G1/2 fits everything, so judge the spray and the scale
The hand shower is the cheapest part of a shower to change and the one that changes it most. Because the G1/2 thread is universal, fitting is not the question — everything screws onto everything — so the comparison is about behaviour. Spray modes are the headline, and the count is inflated: a head advertising seven modes usually has three you will use and four that are combinations. What matters more is whether the modes are usable at your pressure, which brings back the same rule as everywhere in this niche: read the flow figure with the pressure it was measured at. Two quiet details: weight, because a metal head that is a pleasure to hold is also the one that cracks a ceramic tray when dropped, and whether a flow limiter is fitted — many are, some are removable, and it explains a lot of one-star reviews about weak pressure. We compare spray modes, face diameter, stated flow rate with its test pressure, weight, cleanable nozzles, and whether a flow limiter is fitted.
Hand shower · three modes on a turning ring · 216 silicone nozzles · ABS, multi-layer chrome · G1/2 · pressure-boosting insert
A seven-euro hand shower with three modes and 216 counted silicone nozzles, aimed squarely at flats with weak mains pressure.
Best for: An older flat with disappointing shower pressure, where the fix should cost less than a takeaway.
≈ £7 / 7 €
Hand shower · three named modes · 11 cm face, 24.5 cm long · MinusFlow 9 l/min at 3 bar · EasyClean silicone · 5-year warranty
The best-specified hand shower in this catalogue: a face diameter, an overall length, three named patterns and a flow rate with its pressure attached.
Best for: A household on decent pressure that wants the shower measured rather than described, and kept for years.
≈ £25 / 19 €
Hand shower · three modes on a rotary control · 8 l/min stated · full performance from 1.0 bar · SpeedClean silicone · drop-protection silicone ring
The only hand shower here that states the pressure it works properly at — 1.0 bar — which matters far more than the saving it advertises.
Best for: A gravity-fed or low-pressure system, where most water-saving heads simply feel thin.
≈ £20 / 29 €
Hand shower · five modes · ABS, multi-layer chrome · stainless 150 cm hose included · G1/2 (20 mm) · silicone nozzles
Five modes and a stainless hose in the box for under thirteen euros — the most equipment per euro on this page, and no measurement anywhere.
Best for: Replacing a tired head and a leaking hose together, for less than a good head alone.
≈ £14 / 13 €
Hand shower · six modes on a paddle · 124 × 124 mm panel · 20-layer filter cartridge, 3–4 months · removable flow limiter · 1.5 m hose · NOT for electric showers
A filtering hand shower with a published panel size, a removable restrictor and a cartridge to change every three or four months — and a compatibility warning that has to be read first.
Best for: A hard-water or heavily chlorinated supply, on a conventional shower — never an electric one — where a running cost is acceptable.
≈ 29 €
