Bath Products Review: Specialty ShowerheadsSoothing Spray: Rain cans, handsprays, and specialty showerheads bring relaxation to the bathroom.

For pure bathing ecstasy, homeowners are turning to an unlikely place: the shower. Industry experts say it's becoming more popular than whirlpool tubs for water-based relaxation, especially for homeowners too busy to fill up the tub.

The shower "has turned into a stand-up Jacuzzi-type deal," says Machelle Wilson, plumbing purchasing manager for Rick's Hardware and Decorative Plumbing in Grapevine, Texas. Custom builders who buy bathroom fixtures and valves from Wilson work with homeowner clients who don't have time to soak in a whirlpool tub and want more than the standard "just hot and cold and turn on the water" showerheads of a few years ago, Wilson says.

Instead, high-end and custom builders are installing multiple showerheads, large-faced rain cans, handheld sprays, and wall- or ceiling-mounted fixtures and tiles that pump steamy water onto bathers in shower stalls as enormous as the number and styles of showerheads that accessorize them.

Even some production builders are installing multi-function overhead showerheads that gently massage, forcefully pulsate, or softly spill rain-like droplets onto a bather. Many have replaced the standard showerhead with a handheld spray that can be fixed overhead or removed from its holder for easy shower-stall cleanup.

But the big changes are in homes that cost big bucks, says plumber Jerrald Wilkes of Wilkes Plumbing in West Bend, Wis., who works in homes worth half-million dollars and up. He has installed up to 22 body sprays and showerheads into a single, 7-foot-square shower stall, and is rigging more than a dozen into the master shower of his own home.

The trend, says Wilson, began about three years ago but became acute a year and a half ago. "You used to get a plain old shower and then you had your whirlpool tub," she says. "In this particular region, we don't have a lot of bathtub bathers. They don't have time."

Still, they want the effect of a whirlpool tub–in their showers, she says. "They want a stand-up whirlpool."

In fact, they want a shower that gives them a spa-like experience, notes Matt Steele, product manager for shower products at manufacturer Price Pfister. To craft that environment, they're adding larger showerheads, ceiling-mounted fixtures that create a deluge rainfall effect, and body sprays aimed at pressure points on the body.

And they're replacing cold, chrome finishes with warmer, oil-rubbed bronzes and brushed nickels. "They're warmer because they're darker in color than a shiny metallic chrome, which looks cold," says Steele.

Improved Function

But recent changes in showerheads are more than surface-deep. Manufacturers have designed valves that push extra pressure through showerheads and body sprays whose flow is limited by federal regulations to 2.5 gallons per minute. Delta devised a 1/2-inch medium-flow thermostatic valve that delivers hot water on demand, smaller than the 3/4-inch part first-generation body sprays required. Some manufacturers aerated or reduced the size of the water droplets that fall from overhead rainshowers to add the feel of volume and pressure. The changes come in response to consumers who made the wide-faced rainshower-style showerheads popular about three years ago but complained when they discovered that gravity–and not pressure–draws the droplets from the fixture, resulting in a soft, feel-good flow that won't rinse the shampoo from their hair.

And some plumbers shied away from multiple-spray installations because they required the use of more and larger valves, says Delta product manager Colin Thielmann. Now, he says, "Luxury builders … are able to offer the sexy body spray system without having to worry about all the infrastructure changes that are really a problem for the plumber."

Upgrades Galore

The days of the single-showerhead stall could be ending, agrees Michael Wandschneider, product manager for performance showering at Kohler. "There's no such thing as a typical configuration anymore," he says, noting women, in particular, ask for handheld showerheads because they make bathroom cleanup easier.

"People are recognizing that their bathroom isn't the utilitarian space that it was when they were growing up," says Wandschneider, who notes the public is exposed to the fancy faucetry in high-end hotels. "They're recognizing that as their lives become a faster pace, they want to spend more money on their shower."

Multiple body sprays are popular, but rain-can-style showerheads are universal favorites, manufacturers agree.

"We have really taken hold of the idea of the opportunities we have within the rainshower category to make it a better shower," says Jennifer Rowell, brand manager for Showhouse by Moen.

Indeed, manufacturers and builders have had to educate consumers about the limitations of the sizeable showerheads.

"The rainshowers are oversized and people perceive that they're going to pump out a ton of water and have a great shower," Rowell explains. "But what actually happens is they are gravity fed, so you get very little water coming out of those ports. There's a lot of shower droop with those, but very little shower pressure."

Indeed, Kohler recommends that consumers choose a rain-can showerhead to create "an experiential environment" but also install a fixed showerhead or handshower for "getting the shampoo out of your hair," says Wandschneider.

And while Steele says most consumers have gotten the message, he still hears complaints about the lack of pressure. "Once you get into a 10-inch rain-can showerhead, it's very difficult to get enough water pressure," he admits.

