Credit:
Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser
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Credit:
Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser
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This dual showerhead offers a high-end shower experience at an affordable price. It has a hand sprayer and a ton of different spray options. Read More
If you just want a no-frills shower experience, this showerhead is effective and affordable. Read More
This showerhead is more expensive than many others, but it’s worth it, both for its style and the quality of the jets. Read More
This is a straightforward showerhead. It's easy to install, and just as easy to operate. We have nothing to complain about with this classic design. Read More
With its high water pressure and useful spray settings, this is one of the best hand sprayer showerheads we tested. Read More
Nothing beats a good shower, from the moment the hot water hits until you dry off with a nice fluffy bath towel. But have you ever thought about your shower head? This often-overlooked piece of the puzzle can make your shower feel luxurious with great controls, solid spray options, and good water pressure.
After extensive testing and many, many showers, we found that the Hydroluxe 24 Function Ultra-Luxury 3-way 2 in 1 (available at Amazon) is the best shower head you can buy. It features strong water pressure, easy installation, and a variety of settings that made our tester feel cleaner. You can pay anywhere from $20 to more than $300 for a good shower head, but you don’t need to spend a lot of money for a great shower experience.
The Hydroluxe Full-Chrome 24 Function Ultra-Luxury 3-Way shower head is our favorite shower head.
If you want a lot of bang for your buck, the affordable Wassa High Pressure shower head gets the job done right.
For those who don't need a hand sprayer, the Speakman S-2251 is everything you'll need in a single shower head.
Comes with optional flow restrictor
High water pressure
None that we could find
Great performance
Includes a filter
Anti-clog nozzles
Tough to turn the handle
Magnetic sprayer mount
Pause option on hand sprayer
Low water pressure
Has nine different spray settings
Plastic connector
Low water pressures
Strong water pressure
Simple operation
No extra features
Comes in four different finishes
Well-made
Water pressure tradeoff when both showerheads are active at the same time
Slightly more difficult to install
Comes in six different finishes
Low water pressure
Simple showerhead
Seven spray settings
Materials feel cheap
Doesn't sit well in its holder
Hi, my name is Brian MacDougall, and I recently retired after 40 years working as a technical engineer. I'm often working on various DIY projects around the house, from electrical and plumbing work to replacing shingles. My house outside of Boston has been in a constant state of renovation for decades. Testing these shower heads was really fun; every few days was a completely new shower experience.
Freelance tech writer Conner Flynn tested products for a previous iteration of this article.
After researching the most popular shower heads, we narrowed our pool to cover a range of types, brands, and price points. We used each shower head daily over the course of two to three days.
We evaluated each model on its features, performance, and value. How many of the extra settings are genuinely helpful? How well-built is the shower head? Is the hand sprayer actually useful, or just a cheap add-on?
When it came to the actual shower experience, we paid close attention to water pressure. Pressure can vary between spray settings, and a shower head’s GPM number is a maximum value, not a constant guarantee. We needed enough experience with each showerhead to develop a solid opinion as to whether it was a good fit for their preferences or not.
GPM, or gallons per minute, is a shower head specification that refers to the water pressure that comes out of the shower head.
GPM is a measure of water flow, measured in the gallons of water per minute a showerhead puts out. A higher GPM means a higher-pressure water stream. Most sprayers operate at one of three possible values: 1.5 GPM - 1.75 GPM, 2.0 GPM, or 2.5 GPM.
Sprayers with water pressures of 2.5 GPM create the strongest water jets. That can help you feel cleaner over the course of your shower. Those with more sensitive or delicate skin might want to look at lower-flow shower heads, instead. But gentler water jets generally take longer to wash shampoo out of your hair or soap off of your skin.
In most cases, you can install a shower head yourself. However, if you live in an older home and are considering switching to a low-flow model (i.e., 1.5-2.0 GPM), there may be a slight mismatch between the plumbing hardware installed in your shower and the product itself.
The automatic compensating valve mitigates extreme water temperature changes to keep you from freezing or getting burned. This is built into the plumbing behind your shower’s wall. In most homes, the plumbing works with 2.5 GPM shower heads.
Shower heads with lower water pressures can cause issues with this valve because of the difference between water pressure expectations and the actual water pressure required for a low-flow showerhead. That might make it more likely for you to experience extreme temperature changes when someone draws on the same water line as the shower uses (for example, when someone flushes the toilet).
If you are considering swapping to a low-flow sprayer, or if your plumbing is relatively old, it might be worth it to consult with a plumber. A professional can help ensure that you have the right hardware in place to protect your skin from getting burned or frozen.
Installing a shower head is relatively easy, but be sure to do your due diligence if it has a water pressure rating that is very different from your current shower head.
If you do decide to go the DIY route, it’s pretty straightforward—The Home Depot has a really nice tutorial. The basic steps are:
Shut off the water in the shower.
Unscrew the existing shower head.
Gently scrape the threads of the shower arm (the piece between the wall and the shower head) clean with your fingers or a small brush.
Wrap a couple of layers of plumber’s tape (also known as Teflon tape) around the threads of the shower head.
Screw the new shower head onto the shower arm.
Tighten the shower head with a pipe wrench, or a smaller wrench, if needed.
Slowly turn on the shower to check for leaks.
If you observe leaks, turn off the water, unscrew the shower head, add a bit more plumber’s tape, and tighten the shower head fitting as needed.
Is a shower head with a hand sprayer right for you?
There are plenty of reasons why someone would want a hand sprayer. If you have small children or dogs or if you perform caretaking work, a hand sprayer allows you total control over the water stream. That makes it much easier to wash someone (or something) other than yourself.
Even if you don’t need the added flexibility to wash kids or pets, a hand sprayer can make hard-to-reach areas on your own body much more accessible. It cuts down on the amount of acrobatics needed to get those areas into the stream of a normal showerhead.
However, if you just want a straightforward, high-pressure shower experience, it might be better to skip the sprayer. Often, using a fixed head and a sprayer at the same time results in a dip in water pressure.
Also, sprayers can present problems after a while. If the sprayer bracket warps or weakens over time, the sprayer may send water in unexpected directions or end up on the floor of your shower.
Do you want a filter? Some users prefer filters that help remove contaminants in the water such as sulfur, chlorine, and other chemicals. Homeowners and apartment dwellers who have hard water or rely on well water may especially want a filter to remove impurities or harsh smells.
How big is your shower? If you have a small shower, consider a smaller showerhead that doesn’t stick out much from the wall. An oversized shower head can take up too much space in your shower, making life awkward for the taller folks. Furthermore, some shower heads spray out laterally into larger areas. In smaller showers, use a shower head that sprays at a sharper downward angle.
Conner Flynn
Contributor
Conner Flynn is a valued contributor to the Reviewed.com family of sites.
Brian MacDougall
Contributor
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