Shower Enclosure Doors

Shower Doors vs Shower Enclosures — What's the Difference?

A shower enclosure is a complete unit — door and side panels combined to form a contained shower space. A shower door panel is the door component alone. Shower doors are fitted in alcoves (between two walls, where the walls provide the side structure) or paired with one or two side panels in corner or walk-in configurations. Bathroom Republic stocks 174 shower enclosure doors and panels in chrome and matte black, across five door types: sliding, pivot, bi-fold, wet room screen, and frameless.

The Five Door Types

• Sliding shower doors — panels travel along a horizontal track; no clearance needed inside or outside the shower
• Pivot shower doors ✅ — single panel swings outward on a fixed hinge; requires clear floor space in front of the opening
• Bi-fold shower doors ✅ — two panels fold inward in a Z-shape; no external clearance needed, small inward projection when open
• Wet room screens — fixed glass panels with no door mechanism; for open walk-in and wet room layouts
• Frameless shower doors — no perimeter frame; 8mm or 10mm toughened glass secured by minimal fittings

What to Check Before You Buy

The main decisions are door mechanism (how it opens), installation type (alcove or corner), and panel width. Shower doors are sized by the door panel width — measure the opening you need to fill rather than the surrounding frame. Pair with a shower tray if the floor is not already tiled to a fall, or a side panel for corner and walk-in configurations.