My wife and I are building a new house and when we went to the plumbing store to pick out our fixtures, we were shocked to learn just how eye-popping expensive they are! (for legitimate name-brand fixtures - not the cheap, plastic, dumbed-down versions you get from Lowe's or Home Depot). For example, a shower "set" which includes a temperature control valve, matching spout, drain and shower head, easily cost $350-500! When we priced the components separately, we learned the shower heads alone were $180-300! Yes, these were for brand-named heads, but believe me, there was nothing special about them at all other than they sprayed water! So we started looking at other options. Surely, if we shopped around, we'd be able to find something less expensive, and Amazon has no shortage of cheap showerheads to satisfy a budget-conscious wallet - some even come with rave reviews. But in so many of the reviews we read, folks kept ditching the cheap and going back to their old "Speakman" shower heads they had for years. Never heard of them. So we researched some more. The price was definitely higher than the $30 ones we were looking at, but no more than the name-brand ones that were no frills, so we decided to take a chance and bought one to try out, keeping Amazon's generous return policy at the forefront of our minds. When it arrived, I installed it in my wife's shower (yes, we have separate showers, but only because there's no room for both of our stuff in our small bathroom, hence the new house). The next day I tried it out and wasn't just pleasantly surprised, I was completely blown away! This thing was heaven on a shower supply arm! First, it exudes quality from the moment you pick it up. It's weighs in at almost five hefty pounds and when you screw it on to your shower arm, you'll recognize the difference immediately. It's metal constructed all around, including the outer housing, so it's literally built to last a lifetime! Installation took all of 3 minutes. Just unscrew the old head, wrap some (included) Teflon tape around the threads of the shower arm then screw on the Speakman, hand tighten and you're done! It comes equipped with a 2.5 gallon per minute (gpm) limiter installed standard, though if you don't think that's enough water for you, you can simply reach into the supply coupler with your finger tips and pull it out. Just be warned that you'll at least double your water consumption with it out, which sounds awesome in principle, but you'll also drain your water heater in no time. Second, the shower experience itself is just incredible and thoroughly satisfying. Each of the eight nozzles creates eight small streams (for a total of 64) that create a wide, overlapping, criss-cross pattern to the shower and massage you all over! And you can adjust them from a fine, sharp stream, all the way down to "flood" mode which gently gushes aerated water all over you - like you're standing under a hot waterfall. Really, it's something that's a little difficult to describe, it just has to be experienced. Some reviewers have said that it didn't seem to increase their water "pressure." Well folks, water pressure isn't solely determined by your shower head, it's mostly determined by the water pressure control valve for your home - located somewhere close to where the main water line enters your house. If you think your water pressure is too low, try giving that an adjustment first (a tiny tweak can make a huge difference). I can tell you that for us, we went from a 2.5gpm name-brand head that did virtually nothing but put out the thinnest, most insignificant bit of water, to this head which, when it puts out 2.5gpm FEELS like you're getting far more. I'm half tempted to remove the 2.5gpm limiter just to see the difference, but even with it solidly in place, the shower experience far exceeded my expectations and is nothing short of stellar!! Even when I'm in a hurry, it's hard to draw myself away and get out of the shower! It's so relaxing, it's like the shower has some mesmerizing hold over me. After several days of hearing my wife rave about it, and having only experienced it the one time myself, I decided I needed one in my shower too so we ordered a second one and I have no regrets, only accolades. We're keeping the old heads in the cabinet under the sink so after we move and sell the place, we can easily put the old ones back and take the Speakman's with us to the new house. Pro's + Built to last a lifetime. Could easily be the last shower head you ever buy. Seriously! + Shower experience is hands-down, the best, most luxurious I've ever had at home (except for maybe a few spa experiences) + 2.5gpm limiter is easily removed with your finger tips, providing for an even greater shower experience (if that's possible). Con's - My quick, 5-7 minute showers have become 20-25 minute shower "experiences" (or at least until the hot water runs out, whichever comes first) - My wife and I can't shower at the same time anymore. One of us just has to wait until the water heater fully replenishes. - I'm now consistently 15 minutes late to most everything in the morning. Bottom line: Run, don't walk, but run to your computer and order one of these! They really are as fantastic as most of us reviewers say they are, and it really will change your shower routine for the better. I know, you're hesitant because they are a bit on the pricey side, yes. But again, they're no more than what you'd pay for a big-name shower head from a legit plumbing store, and not a bad price at all when you consider this really could be the last shower head you ever buy. Oh! And don't forget to wash behind your ears!
