The 8 Best Shower Heads of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

Jun 27, 2023

Upgrade your daily shower with the Waterpik 12-Spray High Pressure Dual Shower Head.

Melanie Rud is a freelance beauty writer, editor, and expert living in Chicago.

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People / Emma Tollefson

No matter whether you look at showering as purely functional or as a special self-care moment, it’s something that most of us do daily (and Dwayne Johnson does it three times a day!). But when it comes to upgrading your shower routine to make it feel a bit more special, think beyond just the products you’re using — like changing out the hardware in the shower itself. Swapping out a run-of-the-mill shower head can make a huge difference when it comes to your time spent under the spray.

“The right shower head can make your everyday routine feel like stepping into the spa. It’s a pretty tiny upgrade that can make a major impact, both in terms of form and function,” says Heather Goerzen, Havenly design editor. From improving water pressure to filtering out unwanted minerals and chemicals to making an outdated bathroom aesthetic feel more modern, this simple swap has a variety of benefits, she adds.

The good news: There are plenty of options, all with various settings and features to choose from. The bad news: There are plenty of options to choose from. To help make your shower head shopping easier, keep reading. We tested some of the top models on the market, using and reviewing them for weeks and evaluating everything from ease of setup to performance to durability. After establishing our favorites, we kept testing them for six months and updated our findings below.

Here, the best shower heads that PEOPLE tested.

Home Depot

Massage setting is powerful

Wall-mount shower head turns 360 degrees and tilts up and down for complete coverage

Installation time is very quick

All attaching pieces are made of plastic, which may not be as durable as other materials

Our top performer was a dual shower head featuring a wall-mount head and an attached hand-held piece. Both were easy to use and had great range. We loved how the main shower head could turn 360 degrees and tilt up and down. We gave it perfect or nearly perfect scores in every category across the board, calling out that installation took less than five minutes, including the time it took to remove our old shower head. We found that the shower head was easy to keep clean and didn’t see any water spots after use.

But the variety of water flow settings — nine on the main shower head, including one with extra-strong pressure, and three on the wand — was especially noteworthy. We found that the water flow was strong on the shower head as well as the wand — the range of settings and differences really helped level up our shower experience, especially considering the blissful massage setting. This also won’t break the bank; it rang in less than the median $100 price point of all the options we tested. It does bear mentioning that all the attachment pieces are made of plastic, which may not bode well in terms of long-term durability, though there are three finishes to choose from.

This shower head is also WaterSense certified, which means that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that this is a water-efficient product that uses less water than conventional shower heads.

How it's held up:

We were pleasantly surprised by how well this shower head held up over six months of long-term testing. The pressure features continued to perform just as strongly as they did the first time we used them, and there was no leaking or dripping. After six months of use, the showerhead was also surprisingly clean, with just a bit of mineral buildup on the outer joints that we easily removed by soaking the parts in vinegar for two or three hours, which left the head looking as good as new.

Price at time of publish: $70

Size: 5 in shower head; 10 in hand shower | Type: Dual, handheld & wall-mount | Finishes: 3 | Hose Length: 8 ft | Spray Settings: 12

Amazon

Delivered a wide stream of water

Easy to install and clean

Feels durable despite being made of plastic

No adjustable pressure or spray setting on this showerhead

Believe it: You can find a great, well-performing, aesthetically-pleasing shower head for a great price. This top contender is proof positive. While it doesn’t have a ton of extra bells or whistles and has just one water setting, we found that this wall-mounted shower head delivered a nice, wide stream of water and rotated in all directions for plenty of coverage. Even more so, we loved the extensive range of finishes and colors (eight to be exact). Despite being made of plastic, it still looked and felt high-quality and was easy to install and clean. This product is not WaterSense Certified for water efficiency by the EPA, however it does have a maximum outflow of 1.8 gallons per minute (GPM) to help you keep your water usage in check.

If you’re on the hunt for a shower head that will pretty up your shower and make it feel more rainfall-esque, and you don’t necessarily care about having varied pressure settings, this is the perfect, wallet-friendly pick.

