HammerHead Showers Heads and Hoses Compared by Flow, Spray and Hose Length

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Shoppers searching for hammerhead showers want to know which HammerHead item fits a shower that needs a head or a hose, not a holder. The research record holds ten HammerHead listings. Six are shower heads or hoses this topic keeps: one fixed head, two dual combos with a rain head and a handheld, one 72-inch hose, and two handheld heads with hoses. The other four are two wall holders, a slide-bar kit with a handheld, and a slide bar on its own, so they are left out. Five of the six kept listings state a flow of 2.5 gallons per minute, and the sixth is a hose with no flow of its own.

Quick answer

• Six listings qualify: one fixed head, two dual combos, two handheld heads with hoses, and one 72-inch hose.
• Five state 2.5 gpm. At that flow a 10-minute shower uses 25 gallons, and 2.5 gpm is the federal standard for showerheads as the EPA describes it, so the figure is not a water-saving claim.
• Only one kept listing offers a lower option: a handheld whose bullets allow 1.75 gpm as well as 2.5 gpm. Its specification field gives 2.5 only, so check the live listing before you rely on the lower figure.
• The dual combos put a rain head and a handheld on one arm. None of the kept listings gives the water pressure at which its flow applies.

What this set covers

The EPA’s archived FAQ on WaterSense showerheads says the specification covers fixed showerheads and hand-held showers, and that hand-held showers are a subset of showerheads. A handheld head on a hose is therefore a showerhead for this roundup, while a holder, a slide bar and an extension arm are not. We kept the heads and hoses and left out the rest.

The dual combos and the handheld with a holder include parts such as a diverter, an extension arm, a holder or a shut-off valve. We kept them because the rain head or handheld is the product, and each part is named in the listing. We left out two wall holders, which hold a handheld but do not spray, and two slide-bar listings. The slide-bar kit with a handheld head sits closer to a rail system than to a head, so we set it aside. That is a judgment call, and a buyer who wants a slide bar should read the separate slide-bar comparisons on this site.

Listing	Type	Finish	Hose length	Flow stated	Spray settings
Fixed head with pivot ball	Fixed	Chrome	None listed	2.5 gpm	One, with a knob for spray pattern
Dual combo, three-spray handheld	Rain head plus handheld	Oil rubbed bronze	72 in	2.5 gpm	Three
Dual combo, chrome	Rain head plus handheld	Chrome	72 in	2.5 gpm	One (specification field)
Metal hose, 72 inch	Hose only	Stainless steel	72 in	None	None
Handheld with bracket	Handheld on a hose	Chrome	72 in	2.5 gpm or 1.75 gpm (bullets)	One (specification field)
Three-spray handheld with hose	Handheld on a hose	Chrome	72 in	2.5 gpm	Three

The fixed head’s specification field reads 2 inches under hose length, which is not a hose. Its bullets name a 1/2 inch connection and no hose, so the hose column reads none. The handheld with bracket is the one listing whose bullets and specification field disagree on flow, and we follow the bullets.

What 2.5 gpm means, and what it does not

The EPA’s archived FAQ describes 2.5 gpm as the federal standard for showerheads under the Energy Policy Act of 1992, and it says WaterSense labeled products cut that by 20 percent, to 2.0 gpm or less. The HammerHead bullets call 2.5 gpm the “industry maximum”, which matches the federal ceiling. A listing at 2.5 gpm therefore sits at the federal standard, not below it.

The Penn State Extension household water page says conventional showerheads typically deliver 3 to 8 gallons per minute. The table below turns the flow figures into the gallons used in a 10-minute shower. Each row is a multiplication of the listed flow by 10 minutes, so it is arithmetic on the listing and the cited range, not a measurement.

Flow figure	Gallons in a 10-minute shower	Where it comes from
1.75 gpm	17.5	One kept handheld, lower option in its bullets
2.0 gpm	20	WaterSense ceiling (no kept listing carries the label)
2.5 gpm	25	Five kept listings, the federal standard
3 gpm	30	Low end of conventional heads (Penn State range)
8 gpm	80	High end of conventional heads (Penn State range)

The gap between the 2.5 gpm listings and the 1.75 gpm option is 2.5 minus 1.75 = 0.75 gpm. Over a 10-minute shower that is 25 minus 17.5 = 7.5 gallons. A lower flow saves water only if the shower is still comfortable at that flow, which depends on your water pressure, as the next section explains.

