The Best Showerheads We've Ever Tested

Best Overall

Delta Faucet H2Okinetic Raincan Shower Head

$130 at Amazon $195 at Wayfair $169 at Home Depot

Although we’ve used Delta showerheads in the past, this model stood out to us because it just felt more luxurious and well designed. It features five spray modes including a massage spray, full body spray, and power drench spray. There’s also a pause mode that we found to be especially useful when shaving, because it reduces the stream to a trickle instead of turning it off completely. Modes can be switched easily with a button on the side of the showerhead, and we found this to be easier to use than the models you need to twist. 

This fixture looks sleek and shiny, thanks to a chrome Lumicoat finish that resists hard water buildup, making it easier for you to clean (there’s also an option without it, which is cheaper). It’s adjustable and tilts in all directions, and it even saves water with its 1.75-gallon-per-minute flow rate.

After three months of testing, the showerhead looks brand new. It still lacks residue or buildup, and the quality of the water pressure has stayed the same. We’ve appreciated the luxurious shower experience it creates and how the different spray modes are useful for not only customizing the water pressure to our liking, but for rinsing the shower walls when cleaning as well. Overall, we think this is a high-quality and durable pick. However, it doesn’t have a handheld sprayer, which wasn’t a big deal for us but might be important for some.

Type: Fixed | Material and Finish: Chrome Lumicoat, no Lumicoat | Size: 6 inches | Flow Rate: 1.75 GPM | Number of Settings: 5

Best Budget

Delta Faucet In2ition 2-in-1 Dual Shower Head

$50 at Amazon $45 at Home Depot

Considering this Delta model’s features and modern design, we definitely got our money’s worth for its low price. This showerhead features four settings including various types of massage sprays, full body sprays, and a pause function. It also comes with a 5-foot-long handheld hose that could be used to wash hair, bathe your pets, or hose down a tub or bathroom. We found the attachment easy to attach and detach from its base. 

This showerhead is adjustable and can be swirled around to position the spray at different angles. Unfortunately, we skipped out on testing this feature because we didn’t want to damage the old pipes in our bathroom. The spray holes are made from rubber, so you can wipe them down easily without soaking or using cleaning solutions to remove calcium and lime buildup.

We were able to install the showerhead ourselves in 10 minutes. It didn’t leak, but we put plumber’s tape on just in case. Because it’s made out of plastic, we didn’t feel like this was an extremely durable pick, but to be fair, it showed no signs of wear and tear after 50 uses. After three months of continuous use, we’ve seen no changes in performance—it’s just as strong as it was on day one. We love how it gave our bathroom a more modern look and didn’t show signs of leaking, but we wished the water would take less time to warm up when changing modes.

Type: Fixed | Material and Finish: Plastic; chrome, matte black, brushed nickel | Size: 5.81 inches | Flow Rate: 1.75 GPM | Number of Settings: 4 settings

Best Filtered

Act+Acre Filtered Showerhead

$32 at Sephora View on Actandacre.com $120 at Dermstore

The water that you use on your skin matters, which is why upgrading to a filtered showerhead is a worthwhile investment if you want to improve hair and skin health. The trichologist-developed Act + Acre showerhead features 12 filtration systems featuring charcoal, coconut-activated carbon, KDF 55, and calcium sulfite filters to purify water from heavy metals, bacteria, odors, and debris. We used it almost every day and loved how much softer our skin and hair felt after. The stream was dense and powerful with great pressure. Also, it had a wide base, so the water covered a large area in our shower. 

The showerhead comes in a chic black, which doesn't show water spots as easily as chrome options. It also comes with three flow restrictors from 1.8 gallons per minute to 2.5 gallons per minute—the one you’ll use depends on the state you live in. We installed it within minutes using the five-step process outlined in the manual. A wrench and plumber’s tape were included, which was convenient because it needed tightening up after installation. Just be aware that besides the filter, it’s a basic shower head with one spray setting and the filter has to be replaced once every three months. However, you can tilt it back and swivel it around to direct the water flow.

The showerhead still works as expected after three months of testing. We’ve experienced no performance issues, and our hair has felt softer and our skin less irritated and dry. Though the quality has remained the same—water pressure and filter effectiveness included—we wished there was a handheld attachment option and more than one spray setting.

Type: Fixed | Material and Finish: Black | Size: Standard | Flow Rate: 1.8 GPM, 2.0 GPM, 2.5 GPM | Number of Settings: 1

Best Rain

DreamSpa Ultra-Luxury Rainfall Shower Head/Handheld Combo

$50 at Amazon View on Walmart $36 at Home Depot

Rain showerheads are not known to have extras, but this model from Dream Spa is actually a combo unit that comes with a handheld attachment. This makes it much easier for you to wash the suds from your hair or even bathe small children—something that’s hard to do with just a rain showerhead alone. The attachment has a range of spray modes including rain, massage, and waterfall modes that are not featured on the main shower head. These can all be changed with a simple push of a button.

