Best Showerheads of 2023

Can you really take a great shower while saving water and money? Yes, you can.

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If you’ve ever struggled to feel clean and refreshed under a slow trickle of lukewarm water, you’re not alone. Since 1994, federal law has dictated that showerheads must limit flow to a maximum of 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm). Some states have adopted maximums of 2.0 gpm, which aligns with the Environmental Protection Agency's WaterSense standard; for others, that maximum may be as little as 1.8 gpm minute. That's great for saving water, but perhaps not so great for preserving your sanity, at least when you have a poorly designed product.

Fortunately, showerheads have improved in recent years. Consumer Reports’ latest lab tests have found that the modern-day water-saving showerhead is no longer synonymous with a crummy shower. In fact, a few of the 13 popular models we evaluated use even less water than what the law allows while still providing a vigorous shower that leaves you feeling recharged, as opposed to just passably clean.

"Our testing found that water flow really doesn't predict performance," says Bernie Deitrick, CR's test engineer in charge of showerhead testing. "In fact, the two best showerheads we tested earned top marks for both shower feel and water consumption, and the top model used only about half the legal limit." The best part? Replacing that dribbly old model is only slightly harder than changing a lightbulb.

Bear in mind that a showerhead's ultimate performance will partially depend upon the plumbing and water pressure in your home—but a great showerhead will make the most of even minimal pressure. If your home suffers from subpar pressure, consider a pressure booster. Installed by a plumber on your main water line, it concentrates and boosts the flow of water to every fixture in your house.

Our top-performers have the following in common.

Our tests included a mix of lab measurements and feedback from four panelists. We installed every showerhead in the fitness center in our Yonkers, N.Y., headquarters and asked our panelists to shower with each one according to their preferred settings. They then scored each model based on the overall feel of the shower, using a five-point scale.

We also measured the volume of water usage and tabulated water consumption on a per-minute basis. On our model pages we post both the claimed and actual amount of water used by each showerhead—as you’ll see, the two figures can vary considerably. Next, we installed each showerhead in our labs at a set height, then measured the drop in temperature as water fell from the showerhead to a container near the height of a typical user's back. Finally, our engineer assessed how easy it was to switch spray settings or to pause water flow—the latter is handy if you’re aiming to save even more water while lathering up.

Photo: Stephen Yang Photo: Stephen Yang

Multisetting showerheads typically offer three to eight patterns, ranging from a concentrated stream to a rainfall-like spray. Most are controlled by a rotating dial on the showerhead itself; others have a remote control.

You have just one shower mode with these models—typically a wide crowd-pleasing spray emitted with decent pressure. That said, only one showerhead in this group earned a high-enough rating overall for us to recommend.

Paul Hope

As a classically trained chef and an enthusiastic DIYer, I've always valued having the best tool for a job—whether the task at hand is dicing onions for mirepoix or hanging drywall. When I'm not writing about home products, I can be found putting them to the test, often with help from my two young children, in the 1860s townhouse I'm restoring in my free time.