Welcome to Water Wednesdays, our series on everything you need to know about conserving water, one of our most precious resources.
When trying to cut back on your household water consumption, a low-flow showerhead is a great place to start. If you’re interested in switching to a low-flow showerhead but aren’t sure which one to use, this list is for you.
When choosing a low-flow showerhead, it’s important to consider the GPM rate, spread of the spray, finish on the fixture, and stream style. We’ll take a look at each of these factors on these five showerheads.
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Sleek and Simple:
High Sierra Showerhead Classic Plus
This 1.5 GPM showerhead from High Sierra is a top choice if you’re looking for a minimalist design. The included toggle switch makes it easy to slow the flow down to a trickle during your shower. This convenient feature, found on a few other showerheads, gives you the option to jump in, get wet, then toggle it to a trickle and lather up. Then just switch it back on and out comes your water at the same, comfortable temperature. If you don’t think you’ll use the trickle valve, the showerhead is also available without it.
This showerhead comes in four different finishes: chrome, brushed nickel, oil-rubbed bronze, and polished brass, making it easy to match any of your current fixtures. Another great feature of this showerhead is the ability to adjust the spread of the spray narrower or wider.
Budget-Friendly:
Niagara Earth Massage Showerhead
Coming in with a slightly lower GPM rate of 1.25, the Niagara Earth Massage showerhead is a budget-friendly option that still delivers fantastic results. Its best feature — besides saving water, of course — is its three different stream styles: nine-jet spray, shower, and combo. Since many low-flow showerheads only come with one spray style, this is a bit of a luxury.
The Niagara Earth includes an adjustable neck, allowing you to get the spray where you need it to go. Also, as an added bonus, this showerhead comes with a 10-year warranty.
Editor’s Pick:
Delta 2-Setting Showerhead
The Delta 2-Setting showerhead is incredibly simple in its design. Similar to the High Sierra selection above, the Delta has a switch that lets you turn the spray to a trickle while you lather up. The medium-wide spray pattern on the Delta is just right, and the trickle switch is easy to use.
This showerhead is also completely metal and comes with a lifetime faucet and finish warranty. While this showerhead does have a higher GPM rate of 2.5, the shut-off function more than makes up for it.
High Pressure:
Speakman Reaction Shower Head
This rather unique-looking showerhead comes in three different colors and is available in four different flow rates. Choose from gray, blue, and green at 1.5, 1.75, 2, or 2.5 GPM. While this showerhead may look simple, it uses a turbine-like interior to deliver high water pressure at a pulsating rate. This results in a massage-like shower that uses very little water compared with a conventional showerhead.
The Speakman Reaction has a rainfall-like spread, giving good coverage while still delivering efficient pressure. The Speakman is able to pivot a bit more than some of the others on this list; however, it does not have an adjustable flow style.
Super Savings:
Niagara Conservation Tri-Max Showerhead
Another fantastic choice from Niagara, this unique showerhead has an adjustable flow rate. Need just a quick rinse-off? Switch to the 0.5 GPM option and use hardly any water. Need a deeper clean? Change over to the 1.5 GPM setting. The three available settings are 0.5, 1, and 1.5 GPM.
Using their patented flow compensator, you’ll continue to receive consistent flow even when switching from the 0.5 GPM option to the 1.5 GPM option. If your goal is to drastically reduce your water usage, this showerhead may be the one for you. Just remember that with such a low GPM output, you could end up taking longer showers because it will take longer to rinse off soap. This could negate any actual water usage savings when switching from 0.5 to 1.5 GPM.
Overall, any of the five low-flow showerheads above are better options than your conventional showerhead. Installing these is a five-minute process, so order one today and start saving water.
If you’d like to learn more about how to save water in your home, visit our ultimate at-home water conservation article.