The most popular bathroom sink shape is by far the Oval Sink. It’s the ideal size as it’s wider than round & square sinks but it allows more counterspace than rectangular sinks. Due to its popularity, it’s also the most affordable type of shape.
The Oval Sink: Why It’s So Popular
The bathroom sink in most bathrooms is an afterthought. The countertop and/or hardware are typically the stars of the show. The sink, on the other hands, needs to do the job without getting in the way. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the most basic of all sink shape size is also the most popular.
The oval sink is also the most practical sink shapes amongst undermount sinks. The oval shape allows the sink to be wide without having to take as much space on your counter as the rectangular sinks. In addition, the vast majority of oval bowls swoops down which allows for better drainage than the flat bottom sinks.
Due to its practicality & popularity, most companies offer a basic medium sized oval sink and they tend to be identical no matter who the manufacturer is. This lack of differentiation has driven the price way down. So much so that the smaller oval sinks tend to be more expensive.
Here is a list of the most popular oval sinks in the market
- Kohler Caxton: The Kohler Caxton comes in 3 different sizes, Small (15×12), Medium (17×14), & Large (19×16). The medium size is by far the most popular of the three.
- American Standard Ovalyn: The Ovalyn is American Standard’s version of the generic oval sink. However it only comes in the Medium & Large size.
- TOTO LT569 & 579: Toto’s generic oval sinks come also only comes in Medium & Large only.
The oval shape is also the most popular among drop in sinks. The same can’t be said for vessel & semi vessel sinks. These tend to be specialty items, and the popularity of the shapes depends on what’s on trend at the moment.
Rectangular Sinks: Second by Default
Rectangular sinks have to be the second most popular shape by default. The offer the homeowner a wider sink for their space. As a result, they are much more popular with larger vanity sizes where countertop space is abundant. They’re also more popular with higher end bathroom, as it breaks from the commoditized look of the oval sinks.
To understand why their size matter, we would need to give you a quick primer on vanity sizes.
The front to back dimensions of a standard vanity is 21″. One also needs to account for an extra 3″ for the faucet area, 2″ for the lip of the vanity, and another 2″ for the lip of the undermount sink itself. This only leaves 14″ of interior working space for the largest of undermount sinks.
Because round & square sinks have the same dimensions on all sizes, the largest available round & square undermount sinks can only reach 14″. While this is fine for small vanities, these sinks would look quite tiny in standard size guest or master bathroom.
Though rectangular come in second overall in terms of popularity, that’s mainly due to the fact that undermount sinks are more popular. The rectangular shape is the most popular for most of other types: Pedestal, Drop-in, wall hung & vessel sinks. In other words, when a countertop is not present, rectangular is the go to shape.
Round Sinks: Most Common in Powder Baths
The round sink takes third place as it is the go to shape for specialty materials. You will most likely find a round sink in a Powder Bathroom since this is where stone & copper style sinks are mostly installed. Though, you will find some round vitreous china sinks, they are not as popular as rectangular sinks in that category.
In addition to the true round sinks, there is the popular 19″ round drop in sink. This sink falls only falls in this “round category because of the round shape of the whole sink including the lip. The actual bowl portion of the sink is oval. This type of sink is only popular because of its low price. It’s an entry level sink that is usually found in affordable apartments.
A rarely used but unique advantage of a round undermount sink is the ability to install a faucet on either side as opposed to directly behind the sink. This is great for a small vanity with shorter depth (front to back dimensions).
Popular round sink manufacturers include:
- Thompson Traders: Thompson Traders is a specialty sink manufacturer specializing in antique style copper & metal sinks. By our count, they carry about 6 different families of rounds sinks in a variety of finishes. Most of these sinks tend to be the vessel type but there are couple of undermount & drop-in sinks as well.
- Native Trails: Native Trails the creme de la cream when it comes to antique style copper and nickel sinks. As a result, their pricing might be out of reach for the average homeowner. a
- Stone Forest: As the name implies Stone Forest is a manufacturer specializing in sinks made of stone material. They carry mostly vessel style & self rimming sinks. In addition, they have quite a variety of pedestal style sinks where the pedestal component is either made out of stone or metal.
Square Sinks
Square sinks are usually used in the same setting as round sinks. Since square is a shape typically considered for modern spaces, they’re just not as popular as round shapes when it comes to looking for that eccentric look of a powder bathroom.
Though you will find some in those settings, it is usually the material that stands out. Thompson Traders & Native Trails are two companies offering a number of stone & copper style square sinks.
Corner Sinks
Corner Sinks are a niche product. They are a type of sink made up of a 3 sides like a triangle with one rounded side. They are are meant to be installed in the corner of tiny bathrooms where the inclusion of a standard pedestal or standalone sink would simply take too much space.
Corner sinks are reserved for pedestal & wall hung types. There are no undermount or self rimming corner sinks as there is no need for it. A standard oval sink would fit just fine in a corner vanity.