What do I need to know before buying a shower?

Buying a shower is a bigger deal than perhaps many people realise. The bathroom is not just where get clean, brush our teeth etc. it is also where we go to unwind after a hard day, wake us up before the start of another or sometimes just to feel hot relaxing water when some 'me time' is needed.

So, the question then is what do you need to know before buying a shower? What options are there? Will the shower I choose affect how I style the rest of the bathroom, will the bathroom I already have influence the choice of shower?

What should I look for when buying a shower?

Well, that’s a bit of a tricky one. The first thing that you might to think about is the overall style of your bathroom or how you want to style it should you be fitting a new one. In terms of physical aspects, there are concealed and exposed showers. Exposed showers are perhaps a little more traditional, while concealed showers are slightly more modern and minimalist.

The style of your bathroom is also going to affect the shower finish. For instance, if you are going for a monochrome look you may decide that a black shower unit will contrast well with white tiles. On the other hand, some showers are a mixture of white and black. The selection of black/white showers here is a perfect example of that.

Beyond the purely aesthetic, how about the shower itself…

Pitter-patter or power wash?

Depending on the kind of day you normally have, or expect to have going forward, you may want a gentle warm rain as you step into the shower – it can be incredibly relaxing, there is no two ways about it at all. On the other hand, a more powerful stream might be your thing and they can feel awesome too.

Sometimes it isn't just about destressing when it comes to choosing the right kind of shower when it comes to the type of 'downpour' that you are after; sometimes it just comes down to which one you prefer to be soaping yourself under.

In either case, there are two clear types of shower that you need to consider when you are buying either for a new bathroom, or to replace an existing shower unit.

• Power showers
• Rain Head showers

Whichever of these two types you do opt for it will invariably influence the overall design and style of the bathroom too (the power shower is a little bulky, but necessarily so) and so this needs some consideration before a choice is made.

The world of shower choice does not stop there, however, and while all of the things already mentioned will influence your design choice, or perhaps the other way around, there are more considerations.

Traditional electric Vs digital showers

When we say traditional electric, what we mean is the showers that do not require a hot water boiler – so if you do not have one of these, an electric shower is the way forward regardless. That said, electric showers do not have to be these large ‘bricks’ on the shower wall. Indeed, they can be both sleek and extremely stylish.

For those monochrome style bathrooms, electric showers come in both black and white tones and highlights which should make this an easier choice it may have previously.

Digital showers are another excellent option and fulfil several needs depending on what yours may be and which type of digital shower that you opt for.

Digital showers come in several different flavours. There are concealed, power and rain shower options available. Like a few of the other shower options, you can also have digital shower units that will fit nicely in a black and white bathroom.

When it comes to style stakes, the digital shower is pretty hard to beat. And looking at the units on that page it isn’t really hard to see why. This is one option that just might be perfect for most bathroom styles and indeed sizes.

To conclude

When buying a shower there is a lot more to consider than ‘just’ where it will go, is it going to be a corner installation etc. the presence of a hot water boiler, whether you prefer a rain or power style shower, digital or electric… these are all things to think about when buying your new shower. Take a look at our selections and see what you think.