Favorite tub materials?

[Genny Li]

I won't be doing new tubs for a good long while, but I haven't seen this subject come up. 

Personally, I loathe fiberglass. The gel coat has to be regularly refinished and fat people can actually break it. 

Acrylic can be solid-set which makes breaking less of a problem. It's overall more robust but chips fairly easily. I once chipped a tub dropping a tiling tool from about 3' because I used the cardboard to try to protect it and didn't tape up moving blankets. :( But I still like it more than fiberglass. It doesn't seem to stain as easily. 

Steel seems to be the most common choice for class C rental remodels. It's even more robust than acrylic. 

Americast is American Standard's updated alternative to a cast iron enamel bathtub. They are enamel (with all the benefits) but over a different lightweight substrate. I'm super interested in it. 

Cat iron is kinda a throwback that people don't really install new. Exceptionally heavy so some construction can't take it. Tend to have shallow water depth. Very expensive. Water cools off fast. Almost bulletproof. Your mint green 1950s tub might still look just like new. 

Cultured marble. I'm not at all a fan of cultured marble countertops because random soaps and products can discolor and damage them, and the 80s swirl is so out, but I've had good luck with shower surrounds and tubs. What's the general opinion on those? I haven't had any discolor or heard of any discoloring, but given the terrible things I've seen with the counters, I'm not so sure that isn't just luck on my part. 

Does anyone have other things to add? Other materials? Disagreements? Stuff I'm not thinking about?