Specs are compiled from manufacturer listings and verified buyer reviews and can change over time — please confirm the key details on the product page before buying.
If your tub won’t hold water, drips all night, or that stopper spins uselessly in the drain, the fix is usually one small brass kit — not a plumber. A new drain stopper and overflow faceplate swap out in minutes with basic tools, and the right thread size is the one thing that decides whether it screws straight in. This guide covers the sizes that matter, the finishes that actually match your faucet, and the real trade-offs behind each pick so you can order once and get it right.
I’m Mohammad Maruf — the founder and writer behind KitchPrep. This guide is built by comparing the manufacturers’ published specifications and the patterns across verified customer reviews, so you get each pick’s real strengths and trade-offs instead of marketing spin.
Some kits drop in five minutes, others demand a drain wrench and putty; here is how to tell which one your tub needs, with picks for every thread, finish, and overflow style. Whether you are swapping a worn-out stopper or fitting a fresh tub, this breakdown of bathtub drain parts covers the sizes and seals that actually fit.
Our Picks at a Glance
How To Choose The Best Bathtub Drain Parts
Most drain-shopping headaches trace back to one number: the thread size on the drain shoe. Get that right and almost everything else is cosmetic. Get it wrong and the kit sits in the box while your tub still drips.
Match the thread before anything else
A 1-3/8-inch fine thread screws into the smaller drain shoe on many older and standard tubs. A 1-1/2-inch coarse thread fits the wider opening. Many kits ship with a brass adapter bushing so the same stopper covers both — look for wording like “fits 1-3/8 in. and 1-1/2 in. NPSM.”
Pick the stopper style you can live with
Lift-and-turn stoppers rise and twist to seal; they are simple and cheap but can loosen over time. Tip-toe and push-n-lock types press down to close, so a toe tap does the work with no bending. Chain-and-plug setups suit vintage clawfoot tubs where nothing else fits.
Count your overflow holes
Look at the plate on the tub wall above the drain. Two screw holes need a two-hole faceplate; a single hole needs a one-hole plate. Mixing them up leaves you drilling or returning, so check before ordering.
Decide on metal versus plastic internals
Brass and stainless trim resists corrosion in a wet environment. Plastic waste tubes are lighter and cheaper, and they work fine for standard tubs — but on thick cast-iron tubs the thin overflow gaskets can drop out during fitting. Match the material to how often you plan to touch it.
Quick Comparison
Both length columns measure the drain body’s overall fit range. All picks below are 1-3/8-inch to 1-1/2-inch thread compatible unless the plate differs.
| Model | Best For | Drain Size Fit | Overflow Plate | Stopper Type | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WELLUP Brushed Nickel Conversion Kit★ Best Overall | All-round replacement | 1-3/8 in. or 1-1/2 in. NPSM | Two-hole | Lift and turn | Amazon |
| Westbrass Y593244CP AssemblyMost Complete | Full waste and overflow rebuild | 14″ length, 1-1/2″ O.D. | Two-hole | Tip-toe | Amazon |
| HeiLuon Tip-Toe Drain KitBest for Seniors | Senior and kid-friendly stopper | 1-5/8″ fine thread / 1-7/8″ coarse thread | Two-hole | Tip-toe | Amazon |
| Artiwell Lift & Turn Conversion Kit | Quick 5-minute swap | 1-3/8 in. or 1-1/2 in. brass bushing | Two-hole | Lift and turn | Amazon |
| PRIMSOPH Tip-Toe Trim Kit | Brushed gold finish match | 1-3/8 in. or 1-1/2 in. | One-hole | Tip-toe | Amazon |
| HIDROP Chrome Lift and Turn | Budget chrome refresh | 1-3/8 in. or 1-1/2 in. NPSM | Two-hole | Lift and turn | Amazon |
| DANCO Touch-Toe Drain Kit | Standard tubs up to 15″ deep | 12.63″ length | Two-hole | Touch-toe | Amazon |
| Citymoor Two-Hole Overflow Kit | Hair-clog protection | 1-3/8 in. and 1-1/2 in. | Two-hole | Lift and turn | Amazon |
| Moen T90331 Chrome Drain Kit | Moen tubs and premium fit | 1-1/2-inch NPSM threads | Overflow cover included | Push-N-Lock | Amazon |
In‑Depth Reviews
1. WELLUP Brushed Nickel Bathtub Tub Drain Conversion Kit
Our pick — over 4.5★ from 850+ verified ratings; the strongest balance of quality and price.
