Everyone likes to be able to relax, to be able to let the stress of the day go. One of the many ways that a lot of people choose to do relax is by showering. Starting or ending the day with a shower can help lower stress and be very relaxing. This can put you in a better mood for the day going forward or make the rest of your day just a little bit better.
If you are a person who finds showers relaxing, then you’ve probably thought about switching to a rain showerhead. But what are some of the pros and cons of switching to a rain shower head?
Rain showerheads are easy to install, tranquil, and can provide a full-body shower. However, they tend to not have a lot of water pressure, are very expensive, and have to be set at a certain height.
Although rain showerheads have drawbacks, the lack of water pressure being a big one, many people love using them. When installed properly, they can be very relaxing and calming which is why many people never go back to using normal showerheads again. Trying to figure out if you should switch can be hard and stressful in itself, which is why it’s important to consider both the pros and cons. To find this, and more information on rain showerheads, keep reading!
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What Is a Rain Shower Head?
Rain showerheads are just that. They are showerheads that rain down on you, giving you the sensation of showering in the rain. Rain showerheads have lots of little holes in them that the water comes out of. This is supposed to give you that rain effect that you are wanting and expecting when purchasing a rain showerhead. They can be purchased in a large range of sizes, but even the smallest ones are larger than regular showerheads.
To get the full rain showerhead experience, the showerhead must be placed high up on the wall or, ideally, in the ceiling. This way you can stand directly underneath the spray of water. They are very common in modern homes and new construction homes, though they fit in well with other aesthetics as well. You can purchase metal or plastic ones. Even though plastic rain showerheads are cheaper, metal ones are still the most popular choice.
Rain Shower Head Pros
If you are considering switching to a rain showerhead, then you probably want to know what draws people to them. And for good reason since you are also wanting to be drawn to them. There are many advantages to rain showerheads, for example, they are easy to install and provide a full-body shower.
Obviously, it’s important to think of both the pros and cons when making a switch like this. However, the many pros to rain showerheads may just drag you in headfirst!
Easy to Install
Rain showerheads are easy to install yourself. You can order one online or pick one up at a store and install it the second it gets to your home. This means that you can save money since you won’t have to call a plumber and pay them to install them. When they are purchased, they should have everything you need to attach to the pipes and come with directions telling you how to do it. The only reason you would need a plumber is if work is needed on the pipes, meaning moving them in some way. But for the majority of people, a plumber will not be needed.
Full-Body Shower
A big reason people decide to switch to rain showerheads is that they provide a full-body shower experience. They are designed to be flat above you, so you then stand directly underneath the entire flow of water. This ensures that most, if not all of your body are hit with the water all at once. Regular showerheads just can’t offer this, even if they are large in size.
The full-body shower experience draws lots of people towards rain showerheads because it is supposed to be very relaxing and give that spa experience that so many people love to have in their own homes.
Relaxing
Many people find rain showerheads very relaxing and tranquil even. For anyone who likes being in the rain, or finds rain relaxing in any way, then they may find themselves very drawn to this. These showerheads can make you feel closer to nature and just help you relax your body overall.
Some people like to let the rain showerheads wash away all of their stress, which is something that just can’t be achieved the same way with regular showerheads. But this is also helpful for those that may have sore muscles and body aches since the flow of water is much more gentle than what comes out of regular showerheads.
Rain Showerhead Experience
Something that people with a rain showerhead talk about a lot when recommending them is the rain showerhead experience. But what is the rain showerhead experience? When standing directly underneath the showerhead, it will feel like rain is falling onto you and running down your body. It’s supposed to feel like you are actually being rained on. If you ever find yourself outside in the rain without an umbrella, then that is the feeling that rain showerheads are supposed to give you.
This shower experience can help energize and wake you up in the morning, while also being able to help you relax and let the stress of the day go after a long and stressful day. An easy way to know if the rain shower head is for you is going to stand outside when it’s raining and see if you enjoy the feeling of being rained on.
Cleaning
Not many people like cleaning the bathroom. It takes forever and always feels like a big hassle. But the nice thing about rain showerheads is how easy and quick it is to clean them. Wipe the showerhead with a cloth and you’re done. It’s that easy and quick.
Part of the reason it is so quick is because of how large and flat they are. Instead of trying to clean every small curve and crevice of a regular shower head, you can quickly scrub the surface of the rain showerhead and that’s that. You do have to be somewhat careful of the bumps on the surface of them, just to be sure that they don’t break, but they will still be finished very quickly.
Aesthetic
Rain showerheads are often found in new construction homes. They are also found in homes that have a modern and sleek style to them. The reason for this is because of how aesthetically pleasing they are. They are large and sleek, which makes them fit in perfectly with modern, sleek-styled homes. And since rain showerheads are so easy to clean, it is easy to make them appear shiny and new again. This will once again give that sleek look.
This type of showerhead can be purchased in the shape of a rectangle, which is great for those that like straight, geometric lines. The round ones have a softer look to them but do still match well with the modern aesthetic that seems to be getting more and more popular these days. So, they fit well with any and all aesthetics that you may already have going in your home.
