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Last updated on March 15th, 2024 at 12:53 pm
Wondering whether a rain shower head is worth the extra money or not? Well, look no further because I have your answer!
| Pros Of Rain Shower Heads | Cons Of Rain Shower Heads |
|---|---|
| Increases The Perceived Value Of The Bathroom | Your Head Must Be Angled Oddly To Avoid Hair From Getting Wet |
| Feels More Luxurious/Spa-Like | More Expensive |
| Water Pours Over Your Entire Body Better | Water Pressure Can’t Be Increased At The Shower Head |
| Harder To Clean The Shower/Tub |
Now that we’ve got the basics out of the way, let’s break into the details a little further so you can install the correct type of showerhead in your bathroom.
Let’s dive in!
Quick Navigation: Rain Shower Head Vs Regular Shower Head
- Benefit One: Rain Shower Heads Increase The Perceived Value Of The Bathroom More Than A Regular Shower Head
- Benefit Two: Rain Shower Heads Feel Spa-Like/Relaxing Compared To Regular Shower Heads
- Benefit Three: Rain Shower Heads Get Water Over Your Entire Body Better Than Regular Shower Heads
- Drawback One: Rain Shower Heads Force You To Angle Your Head While Showering If You Don’t Want To Get Your Hair Wet
- Drawback Two: Rain Shower Heads Are Typically More Expensive Than Regular Shower Heads
- Drawback Three: Cannot Increase The Water Pressure On Rain Shower Heads As You Can On Some Regular Shower Heads
- Drawback Four: Cannot Remove The Rain Shower Head From The Wall To Clean The Shower As Some Regular Shower Heads Can
- Rain Shower Heads Vs Regular Shower Heads
- Other FAQs About Rain Shower Heads
- Final Thoughts
Benefit One: Rain Shower Heads Increase The Perceived Value Of The Bathroom More Than A Regular Shower Head
The first benefit of a rain shower head over a regular shower head is that it increases the perceived value of your bathroom.
In the house flipping world, real estate investors call a rain shower head a “sizzle feature”.
Sizzle features are those little details you can add to a room that makes the room feel much more grand and upscale than the standard home because they just aren’t that common in most homes.
They are also relatively low-cost to install but add a huge amount of perceived value when you sell the property.
Rain shower heads fit that description to a T.
Rain shower heads can be significantly more expensive than a standard shower head (ex. $300-$400 for a rain shower head compared to $30-$120 for a regular shower head), so they are not commonly installed in most homes.
However, installing a $350 rain shower head can increase the perceived value of the bathroom by several hundred to a thousand dollars because they are perceived to be only in upscale homes.
Knowing this, you can add this feature to your current homes and reap the benefits of getting to use it AND getting more money from your home when you go to sell it. Win-win in my book!
I love this rain shower head and this regular shower head we found at Lowes. I’ll refer to these two shower heads throughout this entire article.
Benefit Two: Rain Shower Heads Feel Spa-Like/Relaxing Compared To Regular Shower Heads
The next benefit of a rain shower head over a regular shower head is the relaxing feeling you get from using it.
Before we had a rain shower head, I was skeptical. How much more “relaxing” could a shower head make you feel? Isn’t the goal to bathe and get out as fast as possible?
Well, I quickly understood the meaning of this benefit after using one.
The water pressure is lower on a rain shower head compared to a regular one, but that’s part of what makes it so relaxing.
The water falls down onto you from directly above and makes you feel like you are underneath a waterfall or in a tropical resort/spa.
The pressure is gentle but still strong enough to easily wash your hair and body.
I don’t get the same feeling when I use the regular shower head in our other bathroom (although, that one provides a nice shower as well. Just not as nice as the rain shower head!).
Benefit Three: Rain Shower Heads Get Water Over Your Entire Body Better Than Regular Shower Heads
The final benefit of a rain shower head over a regular shower head is that your entire body gets covered by water while bathing.
Another reason why rain showers feel so much more spa-like is because your entire body is engulfed in the water.
Since the water is coming from directly above you (as opposed to the side of you like a regular shower), the water falls over you completely and it is easier to stay within the water stream on all sides at once.
This is probably the biggest benefit I get from our rain shower head.
No more having to rotate like a rotisserie chicken while bathing because one side just isn’t seeing the water stream consistently!
That constant water stream over your entire body makes you feel like you’re wrapped in a warm blanket of water the entire time you are showering.
Now that we’ve covered the biggest benefits of rain shower heads, let’s go over some of the drawbacks.
Drawback One: Rain Shower Heads Force You To Angle Your Head While Showering If You Don’t Want To Get Your Hair Wet
The first drawback of a rain shower head over a regular shower head is that it’s more difficult to shower if you do not want to get your hair wet.
Our hair is not supposed to be washed daily. When our hair is washed too often, the natural oils are stripped out and our hair appears more oily more quickly than if we wash it only every other day or every few days.
That being said, since the rain shower head pours water directly over the top of your head, it makes showering without getting your hair wet much harder.
You have to angle your head out of the stream for the duration of the shower to avoid getting it wet.
While using a regular shower head, the water pours from an angle so your head naturally stays out of the stream until you put it under the water yourself.
This drawback isn’t a big deal (and it’s virtually nonexistent for anyone who gets their hair wet during every shower), but it is a slight inconvenience that I did not consider when making our decision on shower heads.
Drawback Two: Rain Shower Heads Are Typically More Expensive Than Regular Shower Heads
The next drawback of a rain shower head over a regular shower head is the cost of them.