The one kit that swallows badge-shopping stress — one part number replaces a dead or missing drain stopper in minutes.
Nothing about a drain kit should be dramatic, and this one isn’t — it just fits. The WELLUP arrives as a single box of a brushed-nickel lift-and-turn drain stopper, a 1-1/2-inch to 1-3/8-inch brass thread adapter bushing, a rubber washer, a two-hole overflow faceplate, and the two faceplate screws. Solid brass and stainless steel construction is what the spec sheet says, and it matches the heft in the hand.
Here’s what matters for the average buyer: the thread adapter removes the guessing game. Whether your tub’s drain shoe is 1-3/8-inch fine thread or 1-1/2-inch coarse, the kit covers both without a special order. The lift-and-turn operation is exactly what it sounds like — you lift the stopper by hand, twist it clockwise or counterclockwise to raise the plug, then reverse to seal the tub again. No bending, no chain to lose, no toe-stubbing on a stiff pop-up.
The one honest wrinkle: the twist-to-adjust post design can work itself loose over years of use. If you have kids who slam the stopper around, plan on re-seating the stopper’s side screw once in a while — a screwdriver and thirty seconds handles it. And if that’s a dealbreaker for a rental property or a tub that gets hard use, the pricier Moen T90331 below uses a firmer push-n-lock mechanism with no twisting parts at all.
What buyers keep coming back to
- Drop-in install: no soldering, no cutting, just unscrew the old stopper and thread the new one on
- Brushed nickel finish matches standard 2020s bathroom fixtures without a lot of hunting
- Rubber washer seals against the tub without plumber’s putty on the visible face
- Adapter bushing means the kit genuinely covers both common thread sizes
The trade-offs
- The stopper’s twist-post can loosen over time and needs occasional re-tightening
- Two-hole overflow plate only — one-hole tubs need the PRIMSOPH instead
- Brushed nickel won’t match an existing chrome trim without swapping both
Order this if: you want one box that fixes a stuck, leaky, or missing tub drain on a 1-3/8-inch or 1-1/2-inch opening and you don’t want to think about thread size twice.
Pick a different kit if: your overflow plate has one screw hole, or you want a push-down stopper with no twistable parts.
2. Westbrass Y593244CP White Tubular Tip-Toe Bath Waste and Overflow Assembly
Not a stopper swap — the whole under-tub plumbing package, tub-to-tee, in one box.
Most people shopping for a drain kit are trying to fix a leak, and this is the only pick here that goes after the pipework itself. The Westbrass Y593244CP is a full waste and overflow assembly: a foot-operated tip-toe stopper, a white polypropylene tubular body measuring 1-1/2-inch outer diameter and 14 inches long, a two-hole overflow faceplate with color-matched plated brass screws, and the drain shoe, two-hole elbow, and tee that finish the under-tub connection.
That tip-toe stopper is a genuinely nice touch for households with older bathers. Press down with a foot to seal, press again to drain — no bending, no reaching. At 14 inches, the assembly matches a typical tub floor drain path, so it swaps straight in for a worn push-up or chain assembly on most standard tubs. On a 15-year-old fiberglass tub, the closed drain top sat just under a half-inch above the shoe and held water cleanly.
The wrinkle is one inch of pipe. If you’re running this on an American Standard 60-inch tub or a Delta 400 configuration that calls for 14.5 inches of overflow pipe, the Westbrass won’t reach — you’ll need Westbrass’s own extension piece. That caveat aside, the all-PVC build replaces the leaking metal-to-PVC connection points on a 100-plus-year-old clawfoot tub or a Delta Styla 54-inch alcove.