How it's held up:

Through three months of long-term testing, the SparkPod shower head didn't falter. The pressure stayed consistently strong, and the nozzle didn't clog at all. Plus, the bronze color makes it hard to see any water spots, so we didn't have to wipe it down to make it look clean and new.

Price at time of publish: $33

Size: 6 in | Type: Wall-mount | Finishes: 8 | Hose Length: N/A | Spray Settings: 1

People / Emma Tollefson

Amazon

Magnetic docking system makes it easy to attach and detach

Lightweight shower head is easy to hold and maneuver

Not much of a difference noted between the six settings

Hose is a bit short

Having a handheld shower head can be a game-changer when it comes to rinsing off kids or pets (or even being able to clean corners of the stall you might not otherwise be able to reach). Our testers found the lightweight shower head was easy to hold while rinsing off their kids during a long bath. We did note, however, that the hose could be a bit longer for easier use. The magnetic docking system is the true game-changer, though. “I’m only 5 feet tall, and the magnetic connection is a dream for being able to snatch the handheld piece down without reaching, straining, or slipping,” our tester said.

This showerhead has three finishes to choose from, including chrome, matte black, and brushed nickel. We found the shower head was easy to clean and didn’t form water spots even with hard water. While this has six spray settings, it bears mentioning that we found them to be a bit repetitive and noted that they basically all fell into either a gentle or strong category. We did find the water flow to be consistent, though, and liked that you could choose a gentle and wide stream or a narrow and strong stream. We gave it a perfect five out of five in the value category, calling out that it felt like a great bargain. As a bonus, it also has the EPA WaterSense certification for water efficiency.

Price at time of publish: $64

Size: 3.5 in | Type: Handheld | Finishes: 3 | Hose Length: 5 ft | Spray Settings: 6

People / Anna Knief

Amazon

Nozzle on top can be used as a pressure washer for cleaning purposes

Showerhead may leak

This model scored a five out of five when it came to settings, boasting eight different ones ranging from a soft mist to wide rain to high-power massage. Speaking of high power, along with the high-pressure settings that can be used for your body, the top of this nozzle features a spray that delivers two extra intense settings meant to be used for pressure-washing, which we found unique and useful. We found the water has a nice flow, with even coverage and no gaps in the water stream. However, this product does use more water than most of the other shower heads (2.5 gallons per minute) and does not have the WaterSense certification.

It’s one of the more affordable choices in this roundup, but it still has some other nice features, including an extra wall attachment for the handheld piece to be mounted lower down in the shower. We're docking it a bit for the fact that it's made of lightweight plastic, but we noted it was quite easy to clean. Also noteworthy: Anti-clog nozzles, a boon for those in areas with hard water and lots of mineral build-up.

How it's held up:

We continued to enjoy the AquaCare showerhead and all of its functions through an extra three months of testing. The removable handheld shower head proved to be very useful for cleaning the shower and washing our pets, and the pressure stayed consistent with no clogging. During those three months of use, we realized that of the eight pressure settings offered, we really only needed three of them. But hey, better to have too many settings than not enough!

Price at time of publish: $35

Size: 6.5 in | Type: Handheld | Finishes: 3 | Hose Length: 72 in | Spray Settings: 8

People / Laura Ellefson

Walmart

Handheld shower head attaches and detaches magnetically

Easy to toggle between spray settings with just one button

Nice wide stream of water

Installation requires a wrench

Chrome finish is prone to water spots

Editor's note: Better Homes & Gardens is owned by PEOPLE's parent company, Dotdash Meredith.

The distinct design of this winning option makes it a solid choice for anyone looking for a wall mount, handheld, or a little bit of both. The detachable, magnetic handheld portion is square, and the wall-mounted part features two U-shaped panels on either side. The result? A nice, wide stream of water that doesn’t leave any gaps. Both parts have different pressure settings, which you can switch between with the push of a button, another feature we discovered during testing. While it doesn’t have the WaterSense certification, it does have a water-efficient 1.8-gallon-per-minute flow.

