How to Pick the Perfect Shower Head
In the midst of larger renovation issues, the shower head may seem a small detail, but it’s a well-used one
If you’re in the middle of a renovation project – or can remember your last one – you’ll know the daily decisions about small details can be one of the most challenging elements of the process. When it comes to your bathroom, “Which shower head?” will be one such consideration.
What are the options, and how do you begin to narrow them down to the one choice that will work best for you and your space? A bit of professional guidance can be a huge boon in the decision-making maze, so, here, a crack team of bathroom professionals break it down.
What are the options, and how do you begin to narrow them down to the one choice that will work best for you and your space? A bit of professional guidance can be a huge boon in the decision-making maze, so, here, a crack team of bathroom professionals break it down.
James Lentaigne, creative director at Drummonds breaks down this dizzying decision list. “The best starting point is the design of the whole bathroom – what is the overall look and feel and what kind of room are you trying to create?” he says.
“Decide what kind of an impact you want to make. Choose well and the shower can give a real wow factor. Working on the ‘if you can’t disguise, emphasise’ principle, devote as much space as you can to the shower and make it a real feature. If it’s a striking design, it can become the centrepiece of a bathroom.”
“Decide what kind of an impact you want to make. Choose well and the shower can give a real wow factor. Working on the ‘if you can’t disguise, emphasise’ principle, devote as much space as you can to the shower and make it a real feature. If it’s a striking design, it can become the centrepiece of a bathroom.”
How important is water pressure when choosing a shower head?
Size is something a lot of homeowners think of first, according to Inga Kopala, director at Amberth, but water pressure is just as important. “Often clients won’t consider this,” she says, “and they must. If you have low water pressure, you can’t go for a large shower head. Water will dribble; it just won’t perform.”
Lentaigne agrees: “Our shower rose heads require good water pressure to work properly, as they’re quite large and deliver a good quantity of water. So before installing this style, it’s really important to check your water pressure and also the water softness. This will make a dramatic difference to the shower longer term.
“We would always suggest getting a professional plumber to check your water system – i.e., how large your tank is, or how instant the hot water can be,” he adds.
Size is something a lot of homeowners think of first, according to Inga Kopala, director at Amberth, but water pressure is just as important. “Often clients won’t consider this,” she says, “and they must. If you have low water pressure, you can’t go for a large shower head. Water will dribble; it just won’t perform.”
Lentaigne agrees: “Our shower rose heads require good water pressure to work properly, as they’re quite large and deliver a good quantity of water. So before installing this style, it’s really important to check your water pressure and also the water softness. This will make a dramatic difference to the shower longer term.
“We would always suggest getting a professional plumber to check your water system – i.e., how large your tank is, or how instant the hot water can be,” he adds.
How do I work out my options?
“Ask yourself: ‘Is it a combi/pumped system or low pressure?’” says Lauren Beharrell, marketing manager at Bathrooms Direct Yorkshire. “High-pressure shower heads usually require a minimum pressure of 1 bar.”
Kopala advises that in homes with low water pressure, owners should stick to a shower head of no more than 200 to 220 millimetres. “If you have good pressure,” she adds, “a 300 to 400 millimetre rainwater style is an option.”
Beharrell adds, “If you’re on a low-pressure water system [0.1-0.5 bar], you can fit a shower pump, which will take pressure to between 1.5 and 4 bar to create a high-pressure system.”
“Ask yourself: ‘Is it a combi/pumped system or low pressure?’” says Lauren Beharrell, marketing manager at Bathrooms Direct Yorkshire. “High-pressure shower heads usually require a minimum pressure of 1 bar.”
Kopala advises that in homes with low water pressure, owners should stick to a shower head of no more than 200 to 220 millimetres. “If you have good pressure,” she adds, “a 300 to 400 millimetre rainwater style is an option.”
Beharrell adds, “If you’re on a low-pressure water system [0.1-0.5 bar], you can fit a shower pump, which will take pressure to between 1.5 and 4 bar to create a high-pressure system.”
Any other common details people tend to overlook?
“With a standard overhead shower, make sure you can remove the rose for easy cleaning, as in hard-water areas, the limescale build-up can block the holes,” Beharrell says.
“With a standard overhead shower, make sure you can remove the rose for easy cleaning, as in hard-water areas, the limescale build-up can block the holes,” Beharrell says.
Are some shower heads more eco-friendly than others?
Concerned that a large shower head will use excessive amounts of water? “Some have eco options to reduce flow rate – usually a filter that sits in the head to halve the flow rate,”Beharrell says. “Most eco showers are designed to run on high-pressure systems.”