Pressure: what the EPA and Penn State say, and what the listings leave out

The EPA’s archived FAQ says WaterSense sets minimum flow rates at pressures of 80, 45 and 20 pounds per square inch. It also says the pressure rule is a percentage of the maximum flow. The FAQ’s own example gives a 2.0 gpm showerhead a floor of 1.5 gpm at the lowest pressure, which is 1.5 divided by 2.0 = 0.75, or 75 percent. Its percentage rule says 60 percent, and 0.6 times 2.0 = 1.2 gpm. Those two numbers do not match, so we quote the example and flag the gap instead of choosing one.

Penn State Extension says reduced-flow heads can be sensitive to low water pressure and to sudden changes in temperature, and that pressure-balanced mixing valves are then necessary. That applies most to the 1.75 gpm option. None of the kept listings states a pressure in psi or bar for its flow figure. The listings describe pressure in words only, such as a flow-boosting title, and those words carry no measurement.

None of the kept listings says it carries the WaterSense label, so none of them shows the pressure-compensation requirement that the EPA describes.

The dual combos: one head for rain, one for hand use

Two dual combos pair an 8-inch rain head with a handheld. The oil rubbed bronze combo has a three-spray handheld, with wide, massage and mist settings in its bullets. The chrome combo has a detachable handheld with high-pressure spray. Both bullets describe a solid brass three-way diverter that can send water to one head or to both at once. The chrome combo’s diverter is listed with a built-in shower holder.

The listings give 72-inch hoses for both combos, and both sets of bullets name silicone inner tubing; only the oil rubbed bronze bullets mention interlocking coils. The chrome combo’s specification field counts one setting for the whole unit, so the listing gives no spray count for its handheld. Use the three-spray count from the oil rubbed bronze combo when you compare spray options. Both bullets say installation takes about 10 minutes with the included thread tape, which is the maker’s estimate.

For a buyer who wants a comparison of handheld heads on other brands, see our Veken vs MakeFit handheld showerheads comparison.

The fixed head and the 72-inch hose

The fixed head is a chrome round head with a brass pivot ball. Its bullets say the pivot adjusts up to 23 degrees, and that a knob on the face shifts the spray from a high-pressure stream toward a rain-like spray with larger droplets. The listing gives 2.5 gpm and a 1/2 inch connection, and it names thread seal tape and a rubber washer in the box. It is a fixed head, so it does not come with a hose or a handheld, and its hose field should be ignored.

The 72-inch hose is the only item in the set that is a hose alone. The 72 inches equal 72 divided by 12 = 6 feet. Its bullets describe 304 stainless steel with a silicone inner tube, brass connectors at 1/2 inch NPS, and rubber washers already fitted. The bullets also say the hose is 12 inches longer than the industry standard, which is the maker’s comparison, and the pages we opened do not confirm it. The hose is a replacement for a handheld you already own. For a comparison of extension hoses on this site, see our hand-held shower head extension hose roundup.

The handheld heads: a 1.75 gpm option and a three-spray head

The handheld with bracket is the one listing that offers two flows. Its bullets say you can choose 2.5 gpm for the maximum flow or 1.75 gpm for a water-saving rate with the same pressure. Its specification field gives only 2.5 gpm as the efficiency, so the bullets and that field disagree. We follow the bullets, and we flag that the field does not list the lower setting. Its weight is 1.7 pounds, and the listing includes a 72-inch hose and a limited lifetime warranty.

The three-spray handheld with hose lists wide, massage and mist sprays in its bullets, and a 2.5 gpm flow in both the bullets and the specification field. It comes with a shower holder and a shut-off valve. If you already have a holder, the valve and holder are parts you may not need. The hose is 72 inches of metal with non-toxic silicone inner tubing, according to the bullets.

A household example from the listed flows

This example uses four people, one 10-minute shower each per day, and a 30-day month. Those are assumptions for arithmetic, not a usage survey, and a real household will differ.

At 2.5 gpm, each shower uses 2.5 times 10 = 25 gallons. The household uses 4 times 25 = 100 gallons a day, and 100 times 30 = 3,000 gallons a month. At the 1.75 gpm option in the handheld with bracket, each shower uses 1.75 times 10 = 17.5 gallons. The household uses 4 times 17.5 = 70 gallons a day, and 70 times 30 = 2,100 gallons a month. The difference is 3,000 minus 2,100 = 900 gallons a month.

That 900-gallon figure assumes the lower flow feels the same at your shower, and that depends on your water pressure. Penn State’s caution about reduced-flow heads and low pressure applies, and the listings give no pressure figure to check against. Treat the example as a planning tool rather than a promise of savings.