This model is only available in a chrome finish, which is prone to water spots. However, we found that the rubber nozzles on the shower head were easy to clean, and the water spots were wiped easily off. Worth noting: While installation is easy, it did require the use of a wrench, so be sure to have one handy.

How it's held up:

After six months of long-term testing, this shower head performed just as well as it did during our very first use. The magnet handheld piece works great and keeps the showerhead in place, and the adjustable side panels were helpful in altering the width of the spray to fit each user's preference.

Price at time of publish: $48

Size: 4.64 x 8.07 x 11.65 in | Type: Dual, handheld & wall-mount | Finishes: 1 | Hose Length: 72 in. | Spray Settings: 6

People / Alicia Dolieslager

Amazon

Steady, wide water coverage, despite having a speaker take up surface area

Speaker has good sound with easy pairing

Rubber components aren’t necessarily aesthetically pleasing

Only one water spray setting

If you have been using a portable waterproof speaker as your backing track going while you sing in the shower, a shower head with a built-in speaker, like this one, is the way to go. We loved how easy the Bluetooth speaker was to set up and use. It fits magnetically in the middle of the square-shaped shower head and can easily be removed after the shower to continue jamming out while you move onto your skincare routine. Both the sound and ease of pairing the speaker to your phone were also lauded in our testing, as was the steady, wide water flow.

This wall-mount showerhead is available in three finishes, including matte black, polished chrome, and brushed nickel. That being said, there aren’t any variable spray or pressure settings, and a large part of this shower head is made of rubber, which does change the overall aesthetic. We found that the rubber speaker resisted spotting and rust, but the wall-mounting components did develop water spots. The manual didn’t provide cleaning instructions for the shower head, but the spots were wiped off easily with a dry towel. And if conserving water is important to you (we hope!), this has the WaterSense certification for water efficiency.

Price at time of publish: $70

Size: 5.75 in | Type: Wall-mount | Finishes: 3 | Hose Length: N/A | Spray Settings: 1

Home Depot

Easiest installation of all models we tested

Nice range of spray settings from gentle to intense

Four-way adjustable positioning is helpful for all different heights and needs

Handheld spray setting is a bit difficult to control, especially for small showers

As a general note, all of our winners were fairly easy to install, but this one really excelled in that department, requiring just a tiny bit of elbow grease. No tools required were required, either. The handheld shower head is lightweight and easy to detach and has four-way adjustable positioning. The six varied settings — a nice mix of gentle and more intense pressure — also earned rave reviews from our testers. We liked how the flow and the water pressure were steady and strong. The handheld option could be a little tricky in smaller showers, as the spray easily covered the entire shower.

In terms of care, the shower head was easy to clean, however, we did note it had rubber tips on the nozzles, so it remains to be seen how those hold up in the long run. This product also has the WaterSense certification for water efficiency.

Price at time of publish: $45

Size: 4.9 in | Type: Handheld | Finishes: 2 | Hose Length: 5 ft | Spray Settings: 6

People / Kate Donovan

Lowes

Both shower heads can be used simultaneously

Long, flexible hose stretches up to 82 inches

Unique pause feature is great for conserving water

Easy installation

Removing and reattaching the handheld shower piece required a bit of force

Considering the overall value, this model is more expensive than most we tested

For those inspired by Gwyneth Paltrow’s home spa — and like to feel like they’re being fully drenched — rain shower heads make it easy to achieve that effect. It’s unique because it also features a handheld sprayer (with a hose that stretches up to 82 inches, a feature we discovered during testing). Both the rain can and handpiece can be used at the same time, ideal when you really want to be fully immersed, and the rain can pivots up to 40 degrees for customizable height. The water flow was consistent, without notable gaps in water coverage.

This model is available in eight different finishes to appeal to every style preference. It is worth noting that removing and reattaching the handheld shower piece was a little tricky. We liked how easy it was to toggle between the five different spray settings, noting that it could even be done with one finger. It even features a unique "pause" option, which slows water to a drip, which is great if you’re trying to conserve water while you shave your legs (with your new favorite ravor) or deep condition your hair. The installation was also easy and only took a few minutes with no tools required. We didn’t note any water spots, and it was very easy to clean as it only needed to be wiped down with a cloth, per the manufacturer's recommendations.