While we didn’t find the Dream Spa to have an overly powerful spray (rain showerheads are typically gentle, so this is normal), its jets provided a steady, dense stream that covered a wide area with no gaps. It’s also easy to clean because it features special rub-clean jets that resist buildup. The head can be tilted in all directions.

Although this was easy to mount, it would have been nice if it were magnetic, which would make it even easier (for kids in particular) to put the handheld piece back on the handle.

After testing this showerhead for three months, we noticed that although the pressure remains the same, some of the jets are no longer spraying straight; a few have strayed a bit to the side. While some did improve after cleaning, this wasn’t always the case. That said, the fixture itself looks nearly brand new after cleaning, and the handheld attachment has been easy to use and switch between.

Type: Fixed and handheld combo | Material and Finish: Matte black, satin nickel, silver | Size: 9 inches | Flow Rate: 2.5 GPM | Number of Settings: 5

Best Aromatherapy

Canopy Filtered Shower Head

View on Amazon $150 at Sephora View on Getcanopy.co

This NSF-certified showerhead is a treat for your skin and senses because it filters impurities and releases essential oil scents while you’re in the shower. The included aromatherapy kit features lemon verbena, eucalyptus, and grapefruit, which made our shower smell nice (though it didn’t last as long as we’d hoped for). That said, this could have been human error; we may not have added enough drops.

For those who like to take long showers, this model features a 2.5 gallon-per-minute flow rate but has a restrictor that brings the flow down to 1.8 gallons per minute if your state has different regulations. The nozzles are evenly spaced and feature three stream settings: wide, narrow, and dual. In all modes, the spray was steady and consistent except for the dual-stream setting, which we found to have the weakest flow.

The included filter promises to remove 99% of chlorine, bacteria, fungi, and other heavy metals. During testing, we didn’t see any noticeable difference in our skin or hair but will keep a close eye on that as we continue to long-term test it. Note that the filter and the aromatherapy kit must be changed every 90 days, which can be done directly from Canopy’s website at a discounted price.

As we’ve continued to test it over the course of three months, we still haven’t noticed a difference in our hair or skin, and we had an issue with the pressure not being as strong as we would’ve liked due to the bigger surface area. The pressure doesn’t weaken throughout the course of the shower, though, and we haven’t experienced any leaking post shower. We also appreciated how easy it was to clean because of the silicone surface—no water residue or buildup occured—and how the quality has stayed the same in terms of water pressure and general wear and tear.

Type: Fixed | Material and Finish: Plastic; black, nickel, brass, chrome | Size: 7 inches | Flow Rate: 2.5 GPM, 1.8 GPM | Number of Settings: 3

Best Large

Kohler Awaken Rain Showerhead

$250 at Amazon $167 at Home Depot $179 at Lowe's

When you need to rejuvenate after a long day, a warm and luxurious shower can help you decompress. This 10-inch rain showerhead from Kohler features a sleek and elegant look that could be mounted to the wall or ceiling, and you can always buy a shower arm separately to accommodate a range of heights.

Although this showerhead has enough holes to supply a concentrated amount of water, it has a weaker water flow, which is common for larger showerheads (and rain showerheads in particular). It’s not quite as powerful as a targeted showerhead (it might take longer to wash your hair), but it’s still better than many hotel rain showerheads we’ve experienced. Keep in mind that it has no extra settings, which is normal for rain showerheads.

Even though you’ll need a wrench to install it, we found the installation process super easy and didn’t have to refer to an instruction manual while doing it. The only snafu we came across was that it was a bit leaky in the beginning—nothing a little plumber’s tape couldn’t solve. This showerhead is available in 8- and 10-inch options.

We haven’t encountered any issues after three months of testing. The flow of water remains the same, the spray face isn’t clogged, and leaking is nonexistent. Though the water pressure isn’t as strong as some due to the bigger surface area, it makes for a more relaxing shower experience while still being powerful enough to rinse out shampoo. Keep in mind that this showerhead doesn’t have a handheld option, though we’ve enjoyed the sleek look it provides without it.

Type: Fixed | Material and Finish: Polished chrome, matte black, oil rubbed bronze, brushed nickel, brushed Brass | Size: 8 inches, 10 inches | Flow Rate: 1.75 GPM | Number of Settings:1

Best Dual

Moen Verso Shower With Infiniti Dial

$122 at Amazon $89 at Home Depot View on Moen.com

The addition of a handheld attachment makes the Moen showerhead a convenient option for wash days, shaving your legs, and bath time for kids. It comes with a 60-inch hose and uses magnetic technology to lock the attachment in place, so you can just hang it up without really looking. One of its major selling points is that while you can use both pieces separately, you can also use the handheld piece and main shower head together to cover more area in your shower. There are eight spray settings including massage, pause, and rain patterns. You can easily slide between settings using an infinity dial that’s found on both the handheld and main showerhead. 

