Shower Head Height – Showers are essential of our everyday lives. Yet we do not think much of it and adjust with what has been installed already. But do you know that the Shower Head height of your shower actually makes a huge difference while you shower?
It affects your shower experience by interfering with the spray pattern of the shower. There is actually a standard height and best heights for shower heads.
The standard height of a Shower head is 80 inches from the shower floor. However, this height can range from 72” to 96” depending upon the people using it. But most plumbers, builders, engineers fit the showerhead at a height between 72” to 78”. There is a huge difference from the minimum (72”) to maximum (78”) height of a shower head. Thus the showerhead height implies a significant difference while showering.
The Shower head is, however, not the only factor that affects your showering experience. The Shower door height, shower valve, shower space dimensions, secondary shower tools, shower grab bar, etc, also make a significant difference. So if you are looking for a perfect guide to choose a shower that will suit all your needs and be comfortable to use forever, here is an article that can help you with all of it. I am sure by the end of this article, you will have found the best shower head height for your use.
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Best Shower Head Heights
Whenever we think of the best shower head height is generally a few inches above the person who uses it. This could be 2 to 3 inches above the height of the person using it. But if you exceed this height, you might not be able to experience the various patterns of the shower spray.
Also, the shower head height should be always measured from the shower floor up to the vertical center of shower arm where it will meet the wall.
You can simply follow the below set pattern which shows ideal shower head height for particular height of the user
User Height Shower Head Height
5′ 63″
5′ 7″ 71″
6″ 75″
6′ 3″ 78″
6′ 6″ 81″
Do not think that only the best shower head height is all that matters. The type of shower head you use, shower head valve height, secondary tools, etc. also makes a huge difference with your overall shower experience.
So make sure that you check out all the important aspects of a shower head from below to get the perfect one for you and your family!
Standard Shower Head Height
As stated above, the standard shower head height is 80 inches. However, this height mostly depends on the heights of the users.
You might have noticed that in public washrooms like that of hotels, restaurants, guest houses, etc. the height of shower head goes as high as 96 inches.
This is to ensure that even the tallest of the people will get a comfortable shower.
Now the standard shower head height goes from 72 inches to 96 inches. However, if you are looking for personal use, the height of the shower head should be such that it is comfortable for the kids to old people to the tallest person.
What you can do in such a situation is consider the height of the tallest person in the house and keep the height of the shower head 2 to 3 inches above their height.
In addition to this, you can make use of some particular types of shower heads along with some crucial accessories that can help you gain flexibility in the height of the shower.
Shower Head Types and Standard Shower Head Heights
1. Rain Showerheads – Standard Height 84”
The Rain Shower heads, as the name says, gives you the shower experience as if you are under the rain. Just like rain, the water from this shower head splashes directly on your head.
A Rain Shower head is fitted at least 80 inches from the Shower Floor. However, installing the Rain Shower Head at 84 inches could add more to the rainy experience.
This kind of Showerhead is specifically helpful when the members of your family differ variably in heights.
Another reason to have a Rain showerhead is to cope with the low ceiling as in this kind of shower head, the water is already spread when it pours from the showerhead.
2. Handheld Showerheads – Standard Height 72” to 78”
The next kind of showerhead is called Handheld Showerhead. This showerhead can be installed at a standard height of 72 inches to 78 inches from the shower floor.
The best part about a handheld shower is that one can easily adjust the height of this showerhead. Thus all family members can adjust very well with this sort of shower head.
But a major point to consider while getting a handheld showerhead is that the flexible hose should be at least 60 inches long.
Thus you will be able to use it as a fixed plus hand-held showerhead. It works best when you have kids in your family who can adjust the height of the shower as per their convenience.
3. Wall Mounted Shower Head – Standard Height – 80”
As the name suggests, Wall Mounted Shower Head are installed directly into the wall. The best showerhead height for Wall mounted shower heads is 89 inches.
It is very crucial that you choose a comfortable spot for this kind of shower head since you cannot move or adjust it later on like other shower heads.
Now if you entire family uses this showerhead, it could be a little tricky to select the height of this shower head. However, taking the average of heights of your family members excluding the children as they grow faster can be helpful.
Standard Shower Enclosure Height – 78”
While installing a showerhead, you need to consider the wall area that has to be covered as well which is present over the shower pan using a waterproof material.
The standard height for shower enclosure is 78 inches or 72 inches from the shower floor. The standard recommendation for shower enclosure height is 3 inches above shower rough-in i.e. the height at which the shower arm comes out of the wall.
