RV Shower Heads: Decent, Better, and Best
Quality RV showerheads can drastically improve your showering experience while on the move.
Many people give up a quality shower when they go mobile, but you don’t have to. Just because you spend a lot of time – or maybe even all of your time – on the road doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some of the luxuries of a sticks-and-bricks home.
What about boondocking, you ask? What about water conservation? Read on. We’ve got you covered there as well.
Let’s dive in!
Why Upgrade Your RV Showerhead?
There are numerous reasons to upgrade your RV showerhead, particularly since this is an area that manufacturers often skimp on.
First off, there is water pressure. A good shower typically equates to good water pressure, which many RVs do not have. But the refined design of today’s showerheads can drastically improve the water pressure in your RV’s shower.
Aside from improving the quality of your shower, improving the water pressure, when coupled with a few other elements of a good RV showerhead, can actually conserve water. That is certainly a key feature, particularly when you’re trying to maximize your boondocking experiences.
What To Look For In An RV Showerhead
One of the main features you want to look for when upgrading your RV showerhead is water conservation. This is really a non-starter. Why upgrade if you aren’t improving the quality and duration of your travel time on the road?
As mentioned, water pressure is actually a key element when conserving water. Most quality RV showerheads will typically have a flow rate of 2.0 gallons per minute or less. This is good for saving water, but it sounds like you are sacrificing pressure. In actuality, a good RV showerhead provides solid water pressure at this flow rate. And let’s face it, if you have better pressure, you can rinse off quicker, which means more water savings.
In addition to water pressure and flow rate, you’ll want to ensure that any showerhead you consider has an on/off or pause option. Most newer designs have a button you can use with one hand to pause water flow.
Most of us opt for a handheld showerhead that sits in a cradle mounted on the wall but which you can hold in one hand and reach all your body parts to rinse. Then you’ll hit the pause button and set the showerhead back in its cradle while lathering up. After lathering, you grab the showerhead again, unpause the water flow, and rinse.
There are also wall-mount showerheads that have a pause or on/off button if you’re not interested in a handheld showerhead. But if you go with a handheld design, be sure that it comes with a long enough hose that it will reach anywhere you want without having to twist and turn yourself around in the limited space of your shower. We’d recommend about a 60-inch or longer hose.
Can You Use a Regular Showerhead in an RV?
Yes. You don’t have to use a showerhead made specifically for an RV. As we all know, just slapping the letters RV on a label typically increases the price of anything. That being said, you’ll still want to ensure that the flow rate is at or below 2.0 gallons per minute and it has an on/off or a pause function. In addition, check that the showerhead will improve water pressure.
RV Showerheads: Decent, Better, and Best
There are some minor differences in the key elements of all RV showerheads. This one or that one might have a little better water pressure, but the bigger differences as you work your way up the line are the bells and whistles included and the quality of the design.
In reality, all of these showerheads will be a solid replacement for the stock models in most RVs. But depending upon how much you’re willing to spend, there are a few differences as you work your way up from a decent RV showerhead to the best.
Decent: PIH High-Pressure Handheld RV Shower Head
The PIH High-Pressure Handheld RV Shower Head is a low-budget but solid improvement to most any RV shower.
There are not many bells and whistles with the PIH Shower Head, but it still improves water pressure and provides a pause function.
It has only two spray settings, but they are fantastic for their simplicity. There is a full spray option for rinsing and a power setting for more of a massage-like feel.
Though the PIH has just a 59-inch hose, that’s pretty close to our recommendation, unless you are overly tall. It’s also very flexible, making it easy to use.
The PIH Shower Head is easy to install and should improve your water pressure instantly. However, the maximum output of your rig’s water pump will limit any showerhead.
Better: Oxygenics Body Spa Handheld Shower
If you want to take another step up in quality, the Oxygenics Body Spa Handheld Shower isn’t too much of a jump in price.
Again, it has a simplistic design that provides a vast amount of improvement in the bang for the buck department. It has the obligatory and actually well-designed pause button that is easily operated with just one hand.
It has a 60-inch hose that improves access to those hard-to-rinse body parts.
The Body Spa provides an improved water pressure experience that is maximized for your tank and water pump limits.
This RV showerhead’s design is simplistic but aesthetically pleasing. But it is also built with non-stick internal parts that the manufacturer says prevent mineral build-up and clogging, even in hard water conditions. Certainly, a nice feature when you’re traveling and may not know the water make-up for where you’ll be one day to the next.
Best: Oxygenics Fury RV Handheld Sprayer
Spend just a little bit more, and you can get quite a few extras with another Oxygenics model in the Fury RV Handheld Sprayer.
It improves water pressure with cutting-edge technology that allows for five distinct spray settings. It, of course, includes a pause function, and just like the Oxygenics Body Spa, it provides an improved water pressure experience that is maximized for the limits of your tank and water pump.
Okay, so why spend a little bit more? The five different spray patterns controlled with a simple control lever in and of itself is a solid upgrade. But the Fury is also built with rubber finger grips that help keep it from slipping out of your hand and dropping to the floor.
It also comes with a 72-inch hose, which is quite luxurious, especially if you are a taller individual.
The Oxygenics Fury also provides a hefty, robust design with an elegant look. Well worth the couple extra bucks when you’re looking to get the most out of your upgrade.
Start Your Day Off Right with a New RV Showerhead
With so many options on the market, there’s really no reason to suffer from an inferior showerhead in your RV. Whether you want to go straight for the best option out there, like the Oxygenics Fury, or if you prefer to opt for the more budget-conscious PIH Handheld RV Shower Head, there’s really no reason to put off an upgrade. You’ll improve your water pressure, water savings, and, best of all, your overall shower experience without sacrificing time on the road or off the grid.
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