Hibbent Shower Heads Compared: Rain and Handheld Combos, Flow and Hose Length

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Shoppers searching for hibbent shower head want a head that gives rain spray and handheld spray on one unit, or a long hose for a handheld they already own. The research record holds nine Hibbent listings. Five are shower heads or hoses this topic keeps: four rain-and-handheld combos and one 90-inch hose. The other four are a slide bar sold with a holder, two holders (one adhesive, one for a slide bar), and a 16-inch extension arm with a three-way diverter, which carries no head of its own. We left those out. Two of the kept combos state a flow of 1.75 gallons per minute, and the other two state none.

Quick answer

• Five of the nine Hibbent listings qualify: four rain-and-handheld combos and one 90-inch hose.
• Two combos state a flow, and both give 1.75 gpm. At that flow a 10-minute shower uses 17.5 gallons, which is 7.5 gallons less than the 25 gallons at the federal standard of 2.5 gpm.
• Several specification fields disagree with the bullets or the title. We follow the bullets in each case and say so in the text.
• All four combos carry cUPC wording in their titles. The IAPMO page we opened says its marks show that certification requirements were met, but it does not describe the cUPC mark itself.

What this set covers

The EPA’s archived FAQ on WaterSense showerheads treats hand-held showers as a subset of showerheads, so the handheld spray in each combo, and the hose, are in scope. The rain heads are in scope too. The two holders, the slide-bar holder and the extension arm are not. The arm is a shower arm with a diverter, and it carries no spray head, so it falls outside the head-or-hose type. A combo is different: its rain head or handheld is the product, and the arm and diverter are parts the listing names.

Listing	Type	Finish	Hose length	Rain head	Handheld spray	Flow stated
90-inch hose	Hose only	Oil rubbed bronze	90 in	None	None	None
12-inch square combo	Rain head plus handheld	Matte black	71 in	12-inch square, 154 splash jets (bullets)	Ten settings	1.75 (no unit)
13-inch combo with four-way arm	Rain head plus handheld	Matte black	71 in	13-inch	Ten-function handheld	None
10-inch combo with 16-inch arm	Rain head plus handheld	Matte black	71 in	10-inch, 110 splash jets (bullets)	Four modes (bullets)	1.75 gpm
13-inch combo with four-way arm, oil rubbed	Rain head plus handheld	Oil rubbed bronze	71 in	13-inch, 157 splash jets (bullets)	Ten-function handheld	None

The 90-inch hose is 90 divided by 12 = 7.5 feet, which matches the specification field. The three matte black combos and the oil rubbed bronze combo share a 71-inch hose. Two of the combos carry 2.5 in their model numbers, while their flow fields read 1.75, as discussed below.

What 1.75 gpm means against the federal 2.5 gpm standard

The EPA’s archived FAQ describes 2.5 gpm as the federal standard for showerheads under the Energy Policy Act of 1992, and WaterSense labeled products must use 2.0 gpm or less. The two combos that state a flow give 1.75 gpm, which is 1.75 divided by 2.5 = 0.7, or 70 percent of the federal standard. The gap is 2.5 minus 1.75 = 0.75 gpm.

The Penn State Extension household water page says conventional showerheads typically deliver 3 to 8 gallons per minute. The table turns each stated flow into gallons for a 10-minute shower. Each row is the flow multiplied by 10 minutes, so it is arithmetic on the listing and the cited range.

Flow figure	Gallons in a 10-minute shower	Where it comes from
1.75 gpm	17.5	Two kept combos, from their flow fields
2.0 gpm	20	WaterSense ceiling (no kept listing carries the label)
2.5 gpm	25	Federal standard, the figure the other kept listings state
3 gpm	30	Low end of conventional heads (Penn State range)
8 gpm	80	High end of conventional heads (Penn State range)

The 1.75 gpm combos lower the 10-minute shower to 17.5 gallons, which is 25 minus 17.5 = 7.5 gallons less than the standard. That is arithmetic on the listed figure.

Penn State also 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 point applies to the two 1.75 gpm combos. Neither listing gives a psi or bar figure for its flow, and the EPA’s minimum flows at 80, 45 and 20 psi are not reported by either listing.

The rain-and-handheld combos

All four combos pair a rain head with a handheld. Each has an arm, a diverter and a hose, and each uses matte black or oil rubbed bronze. The bullets for all four describe a three-way or four-way diverter that can send water to one head, to the other, or to both.

The 12-inch square combo has a smaller rain head than the two 13-inch combos, and its bullets cite 154 splash jets. It also includes a 12-inch adjustable extension arm, an adhesive holder and a 71-inch hose. Its specification field gives a flow of 1.75 with no unit, and its jets field reads 7, which does not match the 154 splash jets in the bullets. We follow the bullets for the spray count and report the field as a conflict.

The 13-inch combo with a four-way arm, matte black, has a ten-function handheld and a four-way diverter that the bullets describe as offering handheld spray, rainfall spray, both together, and a pause mode. Its listing states no flow figure. The 13-inch oil rubbed bronze combo has a near-identical set of bullets, with 157 splash jets on the rain head. The two 13-inch listings share a title and most of their bullet text, so the difference is mainly finish and jet count.

The 10-inch combo has a 16-inch extension arm and a three-way diverter with a four-mode handheld in its bullets. Its specification field counts seven settings. The bullets describe four modes, and we follow the bullets. Its flow field gives 1.75 gallons per minute. Its bullets give no flow, so the 1.75 gpm figure rests on the flow field alone.

