A Guide to the Best Low Flow Shower Head

Save the environment and save up to $200-300 per year on your water & power bills with a water saving shower head. Back in the day you could either have a great shower or a water saving shower… but now you can have both!

Modern technology and continuous improvements by shower head manufacturers are making shower heads much more efficient at delivering the same shower feel but with less water.

Good quality water at an affordable price is getting harder and harder to find. Most of us don’t have a choice, we use our municipal water supply, no matter what the price or quality is like. Take back some control and save some water with a new shower head.

Table of Contents

Are you really going to save water?

Yes. Low flow shower heads can reduce your shower water consumption by up to half. Flow rates can go down to 1.25 gallons per minute, down from the maximum allowable 2.5 gallons per minute.

Are you going to save money?

According to a study in 1999 by Mayer et al, the average shower lasts 8.2 minutes. If you had a standard, non water saving shower head with a water flow of 3.8 gallons per minute, you would on average use about 31 gallons of water per shower.

U.S Environmental Protection Agency stated that the average cost of water is $1.5 per 1,000 gallons.

So, a family of four, showering every day on average would spend around $60 per annum on shower water (4 people x 365 days per year x 20.5 gallons per shower x $0.0015 per gallon = $44.89)

So basically, if you already have a modern day shower head (manufactured after the 1992 2.5 gallon/min regulation came into effect) you could save around $20- $30 per year changing to a water saving shower head (assuming 1.25 gallons per minute with the new head).

Prior to 1992, some showerheads had a flow rate as high as 5.5 gallons per minute. If you have one of these older shower heads, you could save $100 per year on shower water.

So if you’re looking to save money, it’s probably only worth it if you have a shower head made before 1992 or you’re using a shower head with the flow restrictor removed.

Please note the costs are solely calculated for water and don’t include electricity or gas costs to run your hot water service. Depending upon your electricity price, if you add in your power bill savings, you’ll likely save as much on power as you do on water. So you’ll save around $60 per year in water and power if you already have a standard flow restricted shower head. Also, you’ll save about $200-300 per year in water and power if you have an old shower head or unrestricted flow shower head.

Measure your current flow rate

Measure your current shower water flow rate by running your shower for 10 seconds into an empty water bucket. After ten seconds measure the amount of water. Multiply your measurement by six to get the amount of water flow per minute.

For example, if you ran your shower for 10 seconds and captured 0.5 gallons of water in your bucket, you’d have a flow rate of 3.0 gallons per minute.

You may need to tip your bucket of water into a measuring jug to get the most accurate measurement, but it’s easier than running the shower for a full minute. If you have a flow rate of more than 2.5 gl/min you should consider changing your shower head.

If you’re unsure about the results, you can always try a 30 second test to see if you can get a slightly more accurate result.

What is a low flow shower head?

Using a range of different design techniques and technologies such as pressure chambers or reduced shower head size, water saving shower heads are made to deliver a normal shower experience while using less water. By taking steps to use less water in your shower, you can save money on your water supply and heating bills – not to mention you’re doing the environment a favor by working to conserve this precious resource.

Advantages of a low flow showerhead

Save water. Eco friendly and wallet friendly, reduces your impact on the environment and reduces the pain of your water bills.
Save energy. Less water use means less energy used to heat your shower water. Again, eco friendly and reduces your power bills.
Still have a great shower. New technology gives the same shower feel with less water. You don’t have to compromise.

How do I find the best low flow shower head for me?

Check the flow rate. Look at the product information and look for a flow rate of less than 2.5 gallons per minute. 2.5 gl/m is standard fare for a shower head, so to really save water you need to get one with a lower flow rate.
Check the design. How does the shower head work to save water whilst still maintaining pressure feel? Does the shower head simply offer a smaller compact head or does it use an air pressure system? Choose a design that feels right for you. If you prefer a larger shower spray, we’d recommend sticking with the pressure systems.
Check the quality. As always read the product reviews and pick the good supplier and manufacturers, and remember you usually get what you pay for but there are sometimes bargains, especially with the very simple designs and manufacturing techniques used in some low flow shower heads.

Reviews of the top 4 water saving shower heads

1. High Sierra 1.5 GPM High Efficiency Low Flow Shower Head

The High Sierra low flow shower head is one of the best water saving showers on the market. It has a small “mouth” shaped opening for its spray nozzle, which is designed so that it will not clog whilst delivering a strong, full spray of large drops.

Many people report that this shower feels just like a regular shower, and that while it might be using less water, it actually feels better than their previous shower head.

2. Delta 75152 Water Amplifying Showerhead with H2OKINETIC technology

The Delta 75152 has two flow rate settings – an ultra low flow of 1.85 GPM and a more standard 2.5 GPM. Most people can’t tell the difference between the two settings, or prefer the lower flow – and this is because of the H2OKINETIC technology in this shower head.

To put it really simply, it mixes air with the water to create bigger droplets so that you feel like you’re getting a full shower experience while saving on your water bill. It’s a really popular showerhead and people have left over 3385 5 star reviews for it on Amazon.

3. Niagara N2915CH Earth Massage 1.5 GPM Shower head

The Niagara Earth Massage showerhead features three different spray settings – a “needle” setting which is basically a fine spray, a “massage” setting and a “combined” setting that has both spray patterns activated.

Unlike other low flow shower heads, this one uses a pressure chamber design to maintain a high pressure spray while limiting the water usage. There are over 400 5 star reviews for it on Amazon, so there are plenty of fans of this shower head who are using it in their homes.

4. American Standard 1660.717.002 Flowise 3 Function Showerhead

The American Standard Flowise 3 has been featured in a number of different programs and magazines including Consumer Reports and several TV documentaries about saving energy and natural resources, due to its unique “turbine” system to create a full shower spray from low water pressure.

One unique feature that this shower head has is an “auto-return” to the 1.5 GPM setting whenever you turn off the shower, ensuring that you always start your shower in its water saving mode.

With over 300 5 star reviews on Amazon, you know that this one is definitely a winner.