bathroom shower head - rain or regular?

7 years ago

I'm in the middle of a master bathroom shower install and wondered what is better - a regular shower head or a rain head? I'm not sure I would like the water on my face the whole time I'm showering, however, it does seem more relaxing to take a rain shower. Opinions, please.

Featured Answer

flopsycat1

7 years ago

I have never understood the allure of rain head showers. I don't wash my hair every day and would not like to have water falling on my head when I shower. As Bev has indicated, standard shower heads can provide various massage/ pulse options. We live in the desert where water is scarce. Better for us to find another way to relax than a lengthy soaking deluge.

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Comments (39)

Bev
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I do not have a rain head shower head but we do have one of the largest shower messaging shower heads and I love having the water beating down on me the whole time! I would suggest you getting one that can also be hand held, which is what we use and love!
Raquel Ritschel thanked Bev
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Judy Mishkin
7 years ago
i love our rain head, its really a quite remarkable experience. we have a kohler and it gives us the big fat drops, this is our vacation home on a well.

but you will always need a second head for when you dont want to wash your hair. we did a hand held one on a vertical bar, good for washing down the tile and glass as well.
Raquel Ritschel thanked Judy Mishkin
einportlandor
7 years ago
If you only have one, a regular shower head is most practical. If you can afford two, indulge yourself. Personally, I find rinsing my thick hair difficult with a rain shower head, but they sure are nice to stand under on a cold winter day.
Raquel Ritschel thanked einportlandor
Ellie RK
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
We have both in our shower. My husband loves the rain head, I love the regular hand shower, ours is Hansgrohe. Have you tried a rain head shower? I find I only use it to wash the conditioner out of my hair.

But, it's really a personal preference.

eta: If you can only get one, the regular is definitely more versatile.
Raquel Ritschel thanked Ellie RK
Kelley Dockrey
7 years ago
another vote for a regular shower head if you only have one. if you have more than one shower head, then you might include a rain shower head. I have rain shower heads in all my showers and I rarely use them. I have Hansgrohe and Kohler. Kohler heads seem to keep themselves cleaner than the Hansgrohe heads. the salts in the water tend to crystalize and clog the water outlets on the Hansgrohe heads worse than they do in the Kohler heads. I have no idea why. all my regular shower heads are from Hansgrohe and they also tend suffer the same crystal problem. however, they are more manageable since they do not require a ladder to clean unlike the Hansgrohe rain showerhead and some of the Kohler rain shower heads.
Raquel Ritschel thanked Kelley Dockrey
Ellie RK
7 years ago
Interesting, I haven't had that problem (yet). But the rain shower is in our weekend home so we only use it when we're there.

I do have hansgrohe at home too, but it's a regular shower and I haven't had any issues here either.
Kelley Dockrey
7 years ago
I am in the process of having hansgrohe replace most of my shower heads and wall sprays. the rainshower head is just fine. I think that they must have realized that there is a problem with the showerheads that I have since they stopped making them wit the sam features. i lIke the champagne bubble spray that my regular heads have. however, this feature stopped working on several of mine and they no longer offer it in the multi-spray model.that they have available. I'm thankful for the hansgrohe warranty.
Ellie RK
7 years ago
Kelly, I just checked mine. It's the Hansgrohe 27493821 Raindance 300 AIR Shower Head- and it specifically states: "225 no clog spray channels." I think they heard you!
mark1993
7 years ago
We have a Hansgrohe rain shower head which I believe is a 13 inch diameter. We love it! We also have a hand held on a vertical bar and only use it to wash our Lab.
smit2380
7 years ago
I absolutely loathe rain shower heads.
jmm1837
7 years ago
I've got both in our shower - rain shower head at one end, hand-held shower on a rail at the other. Rain shower head gets by far the greatest use, but it's nice to have both. If I only had one, I'd go for the adjustable one on the rail, though.
emilyam819
7 years ago
I hate rain shower heads. You either have to stand completely under it and get water streaming down your face, or you step to the side and get cold because no water is on you. It makes for a frustrating shower experience for me!
jmm1837
7 years ago
@emily - well, as they say, different strokes - I love being under a full, generous shower of hot water. It just feels so good. And regardless of the kind of shower, my face always gets wet, so I might as well enjoy it :) In the end, it's all a matter of personal preference.
Kelley Dockrey
7 years ago
it is funny how the discussion of standard shower head versus rain shower head repeats on here.

one more comment that seems relevant is that if you want the best possible rainshower experience, then I recommend that one purchase the largest head as possible so that the whole body is doused from the downpour.
baileysr
7 years ago
I would go with regular. I don't have a raid head, but have used them in hotels. With a rain head you have two choices: 1) have water falling straight down over your face so you can't see or breathe or 2) stand outside the water stream and freeze. Not for me...
Kathi Steele
7 years ago
I have the Grohe Power&Soul® Head Showers that converts to rain, jet and combo. I have long thick hair that I do not always want to wash. I love the shower head. We have softened water, but I have only had to scrub the stuff off once in the 12 months we have had the shower head and that was last month!!
PRO
Mega Builders
7 years ago
This is really a matter of personal preference (my vote is a regular shower head if you only have one), but here are some additional things to consider:

1. We often see rain heads installed too high. You should be aware that the water temperature drops noticeably with the distance of travel.

