Best Handheld Shower Head

When comfort marries convenience, and they take up residence in your bathroom.
We all know the pleasure of stepping into a warm shower.
After long hours on the job or a tough workout, or when we’re getting ready to face the day, a steaming shower relaxes mind and body. It’s wonderfully therapeutic.
In this article, we’re going to review eight excellent handheld showerheads. We’ll look at aspects like spray settings, pressure and visual design, and do an analysis of what it’s like to use each one.

The Best Handheld Showerhead: An In-depth Review

Moen 26558SRN Refresh

Moen has prioritized functionality with this little gem. The head size is a neat four inches: small enough for good pressure and easy maneuverability, large enough for ample coverage. Its glistens with a spot-resistant brushed nickel finish – no nasty water spots or fingerprints dulling the shine on this baby. It has a really sturdy-feeling, solid metal hose, which is long enough to be comfortable at 60 inches. The wall bracket is solid metal, too, so it should stand some rigorous use.

It has five spray settings. Nothing flamboyant, but if it means that you’d like to wash your kid’s hair with a gentle spray today, and enjoy a powerful, post-gym body massage tomorrow, you can do that. At 2.5 gpm, it meets current water-conscious standards, but can still provide some pleasant pressure.

The Moen 26558SRN is pricey, though: the most expensive on this list. In return for forking out the dollars, you get a high-quality, all-metal showerhead that will stand the test of time, and offers a limited lifetime warranty. It boasts a beautiful, clean aesthetic, too, so these points combined are what you’re paying for. I’m not sure if it’s worth it, considering that most of the other models on this list are also high quality at a much lower price. But if you live by the mantra that buying the pricier option always works out better in the long run, this is a good pick for you.

G-Promise G-01054

This handheld showerhead is in the middle of the price range on this list… and it packs a punch.
Firstly, the finish: it’s a muted polished brass, which sets it apart from all the futuristic silver tones on this list. Personally, I’m a huge fan of the warm, nostalgic feel of brass and copper bathroom fittings.

The hose is highly convenient. It’s flexible stainless steel, and able to stretch up to 75 inches – a good buy if you have a large bath or shower, or if you’d like to use the handheld to clean other bathroom fixtures. The bracket is solid brass, and can swivel and lock in place. It’s perfect for installation in a shower, when you’d sometimes like your showerhead to have the same functionality as a fixed one.

It boasts six settings. The rainfall setting isn’t that functional when you’re in handheld mode – it’s too weak to do very much – but it’s gently relaxing when the head is back on its bracket. It has powerful settings – like “circular massage” – plus the ultra-awesome “water save trickle”, which you’d use all the time if you’re like me and want to save water while shaving or combing in conditioner, but hate having to readjust the temperature when you turn the taps back on. Flow reaches a conscientious 2.5 gpm.

The one downside to this showerhead – and it’s not a significant one – is that the head is a little large at five inches. The size works fine when it’s up on the wall, but gets a little clunky when you’re moving it around.

Doiliese Six Function Handheld Showerhead

This showerhead is similar to the G-Promise G-01054 – but it’s cheaper. It’s in the bottom price range on this list, but it still has just about everything you need in a handheld. In fact, I’m really impressed… I want to go out and buy one.

The durable stainless steel hose is a comfortable 60 inches. The solid brass mounting bracket is adjustable, so it works perfectly as a fixed head too. It has a shiny, spot-resistant chrome finish, and although there’s nothing spectacular about the way it looks, it’s aesthetic is clean and unobtrusive.

The most alluring aspect of this showerhead, though, is its “pause” button. There’s a button right on the showerhead, within easy reach of your thumb, that stops the water flow. No more wildly scrabbling for the taps while the showerhead flails around on the end of the hose, wetting everything in sight, and no more spending half your bath or shower time readjusting the water temperature when you need to switch the showerhead back on.

It also has five fancy settings. One of these is a focused jet spray designed to massage aching muscles, and one is a “spa spray” setting: a luxurious, misty spray that will send you straight to your happy place. It can spout out decent pressure even when the house’s pressure is somewhat low.

And when you thought it couldn’t get better: it’s a breeze to install. No tools are needed.

Couradric B55115

The first thing that stands out about the Couradric B55115 is its unusual aesthetic. There’s something quite spacey about it – as though a glowing, brushed nickel alien saucer with an independent AI decided to adopt the simpler lifestyle of a showerhead. Because it’s so clean looking, it’s deeply pleasing to the eye.

It doesn’t sacrifice functionality for form. The stainless steel hose is a generous 72 inches, and the sturdy copper bracket swivels. The 48 nozzles are apparently self-cleaning – they can stop the build up of calcium deposits. The water flow tops at 2.5 gpm, the modern happy standard. It’s a breeze to install.

