Best water-saving showerheads we’ve tested

Water-efficient showerheads reduce the amount of water consumption in one of three ways, which  Save Water Save Money describes as:

• Aeration: water is mixed with air to reduce the amount needed.
• Flow restrictor: the flow rate is reduced by pulsing the water.
• Flow regulator: the flow rate is reduced but a regular and constant flow is maintained.

“Standard eco shower handsets reduce the flow rate and spray pattern, so you use less water,” says Chris Billingham, head of marketing and innovation at Methven UK.  “Some also aerate the water, mixing water with air to reduce the overall volume.”

The benefit? Apart from reducing water resources, if your home is fitted with a water meter and you pay for the water you use, a water-saving showerhead should help you reduce your consumption and your bill.

Showerheads with the lowest water output will generally save more water than those with a higher output, but this is dependent on how long you stay under the shower. If you find that a showerhead with a lower water output doesn’t remove suds as easily, and you need to stay under the shower for longer, you might not save much more water than using a standard showerhead.

We picked seven of the best-known brands and chose showerheads with water-saving features, including a range of products to suit all budgets. These were all showerheads that can fit onto existing systems and are simply attached by screwing the head onto the end of the water hose.

The showerheads were tested in my household of three: me, my husband and my 21-year-old son – who spends more time under the shower than anyone else, but has yet to learn how to clean it! Each showerhead was tested for three days.

When testing my water pressure on a cold tap, its flow rate is 12 litres a minute, which is average. According to Plumbworld, “a flow rate between 10 and 15 litres per minute is considered acceptable but can be improved. A flow rate that is above 15 litres per minute will be regarded as good.”

I also live in a hard-water area and have a problem with limescale.

Apart from the testing criteria set out above, we also measured the flow rate of each showerhead, testing each mode. We measured the water over 15 seconds and multiplied it by four to get the flow rate over one minute. Under each showerhead we have specified the range of water output across all modes.

The water used during this test was saved and used to water my garden and flush my toilet.

We loved the look of this sleek and elegant showerhead, with its rectangular head. It felt novel to use a showerhead that wasn’t round and it certainly gave exceptional coverage. I also particularly liked the pearlescent effect on the showerhead, which adds a glamorous touch.

The showerhead was easy to attach and came with a shower hose and thread sealant tape to ensure water doesn’t escape from the fixings. The nozzles and plastic casing make it great for hard water areas, as it’s easy to rub or wipe clean. There are also two sizes of nozzles for a finer and thicker spray.

With six modes, there’s plenty of choice – the modes are switched using a ‘click’ button on the right side of the showerhead. Although the button is easy to use, and it states on the packaging that you can do it with one hand, we found it easier to hold onto the showerhead with the other hand while changing the mode. And with six modes to choose from, if you want to swap from one extreme to another, you could be in the shower for a while.

The shower modes include a combination of mist, massage and spray, with the third mode, ‘mist’, being our favourite, producing a really attractive water stream effect similar to a fish tail.  And as luck would have it, it’s the mode that used the least amount of water when tested. It also provides one of the lowest water flows out of the showers we tested, if you opt for the lightest mode.

This product is a great price for the functionality it offers.

The fourth mode is quite spectacular and produces a ‘pattern spray’, with individual jets of water pointing in different directions. We also liked that the showerhead comes with a shower hose and thread sealant tape to avoid leaks – great when the product is about saving water. Although the showerheads water output was on the low side, it didn’t impact the showering experience, which makes this a good investment if you’re looking for a showerhead with eco credentials.

Six different modes seem a bit excessive as some were very similar. It also takes a little while to work through the settings to get the mode you want. We felt that four modes would be perfectly adequate.

This large showerhead packs a punch and comes with three showering modes – rain, massage and jet. On the water flow test the rain spray came in at 6l per minute, with massage and jet at 4l a minute – and the slower flowing modes felt perfectly adequate.

Unusually, the mode button is placed on top of the showerhead. It features a ‘fingertip control’, which was a bit tricky to master at first, especially as the button is above your sightline when showering. We found you need to place your finger at the correct point on the dial to click it into position. At one point we thought the shower had broken because the dial was in the wrong position and the water flow had stopped. Getting this right may take a little time, but you’ll soon go into autopilot and select the correct position.

It’s certainly a substantial showerhead and has a minimalist style with a cube-shaped head. It also comes with a flexible hose and a wall holder with fixings, if you should need the extras.

To make cleaning and the build-up of limescale less of a problem, it comes with DripStop technology. This minimises drips from the showerhead after the valve is closed, which helps to eliminate the problem of limescale build-up. The nozzles are also super easy to rub over and clean.

