Many people get stuck choosing between a laundry cabinet and a laundry tub, especially when product pages throw both terms around. A laundry cabinet is the storage and furniture side of the laundry: cupboards, drawers and benchtop that can also hold a sink or trough. A laundry tub is the deep, hard‑working bowl you use for soaking clothes, rinsing muddy items and filling buckets. One is about storage and layout, the other is about heavy washing jobs.

To make the choice easier, it helps to look at what each one actually is, how it’s used in a real laundry, and where a laundry cabinet or a laundry tub makes the most sense.

What is a laundry cabinet?

A laundry cabinet is a piece of storage furniture designed for the laundry. It usually has doors or drawers, internal shelving, and a benchtop, and often supports a laundry sink or trough. A run of laundry cabinets can sit under a benchtop, above appliances, or as a tall storage unit beside the washer and dryer.  

Good laundry cabinets are built from moisture‑resistant materials so they cope with steam and splashes, and they often include soft‑close hinges, quality runners, and space planned around standard appliances. The overall effect is more like built-in furniture than a loose utility unit, which is why they are common in premium laundry fitouts from retailers like Austpek Bathrooms.

What is a laundry tub?

A laundry tub is a deep sink or trough used for soaking, scrubbing and other wet, messy jobs. It gives you space to hand‑wash clothes, rinse stained items, fill buckets, wash mops and clean dirty shoes or gear.  

The term “laundry tub” can mean just the bowl, such as a stainless steel or composite trough dropped into a benchtop. It can also mean a complete tub and cabinet unit, which is the classic freestanding laundry tub on a simple cupboard or metal stand. The focus is on capacity and depth rather than storage or appearance.

How Laundry Cabinet And Laundry Tub Are Built?

A laundry cabinet is storage furniture. It has a carcass, doors or drawers, shelves and often a benchtop. A sink or tub can be fitted into or onto that benchtop. A laundry tub is the deep sink itself. When it comes with a cabinet, that cabinet is usually basic and only there to support the tub and hide the plumbing, not to provide full storage.

How Laundry Cabinet And Laundry Tub are Used?

Laundry cabinets are mainly about organising and hiding things. They store detergents, cleaning products, baskets, pet supplies and small appliances. With a benchtop, they also create a folding or ironing zone and hide pipes and taps so the laundry looks finished.  

Laundry tubs are about wet work. They are used for soaking and hand‑washing clothes, rinsing muddy items, filling and emptying buckets, and cleaning mops and brushes. You can think of the cabinet as the “cupboard” part of the room and the tub as the “sink” that takes the heavy splashes.

How Does the Laundry Cabinet and Laundry Tub Look?

Laundry cabinets look integrated. They can be custom or modular but are designed to match other joinery in the home so the laundry feels like a real room rather than a utility corner. Door profiles, handles and colours can echo the kitchen or bathroom.

Laundry tubs, especially standalone units, have a more utility feel. A simple stainless tub on a white steel or PVC cabinet works well in basic laundries, garages or rental upgrades, but does not usually give the same built‑in, furniture‑like appearance as a full cabinet run.

When to choose a laundry cabinet?

A laundry cabinet setup is usually the best choice if you are planning a proper renovation or new build. It suits homes that want a built-in look and enough storage to keep the room tidy. If your laundry is visible from the kitchen or entry, cabinets help it match the rest of the joinery instead of standing out as a rough work zone.  

Cabinets also let you run a benchtop above your appliances, which gives you valuable folding space. Planning for a deeper benchtop around 700 mm, instead of the standard 600 mm, often lets front‑load washers and dryers sit fully under the top with space for hoses at the back. Premium laundry cabinet ranges, such as those offered by Austpek Bathrooms, include overhead and base cabinets, tall broom and vacuum cabinets and base units designed to hold an inset or undermount laundry sink.

Recommended laundry cabinets from Austpek Bathrooms

If you decide a cabinet‑based setup is the right move, these options from Austpek Bathrooms are a good place to start:

Luxury laundry vanities with integrated tubs  

All‑in‑one units that combine a deep laundry tub with generous cupboard space, giving you soaking capacity and storage in a single, premium cabinet run.