Who it fits: Anyone replacing the entire drain path on a standard tub, especially if a push-up stopper has started leaking from the tee and not just the trim.
Straight swap candidate for: standard tubs with drain paths that fit the 14-inch length, where the tip-toe foot operation suits an older bather.
Measure first if: your tub is an American Standard standard 17-inch fiberglass or Delta 400 60-inch model — you’ll likely need an extension to bridge the gap.
3. HeiLuon Tip-Toe Bathtub Drain Kit with Two-Hole Overflow Plate
Toe toucher or bath-time parent pleaser — a press-down stopper you can work without bending.
The tip-toe mechanism carries the whole pitch here, and it earns it. Two thread od options live inside the kit: a 1-5/8-inch fine thread that fits tub elbows with a 1-3/8-inch opening, and a 1-7/8-inch coarse thread that fits 1-1/2-inch tub elbows. That’s real universal coverage, not a marketing line.
Outside those two thread sizes, this kit is a lightweight traveler. Tipping the bathroom scale at just under a pound, it installs in a few minutes with the included rubber gasket, a two-hole overflow faceplate, and two 1/4-inch-20 UNC screws. A gentle toe press opens or closes the drain — designed specifically for people who don’t want to bend to work a chain or a twist stopper.
The finish is brushed nickel, crafted from solid brass and stainless steel per the spec sheet. Quality and finish are what get noticed first by buyers, followed by the way the pop-up works day to day. The honest watch-point is water retention: several tubs with this kit needed the stopper reseated before they held a full bath without a slow drip. That’s usually a gasket seating issue rather than a defect, but budget for one or two adjustment tries.
The overlooked detail: The overflow faceplate is a two-hole style, so if your tub wall has a single screw, this isn’t the kit for you.
Reach for this if: you or the bather in your home prefers a stopper that works with a tap of the foot rather than a twist or lift.
Look elsewhere if: your tub uses a single-hole overflow faceplate, or you need the heavy-duty drain body length of a full waste-and-overflow assembly.
4. Artiwell Lift & Turn Bathtub Drain Conversion Kit, Brushed Nickel
Built with heft, priced like a grocery run — a lift-and-turn kit for a bathroom you want to look newer without a remodel.
The headline on this one is the brass adapter bushing. Leave the bushing threaded on for a 1-1/2-inch coarse drain shoe; unscrew it and the drain’s own 1-5/8-inch diameter fits a 1-3/8-inch fine thread shoe. That dual-thread coverage is why the Artiwell slides into place on everything from a 50-year-old cast iron tub to a Kohler Cursiva trim scheme without buying an extra adapter.
The rest of the kit is similarly no-surprises: rubber drain gasket, illustrated do-it-yourself instructions, and a solid-brass construction that gives the drain some heft in the hand. The brushed nickel finish draws 100% appearance-improvement reports from buyers using it as a cosmetic rescue — one swapped out a tired 1950s-era fixture in one sitting. Installation is timed at about five minutes once the old drain is out.
What you’re signing up for is long-term durability, not a decade-later guarantee. A few buyers report finish chipping and rust after time in service, so a hairline chip after a year or two is possible. Pick this for a good-looking three-to-five-year solution and you’ll be happy; pick it as a lifelong fixture and you may want to step up to the pricier Moen T90331.
Install reality check: Getting the old drain out is the hard part — plan on buying a drain wrench before you start, because the plumber’s putty that’s been holding it for decades won’t let go without one.
Pick this for: a fast, well-made cosmetic upgrade on a tub whose drain shoe is a common 1-3/8-inch or 1-1/2-inch thread.
Think twice if: your tub uses a single-screw overflow — the two-hole cover in this kit won’t sit flush against a one-hole wall opening.
5. PRIMSOPH Tip-Toe Tub Drain Trim Kit with One-Hole Overflow Faceplate
A single-hole plate and a soft brushed gold — the tub-drain answer for bathrooms full of champagne-age fixtures.
If your tub’s overflow cover has one screw hole instead of two, most kits on this list are disqualified. This one isn’t. The PRIMSOPH kit ships with a three-and-one-eighth-inch one-hole overflow faceplate, plus a brass coarse thread adapter, a rubber gasket, one faceplate screw, and a one-hole H-plate that anchors the cover cleanly.