Concerned that a large shower head will use excessive amounts of water? “Some have eco options to reduce flow rate – usually a filter that sits in the head to halve the flow rate,”Beharrell says. “Most eco showers are designed to run on high-pressure systems.”
Should I go for wall- or ceiling-mounted; fixed or flexible?
“Most of our clients will choose shower heads that are wall- or ceiling-mounted, fixed style,” Kopala says. “This is because we generally advise that, for the flexibility side of things, they also include a hand-held shower, which makes rinsing the space easier, or allows you just to wash your hair over the bath if you want.”
Lentaigne agrees: “We always recommend a hand shower in addition to an overhead shower, as it gives the option to shower without wetting your hair, is great for showering children, and also makes cleaning simpler.”
Find the sweet spot for your shower
“Most of our clients will choose shower heads that are wall- or ceiling-mounted, fixed style,” Kopala says. “This is because we generally advise that, for the flexibility side of things, they also include a hand-held shower, which makes rinsing the space easier, or allows you just to wash your hair over the bath if you want.”
Lentaigne agrees: “We always recommend a hand shower in addition to an overhead shower, as it gives the option to shower without wetting your hair, is great for showering children, and also makes cleaning simpler.”
Find the sweet spot for your shower
What about concealed or surface-mounted?
“This is generally down to personal preference,” Lentaigne says. “For a more minimal approach, concealed is ideal and has the added benefit of being easy to maintain, as these generally sit flush with the tiles.
“The other benefit is that you can usually position your control unit where you like – i.e., have the on/off in the entrance to the shower and the head elsewhere.”
“This is generally down to personal preference,” Lentaigne says. “For a more minimal approach, concealed is ideal and has the added benefit of being easy to maintain, as these generally sit flush with the tiles.
“The other benefit is that you can usually position your control unit where you like – i.e., have the on/off in the entrance to the shower and the head elsewhere.”
For a very contemporary effect, as well as for use in steam rooms, Kopala agrees that fittings flush with the ceiling are popular. “However, if clients have a very high ceiling, we’d suggest wall-mounted.”
Which kind of shower heads work best in small spaces?
“A slide rail [pictured] or small fixed head, coming from the wall on a short arm at a 45 degree angle,” Beharrell advises.
“The fixed shower heads give you a little bit of a different experience than the smaller heads that you can tilt,” Kopala adds. “The smallest shower enclosure we’d recommend would probably be 750 x 750 millimetres, and then you can use any shower head within that.”
“A slide rail [pictured] or small fixed head, coming from the wall on a short arm at a 45 degree angle,” Beharrell advises.
“The fixed shower heads give you a little bit of a different experience than the smaller heads that you can tilt,” Kopala adds. “The smallest shower enclosure we’d recommend would probably be 750 x 750 millimetres, and then you can use any shower head within that.”
Which materials are popular right now?
“Trends vary in different areas of the UK. Chrome still accounts for 85 to 90 per cent of sales, but gold, brass, nickel and black chrome in polished and brushed finishes are becoming more regular sales,” Beharrell says.
Kopala adds that she’s seeing more colour-coated finishes of late, not only black but also yellow, pink and white, as well as various metals. “I also think people are moving away from smaller heads that you can tilt,” she says. “Size matters when it comes to the experience, and there’s a big trend for rainwater heads.”
Bathroom accessory finishes you may not know of
“Trends vary in different areas of the UK. Chrome still accounts for 85 to 90 per cent of sales, but gold, brass, nickel and black chrome in polished and brushed finishes are becoming more regular sales,” Beharrell says.
Kopala adds that she’s seeing more colour-coated finishes of late, not only black but also yellow, pink and white, as well as various metals. “I also think people are moving away from smaller heads that you can tilt,” she says. “Size matters when it comes to the experience, and there’s a big trend for rainwater heads.”
Bathroom accessory finishes you may not know of
TELL US
What kind of shower head do you have – and why? Let us know in the Comments section.
What kind of shower head do you have – and why? Let us know in the Comments section.
Your shower is one of the most hardworking parts of your home. And the shower head, whose design will dictate how water is delivered onto you daily, is not only a key aesthetic detail, but also one that must function well and suit your particular bathroom scheme.
Just some of the things you’ll find yourself considering when choosing a new one include:
- Who will use the shower
- Whether it’s for over the bath tub or for a walk-in shower
- The size
- The finish
- Whether or not the head is fixed
- Whether the look should be contemporary or traditional
- Square or round
- Ceiling- or wall-mounted
Phew. Quite a lot to begin with, then…