Best shower heads to upgrade your shower

There are all sorts of shower heads on the market to suit any preference. Whether you prefer a fixed rainfall-style shower, a handheld option or even a dual unit, you’ll be able to find a solution that will make showering the best moment of your day.

Depending on the water pressure in your home, you may want to purchase a shower head that will help boost your pressure. Or, you could opt for a shower head that offers an adjustable flow, so you can massage aching muscles, have a gentle, relaxing shower, or anything in between.

We’ve trawled through hundreds of online reviews and recommendations from the Mumsnet forums to bring you our favourite shower heads for the perfect soak.

Here are the best shower heads to buy in 2021.

1. Best overall shower head 2021: Hansgrohe Raindance Select S Shower Head

Price: £98.23 | Buy now from Amazon

“We have a Hansgrohe rainfall head in our ensuite walk-in shower, and everyone loves showering in there.” - orangina01

If you’re lucky enough to have good water pressure in your home, we think the best shower head to buy is the Hansgrohe Raindance. It’s significantly larger than most other handheld shower heads, making it feel more like rainfall as you shower, but with the increased functionality of a removable shower head.

It also has three different spray settings so you can tailor your shower to your mood - choose either a relaxing rainfall setting, a more intense massage spray provided by rotating nozzles, or a mixture of the two. There’s an easy-to-use button to switch between the different settings so you won’t need to awkwardly attempt to rotate a slippery bit of plastic with wet hands.

The shower head even uses so-called ‘EcoSmart technology’ to help save water, which has both environmental and economic benefits.

Admittedly, the Hansgrohe Raindance is a bit pricier than some of the other shower heads we recommend but, for some, the quality and the large size of the shower head will make it worth the price.

Pros

• Large diameter (15 cm)

• Three distinct flow settings

• Great build quality

• Silicone nozzles make it easy to remove limescale

Cons

• Pricey

• Needs a high pressure system (min. 1 bar/max. 6 bar)

Key specs

• Material: Chrome

• Finish: Chrome

• Diameter: 15cm

• Spray settings: Three

2. Best budget shower head: VEHHE Shower Head

Price: £13.99 | Buy now from Amazon

If you’re dealing with a smaller budget, this VEHHE Shower Head is a brilliant low-cost choice. Despite being budget-friendly, the shower head isn’t short of attractive features. It offers five different flow settings, including ‘power mist’ and ‘rain massage.’

The VEHHE Shower Head is also a great eco option, claiming to reduce water usage by up to 30 percent. Far from offering an unsatisfactory shower, it also claims to increase your shower’s pressure by up to 200 percent.

Pros

• Great value for money

• Silicone nozzles make it easy to remove limescale

• Five different spray settings

• Easy to fit

Cons

• Build quality isn’t the best

Key specs

• Material: Plastic

• Finish: Silver

• Diameter: 12cm

• Spray settings: Five

3. Best shower head for low pressure: YOO.MEE High Pressure Handheld Shower Head

Price: £35.99 | Buy now from Amazon

The YOO.MEE Shower Head claims to be the solution to low water pressure, and it has over 1700 five-star reviews to support this. Buyers report experiencing greatly increased pressure in the shower after installing this shower head, even going so far as to say it can rinse a head full of shampoo in mere seconds.

The brushed nickel finish looks really attractive, and the build quality is great. It also offers three different spray settings.

Pros

• Easy to install

• Does a good job at increasing water pressure

• Looks smart

• Good quality flexible hose

Cons

• Can leak a little if not properly installed

• Diameter is fairly small (10 cm)

Key specs

• Material: Plastic

• Finish: Brushed nickel

• Diameter: 10cm

• Spray settings: Three

4. Best handheld shower head: Triton High Flow 5 Spray Pattern Shower Head

Price: £19 | Buy now from Amazon

If you have small children or a dog, being able to remove your shower head from the wall might be a crucial feature for you. Handheld shower heads allow you to bring the water flow down into the bath to make showering easier, and also allow you to clean the bath itself more easily too.

The Triton High Flow Shower Head is the ideal handheld shower head in all sorts of ways. It’s a very reasonable price, looks simple and sleek, and has five different spray settings. So whatever you’re trying to clean, there will always be a setting to suit your needs.

Pros

• Five different spray settings

• Great price

• Silicone nozzles make it easy to remove limescale

• Very easy to install

Cons

• Occasionally drips or leaks

Key specs

• Material: Chrome-plated

• Finish: Chrome

• Diameter: 11cm

• Spray settings: Five

5. Best ionic shower head: Magichome Ionic Shower Head

Price: £12.87 | Buy now from Amazon

The Magichome Ionic Shower Head contains a filter to remove chlorine, fluoride, rust and other toxins from your shower water, which helps to balance pH levels to leave your skin and hair feeling smooth.

The shower head also claims to increase your water pressure by up to 200 percent, while simultaneously reducing your shower’s water usage by up to 50. Yes, it almost sounds too good to be true, but you’ll be pleased to know that these standout features are supported by an impressive collection of five-star reviews.

