G1/2 — a half-inch BSP thread — is the universal connection for shower hoses, hand showers and outlets. In practice everything screws onto everything, which is why this family is chosen on behaviour rather than fit.
What actually varies
Length. 1.5 m is standard and suits an enclosure; 1.75 or 2 m is what a bath needs, because the hose has to reach the far end without pulling the holder off the wall.
The cone seal. The joint is only watertight with the small rubber cone in the nut. They are supplied with hoses and they are lost during a change; a bag of them costs almost nothing and prevents a drip that looks like a failed hose.
The swivel. A hose without one wraps itself into a spiral within weeks. An anti-twist swivel at one end costs very little and fixes it permanently.
The exception worth knowing
A few older or proprietary systems use a different outlet, usually where the hose is integrated into a column. If a hose is described as “for model X only”, that is what it means.
Questions people actually ask
Do I need PTFE tape on a shower hose?
No. The joint seals on the rubber cone inside the nut, not on the thread. Tape on a cone joint makes it harder to tighten and does not improve the seal.
Can I use a longer hose on a rail set?
Yes, and it is a common upgrade — but a longer hose is heavier and pulls harder on a sliding holder. On an adhesive-mounted rail, that is worth thinking about before ordering two metres.
Last reviewed 5 September 2026