This model also earned the WaterSense certification for water efficiency. Where this didn’t perform quite so well was value. While we loved the quality and elevated appearance, which did help justify the price, we’d recommend buying it on sale.

Price at time of publish: $297

Size: 3.5 in | Type: Dual, handheld & wall-mount | Finishes: 8 | Hose Length: 60 to 82 in | Spray Settings: 5

People / Christine Colby

Shower heads come as either wall-mounted (what you would think of when you think of a traditional shower head) or handheld, which come attached to a hose. Many options, including the winning Waterpik 12-Spray High Pressure Dual Shower Head featured on this list, have both. It comes down to a matter of personal preference as well as lifestyle needs. For example, wall-mounted models can often be turned in different directions, great if you like to sometimes keep your hair dry, notes Brian Messana of Messana O’Rourke, an architecture and interior design firm. “A handheld shower head is a good option for hard-to-reach-places on your body and to clean the shower, tub, or even your dog,” he adds.

Different spray settings will adjust the amount of pressure; again, choose based on what you like. If you work out often, you may like a shower head that has an option for a pulse or massage setting, notes Messana. Love relaxing, gentle showers? Those with a rain function are ideal.

Function aside, you’ll want to think about how your new shower head looks in your bathroom, too. “When it comes to choosing a finish, keep it consistent by getting all the fixtures from the same brand, so they don’t look out of place,” suggests Goerzen. “That being said, it’s totally fair game to mix up your metals. Maybe you have black hardware on your sink, but you want brass in your shower — as long as [they look good together], mixing metals can look super chic,” she says.

Switching up your shower head can help conserve water, a boon for your environment and your wallet, notes Gustavo Tinajero, home furnishing business leader for bathrooms at IKEA U.S. If this is a top priority for you, look for ones that indicate water-saving features. For example, the winning Moen Engage Magnetix Spot Resist Six-Function Eco-Performance Handheld Showerhead has an EPA certification, while the Delta HydroRain Two-in-One 5-Spray H2Okinetic Shower Head has a pause function to help you conserve water mid-shower.

People / Christine Colby

In total, we tested 20 different shower head models. Each tester installed their new shower head in their home bathrooms, following the manufacturer's instructions, taking note of how easy — or in some cases, how difficult — that process was. We then used them for two weeks, after which we ranked the product on a scale of 1 to 5 in categories such as features (extra bells and whistles), performance (how well and evenly the water flowed), settings, durability (how easy it was to clean — again, following the manufacturer's instructions — and maintain), and value. We then evaluated all shower heads against each other and chose the winners based off highest scores and testing insights. After selecting our favorites, we continued to use the showerheads for six months and updated our list with new insights.

Theoretically, yes. “If you are replacing an older shower head, your new piece should provide a noticeable difference upon the first few uses. If it doesn't improve, this may indicate a larger problem related to water pressure within the home, but so long as water pressure isn’t the issue, a new shower head can be more powerful,” says Tinajero. To that point, we did discover a noticeable increase in water pressure across the board during our tests.

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions, as each product is a bit different. However, this is usually a fairly easy DIY project. We removed our old shower heads and installed the winning new ones usually within minutes and required only a small tool (often a wrench), if any tools at all. So, don’t be intimidated, as making the swap is typically much easier than it seems.

“If it’s properly maintained, a shower head can last for one to two years," Tinajero tells us. "The most common signs to replace include a lack of pressure, leaking, mold and mildew buildup, and mechanical faults." To that point, cleaning your shower head regularly is important and even more so if you have hard water, which ups the likelihood of mineral build-up, notes Messana.

Melanie Rud is a beauty and lifestyle writer who covers a wide array of topics. For this story, she closely evaluated the insights from each individual tester and compared the winning picks against each other. She also interviewed Heather Goerzen, Havenly design editor, Brian Messana of Messana O’Rourke, an architecture and interior design firm, and Gustavo Tinajero, home furnishing business leader for bathrooms at IKEA U.S. and conducted her own market research to further inform our recommendations.

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