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After a new test in 2021, we added two equally outstanding new products: Kohler Freespin Bellerose and Moen's Nebia.
Replacing an old, slightly dirty shower head with a new model is one of the simplest improvements a person can make to their home and their overall quality of life. After we showered more than 150 times with 18 shower heads, we found the one we happily use every day: Kohler 22169-G-CP Forte multifunctional shower head. We think it's worth the splurge-the ratio of satisfaction to effort for shower head upgrades is beyond the chart, and it's very easy to complete the job.
Of all the models we tested, this elegant three-jet shower provides the fullest and most powerful rain shower head, and its large, soft water droplets feel gentle on the skin.
*At the time of publication, the price was $74.
The Kohler 22169-G-CP Forte multifunctional shower head has the best rain shower head of all the shower heads we have tested: it produces a powerful, dense total immersion that envelops your entire body. Forte inflates its water stream, producing larger, softer droplets, making the spray feel fuller and warmer. This three-jet model also has two other outstanding settings: a heavy blow massage function and a silky soft fine spray. The shower nozzle is easy to install, and you can easily adjust the spray setting with one hand. Forte's brass ball joint can firmly rotate the head to hit the far corner of the bathtub or cubicle.
This efficient and versatile shower has six different settings. It provides rain showers and hand-held sprinklers to provide all the possible experiences you want.
The powerful Moen Attract Magnetix Chrome Rainshower Combo 26008 is matched with a hand shower and shower, as well as six spray modes, providing a variety of excellent shower options. The magnetic base of the handheld device snaps firmly into its own dedicated socket-this is much easier than manipulating the handheld shower into the narrow leather case inside the main shower head (as used by some competitors). 26008 is almost as easy to install as a fixed shower head. It includes a pause button that allows you to stop its 1.75-gpm spray without losing your temperature setting.
This shower uses a unique 360-degree rotating design. There are rotating heads on the shower and the handheld base, providing a total of 15 custom showers with different spray combinations.
May be out of stock
*At the time of publication, the price was $90.
The Kohler Freespin Bellerose 3 nozzle combination provides excellent versatility through ingenious design, allowing you to manipulate two shower nozzles in a complete circle-one is fixed and the other is detachable hand-held. When it is not separated, the handheld device will nestle in a rotatable stand, just like its connected counterpart, allowing you to adjust the water flow in all directions and hit different areas. So this choice is very suitable for families with people of different body types and spray preferences (there are 15 options to choose from).
This shower head will cover you in a warm and comfortable mist, combined with the cleaning power of the downpour.
Moen Nebia requires some pre-existing shower and plumbing conditions to install properly. However, if your bathroom meets the standard and you are the kind of person who goes to the gym mainly to sit in the steam room, then this luxury option is the closest you can get to a family spa without spending money. In addition to its high degree and versatility, this shower head also has a relaxing atomized steam and immersion soak (strong enough to thoroughly rinse thick hair), which is worth the splurge for some people. However, the very special spray function lacks universal appeal.
With a flow rate of only 1.5 gpm, this ultra-low flow shower nozzle is one of the most adequately sprayed nozzles of any model we have tested. But there is only one (strong) setting, which may be overwhelming for some people.
The High Sierra 1.5 GPM high-efficiency low-flow shower is a low-flow model that feels luxurious. It is the most powerful low-flow shower head we have tested, spraying heavy, moist water droplets, and feels more powerful than the 2.5-gpm setting on some other shower heads. We also appreciate its robust all-metal structure. There is only one setting for High Sierra, so it is less versatile—especially when its strong spray pattern feels too strong. It is also not as attractive as our other options.
Of all the models we tested, this elegant three-jet shower provides the fullest and most powerful rain shower head, and its large, soft water droplets feel gentle on the skin.
*At the time of publication, the price was $74.
This efficient and versatile shower has six different settings. It provides rain showers and hand-held sprinklers to provide all the possible experiences you want.