"People want a lot of water," confirms Thielmann, who analyzed consumer research conducted by Delta. "They don't want massaging necessarily, but they want to be blasted in warmth and have a soothing spray. The challenge is to create a spray that feels good but has enough pressure to rinse soap out of hair."

He recommends that builders install a multi-function showerhead plus an overhead rain can. And the firm has designed a pressurized rainshower showerhead.

Affordable Luxury

Delta plans to introduce a "multi-choice universal valve"–a single valve in the wall that will allow the user to select pressure and temperature without requiring the plumber to install separate valves.

"It's like having a universal remote for the TV," explains Thielmann. "It's much easier for the plumber."

Before long, it could be easier for homeowners at all price points to afford more luxury in the shower, predicts Wandschneider. "It's slowly but truly working its way into the more moderately priced homes," he says.

Even now, says Todd Ross, purchasing manager for Dave Brewer, a custom builder in Sanford, Fla., some builders are offering spalike shower hardware to everyone. "We give them a standard, and from there they can go crazy or they can cut back," says Ross, whose company typically installs his-and-hers showerheads on opposite ends of the master bathroom's shower.

"It's a trend that's not going away," he notes. "The trend is toward the spa, to give the clients a resort-type feel in their bathroom."

–BP

Dornbracht

Dornbracht. Part of the company's Balance Modules program, the BigRain system can be installed in the ceiling so the shower panel simulates a rainstorm. Bathers may adjust the system for an overall body spray or one that targets the head, neck, and face. 800-774-1181. www.dornbracht.com.

Kohler

Kohler. WaterTile body sprays may be installed flat against a wall, on the ceiling, at an angle, or in a corner, says the company. The all-brass body sprays and the collection's wall-mount showerhead have two spray-intensity options. 800-456-4537. www.kohler.com.

Symmons

Symmons. With a 9-inch diameter, the Rain Shower Head is crafted from solid brass with all-metal spray nozzles. The showerhead has 75 jets for complete coverage and, building codes permitting, is capable of 2.5 gallons-per-minute flow or 12 gallons-per-minute unrestricted flow, the firm says. 800-796-6667. www.symmons.com.

Porcher

Porcher. Designed by London architect David Chipperfield, this simply designed showerhead is part of a collection that includes a sink, bidet, and tub faucets. The company calls the collection high-tech and high-performance. 800-359-3261. www.porcher-us.com.

Danze

Danze. Homeowners can personalize this shower system by choosing from body sprays, showerheads, and handheld sprays, the maker says. The Custom Shower System is available in chrome, brushed nickel, and polished brass. The system features a thermostatic valve that returns water to the temperature set by the homeowner each time it is turned on. 877-530-3344. www.danze.com.

Delta

Delta. The Jetted Shower XO has two directionally adjustable jets and a showerhead. An additional showerhead, handshower, and jet module are optional. The Jetted Shower XO fits standard 1/2-inch plumbing and comes in chrome, pearl nickel, and polished brass finishes. 800-345-3358. www.deltafaucet.com.

Moen

Moen. Immersion rainshower-style showerheads are pressurized to send a powerful flow of water through individual spray channels. An ample number of large spray nozzles lend complete coverage, the firm says. The company's three ShowHouse showerheads, including Isabel, featured, are pressurized. 800-289-6636. www.showhouse.moen.com.

Grohe

Grohe. The Tempesta handshower features an extra-wide spray face for maximum water coverage and no empty or "dry" spots, the maker says. Tempesta features rain, massage, and jet sprays. It also features Grohe's SpeedClean anti-lime system, and its exterior surface is cool to the touch, no matter how hot the water is, the manufacturer says. 800-444-7643. www.groheamerica.com.

Kallista

Kallista. Part of the Laura Kirar Stil collection, this ceiling shower dome coordinates with contemporary faucets and towel holders. This decorative plumbing collection is based on modern lines with clean forms, the manufacturer says. The showerhead is offered in nickel silver, brushed nickel, chrome, and bronze. 888-452-5547. www.kallista.com.

Price-Pfister

Price Pfister. The Marielle tub and shower set includes a round flange and decorative rain-can-style showerhead. The collection comes in polished chrome, brushed nickel, and oil-rubbed bronze. Shower-only versions also are available; both versions have a limited lifetime warranty. 800-732-8238. www.pricepfister.com.

Hansgrohe

Hansgrohe. The glass-like surface of the Pharo Helis Showerpanel is soft but easy to clean and acid-resistant, the maker says. The lightweight Showerpanel is crafted from resin and is shatterproof, so it's less likely to break during installation, asserts the company. Suitable for wall-mounting, the panel features halogen lighting and five adjustable body sprays. 800-334-0455. www.hansgrohe-usa.com.

Waterpik

Waterpik. This showerhead features eight spray modes, ranging from a soft rainfall to a powerful massage. The AquaScape is available in chrome and brushed nickel finishes with an adjustable arched arm compatible with any shower pipe, the firm says. Installation takes only minutes, according to the manufacturer, because no additional plumbing is required. 800-525-2020. www.waterpik.com.