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 - expands 29.5 to 43 inches, holds a book, tablet, wine glass and candle, and costs $50. Umbra's Aquala is the design-led runner-up at $60 with silicone-grip arms. Bambusi's $30 tray is the budget it-depends. Skip the Umbra Droplet - it is a countertop soap dish, not a bath caddy.
Royal Craft Wood Bathtub Caddy Tray
Buy itThe expandable bamboo caddy with a slot for everything - expands to 43 inches - $50.
- The widest fit here: expands from 29.5 to 43 inches, so it spans even extra-wide and clawfoot tubs - most rivals stop at 37.
- A holder for every item: book/tablet stand, wine glass notch, cup and candle holders, plus two detachable side trays for soap and razors.
- 100% bamboo with a lacquered water-resistant finish, 5.6 pounds of tray that stays put when loaded.
- Nearly a foot deep (9.1 inches) - on a narrow tub edge it can overhang into the water side.
- Bamboo needs to dry between uses; leave it wet in a steamy bathroom and the lacquer ages faster.
Umbra Aquala Bathtub Caddy & Tray
Buy itThe designer original - bamboo with silicone-grip extending arms, slots for book, phone and stemware - $60.
- The original designer caddy - Umbra's Aquala is the tray the copycats copy, with proper stainless-and-silicone extending arms.
- Silicone-lined arms grip the tub edge instead of scratching or sliding - the detail cheap trays skip.
- Slots sized for book, tablet, phone and stemware, plus a razor notch, in a slim 1.25-inch profile.
- Extends to 37 inches - enough for standard tubs - and tucks away to 28.
- 37-inch maximum is narrower than the Royal Craft Wood - extra-wide tubs are out.
- $60 buys design and finish; the capacity is the smallest here.
Side by side
| Royal Craft Wood Bathtub Caddy Tray | 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 |
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the Royal Craft Wood Bathtub Caddy Tray - The expandable bamboo caddy with a slot for everything - expands to 43 inches - $50. 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).