How to choose a shower: what to look for when buying

Being engaged in arrangement of a new apartment or making repairs in the old, many decide to replace the bath with a shower stall. But, leafing through the catalogs of plumbing stores or walking through their halls, they understand that it is very difficult to make a choice: there are a lot of very different offers in this market segment. Therefore, we offer you an expert opinion - which shower cabin to choose, what to look for, how to save, but get a quality item.

Modifications to showers

The first thing you need to decide is the look of the device.

• The most simple and budget is a shower corner, which is a pallet with curtains. Blinds can be from all four or only from two sides, in the latter case the role of the rear walls is performed by the walls of the bathroom. Mixer and faucet with shower head are purchased separately. This is the easiest option, no frills, a good choice with a limited budget or as an addition to the existing plumbing to quickly perform hygienic procedures.

• The multifunctional cabin, in addition to the curtains, has a roof and is equipped with at least an ordinary watering can, a fan and a light source. But equipment can be much richer. In most models there are nozzles for hydromassage, a large diffuser in the ceiling (tropical shower), radio. Also in the shops a large selection of shower cubicles with additional functions: sauna, Turkish bath, flavored steam generator, Charcot's shower, telephone, color lights, etc. Of course, the cost depends on the number of functions, so the price spread is large.

• Hydroboxes are an option for those who cannot decide what to choose - a bathroom or a shower cabin, does not want to give up on either one or the other.. Such a combined plumbing saves space while obtaining a real home center for spa procedures. In the hydrobox, you can lie in warm water with salt or foam, and take a quick shower and steam. The size and shape are selected depending on the shape and area of ​​the room. Like conventional baths, hydroboxes can be rectangular, oval, angular, circular, and even polygonal or other complex shapes.

Other selection criteria

The choice of a shower cabin depends not only on the financial and spatial capabilities of the buyer. The quality, functionality, appearance, as well as features of the location and operation of communications are very important.

Note. For example, if you settle in a private house with individual water supply, the lack of water pressure makes it unnecessary to have such a function as a hydromassage. And hard water in the absence of a high-quality system of softening and cleaning will quickly fill up the nozzles with mineral deposits, also not allowing to fully enjoy this advantage.

If you are thinking about how to choose the right shower cubicle, you need to evaluate the device by all parameters at once, literally “disassembling” it into its component parts.

Pallet

First of all, pay attention to its depth. If you do not have a bath, but have a small child, it will be wise to choose a booth with a deep tray in which you can bathe the baby, rinse diapers, etc.

If there are elderly or disabled people in the house, it is better to stop on a shallow pallet in order to provide them with more comfortable access.

It is important. The bottom of the pallet should be non-slip, embossed to avoid injury from falling.

The second important point is the material from which the pallet is made. It can be plastic, metal, ceramic or cast from artificial stone. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages, which are reflected in the table.

Acrylic pallets are the most common - mainly due to the optimal combination of performance and price.

Doors (curtains)

Which shower is better to choose - with sliding or hinged curtains, plastic or tempered glass? This is actually not so important, be guided by your preferences and the availability of free space in the bathroom (you need more space for swing doors).

But on the mechanisms of movement pay special attention. For the most common sliding shutters, these are rollers that move along the rim of the pallet and roof, as if on rails. This movement should be as silent as possible.

As for the material, both glass and plastic have good durability and hygiene, but plastic is cheaper and over time loses its appearance. It is simpler to take care of the glass - dirt and traces of dried drops are easily washed off. In addition, if we choose a shower cabin with the function of a sauna or steam bath, then it is preferable, as it tolerates temperature changes and does not emit harmful substances during heating.

Council If you do not want to spend a lot of time on maintaining the curtains in perfect condition, choose not a transparent option, but a matte, tinted or with a rough surface. On it the drips and divorces are less visible.

Shower set

The most important element of the shower - a device for mixing and supplying water. It includes a faucet, a shower with a hose, a bar, and in the multifunctional models a rain shower and a hydromassage panel are added.