It features six settings. One of these is the “water saving mode”, which is actually like the Doiliese Six Function “pause”, just a little harder to navigate: instead of a button near the thumb, you toggle it on with the little lever next to the shower face, the same way you switch on the other settings. It also has a pleasant “pulsating massage”, and some rain settings for when you’re using it as a fixed head.

The one downside to the Couradric B55115 is its large face: at 5 inches it can get clumsy when you’re trying to wield it in the shower or bathtub. As a showerhead in the upper middle of this list’s price range, though – just below the G-Promise – it’s reliable quality with a Limited Lifetime warranty: a good buy.

Smrsvyd High Pressure Multifunction

This Smrsvyd is the second cheapest showerhead on our list. Some parts are plastic. And yet, it boasts impressive quality for its price.

The shower face is stainless steel and and spouts water at 2.5 gpm from 53 self-cleaning nozzles. The water pressure is delicious, and you get 5 settings. These include a “massage,” a gentle “rain,” and the beloved “pause”. It offers a water-saving mode – the only handheld showerhead on this list to do so – which eco-conscious households will love. The hose is luxuriously long at 72 inches. Like the Doiliese Six Function, it’s painless to install – no tools required. Aesthetically, it’s nothing flashy, but still has a simple appeal.

It has one noticeable negative. The hose, bracket and showerhead body are all made out of plastic. It’s high-grade plastic, but it definitely doesn’t feel like it will last as long as the solid metal showerheads on this list. On the plus side, it’s pretty light and is ideal for children or the elderly to use. Overall, it’s still a steal at that price.

CFMOUR 1133C

This is another cheap handheld showerhead that has loads of awesome functionality.
First off, it sports a generous portion of nozzles: 72. This makes the rain setting particularly satisfying. It has an adjustable mounting bracket, and five flow settings, including “pulsating massage” and “rain with mist”. The hose is a splendid 78 inches – though if you’re installing it close to your taps, you’ll need to make sure you’ve got ample room to coil it up. It’s a pleasure to install. The gpm is a conscientious 2.5, but the pressure is luxuriously powerful. The head is convenient at four inches.

Let’s talk downsides. As the cheapest showerhead on this list, you can expect it to have some. For a start, it’s purely functional looking: the face is grey plastic and slightly tacky, and there’s nothing special about the rest of the visual design to make up for it. Although it has a shiny chrome finish, it’s all plastic. Don’t expect this baby to last a lifetime. For its price, though, it’s still an excellent buy.

ANZA AZHS001-BN

Featuring 110 nozzles, this showerhead is the queen of the rain setting. It has three rain variations and a relatively large face at 4.3 inches, so if you’d like to regularly use your showerhead while it’s fixed in place on its wall bracket, you’re in for a treat.

On the flip side, the larger face means it’s not as easy to maneuver in handheld mode as the smaller heads on this list, and the rain settings aren’t quite powerful enough in handheld. It does have two more forceful settings which do work well: the “wide massage” and “power massage”. It also has a water-saving “trickle” setting. While this is awesome, it’s not as convenient as the Doiliese Six Function’s “pause”, which brings the flow to a full stop.

It’s in the lower mid-price range, and boasts decent quality with a solid metal head and a 60 inch stainless steel hose. The mounting bracket is adjustable. The aesthetic is unobtrusive: brushed nickel, simple lines, nothing fancy. It has a modern flow rate of 2.5 gpm, and is a pleasure to install.

Nevertheless, with a 12 month warranty, don’t expect it to last as long as the pricier models here. If your first love is a heavenly rain setting, though, this could be your match.

WASSA 9 Setting Handheld

It has beautiful looks, a lifetime warranty, and 9 settings. This showerhead is the full package, with a single unexpected drawback.

Let’s talk settings. It has more than any other showerhead on this list. There aren’t any rain settings – with 41 nozzles it’s not really designed for “rain” – but it has a deliciously soft “misty” setting, plus two more “misty” variations. It has some massage options, and two “spray” options that work brilliantly for chasing down dirt when you’re cleaning the bathroom. It has a “pause” setting, but again this is toggled on with the lever that adjusts all the settings. This is not as practical as the on/off button that the Doiliese Six Function touts.

Will you really use all these settings? If you have decision fatigue, you may find the choices overwhelming. It could also get frustrating to have to rotate through the settings in order to get to the one you’re looking for.
It’s towards the bottom of the price range on this list: a little more expensive than the CMFOUR and Smrsvyd; around the same price as the Doiliese. You don’t sacrifice anything for the modest price, though. It has a sleek, well-designed aesthetic with a shiny chrome finish. The 60 inch hose is a durable stainless steel. The wall mount is adjustable. It’s easy to install and does magical things to your water pressure.

