Reinforcement – To cut costs many factories use a composite material, combining ABS on the inside with acrylic PMMA sheets on the outside.
Check its Color – An easy test to tell a good quality acrylic from a bad one is by its color and flame-retardation. Cheap materials mixed in the acrylic can cause the color to have too bright a white finish and catch fire more easily. In addition, this low quality, high brightness acrylic is likely to clash in your bathroom.
Price – Some factories use acrylic that costs just $870 per tonne, some others use acrylic at $1,090-$1,160 per tonne. In fact, the acrylic Maya Bath uses costs $1,815 per tonne. This higher quality acrylic will last longer and also fade less over time.
Fiberglass and Reinforcement – Be careful of cheap fiberglass that uses a high degree of resin. This discolors easily devaluing and weakening the steam enclosure. All of our bases and most panels are acrylic with 3-4 layers of fiberglass to reinforce the more vulnerable areas (e.g., base, under seat, bathtub). To cut costs a manufacturer may use just 1 or 2 layers of fiberglass reinforcement.