In order to understand how to choose a shower cabin correctly, let us dwell in more detail on how to determine the quality of such a headset.

• Mixers are single lever and thermostatic. The first ones are easy to manage, durable and inexpensive, you need to manually adjust the water temperature. The latter increase the comfort of using the shower, allowing you to precisely adjust the desired temperature and maintain it at a given level.
• Watering can vary in functionality and material production. Plastic have low weight, modest cost, but short-lived. Metal is more reliable and durable. A water mode switch will greatly enhance comfort during the ablution procedure.

Council If you have hard water, self-cleaning of limescale will be useful. It is removed with the help of metal pins sliding from the inside into the holes of the divider when pressing the special lever.

• Choosing a hose, focus on its length. It is convenient when it is more than one and a half meters, so that the watering can can be held freely in any position or pulled out of the booth to pour water into the bucket.
• The bar is also an important element of the headset. Its presence will allow you to adjust the height of the position of the watering can for each family member.

• The hydromassage panel is an optional, but pleasant addition to the headset. Its functionality depends on the number and location of the nozzles, the ability to turn them in the right direction.

Professional advice: the required minimum head for the normal operation of a hydromassage should be at least 2.5-3 bar. For smaller values ​​this function is useless.

• A tropical shower is an additional large-sized shower head, located either in the cabin ceiling or on a long boom, from which vertically flows down.

Additional functions

In addition to all of the above, closed cabins with perimeter walls and a roof should have LED lighting and a forced ventilation system. But if you want maximum comfort and convenience, you can think about how to choose a shower cabin in terms of additional features.

Modern manufacturers offer the following options:

• The built-in steam generator providing effect of the Turkish bath. The heated steam is fed into the booth in its lower part and, rising up, provides uniform heating. You can adjust the temperature using a fan.

Note. Aromatherapy function will help strengthen the healing effect of steam exposure. It is implemented by adding essential oils or decoctions of herbs in a special compartment of the steam generator.

• Sauna. These booths have two compartments - a shower and a mini-sauna itself, in which the air is heated to a high temperature.

• The integrated lighting system supports color therapy.
• Radio and stereo allows you to listen to news or favorite music during the procedure.
• The phone allows you to stay in touch at any time.
• Remote control. In ordinary cabs it is not needed, since the control panel is always at hand. But if you decide to buy hydroboxing, it will be necessary when taking a bath - you do not have to get up to adjust the volume of the music, switch the radio channel, or change the hydromassage mode.

Council As a rule, such plumbing is sold unassembled. The detailed assembly instructions are necessarily attached to it, but it is better to entrust this work — installation and connection — to specialists.

Select by manufacturer

Of course, the reputation and fame of the manufacturer say a lot about the quality of the product. Therefore, many people are interested in how to choose a manufacturer of a shower cabin.

After analyzing the market, we can give you the following recommendations:

• Budget models of good quality produce Ammari, Fresh, Hyber, Nautico, Pegas, Sinowell, Eurosun.
• Appollo, Attoll, MidoceanTeuco, Niagara, Glass and Villeroy & Boch is the richest selection of multifunction devices.
• Do you want a combined model with a bathroom? Look at the products of Avanta, Coliseum, Gruppo Treesse, Jacuzzi, Movida, Fituche, Eago, Tarim.
• If you doubt that there is enough pressure for the hydromassage function, stop your choice on Jacuzzi, Hoesch, Hydro-Box.

Conclusion

Now you at least know something about how to choose a shower stall. So, you need to decide on the appropriate size, shape and design, which correspond to the characteristics of the room and communication system. Then decide how much you are willing to pay for such a device, which functions are required for you, and which functions you can do without.

Of course, you should not lose sight of the materials used in the manufacture, as well as feedback on the manufacturer. Watching the video in this article, you will get even more information for the right choice.