Strangely enough, the only drawback to this showerhead is that it could have too many settings.

Handheld Showerheads: Why Should You Own One?

Handheld showerheads kick the convenience up several notches. They’re highly popular, and it’s easy to see why.
Cleaning a bath or a shower without a movable showerhead is a back-aching, lengthy and involved process. A handheld flow of water that you can direct right at grime and use to chase dirt down the drain makes all the difference.

Hair convenience is my personal favorite use for a handheld showerhead. If you have a fresh “do” and want to shower without getting it wet, a handheld showerhead is your best bae. If your hair needs a wash but you don’t feel like getting under the water, a handheld does the job.

Cleaning pets is challenging without a handheld showerhead. Even if you have an outdoor tap that you can attach a hosepipe to, pets hate cold water, and outside, before they’ve been dried, attract dirt like Linus from “Peanuts”. With a handheld, you can rinse them quickly and smoothly in the convenience of your bathroom with a handheld.

Children find showers with fixed heads intimidating, but are perfectly happy with moveable showerheads that keep the water flow away from their adorable faces. If your kids are addicted to bubble baths (like mine), you can rinse soapy water off their sensitive skins without having to run a fresh bath.

Disabled people and the elderly, those who need to remain seated in the shower, can direct the water flow wherever needed when they can hold the showerhead in their hands. It can change what was once an ordeal into and a pleasant and straightforward showering experience.

And if you have sore muscles – from being at the gym, or from a long day stuck behind a desk – you can turn that powerful flow onto your aching spots and enjoy a heavenly, stress-releasing massage.

Buying the Best Handheld Showerhead – What You Need to Know

Before you start your showerhead shopping spree, you need to know what to shop for. Here are some elements to consider when purchasing your new handheld.

Flow Rate

Old showerheads spout water out at an extravagant rate. To encourage households to be water conscious, the USA Department of Energy requires a maximum flow rate of 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm) at a flowing water pressure of 80 pounds per square inch.

Hose Length

It doesn’t matter how incredible your showerhead is: a short hose can really dampen the mood. Anything (within reason) above 60 inches works well. If you’re going for a generous length of 75 inches or more, make sure you’re going to have enough space to loop any extra length onto.

Hose Material

Plastic hoses are a lot less durable than coiled metal; they often start to crack or leak within a year or two. They are also stiffer, which reduces their functionality. Metal is always the best material for a shower hose.

Spray Pattern

Modern showerheads come with the most creative range of ways to spout water on your body. Rain settings are gentle and relaxing when you’re using your shower on its bracket like a fixed showerhead, or when you’re bathing your kid who’s a bit intimidated by water falling on his or her head. It can be a bit low-pressure for general handheld use, though. Massage settings are powerful jets of water that feel incredible when directed on sore muscles. Other settings include mist, spray, water saving, and variations of all the above.

Head Size

A large head can feel clumsy when you’re trying to wield it in the confined space of a bath or shower. A size between 3.5 and 4 inches is ideal.

Pressure

Some showerheads are designed to make the most of low-pressure setups by boosting the pressure as it comes through the nozzles. These showerheads are a dream to use, especially if miserable pressure is your pet showering peeve.

Aesthetic

Showerheads come in a vast variety of finishes – most of them metallic – and visual designs. If looks are important to you when it comes to your bathroom fittings, there are a plethora of beautiful, classy-looking models out there… but be prepared to fork out extra for them.

Ease of Cleaning

Some showerheads are designed to resist the build up of lime and other minerals inside the nozzles. If your showerhead does get clogged up, here’s an easy way to clean it with vinegar. You can also purchase showerheads that have a spot resistant finish. This brilliant innovation repels fingerprints and water spots. You’ll still need to polish up your fittings – just not anywhere near as often.

Bracket Material

Your showerhead mounting bracket gets used all the time, so its quality makes a huge difference. Metal stands the wear and tear much better than even high grade plastic.

Package Contents

Some handheld showerhead packages come with everything you’ll need for installation – including plumber’s tape! Others offer just the head, and don’t even include a hose. Check out the package contents when you purchase so that you can get whatever else you’ll need, too.

Owning a handheld showerhead is incredibly convenient. It also upgrades your bathing or showering session to something like a spa treatment: an experience that’s deeply relaxing and pleasurable. Your tired muscles, water-wary kids and dusty pets will thank you – it’s a rewarding investment for every household.