This was the most expensive showerhead we tried, so you might need to be persuaded to part with your cash, although it did give a good performance. And if you’re looking to save the most water, the massage setting used the lowest amount of water and was only matched by the Hansgrohe showerhead’s ‘Rain’ setting during our testing.

It has a great showering range and provides a pleasant showering experience.

The mode switch was a bit tricky to use.

This showerhead was slightly quirky and got mixed reactions from the testers. One admired the aesthetic of the showerhead, with the beads showing through the transparent handle, with another not liking its appearance at all.

It’s specifically designed for a low-pressure water system, stating that it can improve water pressure by up to 200%. Although we couldn’t prove this in our testing facilities, my brother uses this showerhead in his caravan and raves about the quality of the pressure.

There are two types of beads within the showerhead – brown ceramic mineral balls and grey negative ion tourmaline alkaline balls. Their main purpose is to remove chemicals and metals from the water to make it purer, with the manufacturer claiming it will “give you a healthier shower”. But the claims aren’t upheld with any scientific evidence. It can, though, soften the water if you live in a hard water area. We certainly noticed a difference in how the water felt, as we are used to hard water. There is some evidence that hard water can contribute to the development of eczema, and as I have one older son with eczema, who lives away from home, I’ll pass this showerhead on to him for further testing.

The spray on the shower is very fine, which helps give the impression of higher water pressure and an improved shower experience. But because less water is passing through the nozzles, the water doesn’t appear as warm as when using my regular showerhead. For this reason, it was necessary to turn the thermostat up to compensate.

The showerhead was easy to attach to my shower hose, and although we didn’t need to replace the balls within the testing time, everything is easy to take apart to clean and refill, with clear instructions on the box. If you do have a problem with hard water, the shower disc can be replaced with a silicon version. Living in a hard water area, we did notice a build-up of white water marks on the stainless-steel plate over the testing time.

The shower has three modes – massage, jet and rainfall – which were perfectly adequate and covered all bases. If you’re looking to save water, opt for the rainfall and jet modes, as the massage mode used significantly more water and had the highest output of all the showerheads during the testing. The modes are switched through a rocker-type , which we hadn’t encountered on a showerhead before. However, it was perfectly easy to operate.

We like the simplicity of the rocker switch to change showering modes, and that it came with two shower plates – a stainless steel and silicone version. It also came with a set of replacement beads.

Its appearance had mixed views. And if you’re fussy about having a bathroom where everything matches and looks sleek, this showerhead might not be for you. The instructions did not mention where the replacement beads can be purchased from, and we had to delve deep to find out how regularly they need replacing. Pure Showers suggests every three months, although this will depend on the frequency and duration of showering.

As the showerhead is at the budget end of the products we tested, we assume some users might be tempted to replace the whole handset, which isn’t very environmentally friendly.

This showerhead draws air in through an Aqua Air cartridge, to mix air with water for an aerated experience. But be warned, you’ll need to insert the cartridge yourself before use as it’s not already in place. Why? It’s not recommended for systems with low water pressure, so if you do have low water pressure you won’t need to use the cartridge.

We also discovered that the cartridge was tucked away in the base of the packaging, and at first, we didn’t realise it wasn’t already in place. However, despite our initial error, the packaging provides plenty of instructions, whereas some of the other products we tested were lacking.

Due to our error of not inserting the air cartridge at the start, we tested the water flow rate on two occasions, with and without the cartridge. There was a clear difference with water flow at 6.6 litres per minute without the cartridge and at 5 litre per minute with the cartridge, saving 1.6 litres per minute. This is much lower than the water flow stated on the packaging as being 10.5 litres per minute.

The showerhead has five spray modes to choose from – saturating, massage, saturating and massage, bubbling, and saturating and bubbling. We found that each mode used the same amount of water, so you can use all five modes and know you’ll be cutting down on your water usage. Although there isn’t one mode that uses less water, overall the showerhead still performed well on the water-saving front and came in mid-range out of those we tested.

It was super easy to use and fit, including the eco . Its aim is to reduce the amount of water you use without impacting your shower experience. The packaging is detailed and includes what shower types it’s compatible with.

Some of the shower modes were quite similar. The Air Aqua valve is difficult to remove once inserted, and we were only able to remove part of the device. So, this could be an issue if you decide you don’t want to use the device with the showerhead.

Also, this showerhead is not suitable for low-pressure systems.

After testing several showerheads with five or more settings, trying one with two settings – rain and intense rain – was a light relief. While some people may prefer the option of more modes to choose from, I tend to stick to the same one and then switch to a more powerful mode for cleaning the bath.  My dog-loving friends also tell me that jet modes are handy for cleaning muddy dogs.

However, although I like the simplicity of this showerhead, it was more of a challenge when washing out the shampoo from my thick hair, and I needed to swap the setting to ‘intense rain’. But despite this small inconvenience, it is certainly worth the water-saving element.