2. We also often install both a regular shower head and a rain head. Note though that current codes prohibit making it possible for both to work simultaneously. You will need a diverter to control water to either rain head or shower head.

3. There are hybrid fixtures that may offer some of both approaches where the shower head is mounted on an arm that can be adjusted. With some models, this arm is long enough so as to (almost) be used as a rain head as well (if installed high enough)

Good luck!
canadiankathy
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
We just installed the Delta Vero rain shower and I absolutely love it. I haven't noticed any of the negatives that are being mentioned at all. I have long hair and have no problem rinsing under the rain head. I haven't noticed that my face gets wet anymore than it did with the old shower head. Also it is installed at 8 ft high and the water is nice and warm when it hits me. We have a handheld as well but so far Ive only used it to rinse the walls/ glass.
Ellie RK
7 years ago
@mark1993

You mean you only use it for this? lol.. That's the only time my hubs uses it as well.
flopsycat1
7 years ago
@Ellie RK- is your bulldog patiently waiting her turn? My pup would be running out the door.
Ellie RK
7 years ago
@flopsycat1 - The door was closed, he had nowhere to run :)

The handheld is great for pets. This particular one is also a Hansgrohe and has various spray modes. One is like a helix and mine love running into it.
mark1993
7 years ago
Ellie, LOL!! Love your photo! We have to shut the door as well. Our handheld has different spray modes as well. Do you sit on your bench when you bathe the dogs?
mark1993
7 years ago
Our shower
mark1993
7 years ago
Ellie RK
7 years ago
@mark1993 - Thanks.

No, the hand held doesn't reach the bench. Can't tell in the pic, but it's a 7 ft shower. Would never build a shower that large again, but that's another thread.

I think the placement of the rain head shower also makes a difference. Ours is in the middle of the ceiling, and to get the full effect, you stand directly underneath.

My handheld is attached to the wall via an S Wall Bar (also Hansgrohe) so the water doesn't need to pour down your face. I think that's why I prefer it. Hubs though, like you, loves the full rain shower effect.
Judy Mishkin
7 years ago
our shower at our vacation home is 4x8' and i wish i could build another just like it in our home. ellie, do you mean your rain head is Smack Dab in the middle of the 7' length? that does seem unfortunate. ours is at one end, works great.

our ceiling is 8', i cant know if higher is a problem. i'd be wary of it being attached to the wall, it really has to come out pretty far or you are smunched against a wall. the rain heads at hotels that were tipped at an angle just were never as good as the drops coming straight down.
Ellie RK
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
@nnigrt I'm not sure if it's smack in the middle of the 7', or if it's in the middle minus the bench length. Never measured but I will next time we're up.

The location of the rain shower is perfect though. I just prefer my hand held which ironically is also a rain shower.
mark1993
7 years ago
We had to exchange our horizontal bar for a longer one. I have no problem at all getting fully underneath.
mark1993
7 years ago
mark1993
7 years ago
Ellie RK
7 years ago
Mark, you said yours was 13" right? I think ours is 12". Maybe I should let my hubs know there's a larger one out there :D
PRO
Green Project
7 years ago
Based on personal and professional experience: Adjustable bar hand shower is the best option. Rain showers, while perceived as luxurious, are a bit of a fad and according to my wife, a real pain when you don't plan on getting your hair wet.
Geneviève
7 years ago
Get the "Comando 450"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMITcQUe-9M
Frankie
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Two things that could help out here. After I say I have no opinion one way or the other. You can order specialty extra long hoses made for ADA showers to add to your handhelds. . CLR cleaner will remove the deposits from your shower heads. You remove the shower head and soak it in it for about 5 - 10 minutes. Rinse it and put it back on.
jmm1023
7 years ago
We are remodeling the hall/guest bathroom and so appreciated the pros and cons in this thread. While I would put a rain shower in the master, I think a regular shower head with handheld is the way to go for guests/grandkids. Thanks all!
Patricia Randall
6 years ago
Thank you everyone. We are doing a small hallway guest bath also and think we will stick with with regular shower head. THIS WAS SOOO HELPFUL !!!
mamario
4 years ago
The feeling of rain is really great, I would definitely recommend the rainfall shower head. Especially the rain shower heads with high pressure, taking a shower every day is like a happy rain in the heavy rain. All day of unhappiness was washed into the sewer, decompression effect? Hahaha.
Kivia Charles
3 years ago
Hand held shower head is an alternative that i would recommend, this makes showering experience to another level by precisely directing what where is needed most, most importantly when rinsing off the lathering.

bathroom shower head - rain or regular?

Comments (39)

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