius” they think it is. They even end up telling her they “want one for their place," she shared.