Cleaning this showerhead is relatively easy. With a white base and silicon nozzles, it can be wiped and rubbed over. The top of the showerhead also features a white finish, which unlike stainless steel versions, makes it a little easier to keep watermark free.

If your aim is to save water, this showerhead is definitely one to pick, as it had one of the lowest water outputs of those we tested.

I liked the simplicity of this showerhead, which also performed well on the flow test.

It could do with a little more oomph.

Wow! This showerhead will certainly make a statement in any bathroom or shower room. Although, on first appearance you do wonder how it will perform without any central nozzles. But there really is no need to worry, as my whole household loved it.

Despite our reservations, instead of the water emerging at one angle and giving a halo of water with little benefit, it’s dispersed at multiple angles to give all-round coverage. We think it’s a clever piece of engineering.

How does it work? According to Methven: “Aurajet’s hidden nozzles generate individual jets of water that collide against precisely angled surfaces within the elegant contours of the showerhead. At that moment of collision, the water travels across the surface edge and launches out from the channel.” In other words, the water jets collide to atomise the water stream.

Even though it only has one mode, it was a delight to use, and we weren’t left feeling short changed, or in need of switching to another setting. Perhaps this is because it had one of the highest water outputs of the showerheads we tested. Although, from another perspective, you don’t have the choice to swap to a mode with a lower water output.

As with all the other showerheads, it was easy to connect by simply screwing into our existing shower hose. And with a limited surface area for limescale to build up, it performed well on ease of cleaning, too.

A great overall performer with a good pressure and coverage, which gave a spa-like experience

This was a real winner, although if you like a choice of modes, this showerhead’s not for you.

This showerhead won’t win any prizes for its aesthetic. Its rounded shower nozzle and curved showerhead do seem a little dated, but if you ignore its appearance, you won’t be disappointed with the choice of four shower modes, and it performed well and gave a pleasant showering experience.

However, initially, it did get mixed reviews in my household. While I found its coverage was good, and it was perfectly ample for washing hair (a tough task), my husband thought it lacked a little power. But despite his reservations, a simple change of mode did the trick.

The modes were simple to switch and are rotated either left or right using a dial on the shower face itself. There are two modes giving fuller coverage, ideal for everyday showering, and two giving a firmer jet experience. I particularly liked the gentler jet version.

On the eco side we discovered the showerhead output slightly over 6 litres a minute, which is in contrast to Mira’s claims that the integrated flow regulator limits water output to 6 litres a minute. However, to save the most water, you’re best off selecting the jet mode, which will save you the most amount of water. During our testing the jet mode output 5.4 litres of water a minute. This showerhead had one of the highest water outputs during our testing, but will still save you water over a standard showerhead.

Like all of the showerheads, fitting was super easy, plus the practical rub-clean nozzles make it exceptionally easy to clean away any limescale deposits.

This is a lightweight showerhead.

This showerhead was a little too curvaceous for our taste.

According to Save Water Save Money: “A five-minute shower at 10 litres per minute will use 50 litres of water. A water efficient single spray showerhead, such as Mira’s Eco Showerhead, will use as little as 7-8 litres of water per minute, using only up to 40 litres of water. As the water is either regulated or aerated, you can still experience a pleasant shower.”

“For best performance when swapping your standard shower handset for an eco option, it is important to know your water pressure, shower type and flow rate,” says Billingham.

There are five simple steps to measuring your shower’s flow rate:

1. Place a 2-litre jug on the bottom of the bath or shower tray.
2. Take the showerhead off the rail and turn it on.
3. Start your stopwatch and move the showerhead over the jug.
4. Time 6 seconds and move the showerhead away from the jug and turn it off.
5. Multiply the amount of water by 10 and that will tell you how many litres per minute.

“In most cases, yes, showerheads can be replaced,” says Ronke Ugbaja, lead project management at Lixil Emena and Grohe UK. “Showerheads are typically designed to be easily removable and replaceable to allow for upgrades or maintenance. The process of replacing a showerhead is usually straightforward and can be done by most homeowners without the need for professional plumbing assistance.”

Billingham says it takes less than a minute: “Simply remove your current showerhead off the slide rail and unscrew the connector. Make sure to hold the hose upright so that you don’t lose the washer that creates a seal with the handset. Then simply attach the new showerhead and screw on tightly.”

The case is slightly differently for wall or ceiling mounted showerheads, which may require more plumbing work. “In such situations,” says Ugbaja, “it’s best to consult a professional plumber to explore your options for upgrading or replacing the showerhead.”

“Eco showerheads aren’t recommended for use with electric showers. Since they heat water on demand, the flow-restricting element of these showerheads can create back pressure, which in turn can lead to temperature fluctuations, so you may end up with a hotter shower,” explains Billingham.