Pro's pick
If you venture beyond the $100 range for a standard showerhead, there are hundreds of fixtures to choose from, some costing more than $500.
“Most people who come into our showroom prefer the sleeker look of metal to plastic, and it tends to last a bit longer,” says Hans Fichtenberg, a design consultant at Blackman New York, a shower-supply store in Manhattan.
Fichtenberg has seen just about every kind of fixture. His best bet for a standard showerhead: the Hansgröhe Clubmaster in chrome ($168, plumbersurplus.com), “a well-made, quality showerhead with a simple design” and one of the most popular on the market. It has 72 spray jets that operate on three settings ― regular, soft and massage. It also has a self-cleaning feature: Tiny pins automatically remove mineral deposits from the jets every time you change the setting.