Just make sure that the shower enclosure of your bathroom should not extend to the ceiling.
This might result in formation of mold and mildew on your shower wall due to the steam. However, if the ventilation in your bathroom is proper, you can go high up to the ceiling as well.
Standard Shower Space Sizes
Along with the Showerhead height, another major role is played by the Shower Space sizes. The dimensions or sizes of a shower do have an impact on the showerhead height. The best shower space size is 36” x 36”.
This standard and minimum size allows you to take a shower comfortably even when your hands are raised.
Many people fall for the shower space size of 32” x 32” as this is offered by a number of markets out there. However, this could later on restrict your movements while showering.
If your family has a differently able person or someone using a wheelchair, we recommend you to have a slightly larger shower space size of 36” x 48”. So basically, the shower space sizes can vary from 36” x 36” to as per one’s convenience.
Important Tools to Raise Shower Head Height
As mentioned earlier, although Shower head is the most important part about the shower and overall showering experience, the importance of accessory tools like below cannot be neglected.
1. Adjustable Shower Arm
The first tool which I have been using and find very convenient is the Adjustable Shower arm. This is by far the easiest and cheapest way to increase the height of your shower head.
This is basically an extension arm. It comes in a very reasonable price.
All you have to do is buy this product, fix it to the shower arm and then fix it to the showerhead. Once you do this, you can easily set the height of the showerhead just by adjusting the arm.
2. Swivel Ball Adapter
Swivel Ball Adaptor is one such accessory of the shower that can be used to move the shower head position. Basically, this adaptor helps you to decrease the height of your shower head.
You can use it by fitting it into the arm and the shower head. This also works best with the S-Shaped shower arm.
This adaptor can be very helpful if your showerhead height is too high for someone in your family and you wish to lower it for them.
3. Shower Slide Bar
The name is self explanatory. However, it’s not as easy as it sounds. The Shower Slide bar comes in a number of varieties and could be little tricky to use as well.
However, it does offer amazing flexibility with regards to the height. You can simply adjust the height of the shower head by moving the holder mount through the track it is fitted in on the slide bar.
4. S Shower Arm
The S Shower Arm is one of the amazing tools for a shower head. As the name says it all, the shower head is attached to the wall through an S-shaped arm.
Such an arm is very strong and can tolerate a huge wear and tear process. It is mostly a fitted arm and hence it is not possible to later on adjust it as per your needs like the Shower Slide Bar.
Thus this is the least flexible of all. However, it does offer a great height and looks amazing. It does become an issue for people with less than average height as the water is directly sprayed on the shower wall.
And if your family consists of people from all age groups, this type of arm could not be as comfortable as a flexible one.
But if you still are willing to install an S-shaped arm in your shower, you can use the Swivel Ball adaptor along with it so that you can adjust the spray pattern by moving the shower head and the water will not be poured on the shower wall.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions regarding the Shower sizes, height, etc. Take a look if you might be wondering about any of the below –
What is the Standard Shower Wall Height?
When we consider the Shower Wall Height, there come two ways-
1. Shower Wall height should be 72 inches from bathroom floor outside the shower.
2. Shower Wall height should be 70 inches from the drain to the top of the wall inside the shower.
What is the Standard height for Shower Grab Bar?
Grab bars should have a height that is easy to leverage, thus lower. The standard height for shower grab bar which is horizontal is 33 inches to 36 inches.
What is the Standard Shower Valve Height?
The best height for a Shower Valve is from 38” to 48”. This majorly depends on the height of the user. Just make sure that the shower valve of your shower should be accessible from inside as well as outside.
What is the Standard height for Shower Door?
The standard Shower Door height should be from 72 inches to 78 inches. The minimum height although is 72 inches, the shower door height can go up to 96 inches as well.
Hope the article helped! And I assume that by now you have got an idea of what kind of showerhead you will need for yourself. Although the Shower head is the most important part but do not forget to consider other linked tools and measurements like the shower door height, shower grab bar height, height of shower valve, etc.
Now since a lot depends on the height here, considering a family, the height of the tallest person of the house can be used to set up the shower head. However, using various tools like S shaped arm, valves, can be helpful in adjusting the height of the shower spray which will be suitable for every member of the house.
And That’s it for Shower Head Height! Let us know if you have any questions! Comment them, We’ll be happy to answer them 🙂