This shower uses a unique 360-degree rotating design. There are rotating heads on the shower and the handheld base, providing a total of 15 custom showers with different spray combinations.
May be out of stock
*At the time of publication, the price was $90.
This shower head will cover you in a warm and comfortable mist, combined with the cleaning power of the downpour.
With a flow rate of only 1.5 gpm, this ultra-low flow shower nozzle is one of the most adequately sprayed nozzles of any model we have tested. But there is only one (strong) setting, which may be overwhelming for some people.
This guide builds on the work of Sabrina Imbler, who worked with the product manager (person responsible for supervising all aspects of shower heads, from design and engineering to materials) at a major consumer electronics show in Las Vegas (by phone and face-to-face) ), manufacturing and quality control) in Moen, Kohler, Delta, Toto and High Sierra. It also builds on the work of senior writer Tim Heffernan, who spent months testing shower heads for the 2016 edition of this guide and met the industry at the Kitchen and Bathroom Industry Exhibition (KBIS) represent. The long-term editor of the guide, Harry Sawyers, has written articles about how home showers work, and in the past 15 years, he has interviewed many people in the bathing industry to KBIS and international construction trade fairs. He returned to IBS/KBIS in January 2020 to find a new shower head to test this guide. In February 2021, editor Joshua Lyon had a virtual meeting with industry representatives on IBS/KBIS, interviewed Moen’s industrial design director, and spent four months using our previous choices And test the new model.
Renters can and should upgrade the shower head-just save the old one and put it back when you move out. (Homeowners, you already know that you can upgrade.) This is a video on how to install a shower head. We believe that you can do this even if you have never picked up a wrench.
Investing in shower heads seems like a splurge. But a good shower head can steadily spray evenly heated water under any pressure, which will significantly improve your daily life. Any good shower may be an upgraded version you inherited when you moved in. You may not know how bad your shower is. As Sabrina, the original author of this guide, said: "Before writing this guide, I didn't realize that I had been living with uneven and sparse spray and a circle of cold fog surrounding the center of overheating. I hate that shower head now. "Our choice may also make you hate your old shower.
After testing 15 wrenches in the past three years, we have determined that the Channellock 8WCB WideAzz 8-inch adjustable wrench is still the best choice for all-round households with its comfortable handle and wide jaws.
In addition to the basic categories of stationary and handheld (the former is mounted on the wall, the latter has a hose that you can pick up, aim and spray to where you need it), the world of shower heads presents a wealth of aesthetic choices. Shower heads come in many forms (straight, curved, exotic) and styles (traditional, transitional, modern), and each brand uses obscure product names to promote unique spray techniques. But all shower heads should at least use any water pressure or shower head height to provide a satisfactory and consistent spray. We started to show both fixed and handheld options, and we narrowed it down to 18 finalists who met the following criteria.
We take a shower. a lot of. Each shower head we tested has been used at least 3 times. In the more stringent back-to-back test, we may have used it more than 10 times. During the two particularly humid days, Sabrina took more than 20 showers, each time installing a new shower head. Two of Sabrina's roommates also showered regularly with each shower head, and reported their observations and comparisons.
In addition to recording the feel of the spray, we also noticed how easy it was to install each sprinkler, whether there were any leaks, the feeling of adjusting the settings, and how bulky or smooth the sprinklers looked in our bathroom.
Our judgment of performance must be subjective. But our concern boils down to: Does the shower head feel good and work properly? If so, how does it compare to others?
Of all the models we tested, this elegant three-jet shower provides the fullest and most powerful rain shower head, and its large, soft water droplets feel gentle on the skin.
*At the time of publication, the price was $74.
The Kohler 22169-G-CP Forte multifunctional shower is more luxurious and versatile than any other fixed shower we have tested, and we are very happy to use it every day.
