Bath Products Review: Shower SystemsAll-in-One Luxury: Ever-evolving shower systems focus on relaxation and fun.

Americans love luxury, whether it's cars or coffee or something as straightforward as a shower. Not just any old shower, of course. More and more consumers want what some manufacturers call a “water experience.” In other words, a shower system with all the bells and whistles.

“I think people who have enjoyed the ocean and rivers and lakes and elaborate hotel resorts and spas are finding a lot of personal satisfaction, relaxation, and stress reduction in these new shower systems,” says plumbing consultant Peter Schor of Dynamic Results in Tualatin, Ore. “The sky's the limit with these shower systems, especially the new generation of self-contained, pre-plumbed units.”

These all-in-one shower systems, especially those that come ready to install, are the hot trend in showers. They are nothing like the simple shower systems highlighted in BUILDING PRODUCTS during its first issues in the early 1990s.

“Demand for showering products is soaring for two reasons,” says Keith Kometer, a marketing manager at Kohler. “One, consumers are looking for more therapy, more relaxation, a more versatile water experience. Two, many consumers are interested in investing in something that they use every day—even two or three times a day.”

There's a definite hierarchy of desires when it comes to showers. “The basic expectation is that people are looking for his-and-hers showerheads,” says Schor. “The next step would be at least two body sprays, adjusted up to the head and down to the feet. Then there are handshowers, which are good for not only cleaning individuals, but also for hosing down the shower, and even pets.”

“From there you get into lots of products like rainshower showerheads,” Schor continues. “A few years ago, showerheads were made in 4- and 6-inch diameters. Today we have manufacturers who make them up to 48 inches in diameter.”

At the same time, there are conservation concerns that have manufacturers figuring out ways to deliver plenty of water without as much waste. That is what's driven Delta toward its new H20 kinetic technology, which is used in the Vesi Custom Shower System from Brizo. This technology controls the movement of water without moving parts within the body sprays, delivering 1.6 gallons of water per minute (gpm) in a way that feels like 2.5 gpm. End-users get the water conservation advantages of a medium-flow system without sacrificing the high-flow shower experience.

“There's always going to be a market for the high-flow, super sexy, car-wash-style systems, but we've really been working on green building and water conservation,” says Colin Thielmann, a product manager at Delta. “This is a phenomenon that's really driven by builders who, in certain parts of the country, have been denied permits or had to reduce the number of homes they can build [to meet water restrictions]. This is a way for luxury and step-up builders to have a showpiece system in the bath without so much water consumption and infrastructure costs.”

But even shower systems that have plenty of gizmos and save tons of water have to have one other attribute: a choice of finishes. Neil S. DiGiammatteo, president of Team 3 Homes in Southlake, Texas, installs plenty of luxury showers in the high-end custom homes he builds in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. His clients, who pay $200 to $300 per square foot for their homes, tend to stay away from all-in-one systems for one reason: They can't get the finishes they want.

“We use a lot of oil-rubbed bronzes and satin nickel finishes in our marketplace,” says DiGiammatteo. “The finish that you see on most of these shower towers is chrome, which isn't compatible with the rest of the house.”