The stopper itself is tip-toe, which means a gentle toe press seals or releases the drain. In the included spec that feature is expressly aimed at children and older bathers — anyone who’d rather not carry a chain or stoop over the tub. The finish is brushed gold, crafted from brass and stainless steel, and reviewers describe it as a sleek, high-end look that co-ordinates with other gold hardware.
The one finish caveat is directional: this gold matches brushed gold fixtures well, but owners mention it doesn’t look identical to a Delta Champagne Bronze setup. If exact brand-to-brand finish matching matters to you, buy a sample and compare to your faucet. The one design watch-point is that the tip-toe’s adjustment can loosen slightly over months, especially in a household with kids in and out of the tub — a quick tighten brings it back without a swap.
Where it wins
- Rare one-hole overflow faceplate — a direct fit for tubs other kits can’t cover
- Brass and stainless steel construction holds up in a wet bathroom
- Thread adapter makes it a straight swap on 1-3/8-inch or 1-1/2-inch tub elbows
- Tip-toe stopper unscrews for cleaning trapped hair from the drain body
Worth knowing
- The brushed gold isn’t a perfect colour match for Delta Champagne Bronze fixtures
- The tip-toe’s adjustment can loosen over months around frequent kids-in-tub use
Right pick if: your tub has a one-hole overflow cover, or your bathroom hardware leans brushed gold and you want the drain to fall in line.
Keep looking if: you need a two-hole plate, or you need the finish to colour-match a Champagne Bronze faucet exactly.
6. HIDROP Chrome Tub Drain Lift and Turn Assembly, 2-Hole Overflow Faceplate
The chrome workhorse — a thread adapter in the box and a lift-and-turn drum-in that modernizes an older tub fast.
Start with the classic standard spec: a 1-3/8-inch NPSM thread as the primary fit, and a 1-1/2-inch NPSM threaded adapter bushing in the box so you can also cover the wider drain shoe. Brass and stainless steel are the two listed materials. The lift-and-turn action is the same smooth-up-then-twist-to-hold that made this style the default for a generation of tubs.
What you’ll get in the box is a chrome tub drain, the brass bushing, a rubber washer, a two-hole overflow faceplate, and two 1/4-inch-20 UNC faceplate screws. The chrome finish has a mirror polish that lights up a duller older tub — reviewers describe opening and closing as smooth with no leaks, in an install that takes about 20 to 30 minutes once the old drain is off.
The trade-off to size honestly is durability. The chrome plating on the trim can wear or chip within months under heavier use, making durability this kit’s one weak signal. If a tub gets hard use from kids, expect the plating to age faster than a solid-brass or solid-metal finish would. For a guest bath or a primary bath used gently, it will hold up through the useful life of the drain itself.
The tool you’ll need: A tub drain removal wrench — the old drain is stuck on ancient putty, and no amount of muscle will force it off without one.
Suits you if: your tub has standard chrome fixtures and a two-screw overflow plate, and you want a smooth-opening lift-and-turn stopper without an elaborate installation.
Skip if: your tub’s overflow is a one-hole style, or you expect the chrome finish to look factory-new after a decade in a hard-use bathroom.
7. DANCO Touch-Toe Tub and Bath Drain Kit, Chrome, 1-Pack (51930)
The chain-free solution for standard tubs — a touch-toe stopper and full trim kit for the do-it-yourselfer on a tight budget.
The kit’s design brief is on the spec sheet: durable 1-1/2-inch plastic tubing designed to fit most standard-size tub depths up to 15 inches, with white polypropylene tubes and slip joint washers that seal for a leak-free fit and adjust to slight depth differences. The listed drain body is 12.63 inches end to end. It’s a complete waste-and-overflow kit, not just a trim trim ring.
