Home & Kitchen · Head-to-head
Royal Craft Wood Bathtub Caddy Tray vs Umbra Aquala Bathtub Caddy & Tray
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Bath Trays: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
Royal Craft Wood's bamboo caddy is the pick: it expands from 29.5 to 43 inches, holds a book, tablet, phone, wine glass, cup and candle, and sits in the mid-range tier. Umbra's Aquala is the design-led runner-up with silicone-lined arms. Bambusi's tray is the budget it-depends. Skip the Umbra Droplet as a bath tray: it is a countertop amenity tray, not a bath caddy.
Royal Craft Wood Bathtub Caddy Tray
Buy itThe expandable bamboo caddy with a slot for everything, extending to 43 inches.
- Expands from 29.5 to 43 inches, so it spans standard, extra-wide and clawfoot tubs; only the Bambusi comes close.
- A holder for every item: a removable book and tablet holder, a phone compartment, a wine glass holder, a cup holder and a candle holder, plus two detachable side trays and a bundled soap dish.
- Lacquered bamboo with a water-resistant coating and non-slip silicone pads on the arms; Royal Craft Wood lists the weight at 5.58 pounds, so it stays put when loaded.
- Deep at 9.1 inches, so on a narrow tub edge it can overhang into the water side.
- Bamboo needs to dry between uses; left wet in a steamy bathroom, any lacquered finish ages faster.
Umbra Aquala Bathtub Caddy & Tray
Buy itThe designer original: bamboo with silicone-lined extending arms and slots for book, phone and stemware.
- Umbra's original design, with extending arms that each carry a thin layer of silicone to stop the caddy sliding on the tub edge, the detail cheap trays skip.
- A phone slot, a wine glass holder, a double hook for a loofah and a middle support bar for a book, magazine or tablet, in a slim 1.25 inch profile.
- Extends to 37 inches, enough for standard tubs, and closes to just over 28; backed by a 1-year warranty.
- The 37 inch maximum is 6 inches short of the Royal Craft Wood and Bambusi, so extra-wide tubs are out.
- The same mid-range tier as the Royal Craft Wood buys design and finish; the holder count is lower and there are no side trays.
Side by side
The 4 criteria below are the ones our full comparison judged every product on, narrowed to these two.
| Royal Craft Wood Bathtub Caddy Tray Our pick | Umbra Aquala Bathtub Caddy & Tray | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | The full-spa gift: for the reader, the soaker, the person whose bath is an event. | The design-conscious gift: the tray for a clean, modern bathroom where looks matter. |
| Price tier | $$ · mid-range | $$ · mid-range |
| Span | 29.5 to 43 inches | 28 to 37 inches |
| Holders | Book/tablet, phone, wine, cup, candle + 2 side trays | Book/tablet bar, phone, wine glass, loofah hook |
| Grip | Silicone non-slip pads | Silicone-lined extending arms |
| Material | Lacquered bamboo, 5.58 lb | Bamboo, eco-friendlier finish |
Which one is right for you?
Pick the Royal Craft Wood Bathtub Caddy Tray if
the full-spa gift: for the reader, the soaker, the person whose bath is an event.
Know before buying: deep at 9.1 inches, so on a narrow tub edge it can overhang into the water side.
Pick the Umbra Aquala Bathtub Caddy & Tray if
the design-conscious gift: the tray for a clean, modern bathroom where looks matter.
Know before buying: the 37 inch maximum is 6 inches short of the Royal Craft Wood and Bambusi, so extra-wide tubs are out.
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the Royal Craft Wood Bathtub Caddy Tray - The expandable bamboo caddy with a slot for everything, extending to 43 inches. Choose the Umbra Aquala Bathtub Caddy & Tray instead if the design-conscious gift: the tray for a clean, modern bathroom where looks matter.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Bath Trays: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).