In our test, Forte’s three spray settings—a generous, immersive rain shower; a narrow and pulsating massage spray; and a soaking fine spray—feel better than those on other shower nozzles we tested The settings are denser, more powerful, and more enjoyable. Its coverage is also fuller than other shower heads we tested, partly because its design inflates the water droplets, making them larger, softer, and warmer.
Unlike other shower heads we tested, they usually feel sparse and thin, while Forte's nozzles envelop the whole body in lush dampness, feeling like concentric circles of silk ropes violently hitting our backs.
Forte's rain shower setup provides a solid cone of water that soaks every inch. Another setting is a thick, delicate spray that wraps you in something like a ball of warm water, but is strong enough to rinse off soap and shampoo. The narrow pulsating massage setting gives us a real blow to the back (enough to solve some of the knots we have accumulated after working at home in the past year).
Forte is particularly easy to rotate and adjust after installation. You can rotate its spray setting dial with only one hand-this is easier than models that require two hands to switch settings (such as Flipside). This is useful for anyone, especially those with limited arm and shoulder mobility.
Like most fixed shower heads, Forte is easy to install: you just need to unscrew the old model and tighten it. As with many new models, if the Forte nozzle is clogged with limescale, you can use your fingertips to gently wipe on the flexible nozzle tip to remove any deposits.
A noteworthy detail about this model's predecessor 10284 (pre-recommended in this guide is now discontinued): We counted 47 Amazon reviews written by people who used this shower head in certain hotels, such as Holiday Inn Express The hotel and Yosemite Valley Inn, they liked it very much and they ordered one to use at home after visiting. Kohler confirmed this partnership, which illustrates the power of this shower: people have tried it, realized they couldn't live without it, and actually spent time tracking the model. In the words of the critic Roger T: “It’s a bit weird to be so passionate about the shower head, but it’s really good.”
Like all fixed models, Forte lacks the flexibility of a handheld device. If you have children or pets that need to be cleaned frequently, a combination model like Moen Attract Magnetix 26008 or Kohler Freespin Bellerose will be easier.
Forte only has three spray modes. You can use some other shower heads to get more. But we find that these are often integrated with each other, and compared to Forte's three different options, they are individually impressive.
This efficient and versatile shower has six different settings. It provides rain showers and hand-held sprinklers to provide all the possible experiences you want.
Moen Attract Magnetix Chrome Rainshower Combo 26008 is a luxury SUV with shower heads: huge and powerful. The six spray settings of the 1.75-gpm model can meet almost all possible shower needs, and its hand shower is easier to connect (and disconnect) than the competition. However, as with all handheld devices, overhanging hoses will take up space and block some showers.
Between rain showers and handheld settings, 26008 also offers a variety of possible shower experiences, including pulsating, massage-like sprays; rain shower sprays; gentler, wavy; flowing mist; and traditional Concentric rings, silky silky rope spray. The 26008 massage setting is the most powerful we have tested. The main 6¾ inch nozzle is wide enough to provide a wrap-around waterfall, while the 3¾ inch nozzle of the hand-held nozzle has a high-pressure spray that can easily remove shampoo. There are many varieties, very suitable for big families with different preferences. But after using this model for a few weeks, we found ourselves back to several settings. Even this is beyond the norm. We asked Jason Symeon, the company’s industrial design director, whether they had the best number of settings when brainstorming new designs. He said: "Our research tells us that many people set [shower head] as their favorite experience and then leave it there."
Unlike fixed shower heads, 26008's detachable hand-held nozzles can wash every corner, clean the shower or wash children or dogs. The 26008 handheld device has a 5-foot-long flexible stainless steel hose (almost 6 feet including the handheld head), so kinks are avoided (just like using cheaper plastic hoses). The 26008 magnetic docking system is the best of all the systems we have tested. It has a single omni-directional socket and powerful magnet (when the handheld device is a few inches away from the connection point, it will jam the handheld device). Other terminals (such as Kohler Converge and Delta In2ition) require more fiddling to make the magnetic connection work.
