The right shower head is one your water system can supply, your enclosure can contain, and your daily routine actually needs.
For example, one of our clients wanted a large rainfall shower. The trouble was the mains pressure coming into the house: it was low, and no shower head could change that on its own. The answer was a water pump. We built it into the design and the plumbing plans from the start, so it had its place before any work began. Our client got the generous shower he asked for.
When Amberth manages your bathroom renovation, we look at all of this together. But we start with a better question.
How do you want your shower to feel?
How Amberth helps you choose the right shower head
Some people want a broad, gentle rainfall shower. Others want a more concentrated spray that rinses quickly and feels powerful. Perhaps you want both.
Once we understand that, we can match the shower head to the water system, enclosure and room around it. A stylish fitting that your water system cannot properly supply is not an upgrade.
How important is water pressure when choosing a shower head?
Very.
But pressure is only part of the picture. The shower also needs sufficient flow to deliver the experience the manufacturer designed it for.
Different products ask very different things of the plumbing. Making the wrong decision can leave you with a weak water flow or a spluttering shower the minute someone turns on a tap downstairs.
Before specifying the fitting, we want to understand the water system supplying it.
Three things we check before we choose your shower head:
- Your mains pressure. It varies street by street in London, and drops on upper floors. If it is low, a pump may be the answer.
- Your flow. How many litres a minute reach the shower, especially with a tap running elsewhere in the house.
- Your hot water. Whether your boiler or cylinder can keep up with the shower you want.
This is technical work you should not have to solve yourself. Tell us the shower experience you want. We can establish what the system needs to deliver it.
Does a bigger shower head give you a better shower?
Not automatically.
A larger head can create a broad, enveloping spray, which is why rainfall showers work so well when you want the bathroom to feel calm and spa-like.
But bigger changes other things too. It needs to suit the width of the showering area so water is not constantly escaping beyond it. It may require more flow. In a compact enclosure, a huge overhead shower can feel out of proportion. We size the shower head to your enclosure and your water system, so it looks right and works properly.
At our Wapping High Street shower room, a rain shower creates an indulgent feel within a clean, restrained space. The fitting supports the room’s feel rather than simply being the largest option available.
A rainfall shower head installed discreetly into the ceiling at De Beauvoir, by Amberth
Wall-mounted or ceiling-mounted: which is better?
Neither. The question is what works with the architecture and how you want your shower routine to feel. A ceiling-mounted shower can create a very clean effect because the water appears to fall directly from above. In a generous walk-in shower with the right ceiling height, that can feel simple.
Wall-mounted overhead showers give you more freedom in other situations. They can work better when the ceiling is particularly high, when the water needs to be directed slightly, or when the construction makes a ceiling installation unnecessarily complicated.
Amberth establishes the position of your shower head early, so concealed pipework, ceiling construction and waterproofing can be planned correctly. That is why we treat the shower head as part of the bathroom design rather than a finishing accessory.
Do you still need a hand shower?
Yes, we recommend it in most cases. Your overhead shower is the experience. The hand shower is for everything else. It rinses the enclosure clean. It washes your hair, or just your feet, without a full shower. In a ground-floor shower room, or a flat shared with a dog, it is the easiest way to wash muddy paws or give them a proper bath.
That is why we include one in most of the showers we design. In our Luxurious Modern Bathroom project, brushed brass fittings and a hand shower bring everyday practicality into a compact, considered bathroom design.
How does hard water affect the shower head you choose?
Quite a lot in London. Thames Water says most water across the South East is naturally hard because of the geology of its source, and that hard water leaves the scale deposits we know as limescale.
That matters for two reasons:
First, limescale can build up around shower nozzles and affect performance if it is not cleaned.
Second, it shows much more readily on some finishes.
A highly polished dark fitting may look beautiful when freshly cleaned, but if seeing water marks every day will frustrate you, that should influence the specification.
The point is not to avoid interesting finishes. It is to choose them knowing how they will behave in the home you actually have.
The finish also needs to complement the wider bathroom design. At Amberth, we match your shower fittings to the taps and other metalwork, and we tell you honestly how much care each finish needs.
What about water consumption?
A luxurious shower does not have to mean using as much water as possible. Flow rates vary significantly between shower heads, and modern water-efficient models are designed to create a satisfying spray while limiting consumption.
For example, GROHE currently offers a 210mm rain shower that proves a generous shower head and controlled flow are not mutually exclusive.
If water efficiency matters to you, we assess the fitting’s flow rate alongside its spray performance and your water system.
There is a balance here. Restrict the flow too far for a particular spray design or system, and the shower may not feel the way you expected. As with pressure, the right answer sits in the relationship between the fitting and the water system.
Brushed brass taps and shower fittings in Amberth’s Luxurious Modern Bathroom project.
What makes a shower feel luxurious?
An enjoyable shower comes from several things working together: water that arrives with real pressure. A spray that lands where you stand. Room to move. Controls within reach. A temperature that holds. And a finish that still looks good in five years.
“Amberth designed and installed two bathrooms for us […] No point was overlooked – everything from the lighting to the colour scheme comes together to create rooms that are functional and stylish in equal measure.”
– Eddy, Review from Houzz
What should you decide before buying a shower head?
When Amberth is managing your bathroom renovation, we bring three considerations together: your preferred shower routine, the room layout and the water system.
First, the experience.
Do you want rainfall, a more concentrated spray, or several options?
Then, the room.
How large is the shower? Where can the fitting sit comfortably? Is wall or ceiling mounting more natural?
Finally, the system.
Can the plumbing provide the pressure and flow the chosen fitting requires?
Once those are resolved, decisions such as shape and finish become much easier and much less likely to be regretted later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Have a Rainfall Shower With Low Water Pressure?
Yes, some rainfall showers are designed to work with lower water pressure, although suitability depends on the individual fitting and available flow.
At Amberth, we check your water system against what your chosen shower needs
Is a Ceiling Shower Better Than a Wall Shower?
Ceiling-mounted showers give a clean, overhead effect, while wall-mounted options can suit particular room proportions, ceiling heights, and installations. The best position is the one that gives you what you want without unnecessarily complicating construction.
What Shower Head Is Best in a Small Bathroom?
Usually one that is proportionate to the showering area and directs water comfortably within it. A very large rainfall head is not automatically better in a compact enclosure. Layout, splash control and freedom to move matter more than diameter alone.
