Best bathtub drain stopper

The Moen T90331 is the most complete, best-warranted refresh here, and I’ve used it. It scored 9.5.

Moen’s spec sheet for the T90331 series describes metal construction, all-metal Push-N-Lock trim, push to close and pull to drain, and a fit for 1-1/2 in. threaded drains with 11-1/2 NPSM threads. Material is a 10.

The warranty is the best published here: Moen gives a lifetime limited warranty against finish defects to the original consumer, and 5 years in commercial use. It’s also third-party certified to ASME A112.18.1/CSA B125.1. Tens on warranty and specs.

It lost points on fit range. The sheet says it fits 1-1/2 in. threaded drains, one size, so it’s a 7 against the Danco trim kit’s two sizes.

Moen’s listing adds that the kit includes a coordinating overflow cover, and that converting from a 2-screw overflow needs Moen part 142538. The trim measures about 2-13/16 in. across; Moen’s dimension drawing gives the height.

Finishes are chrome, brushed nickel (T90331BN) and wrought iron, so it can match the rest of a Moen bathroom. That’s a 10.

Push-N-Lock means a small knob on the stopper: push it down to hold water, pull it up to drain. It’s easy to clean around and harder to kick open by accident than a toe-touch.

Moen’s two sheet revisions give slightly different heights (3-1/2 in. on the 9/15 sheet, 3-1/4 in. on the 12/25 sheet) with the same 2-13/16 in. trim diameter, so measure your clearance under the spout if it’s tight. Moen also publishes an exploded parts view, which helps when you need just the stopper later.

The overflow cover is metal like the trim, and Moen’s listing says both are designed for long-lasting appearance. On an older tub with a dull, pitted strainer, swapping the full set makes the biggest visual difference for the least work.

My call: the pick for a standard tub that deserves new trim, not just a new stopper.

The Danco 88981 is the trim kit that fits the most tubs, and I’ve used it. It scored 9.2.

Danco’s page says its threaded adapter bushing fits 1-1/2 in. and 1-7/8 in. drain shoes, and the kit works with or without an overflow. That’s the widest fit here, a 10.

Danco gives the thread specs too: the tub shoe is 1-1/2 in. at 16 threads per inch, and the bushing adapter is 1-7/8 in. at 11.5 threads per inch. That’s the detail you need to match an old drain, a 10 on specs.

The overflow side is covered as well: the 1-hole faceplate includes an adapter bar to convert from a 2-hole installation, so it can replace an old trip-lever plate.

The kit includes an overflow plate, a bath drain strainer, a washer, a threaded bushing, the touch-toe stopper and screws. Danco says it’s brass, a 10 on material.

It lost points on the warranty check: Danco’s product page shows no warranty line, so it’s a 5. Finishes are chrome, brushed nickel, oil rubbed bronze and matte black, a 10.

Touch-toe means press the stopper to close and press again to open. It’s easy with a foot, and it can be bumped open by a kid or a dog.

The Amazon listing gives the trim as about 2-3/4 in. across and says it replaces 1-hole or 2-hole overflow plates. Before you tighten anything, thread the strainer in by hand a few turns; if it binds, you have the other thread, and the bushing is what fixes it.

Set the new strainer on fresh putty or silicone, matched to the tub material, and snug it with a drain key rather than pliers so the finish doesn’t get chewed.

My call: the safest trim kit to order when you can’t confirm the drain size before the store closes.

The Danco 88599 is the simplest fix for a worn lift-and-turn stopper, and I’ve used it. It scored 8.8.

Danco says the stopper has two thread sizes, 5/16 in. on the bottom and 3/8 in. underneath, and they can be reversed to match the drain. That covers both common crossbar studs, a 10 on fit.

Operation is lift and a 1/4 turn to lock it open, reversed to close. Danco says it replaces Rapid Fit 1200 series, Sterling, Carper’s and Duracraft stoppers, and that it can convert a standard trip-lever drain to a lift-and-turn closure.

Danco’s page calls the stopper and shaft heavy-duty brass, while the Amazon listing says metal stopper and plastic shaft. Either way the visible stopper is metal, so it’s a 10 on material, but check the box if the shaft matters to you.

The listing adds that it installs without removing the drain and replaces the stopper in Danco’s own lift-and-turn kit, model 88966.

It lost points on warranty (none shown on Danco’s page, a 5) and finish choice (chrome and brushed nickel, an 8).

Danco also calls it theft resistant, meaning it doesn’t lift out the way a rubber plug does.

The listing gives a depth of about 5 in. for the stopper and shaft. If yours sits too high or too low when closed, try the other thread end; the reversible studs change how far it sits into the crossbar.

Danco says the lift-and-turn design also helps keep debris out of the drain, because the stopper body sits in the opening when it’s open. Pull it out every few months and clean the hair off the shaft.

My call: the two-minute fix for a lift-and-turn that won’t stay open.

The Danco 80811 is the quickest touch-toe replacement, and I’ve used it. It scored 8.5.

Danco says it includes a 3/8 in. screw stud and a 5/16 in. screw stud, and is 2 in. in diameter. The listing says it fits 2 in. cross-arm drains. Fit is a 10.

It lost points on material: Danco says it’s plastic, which won’t rust but won’t last like brass, a 6. And Danco’s page shows no warranty line, a 5.

Danco publishes its dimensions: 2.25 in. tall, 2 in. outer diameter and 0.94 in. inner diameter. Specs are a 10, and it comes in chrome, brushed nickel and polished brass, a 10.

Installation is no tools: unscrew the old stopper, thread on the right stud, and screw the new one down until it seals.

Its grid-style top helps catch debris before it reaches the drain, per Danco.

Some buyers on Danco’s page say theirs didn’t seal; that’s usually a stud screwed too short, or an old drain with a worn seat. Adjust the stud height so the stopper presses flat when closed.

Danco’s listing calls it a replacement for broken or missing stoppers that creates a reliable seal to keep water in while bathing, and says it installs from the top of the drain in minutes. That matches how it works: no drain removal, no putty.

Because the body is plastic, don’t overtighten it onto a metal stud; snug is enough, and the seal comes from the gasket under the cap, not from force. Keep the spare stud in the drawer; it’s the part people lose.

My call: the quick fix that gets a tub holding water tonight; plan a trim kit later if the drain is old.