The stopper is a touch-toe type — press with a foot to seal, press again to drain. There’s no chain to tangle, no plastic lever to snap, and one pleased buyer with a mid-depth tub that measures 11 inches to the drain reported that this fit well after trying a shorter kit that didn’t. Some owners on vintage cast iron tubs report the overflow gasket’s flaps are too narrow for thick tub walls — that’s a fit issue on the tub, not the product, and a bit of plumber’s putty bridges the gap.
Durability is the honest limit here. The plastic construction is the trade-off for a budget price — if you want a fixture to hold up to heavy use for years, a metal kit earns its keep better. But for a guest bath, a spare tub, or a rental unit that just needs to work, this covers the four bases: seals, drains, fits, and installs without special tools.
Note on fit: Confirm your tub depth before ordering — the drain body works with tubs up to 15 inches deep, and tubs with deeper drain paths may leave it short.
Nice fit for: a standard-depth tub in a spare bathroom or rental where the budget is the deciding factor and the tub is used lightly.
Consider the metal kits if: your tub sees daily use from a full household, or the overflow faceplate is a style this kit doesn’t match cleanly.
8. Citymoor Bathtub Drain Kit with Two-Hole Overflow Faceplate
A hair-catcher hidden inside the drain — built-in anti-clogging for long-haired bathers tired of snaking the pipe.
Here’s the one differentiator that makes this Citymoor kit worth a look: a hair filter structure that sits inside the drain body, added so loose hair can’t slide into the pipe and choke the trap. The kit is all-metal with a corrosion-resistant chrome-plated finish, dressed with a two-hole overflow faceplate, and it fits tub elbows at 1-3/8-inch and 1-1/2-inch openings.
The hidden hair-catcher does its job, but it asks something of you in return. Long-hair households will want to wipe the filter clear every week or so — let it go longer and the drain slows noticeably. Removing the stopper to clear the catcher is a matter of unscrewing the side screw and lifting the net with a pair of needle-nose pliers, or running a child’s soft toothbrush around the ring of gunk. Clean it on schedule and you really do get fast drainage without cutting the trap open later.
The kit comes with a brass thread adapter for tubs that need it, and reviewers widely describe the install as easy once the old drain has been extracted — usually needing a 1.5-inch tub drain extractor since older drains often have no cross bars for a wrench to grab. Instructions are thin, so if you’ve never swapped a tub drain before, skim a how-to video before you start.
Why buyers like it
- Built-in hair filter is a rarer feature — many tub drains skip it entirely
- All-metal build with a chrome-plated finish described as high quality
- Lift-and-turn stopper works with a twist of the plug, no toes required
- Fits both 1-3/8-inch and 1-1/2-inch tub drain shoes with the included adapter
The maintenance reality
- The hair filter needs weekly cleaning in long-hair households, or drainage slows
- Printed instructions are thin, and a 1.5-inch tub drain extractor is often needed to remove the old drain
Buy this if: long hair goes down your drain, you’re tired of monthly snaking, and you’ll actually clean the in-drain filter once a week.
Buy something simpler if: you’d rather not maintain a hair filter at all, or you want a gasket-heavy assembly with fuller sealing instructions in the box.
9. Moen T90331 Chrome Tub & Shower Drain Kit
OEM-correct for Moen tubs — a push-n-lock stopper closes against the drain body itself, not a twist adjuster.
The mechanism is the point. Moen’s Push-N-Lock closes when you push the stopper down and drains when you pull it up, sealing against the drain body itself. There’s no twist post to loosen, no chain to snag, no spring-loaded adjustment that drifts. For a tub that gets hard use from kids or from a big household, that mechanical simplicity is exactly the durability you want.
Fit-wise, the drain trim measures approximately 2-13/16 inches in diameter and 3-1/4 inches in overall height, and the decorative trim projects about a half-inch from the tub surface — a shallow profile that keeps a low profile on a busy tub deck. The connection standard is 1-1/2-inch NPSM threads. The trim is a 100% all-metal construction — a chromed finish with a polished modern look.
Two things to check before you order. First: on many 1-1/2-inch tub drain openings, this drain trim arrives wider than the site diagram suggests, so a few owners have needed to remove an adaptor ring inside the drain before it drops in. Second: this is a two-screw-overflow conversion kit, not a one-hole — to swap from a two-screw overflow setup, Moen ships a matching part number separately. Neither is a defect, just prep you can do before the box arrives.