The 26008 has a pause/drip button that allows you to stop the water flow when you perform other operations that do not require water (such as shaving) while in the shower. This saves water and maintains your current temperature setting (this will not happen if you use the faucet handle to turn off the shower).
Despite its complex appearance, 26008 is as easy to install as a traditional shower head. You only need to connect the fixed shower head, and then connect the handheld device through the hose. This is not unique to 26008, but many hand-held showers require wall-mounted slide bars or holsters-a lot of work is required to obtain a considerable performance improvement.
This shower uses a unique 360-degree rotating design. There are rotating heads on the shower and the handheld base, providing a total of 15 custom showers with different spray combinations.
May be out of stock
*At the time of publication, the price was $90.
The Kohler Freespin Bellerose 3 nozzle combination has two nozzles that can rotate 360 degrees, just like the hands of a clock. At first glance, the design seems a bit fancy, but after installation, Freespin's excellent versatility is immediately apparent. When you move the device to the desired location, the handheld device will be firmly locked in place with a magnet. Each shower nozzle is fixed in a rotating ball socket, so you can align the water flow of the two nozzles in any direction. When you first use Freespin for an outing, plan to take a leisurely bath so you can make all the adjustments and try not to imagine yourself looking like a naked World War II radio operator. Or do it! The shower time is your time.
The unlimited possibilities of spraying direction and coverage provided by Freespin are very suitable for families with people of different heights and body types. Shoulders wide? Rotate the Freespin to level and adjust the head outward. Tall and skinny? Place the Freespin vertically, with both heads tilted down slightly. Or don't listen to any of these suggestions and set up sprays as needed. Freespin is about choice.
There are three different spraying options for each 5¼-inch spray head—wide coverage, massage, and silk spray (and pause settings)—a total of 15 different flow combinations. The silk spray was a surprise. It feels soft and light like a feather on the face, but its fullness and strength are enough to rinse the shampoo from the hair. The center knob can switch the water flow to a handheld or a fixed stand, or to both at the same time. If you don’t read the instructions, positioning the shunt knob is not intuitive because it looks like an inconspicuous part of the hardware connection rail. We appreciate the subtle design, but it is easy to miss the switch. In fact, we saw a review complaining about Freespin's lack of data exchange options.
Most shower heads that switch between fixed and hand-held output will experience a significant drop in water pressure after using two nozzles. But Freespin's differences were hardly noticed and were quickly forgotten, especially when compared to many models we overlooked. We have seen comments from some consumers who have experienced a drastic change in pressure when both heads are running. However, based on our testing, we believe that they may have received a damaged model (Freespin provides a limited lifetime warranty, which may come in handy if anything goes beyond the Home Depot return policy). The complaint may also be related to the subjectivity of the test shower head. The pipeline can be changed according to preference.
Installing Freespin is as simple as installing Moen 26008: just connect the fixed part of the rail to the existing pipe, and then connect the handheld device through a 5-foot hose. Its design is so elegant and simple that we have never seen such a miracle before. We are very happy to see how Kohler continues to improve this smart new initiative.
This shower head will cover you in a warm and comfortable mist, combined with the cleaning power of the downpour.
It is important to be aware of people who Moen’s Nebia is not suitable for: fans of thump massage settings and (according to Moen’s own literature) people whose water heaters cannot reach and maintain temperatures of 115 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If this doesn’t describe yours Preference or situation, and you like a steam bath, but you want the warm, soothing steam to have enough downward force to bathe properly, then the Nebia, which is surprisingly easy to install with Moen N207C0 shower system, is worth it. And it is better than a professional spa-style bathroom Refurbishment is much cheaper.
Before Moen cooperated with the company, Nebia started on Kickstarter (one of the co-founders was a former Apple engineer). The working principle of the shower is atomized water, because it is discharged from the 7.9 inch shower. Six nozzles turn water droplets into fine mist, and the coverage area is much larger than that of standard shower heads. Therefore, even though it feels like you are using more water, you actually use less water because the water droplets are smaller.