While it is easy to adjust the showerhead’s angle, it doesn’t have a wide range of movement—we were only able to tilt it up and down. While there are cheaper showerheads with more features, we still prefer this Moen over them because the parts are top quality and seem like they could last a long time.

Three months of daily testing proved that we still love it. It performs the same as the first day we tested it, and we’ve loved the pressure and setting options. In fact, we don’t have any issues to report—the hose, levers, and fixtures have held up perfectly, and we haven’t experienced any buildup or clogging.

Type: Fixed and handheld combo | Material and Finish: Brushed nickel, chrome | Size: 7  inches | Flow Rate: 1.75 GPM, 2.5 GPM | Number of Settings: 8

Best Water Pressure

Hansgrohe Raindance Showerhead

$199 at Amazon View on Build.com

Despite its small head size, the Hansgrohe Raindance Showerhead comes through for those wanting a luxurious shower experience. It features special technology that mixes air with water, which increases the volume while using less water. There are three spray settings: rain air for everyday showers, balance air (a mix of drops and massage spray), and whirl air (a pure massage spray). 

Note that the settings were not as easy to change compared to others on our list, as we couldn’t switch it with one hand. That said, we found that the water pressure was nothing less than amazing, offering a steady, dense stream while we showered. The only thing we didn’t like was that the showerhead was barely over 5 inches, which looked too small for our shower.

After testing the showerhead for three months, the water pressure and quality were still great, and there weren’t any signs of rust or buildup. We also found the regular setting to do the trick for all our needs, so we didn’t find ourselves switching between settings often.

In terms of cleaning the showerhead, we didn’t find it necessary to wipe it down, mostly because the rubber nozzles are so tiny, which prevents gunk from building up over time. What’s also nice is that it comes in four colorways, so it’s easy to find one to match your bathroom. Although this is a quality option, we thought it was a little overpriced considering that it came with only basic features. 

Type: Fixed | Material and Finish: Chrome, brushed bronze, brushed nickel, black chrome | Size: 5.38 inches | Flow Rate: 2.5 GPM | Number of Settings: 3

Best for Small Showers

Kohler Flipside Showerhead

$82 at Amazon $95 at Wayfair $89 at Lowe's

For regular to small showers, forget the rainfall showerhead and go for one that will fit neatly. This model is about 5 inches long and wide and features four spray settings: a fine mist spray, massage spray, circular, and regular coverage spray. Our favorite was the mist setting because it was relaxing and felt like a gentle breeze on our skin. We also appreciated that all settings could easily be switched with one hand.

Typically, small shower heads don’t have a ton of coverage, but we found that this Kohler sprayed at a wider angle. However, if you’re under 5-foot-6, it may not be the best option for you, as the spray will hit your face rather than your body. The other downside is that it tends to spray across the sides of the shower, so you might have wet floors when you’re done. There are two flow rates available: a higher pressure 2.5 gallons per minute and a water-conserving 1.75 gallons per minute. 

We found no changes in performance after testing this showerhead for three months. We loved how easy it was to clean and switch between settings, but we did notice that switching between settings sometimes resulted in a short blast of cold water due to leftover water in the nozzles that weren’t in use.

Overall, the variety of spray settings, durability, and easy installation make it this a step above your regular showerhead. Just note that its chrome color shows water spots easily, so you’ll have to stay on top of wiping it down to keep it sleek and shiny. 

Type: Fixed | Material and Finish: Polished nickel, brushed nickel, polish chrome, oil rubbed bronze | Size: 5.4 inches | Flow Rate: 1.75 GPM, 2.5 GPM | Number of Settings: 4

Best Settings

T3 Source Showerhead

$150 at Amazon $150 at Nordstrom $150 at Skinstore.com

If you’re looking for a showerhead with plenty of features and filters, the T3 is a good pick. This showerhead features seven spray settings and a powerful filtration system that uses a mineral mix of zinc, copper, and calcium sulfide to remove contaminants such as chlorine, dirt, rust, and odors from the water.

We thought this showerhead was large and offered both strong water pressure and good flow. After a month of continuous use, our hair felt more moisturized. It also comes with a matching shower arm to help adjust the showerhead higher or lower. Because the instructions were clear and it needed no special tools to set up, it was easy for us to DIY it. However, it did leak a tiny bit after installation, but we didn’t think it was a big problem. Just keep in mind that you’ll have to pay for a filter replacement every six months (or once you’ve used 10,000 gallons).

After three months of testing, we weren’t sure whether it made a difference in their hair or skin, and we felt that there wasn’t quite enough water pressure. That said, we didn’t notice any changes in overall water pressure or cleanliness throughout the testing period—the quality remained consistent, and we appreciated the variety of settings.

Type: Fixed | Material and Finish: Iron, copper; polished | Size: 5.25 inches | Flow Rate: 2 GPM | Number of Settings: 7