Match before you order: The Moen T90331 fits 1-1/2-inch NPSM threaded drains and looks right on a Moen tub assembly — a mismatched drain shoe means an adaptor hunt.
Right for: a Moen tub with a 1-1/2-inch threaded drainage path and a two-hole overflow wall, where an OEM-correct part and a push-n-lock mechanism matter.
Not your kit if: your tub is 1-1/2-inch but came with a one-hole overflow plate without the separate Moen adapter, or you need a full waste-and-overflow assembly rather than a trim kit.
Understanding the Specs
Thread Size: 1-3/8-Inch Fine vs 1-1/2-Inch Coarse
The tub drain and overflow faceplate screw into your drain shoe — the female socket at the bottom of the tub. A 1-3/8-inch NPSM thread is fine-pitched and fits smaller, older, or standard tubs. A 1-1/2-inch NPSM thread is coarse-pitched and fits wider openings on many modern and mid-century tubs. Kits that ship a brass adapter bushing genuinely cover both sizes because the bushing threads between the drain and the shoe — that’s why a “fits 1-3/8 in. or 1-1/2 in.” line on the box is the single biggest fit indicator.
Drain Body Length and Tubs Up to a Specific Depth
A full waste-and-overflow assembly isn’t just a stopper — it runs from the drain at the tub floor up to the overflow plate at the back. The tube has to reach across that span. A kit listed at 14 inches or so covers most standard tubs. If your tub is a specific named model with a specified drain-path length that’s longer, you’ll need an extension piece. Always measure from the drain to the overflow port before you buy the assembly rather than the trim kit.
Overflow Faceplate: Two-Hole vs One-Hole
Look at the plate above your drain on the tub wall. Count the screws holding it. Two screws needs a two-hole faceplate; a single screw needs a one-hole faceplate. This is the second thing to confirm before you buy anything — a two-hole plate won’t cover a one-hole opening and leaves you with an unexplained slot in the wall of the tub.
Stopper Mechanism: Lift-and-Turn vs Tip-Toe vs Push-N-Lock
Lift-and-turn: pull the stopper up, twist it to hold open or seal. Simple and common; the post can loosen over time. Tip-toe: press down with a foot to seal or drain — no bending. Push-n-lock: press to close, pull to open, seals against the drain body. Grip strength and mobility, not price, should drive this choice.
FAQ
How do I know which thread size my tub drain needs?
Will these drain kits work on an old clawfoot tub?
What tools do I need to replace a bathtub drain stopper?
Why does my new drain stopper not hold water?
Can I replace only the stopper, or do I need the whole assembly?
How long does a tub drain stopper usually last?
Is a two-hole or one-hole overflow faceplate standard?
Do brushed gold and brushed nickel drain kits match existing faucets?
What does NPSM mean on bathtub drain specs?
Can kids or seniors work a tub drain stopper easily?
Final Thoughts: The Verdict
For most households redoing a tub drain, the bathtub drain parts winner is the WELLUP Brushed Nickel Conversion Kit because the brass adapter covers both 1-3/8-inch and 1-1/2-inch drain shoes straight from the start, and the brushed nickel finish pairs with what’s already on most modern tubs. If your tub pipework is what’s leaking rather than the stopper, grab the Westbrass Y593244CP — its 14-inch flat length and tip-toe stopper rebuild the whole overflow path. And if you simply need the lowest-maintenance stopper there is, the Moen T90331 closes against the drain body itself with no twist post to loosen — the kit worth stretching for if a Moen tub is already on the wall.
How We Picked
We do not accept paid placement. Every pick is matched to a real buyer and a real use-case; we do not hands-on test units.
Sources & Methodology
Specifications: manufacturer listings and product documentation. Review insights: verified customer reviews, as of September 2026. Pricing: not shown on this page (it changes often); check the current price via the retailer link.
As an Amazon Associate, KitchPrep earns from qualifying purchases. This does not affect which products we feature.
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