In order to minimize heat loss, the water jet is very fast. However, when the droplets move in the air, a natural degree of cooling occurs, and the effect of such tiny droplets is more significant. This is why it is so important to ensure that your hot water system can maintain a minimum level of heat-otherwise, your bathroom may fall into the cold, hazy atmosphere of film noir, without a comfortable windbreaker. The temperature requirement also means that if you like extremely hot showers, the initial spray of water from the nozzle can be very uncomfortable within about the first quarter of an inch. However, since there is no shower head designed, you can press the skin directly on the surface, so we did not find this to be a problem.
The height of the shower head can be adjusted vertically-up to 17 inches-and slides smoothly along the bracket, stopping exactly where you want it. The round shower head can be rotated left and right. It also tilts upwards, so you can tilt the water flow outwards (like a standard shower head) or let the water pour down from above (like it is installed on the ceiling). The wand is located on a hemispherical magnetic base, so you can tilt two additional sprays anywhere on your body for greater coverage. The wand spray can be turned on and off, but there is no option to use the wand instead of the shower. We have already seen complaints about this because it means you can't just wash the dog with a magic wand. But we don't think this is a shower head, people will think about the drudgery from the beginning. In any case, if you try to use Nebia and determine that it is not for you, Moen offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
The installation looks quite daunting, but it is a literal meaning: the bracket clicks into place on the base, firmly against the shower wall (with a piece of 3M strong adhesive); the wand base is the same as above. For someone who has never done home renovations inside walls, only part of this process may seem daunting: you need to remove the entire shower neck, so after unscrewing with a wrench, you will see a small shower Hole in the wall. Then insert the attached installation key-basically a metal ruler that doubles as a fastener-until it encounters resistance from the inside of the pipe. The letter displayed on the key on the outside of the entrance indicates which of the supplied adapters to be inserted and tightened, the adapter is now used as a new outlet for the water flowing into the Nebia system. This handy video will guide you through the process. Since we opened the box, the installation only took us more than 30 minutes. We have no difficulties. But we hope that the important content of step 8 will be moved to the beginning of the instruction manual to ease the excitement: "In order to obtain the best bond strength, please cure 24 hours before the shower." If you want to move Nebia to other after installation Location, please loosen (using a plastic putty knife) the adhesive under the mounting fixture and order a replacement adhesive tray for $6. If the old adhesive leaves any residue, you may need some Goo Gone.
Other installation requirements (such as the minimum distance required from the existing shower spout to the ceiling) are detailed on the Moen website. Bathroom fans (or operable windows) are also a desirable prerequisite. When we first took a bath with Nebia, we forgot to turn on the fan, and then we witnessed the actual stream winding down the wall. (Running the fan solves this problem.)
We know that these are many warnings, restrictions, and "buts" recommended by Wirecutter products. In any case, we chose Nebia by Moen because the system is aimed at specific types of shower lovers and has the right existing environment to create a unique luxury and steaming spa paradise—unless you are willing and able to own a home ——Improve loans.
With a flow rate of only 1.5 gpm, this ultra-low flow shower nozzle is one of the most adequately sprayed nozzles of any model we have tested. But there is only one (strong) setting, which may be overwhelming for some people.
For very low-flow models, the High Sierra 1.5 GPM high-efficiency low-flow shower head is so rich that it seems impossible: even compared to some 2.5-gpm shower heads, it is full of power. High Sierra only offers one spray pattern, but we found that the heavy drops soaked in it are enough to rinse off the shampoo.
High Sierra doesn't feel like a low-flow shower head at all. In fact, it feels luxurious, immersing you in thick water droplets without exposed patches or cold fog. According to David Malcolm, the founder and designer of High Sierra, a traditional shower head uses a set of nozzles to separate water into discrete micro streams. But in order for the mini-flow to feel effective, these shower heads rely on large amounts of water under high pressure. Inspired by his background as a manufacturer of agricultural irrigation nozzles, Malcolm created a nozzle that can break down low-pressure water streams into coarse water droplets.