Fit checks from the listing fields

• Connection. The fixed head describes a 1/2 inch connection, and the 72-inch hose’s bullets name 1/2 inch NPS brass connectors. Compare the thread label on your existing arm with the label on the item before you buy, because the references in this roundup do not explain how the labels match.
• Reach. Each 72-inch hose is 72 divided by 12 = 6 feet long. The listings give no reach figure for the combos, so measure the distance from your wall outlet to the spot you need to reach before you buy.
• Arms. The two dual combos install on your existing shower arm, according to their bullets, and no new arm is listed as included. The fixed head also screws onto the existing arm, according to its bullets.
• Holders and valves. The three-spray handheld includes a holder and a shut-off valve. If you already have a holder, those parts are extra. The chrome combo’s specification field says its diverter has a built-in shower holder.
• Installation. The two combos’ bullets say installation takes about 10 minutes with the included thread tape. That is the maker’s estimate, and the references do not confirm it.

How we chose

• Scope: the HammerHead listings in the research record, ten in all. Six kept as heads or hoses, four left out as holders or slide bars.
• Source material: the title, bullets and specification fields, as written. Where they disagree, we follow the bullets and say so in the text.
• Order: by type, from the fixed head to the hose, so the handhelds sit together.
• Left out: prices, ratings and sales figures. The research record holds none of them, and this roundup does not use them.
• Flow arithmetic uses the listed figures and the EPA and Penn State ranges only.

The six listings, one by one

What we could not verify

• The water pressure at which each flow applies. No kept listing gives a psi or bar figure, and the EPA FAQ’s own percentage and example disagree, so the minimum flow at low pressure is not settled by the references.
• Whether any kept listing meets the WaterSense requirement. None says it carries the label.
• The lifetime warranties are the maker’s statements, and we did not check them against a HammerHead warranty document.
• The 10-minute installation time is the maker’s estimate.
• The 12-inch longer hose claim is a maker’s comparison, and the references do not cover hose length standards.
• The handheld with bracket lists 1.75 gpm in its bullets and 2.5 gpm in its specification field, and the listing does not explain which applies to the hose you would get.
• The fixed head’s hose-length field reads 2 inches, which is not a hose length, so the listing gives no hose length for that head.

FAQ

Does a 2.5 gpm showerhead save water?

Not compared with the federal standard. The EPA’s archived FAQ describes 2.5 gpm as the federal standard for showerheads. WaterSense labeled products go to 2.0 gpm or less. A 2.5 gpm head therefore uses the federal ceiling in a 10-minute shower, which is 25 gallons.

Are handheld showers covered by the EPA showerhead rules?

Yes. The EPA’s archived FAQ says hand-held showers are a subset of showerheads, with a movable device usually on the end of a hose. So a handheld on a hose counts as a showerhead, while a holder or a slide bar does not.

Which HammerHead listing has the lowest flow?

The handheld with bracket is the only kept listing whose bullets offer a lower flow, 1.75 gpm. Its specification field gives only 2.5 gpm, so check the live listing to confirm which setting you would get.

Do I need a holder if I buy a combo?

The chrome combo’s specification field lists a built-in shower holder. The oil rubbed bronze combo’s included components name a rain head, a handheld, a diverter and a hose, with no holder. Check the included components on the live listing before you buy a separate holder.

What should I check before buying a 72-inch hose?

Check the connection size on your handheld, which the bullets give as 1/2 inch NPS for the hose. Check that you have a handheld head to fit it, because the hose listing does not include one. Check the warranty terms on the live listing, because the lifetime claim is the maker’s.

Bottom line

Choose the head type first: fixed, rain-plus-handheld, or handheld on a hose. Five of the six kept listings give 2.5 gpm, so the choice of flow comes down to the single handheld that offers 1.75 gpm in its bullets. For a rain head and a handheld on one arm, the dual combos are the most complete. Confirm the pressure your home delivers before you buy a lower-flow head, because the listings give no pressure figure.

Sources

• US EPA, WaterSense: Showerheads: the 2.5 gpm standard, the 2.0 gpm WaterSense maximum and pressure compensation
• US EPA, Frequently Asked Questions: WaterSense Labeled Showerheads (archived 2017 snapshot): hand-held showers as a subset of showerheads, the federal 2.5 gpm standard, minimum flows at 80, 45 and 20 psi
• Penn State Extension, Household Water Conservation: conventional flows of 3 to 8 gpm, reduced-flow heads and low pressure, pressure-balanced mixing valves
• IAPMO R&T, Marks of Conformity: what an IAPMO R&T mark indicates about certification requirements