Pros

• Very competitive price

• Three spray settings with an easy-to-use rocker switch

• Claims to offer health benefits

• Noticeably increases water pressure

Cons

• Water comes out in a very fine spray

• Beads need replacing every few months (but the shower head does come with a set of replacement beads)

Key specs

• Material: Plastic

• Finish: Clear/chrome

• Diameter: 8cm

• Spray settings: Three

6. Best rainfall shower head: COMLIFE 12 Inch Fixed Rain Shower Head

Price: £21.24 | Buy now from Amazon

“We love ours. [You] get a proper drenching!” - dalrympy

Want to feel like you’re showering under a waterfall? A rainfall shower head is the answer! The COMLIFE Fixed Rain Shower Head measures an impressive 30cm across (or, if you’d prefer, it also comes in two smaller sizes), with 144 nozzles to offer an incredible showering experience.

The shower head’s size means it looks very striking, and will instantly upgrade your shower to make it look more modern. But far from being a case of style over substance, it also offers a high pressure spray, and the silicone nozzles mean it’s easy to keep clean and free of limescale.

Pros

• Very large shower head

• Silicone nozzles make it easy to remove limescale

• Works well even with low water pressure

• Looks sleek and modern

Cons

• May drip or leak occasionally

• Only one flow setting

Key specs

• Material: Stainless steel

• Finish: Brushed stainless steel

• Diameter: 30cm

• Spray settings: One

7. Best dual shower head: AquaDance Combo Shower Head

Price: £63.93 | Buy now from Amazon

“We use the rainfall head on a daily basis here - and use the hose one for rinsing kids’ hair and the like.” - 5000KallaxHoles

If you can’t decide between a rainfall-style shower head and a regular handheld, a dual shower head is a great choice. The AquaDance Combo Shower Head offers two different heads, which can be used simultaneously or independently, giving you heaps of flexibility.

This shower head is easy to install and use, with a simple switch to swap between the different flow settings - of which there are six on each head. The different settings can be used in various combinations to give the perfect mix. So however you like using your shower, there will be a combination here that works for you.

Pros

• Rainfall head is generously sized

• Easy-to-use rotating switch to change flow settings

• Silicone nozzles make it easy to remove limescale

• Lifetime warranty

• Easy, tool-free installation

Cons

• The plumbing tape provided isn’t the best quality (you may need to use your own)

• Pressure is slightly lower when both heads are used simultaneously

• The hose on the handheld head may come up short

Key specs

• Material: Plastic

• Finish: Chrome

• Diameter: 18cm rainfall head and 10cm handheld head

• Spray settings: Six on each head

8. Best eco shower head: Olliwon High Pressure Water Saving Shower Head

Price: £12.98 | Buy now from Amazon

This Olliwon Shower Head claims to save water, using up to 60 percent less water than a typical shower head. The surface of the shower head is covered with over 300 high pressure jets, meaning you don’t lose any water pressure despite the lower water usage.

Unlike a lot of other shower heads, the Olliwon doesn’t have an adjustable water flow, which may be a negative if you enjoy regularly adjusting the settings. However, if you’re the type of person who rarely uses more than one flow option, this won’t be an issue for you.

Pros

• Low price

• Soft, silky water flow from the small holes

• Great water pressure

• Very good build quality

Cons

• Only one non-adjustable spray setting

Key specs

• Material: Stainless steel

• Finish: Black or silver

• Diameter: 8cm

• Spray settings: One

How to choose the best shower head

Here are a few things you might want to consider when choosing a new shower head:

• Would you like a rainfall-style shower head or a detachable handheld one? Rainfall shower heads tend to be larger and give a more luxurious, spa-like showering experience, but they lack the flexibility of a handheld shower head, which can be taken down and used in the bath to wash children or pets.

• What’s the water system like in your home? If your house suffers from low pressure, for example, there are shower heads that are specifically designed to boost your pressure.

• How many flow settings would you like? Do you tend to change the setting often, or just stick with the same one?

• Do you want to go for a shower head with water saving capabilities, either for environmental or economic reasons?

• How important is the shower head’s appearance? For example, do you want something super sleek to match your modern bathroom, or will you choose a shower head purely based on its features and price?

When you’ve decided what criteria you have for your new shower head, check out our selections above, and find one that meets your needs.

What is the best shower head?

After delving through hundreds of products, and thousands of product reviews, the best shower head to buy is the Hansgrohe Raindance Select S Shower Head. While pricier than other shower heads, you can’t argue with its exceptional reviews. It pairs the luxury of a huge, rainfall-style head with the functionality of a handheld so you get the best of both worlds.

What is the best shower head to increase water pressure?

If you have problems with low water pressure, the YOO.MEE Shower Head is our favourite pressure-boosting option. 92 percent of the product’s reviews came with four- and five-star ratings (80 percent of reviewers gave five stars), which is one of the best sets of reviews we’ve seen. Purchasers of the shower head are thrilled with its water pressure-boosting functionality.

How we chose our recommendations

Because we know that there’s nothing like a real recommendation from a real parent, we first headed to the Mumsnet forums to find out which shower heads discerning Mumsnet users had bought for their homes.

We compiled a list of the shower heads they recommended for being the most useful and practical for everyday use.

We then did some research across the wider web, looking at which shower heads had won accolades or been featured in ‘best buy’ lists across websites and print media, and what customers’ reviews said about them.

Having collated all that information, we picked the shower heads we thought would make the best buys in several categories.

Why you should trust us

We work hard to provide unbiased, independent advice you can trust. We do sometimes earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. This helps us fund more helpful articles like this one.