In practice, this means that compared to the other low-flow nozzles we tested, High Sierra's nozzles feel less neat, but are significantly more drenched. The High Sierra spray is even more powerful than the rain shower settings of some 2.5-gpm Kohler models we tested. But High Sierra's single spray setting may be a bit strong for some people, if you don't like it, there is no way to adjust it.
High Sierra does not have a fine silicone nozzle that can be rubbed with your fingers to remove limescale, but Malcolm says its wide channel can usually eliminate this problem. Several reviews by long-term Amazon owners seem to confirm the anti-scale ability of this shower head. If you do experience scale or clogging, the company recommends removing the shower head and soaking it in white vinegar for a few hours.
When we last updated this guide, we noticed during testing that the sound of High Sierra was louder than a typical shower head. We ignore this-there is very little noise in High Sierra's comments. But a friend of Tim's with mild tinnitus also tried this shower head and told us that he found the sound "a little uncomfortable". This time, we paid more attention to sound when testing. It still didn't bother any of our users, but we did find other complaints about the loud noise of this shower head. If your ears are very sensitive, High Sierra may not be your best choice.
Kohler will add two new models to its Freespin product line this year, and we plan to test them. From big-name brands, we have also noticed a trend of shower heads with built-in additional functions, such as Bluetooth speakers, aromatherapy and Alexa compatibility. If you are interested in letting us test these special shower heads for an independent guide, please let us know in the comments.
In 2020, Delta introduced an internal component design called UltraSoak for the first time in some of its new showers; Delta claims that this technology sculpts water droplets in a way that mimics the "feeling of dense rainfall." The thickness of the spray on the H2OKinetic UltraSoak 52460 left a deep impression on us, but unfortunately, it was not enough. The shower head produces such full and powerful water droplets that the hollow space inside the spray is frustratingly eye-catching, and the resulting shower is equivalent to biting into the hollow end of an ice cream cone. In addition, given that the retail price of this shower head is over $100, the handle that switches between settings feels very fragile. As disappointed as we are, if Delta comes up with a way to make UltraSoak feel equally powerful from every hole, for complete body coverage, our top fixed installation option may be an important competitor.
Our previous upgrade option, the Delta In2ition 58480 combination, did not perform well in tests with other models in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Its spray pattern is disappointing-the fixed nozzle provides an unpleasant sparse halo, while the other settings feel weak. Undoubtedly, this is due to the problem we encountered when we installed the shower head in 2019: no matter how much Teflon tape we put on the thread or how tight it is, it will leak at the connection point. We have tested more than a dozen other shower heads and have never encountered this problem. In the years since we last tested the new 58480, its reviews have declined, with complaints about leaks and other complaints criticizing the low water pressure of the shower head. The newer reviews are more positive, but the latest model we tested is still far less impressive than the one we chose (for the same reason, we initially removed the Delta 58480 from the list). On the bright side, we did not encounter any leaks this time.
Delta In2ition 58620-25-PK has a detachable handheld device shaped like a magic wand instead of the usual circular attachment. The advantage of this slender design is the soft, continuous waterfall setting, which is very suitable for washing the baby's head. (It also feels good on us.) Unfortunately, this model has many of the same flaws as the Delta 58480. Although we appreciate the features designed for children, properly placed hands can also keep moisture out of one's eyes during the bath. We abandoned the third Delta In2ition model 75583CSN because its plastic connecting nut and backing look cheap.
We have high hopes for the Delta HydroRain 75699, because the fixed mounting part of this dual-handed model is inclined, which means you can better control the position of the overhead spray. The faint flow was doomed from the beginning. In addition, the front of the handheld device forms an acute downward angle toward the handle, and it is difficult to find a comfortable flushing method. This is a really strange design flaw, considering that none of the other handheld devices we tested had similar problems.