Saving Water
Many rain shower heads are very water efficient. This basically just means that they help save water. And saving water lowers your water bills, is good for the planet, and is something that everyone wants to be able to say. I’ve heard many people talking about how they are trying to save and conserve water, and changing to a water-efficient showerhead is an easy way to do that.
It is also possible to take shorter showers with rain showerheads because they get more of your body wet at once. This means that there is a good chance that you will end up taking faster showers, for the most part. Faster showers mean less water is being used, which ultimately means that you end up saving water. This may seem like a little thing, but in the overall scheme of things, it can make a huge impact. Here are 6 of the best water-saving shower heads rated against each other.
Rain Shower Head Cons
Although there are many advantages to switching to rain showerheads, there are also disadvantages that you will want to think about. Of course, not all of these will matter to you, which is fine. However, before making a possibly very large purchase, meaning rain showerheads on the higher side of the price range, it’s important to look at the good and the bad.
You have to think about how much you will care about the cons long term, and consider if the pros outweigh all of the cons for you. Changing showerheads can feel like a big deal, especially when it’s switching to one that so many people rave about. But hopefully, this list will help you come to your decision that much easier.
Cost
A big disadvantage of making the switch to a rain shower head has to do with the price. Even the cheap ones can be quite expensive, so the better quality ones are very expensive. The range of prices can be nice if you have the money to get a showerhead that will hopefully last you for some time.
Plastic shower heads are a little bit cheaper than metal ones, but they have their own problems. They are known to leak a lot and grow different bacteria that will then have to be removed. The high upfront cost of decent showerheads makes many people second guess their decision even if getting one that is a bit more expensive is a good decision long term.
Renters
Rain showerheads are not a great option for people who are renting. They honestly probably aren’t an option at all for most of the people that do rent. In some cases, rain showerheads may require renovations to make the plumbing work with them, which isn’t always an option for those that rent their home. These renovations can be very expensive on their own, especially if the plumbing is being moved to the ceiling for a ceiling-mounted showerhead.
Most rental properties don’t include rain showerheads because of how expensive they are. Those few rentals that do have them are most likely much nicer overall, meaning they are more expensive anyway, so having that small extra is more feasible. But again, it will be a much higher price range for rain showerheads to already be included in rentals.
Water Pressure
Another big con to rain showerheads is the water pressure. Because the showerheads are much larger with more holes for water to exit from, the water pressure is not as strong as it is with regular showerheads. Some people find the lack of water pressure relaxing, which is one of the big draws to them. But it can make things more challenging for some people as well.
As a person with a rain showerhead who has very thick hair, I can tell you firsthand how long it takes me to get all the soap out of my hair. It honestly feels like it takes forever. This takes away the relaxing feeling that rain showerheads are supposed to give you since you are so focused on scrubbing all of the soap out of your hair. For others with thick hair, or even just those with lots of hair, the water pressure can be big deal.
Keep an eye out for rain showerheads like this one that may be advertised as high pressure, as these may be helpful with this less than ideal water pressure issue.
Not Movable
Rain showerheads are not easy to move around. When they are in ceilings, they actually can’t be moved at all, which can also be the case with some installed on the walls as well. This means that you can’t adjust where the spray is or detach it for a more direct spray like with some regular showerheads.
With wall-mounted showerheads, sometimes they can’t even be angled differently which may be a problem for those with people of varying heights in their homes. Ideally, the showerhead would be completely flat and you would stand directly underneath the flow of water. But for very tall people, the homes’ existing piping may not be high enough in the wall to allow this.
Height
The height of your showerhead is probably not something you have really even thought about. Unless you are a really tall person, most showerheads are at the perfect height for everyone. But rain showerheads are tricky. As mentioned above, rain showerheads are supposed to be flat.
But for very tall people who have a wall-mounted showerhead, having it flat may not be an option for you. Unless you want to be hitting your head the entire time you have it, the best solution would be to have it put into the ceiling, which brings its own set of problems. Moving pipes gets expensive fast. For more information on the perfect height for your rain shower head, check out this website.
Size
Rain showerheads are large. Even small ones are larger than regular showerheads. And there is a good reason for this. They are supposed to get most, if not all of your body, wet at once. When you are thinking of switching to a rain shower head, it’s important to think about how large a showerhead will fit in your shower.
The size of the showerheads is important because if it is too large, it just won’t fit in the shower and then water will be all over the floor of your bathroom every time you turn it on. But you also don’t want one that is too small since you want the rain showerhead effect. For those that have small showers, rain showerheads just might not be an option with the amount of space you are working with.
Plumbing
As mentioned above in the pros, installing a rain showerhead is supposed to be easy and quick. But this is only true if you don’t need to move the plumbing. For those that are very tall, having a wall-mounted showerhead may just not work because of its placement. The only way to fix this is by moving the plumbing. It can either be raised to be further up the wall, depending on the height of the walls and the current placement of the showerhead, or be moved all the way to the ceiling. Both of these processes are time-consuming and can get expensive really quickly. This is only something to worry about if the pipes need to be moved at all though.
For more information, check out these comparisons on some of the best rain showerheads of 2021.