Laundry tub and cabinet units  

Compact combinations where the tub sits on a matching cabinet, ideal as a main or secondary laundry station and easy to drop into an existing space.

Premium and high‑end laundry cabinets  

Separate floor and wall cabinets that can be paired with your choice of drop‑in or undermount laundry sink, so you can build a full run with tall storage, benchtop, and an integrated tub.

When a laundry tub unit makes sense

A simple laundry tub unit can still be the right answer in some situations. If you need a quick, compact solution and do not want to install full cabinetry, a tub and cabinet combo is easy to drop into place. It is also a practical choice for secondary laundries, garages and utility spaces where the main job is soaking, washing work gear or filling buckets rather than storing lots of items.  

A tub unit also suits like‑for‑like replacements. If you are updating an old freestanding tub and cabinet with something similar, a new tub set can refresh the space without the cost and planning of a full cabinet run.

Using a Laundry Tub with a Laundry Cabinet

You do not have to choose between storage and a deep bowl. A very common modern setup is to use laundry cabinets along the wall, with a benchtop and an inset or undermount laundry tub set into that top. This gives you a proper deep bowl for soaking and messy tasks, full cabinet storage and a continuous folding surface.  

Visually, this looks much cleaner than a standalone tub unit because the benchtop runs over the cabinets and the sink edge is flush or only slightly raised. Many laundry cabinet ranges at Austpek Bathrooms are designed so you can pair them with a variety of laundry sinks and tubs, rather than locking you into a single fixed combination.

Laundry Tubs That Work Well With Cabinets

Once you have your laundry cabinets and benchtop planned, the next step is choosing a tub that fits neatly into that setup.

Laundry Tub and Cabinet units 

These all‑in‑one units pair a deep laundry tub with a matching cabinet, so you get soaking space and enclosed storage in a compact footprint that can sit at one end of a cabinet run or on its own in a smaller laundry.

Luxury Laundry Vanities with integrated tubs  

Ideal when you want a more premium, built‑in look, these vanities combine a generous tub with drawers or cupboards underneath, giving you both a hard‑working bowl and practical storage in one coordinated piece.

Premium and High‑end Laundry Cabinets with compatible tubs  

These cabinet ranges are designed to work with a variety of drop‑in or undermount laundry tubs, so you can choose the bowl size and depth you need while keeping a continuous benchtop and a consistent cabinet style through the room.

Which is better for most homes?

For most modern homes, a laundry cabinet setup with an integrated laundry sink or tub is a better option than a standalone laundry tub by itself. Cabinets give you more storage, better use of wall and floor space and a proper benchtop, which makes it much easier to keep the room organised. The more built‑in look also tends to appeal more to buyers when it is time to sell.  

That does not mean a simple laundry tub unit has no place. It still works well for budget makeovers, rental properties, garages and secondary laundries where function and cost matter more than appearance. But if you are already investing in a new laundry, building the space around a run of laundry cabinets with an integrated tub or sink will usually serve you better in everyday use and in how the room feels.

Upgrade your laundry today. Explore Austpek Bathrooms premium cabinet ranges and deep laundry tubs, and contact us for exclusive package deals and a custom quote at pricing you won’t find anywhere else.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are a laundry cabinet and a laundry tub the same thing?  

• No. A laundry cabinet is storage furniture, while a laundry tub is the deep sink or trough used for soaking and washing. You can combine them, but they are not the same item.  

Can I put a laundry tub inside a laundry cabinet?  

• Yes. Many people choose a cabinet run with a benchtop and then drop a laundry tub or trough into that top so they get both storage and a deep bowl.  

Do I need a laundry tub if I already have a laundry sink?  

• If your existing laundry sink is deep and large enough for soaking, you may not need a separate tub. If it is shallow or mainly decorative, adding a proper laundry tub can still be helpful.  

Is a laundry tub deeper than a normal sink?  

• Most laundry tubs are deeper and larger than standard kitchen or bathroom sinks. That extra depth makes it easier to soak clothes and handle messy jobs without too much splashing.  

Can I replace my old laundry tub with a run of laundry cabinets?  

• Yes. Many renovations remove a freestanding tub unit and replace it with base cabinets, a benchtop and a new laundry sink or trough. This often improves storage, gives you folding space and makes the laundry look more finished.