Our High Sierra low-traffic budget option now also comes with a handheld option, but we found it to be bulky and unwieldy. And there is only one setting, which is not worth the significant increase in cost.
Moen's Nebia also produces the cheaper spa shower N214R0, which does not have a hand shower. We turned off the hand shower on the model we tested to understand how it feels, and prefer the dual option.
We have some readers asking us to test the popular Speakman Signature Icon Anystream, so we ordered its 1.75 GPM S-2252, which is a highly rated model on Amazon. We do appreciate its weight and quality of the metal rod (it can slide smoothly between three settings, not from one setting to another like most shower heads). But none of the streams provide wide enough coverage to be satisfying.
Our previous budget choice, the Delta Faucet 75152, performed poorly in the 2019 test compared to some of the newer models released since the 2016 test. Since its design has not changed since the last test, we did not consider it again in 2021. Although the 75152 does provide two gpm settings (2.5 and 1.85), the spray feels uneven and faint, and the droplet size is inconsistent, making the outside of the spray feel cooler than the center.
We like the Moen Magnetix 26100EP, which is an affordable hand shower with six spray settings. If you want a handheld option but don't want to pay $100 for Moen 26008, then 26100EP may be for you. We do not recommend 26100EP because a large part of the head (the part that allows it to rotate) is made of plastic, which is softer than metal and is easier to thread and damage during installation. We prefer metal structures.
The single-pack Moen HydroEnergetix 8-spray is another economical option. But of its eight settings, only one (concentrated massage) has achieved the effect, and none of them can provide wide enough body coverage.
We tested the Moen S6320EP and found that its spray power was insufficient. Its 1.75-gpm flow rate feels too low to create a satisfactory rain shower experience. The sprinkler head is 8 inches wide and covers a wide area, but it makes it more difficult for each spout to deliver large amounts of water. It is also too wide, and it is not suitable for showers with shower arms less than 3 inches long (drills screwed in from the shower head coming out of the wall). It is best to be 4 inches or more, because this allows the head to have a complete range of motion.
The Kohler Converge 2 in 1 5 spray combination directs all the water flows to converge in the center, which is the only point on the shower head that really feels the pressure. As the YouTube critic pointed out, this means you need to move the shower head 18 inches away from your body to feel the massage spray. To remove the handheld device, you can push it forward with the handle, just like shifting from first gear to second gear in a manual transmission car. But if there is not enough space behind the shower arm to push out the handheld device, it will basically get stuck. Tim found it was too tight on the 3 inches shower arm in his bathroom; 4 inches or more should be enough. (Measured directly from the wall to the nearest edge of the threaded part of the shower arm.)
Kohler K-15996-CP Flipside is a popular but strange model that changes settings by rotating a nozzle filling disc located in a circular leather case. Two of these settings are traditional-a set of separated jets or a gurgling waterfall. These are all good, but the setting emanating from the narrow edge of the disk is a sparse and flat mist, which we think is not ideal. When you spin the disk to switch settings, it sprays your face in the process.
We tested the 1.5 gpm Niagara N2915CH, which is similar to High Sierra. Niagara has two spray settings, which are technically more versatile, but its shower is not as powerful and lush. In its second setting, there are six rotating streams of water spraying from the head in pairs, creating an uncomfortable cold gap in the center under the taller shower head.
We tested the Hydroluxe 24 functional 3-way 2-in-1 shower, which is one of the most popular and cheapest showers on Amazon. When we tried to assemble it, the model broke (this is a very difficult task), which may be related to the quality and life of the head.
Joshua Lyon is the editor of Wirecutter's emergency preparedness and home improvement topics. He has written and edited for numerous media including Country Living, Modern Farmer, New York Times, V and VMAN, Marie Claire, Jane and Food Network Magazine. He is also a writer and ghostwriter nominated for the Lambda Literary Award. Learn more on jklyon.com.
Authors: Tyler Wells Lynch and Alex Appaya
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