Is a steel bath worth the money?

I am looking at getting an inset bath - initial thoughts were a good quality acrylic one but most salespeople seem to push the steel one and downtalked the acrylic ones. Are they really that much better and are they worth the extra cost?

No, just make sure you don't scratch the acrylic one (but you can polish it). Steel is cold Brrrrr....
Ed

Acrylic is definitely easier to maintain in regards to scratches and even chips. Steel ones are harder to repair and yes, are cold.

We always had steel baths and for some reason, I thought they were superior (cold bottoms notwithstanding ). But during our renovations my husband managed to drop a hammer and chip the enamel right on the top edge of the bath. Our kids somehow managed to put fine scratches in the base over the course of 20 years too.

The acrylic bath we have now is lovely and warm to sit in and so far, no scratches. I think you can get some magic stuff to polish minor ones out if they do happen anyway.

I know of no reason why a steel bath would be better.

In fact, for baths the superior heat conductivity of metal should mean that the bath water cools down faster than the acrylic, right?

From a cleaning perspective, the steel bath wins hands down. The acrylic bath will take some bumps and dents much better than the steel. If you are going to buy a acrylic bath, ensure you buy a reputable brand.