Handheld Shower Heads

51 handheld shower heads, led by Moen with 24 and Grohe with 11, and including Brizo, Hansgrohe, Mountain Plumbing Products, Axor, Delta, DXV, Gerber and Rohl. Spray patterns run from single function to six, flow from 1.5 to 2.5 gpm, and finishes cover polished chrome, brushed and polished nickel, matte black, oil rubbed bronze, brushed gold, luxe gold, luxe steel and stainless.

A handheld shower head on its own is one of three parts, and the other two are easy to forget. The head needs a hose to feed it and something to hang it on. If you are replacing a head that already has a working hose and mount, buying the head alone is right. If you are adding a handheld where none existed, the handheld shower sets and slide bar kits ship head, hose and mount matched and finished together, which is both cheaper and the only way to guarantee the finishes match. Sold separately here: hoses, wall brackets and slide bars.

In the US the connection is standardized at 1/2", both at the shower arm and at each end of the hose, which is why a head from one brand will generally thread onto another brand's hose or holder. That makes the handheld the one shower component you can mix across brands without a trim plate fight. It does not make the finishes match, and two manufacturers' chrome will read differently side by side.

How it hangs is the decision that changes how the shower gets used. A fixed wall bracket puts the head at one height and is the cheapest answer. A slide bar lets the height move, which is what makes a single shower work for adults and children in the same house, and what makes it usable seated. Thirteen of the 51 here already include a slide bar or a 30" wall bar with the head — Moen's 3558, 3667, 3668, 3669 and 3887 series, and the Delta 51140-PR. The rest are heads only.

Flow rate is set by law, not by preference. The federal maximum for a shower head is 2.5 gpm; WaterSense certifies at 2.0 gpm or less; several states set a lower cap than the federal one, so confirm the local number before specifying a 2.5 gpm head. The Grohe 110 Massage and the 100 four-spray are the 2.5 gpm items on this page. Most of the range sits at 1.75 gpm, and Moen's Eco-Performance line and Grohe's 1.5 gpm Mono and 100 heads sit below that.

More spray patterns do not mean more pressure. At a fixed flow rate, a head that splits water into more functions is dividing the same gallons per minute, so a wide rain pattern feels soft and a concentrated massage pattern feels strong because the water is leaving through fewer, smaller holes. If the complaint is weak pressure, a single function head or a narrower spray setting will do more than a higher spray count will. Hansgrohe's PowderRain, Brizo and Delta's H2Okinetic and Grohe's Power&Soul are each a manufacturer's approach to the same trade-off.

Handheld heads sit alongside the rest of the shower heads — rain heads, single-function and multi-function heads — plus shower arms and shower trim sets.

Popular in this collection: Grohe 26465EN0 Stick Hand Shower, Grohe 27070000 Relexa Ultra Hand Shower.

Frequently asked questions

Will a handheld shower head fit my existing shower?

In the U.S., shower arms and hand shower hoses use a standard 1/2 in connection, so most handheld heads fit most hoses and holders across brands. Finishes from different brands may not match exactly.

What flow rate should I choose?

The federal maximum is 2.5 gpm and WaterSense models use 2.0 gpm or less. Some states, including California, cap shower heads at 1.8 gpm, so check local rules first.

Can I keep my fixed shower head and add a handheld?

Yes, with a diverter that sends water to one or both outlets, or with a shower system that includes a hand shower outlet.