As we discussed above, rain shower heads are typically much more expensive than regular shower heads.
While this is inconvenient during the initial installation, it does quickly pay itself off from the benefits that you get while using it and the benefits you get when you sell the house.
If you are completely gutting your bathroom and installing a new shower and head, then I would install one of these heads.
But if you already have a shower with a standard head and you want to replace it, then I don’t think it is worth the cost to rip out everything just to install a rain shower head.
(Unless you get one of the standard shower heads that act as a rain shower head such as this one found at Lowes. Then you get the best of both worlds for a cheaper price.)
The reasoning behind this statement is that the plumbing is run completely differently for a rain shower head compared to a regular one.
So it is not as easy as swapping a regular for a rain head or vice versa. Especially if you are wanting a rain shower head with an additional wand.
That wand requires an additional line of plumbing to be run to it for it to be used. This could add a huge extra cost to your renovation that might not be worth it in the long run.
Drawback Three: Cannot Increase The Water Pressure On Rain Shower Heads As You Can On Some Regular Shower Heads
The next drawback of a rain shower head over a regular shower head is that you cannot increase the water pressure.
Rain shower heads work off of gravity, so gravity is the main amount of pressure that you get.
This is typically a benefit because it is part of what creates that relaxing feeling.
However, if you are someone who loves a hard stream of water during your shower, then you might not like the pressure of a rain shower head.
This is where having a rain shower head with an additional wand is worth the extra money.
The wand typically can have the pressure adjusted and gives you the benefits of a regular shower head along with the benefits of a rain shower head.
Drawback Four: Cannot Remove The Rain Shower Head From The Wall To Clean The Shower As Some Regular Shower Heads Can
The final drawback of a rain shower head over a regular shower head is that it is harder to clean the shower with a rain shower head.
Rain shower heads are typically not extendable like some regular shower heads are. So this makes cleaning and bathing pets or young children much more inconvenient.
Of course, you can get around this drawback by investing in a rain shower head that also has the additional wand, but this is a more expensive purchase than just going with a regular extendable shower head.
Rain Shower Heads Vs Regular Shower Heads
Here is a direct comparison between a rain shower head and a regular head.
| Rain Shower Heads | Regular Shower Heads |
|---|---|
| High-end/luxurious looking | Cheaper |
| Relaxing/spa-like feeling while using | Easier to clean with and to bathe little ones or pets (if it’s a handheld shower head) |
| Water covers the entire body all at once while using | Easier to adjust water pressure |
| Easier to keep your hair from getting wet while showering |
Which Shower Head We Used In Our Bathrooms
We personally have both types of shower heads in our house (the rain shower head in our master shower and the regular shower head in our guest bathtub).
I am glad that we spent the extra money for the rain shower head with the extra wand in the master because we get the best of both worlds in this situation. It is still easy to clean the shower and we get the spa-like feeling while bathing.
(And between you and me, the rain shower head is a much nicer, more relaxing shower than the regular shower head.)
But for future children, I’m extremely happy with the regular shower head that has an extendable head. That will make future bathtimes much easier.
(And it’s still a really nice regular shower you can take in there!)
My Shower Head Recommendation
To redo our bathrooms all over again, I still would choose the rain shower head in the master bathroom and the regular shower head in the guest bathroom.
If you have a shower stall only, a bathroom where little kids or pets won’t be bathed in very often, or you want the master bathroom to feel a little more upscale, then I recommend installing a rain shower head with an extra wand such as this one we bought at Lowes.
This extra “sizzle feature” will help sell your home in the future AND you get to enjoy the luxury in the time being for a generally small upfront cost.
However, if you have a bathtub/shower combo, have young children and/or pets that need to be bathed often, or if it’s a guest bathroom, then I recommend installing a regular shower head that has an extendable head such as this one we bought at Lowes.
The regular shower head can still be an extremely nice shower head that also gives you more flexibility for a much lower price than a rain shower head. For bathrooms that aren’t used as often, or are used by children more, this is a better option for your money in my opinion.
Other FAQs About Rain Shower Heads
Here are some other frequently asked questions about rain shower heads to help you choose whether you want to install one in your home or not.
Does A Rain Shower Head Use More Water?
Rain shower heads use about the same amount of water as regular shower heads (excluding eco-friendly shower heads). Rain shower heads just have lower pressure of water flow than regular shower heads so it feels like more water is being used.
Do Rain Shower Heads Leak?
Rain shower heads release water and gravity pulls the water down, so they will drip for a while after use, but so do regular shower heads. Neither rain nor regular shower heads should be leaking water consistently after the first 30 minutes of the shower being turned off.
Do Rain Shower Heads Work Well With Low Water Pressure?
Rain shower heads work well with low water pressure because gravity pulls the water down to create the water pressure. The pressure is lighter than a regular shower head, but that is part of what makes a rain shower head feel more relaxing and spa-like.
Final Thoughts On Rain Shower Heads
There you have it!
I am extremely happy with our rain shower head in our master bathroom and our regular shower head in our guest bathroom.
Hopefully seeing some of these pros and cons will help you determine whether a rain shower head is right for your bathroom or not.
Catch you in my next post!
By Christine
Christine is a blogger and DIYer who tackles home renovation and decorating projects alongside her husband, Adam, for their personal residence and rental properties. Although she successfully tackles large renovation projects to avoid expensive contractor fees and bring her vision to life now, her path to success was not easy.
Go here to read her story, “From a Clueless First-Time Homebuyer To A Confident DIYer Creating Her Dream Home One Project At A Time“.
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