The title on the 13-inch matte black combo says five sprays, while its bullets describe a ten-function handheld and a 13-inch rain head with a five-spray pattern. The bullets for the same listing call the rain head plastic, while its material field lists acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, brass and stainless steel together. The listing gives no flow figure at all.

For a comparison of handheld heads on other brands, see our Veken vs MakeFit handheld showerheads comparison. For a higher-pressure head comparison, see our high pressure shower head water saving roundup.

If you are narrowing the four combos, sort them first by whether the listing states a flow, then by spray count, then by arm length. Only the 12-inch square combo and the 10-inch combo state a flow figure, and both give 1.75 gpm, so the two 13-inch combos need a different tie-breaker, such as the finish and the jet count the bullets describe.

The 90-inch hose

The 90-inch hose is a hose alone, in oil rubbed bronze stainless steel with an EPDM inner tube and brass connectors. Its bullets say it suits most handheld showers and bidet sprayers with standard 1/2 inch IPS ends, and that the anti-twist design stops the hose from kinking. The specification field gives 7.5 feet, which matches the 90-inch length. Its weight field reads 0.5 g, which cannot be right for a 90-inch stainless hose, so we did not use that figure.

The hose’s bullets give no warranty and no flow, and a hose has no flow of its own. Its length is the reason to buy it. For a comparison of longer hoses on this site, see our best hand-held shower head extension hose roundup.

The cUPC wording in the titles

All four combos carry cUPC wording in the title, and the bullets repeat it. The IAPMO R&T Marks of Conformity page we opened says that the marks indicate the product certification requirements have been met, and that the marks give assurance that a product is safe and meets the applicable requirements. The same page does not describe the cUPC mark or its listing rules, so it cannot tell a buyer what the cUPC name guarantees on a given product. The research record gives no certificate number for any of them. Before you rely on the wording, check the mark on the product or the listing directory that the certifying body publishes.

A household example from the listed flows

The same four-person, one-shower-each, 30-day assumptions apply. At 1.75 gpm, each combo 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. At the 2.5 gpm federal standard that the other kept listings state, the same household uses 3,000 gallons a month, so the gap is 3,000 minus 2,100 = 900 gallons a month. That gap depends on the pressure at the shower, which none of the Hibbent listings states, so read the figure as arithmetic rather than a promise.

For the two combos that state no flow, the household figure cannot be worked out from the listing. Those are the 13-inch matte black combo and the 13-inch oil rubbed bronze combo, and the listings give no basis for estimating their gallons.

Fit checks from the listing fields

• Arms. All four combos include an extension arm: a 12-inch arm on the square combo, a four-way diverter arm on the two 13-inch combos, and a 16-inch arm on the 10-inch combo. If your wall already has a shower arm, check whether you need the extension at all, because the arm in the box may be longer or shorter than the one you have.
• Hose. The combos carry 71-inch hoses, which is 71 divided by 12 = 5.92 feet. The 90-inch hose is 7.5 feet, and its bullets say it fits most handhelds and bidet sprayers with standard 1/2 inch IPS ends.
• Thread labels. The 90-inch hose’s bullets name 1/2 inch IPS ends. Other listings in the research record use the NPS and G1/2 labels, and the references do not explain how the labels match. Compare labels before you buy.
• Diverter. The combos’ bullets describe a diverter that sends water to one head, the other, or both, so the diverter sets the flow path in use.
• Holders. The 12-inch combo includes an adhesive holder, and the 13-inch combos include a holder in their components. Check the component list on the live listing before you buy a separate holder.

How we chose

• Scope: the Hibbent listings in the research record, nine in all. Five kept as heads or hoses, four left out as holders, a slide-bar holder or an extension arm.
• 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 hose to the combos, then by finish and arm.
• Combos count as shower heads because the rain head or handheld is the product, and the arm or diverter is a named part of the set.
• 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 five listings, one by one

What we could not verify

• The water pressure at which the 1.75 gpm figures apply. Neither listing gives a psi or bar value, and the references do not fill that gap for these models.
• Whether any kept listing meets the WaterSense requirement. None says it carries the label.
• What the cUPC wording guarantees on a given product. The IAPMO page we opened does not describe the cUPC mark or its listing rules.
• The 12-inch combo’s jets field reads 7, while the bullets cite 154 splash jets for the same rain head. The listing does not say which count is right.
• The 10-inch combo’s specification field counts seven settings, while its bullets describe four modes. The field may count settings that the bullets do not describe, and the listing does not explain.
• The 1.75 gpm flow on the 12-inch combo has no unit in its flow field. The model number on the same listing contains 2.5, so the listing does not settle which figure applies.
• The 90-inch hose’s weight field reads 0.5 g, which is not usable. We did not use it.
• The two 13-inch matte black and oil rubbed bronze combos share most of their bullets, so the listings do not show what separates the rain heads in use.

FAQ

Does a 1.75 gpm Hibbent combo save water?

Compared with the federal standard of 2.5 gpm, yes, on paper. A 1.75 gpm head uses 17.5 gallons in a 10-minute shower, against 25 gallons at 2.5 gpm. That saving depends on the water pressure at your shower, which neither listing states.

Why does one Hibbent combo show a flow with no unit?

The 12-inch square combo’s flow field reads 1.75 without a unit. The listing’s model number contains 2.5, and the bullets do not give a flow. Treat the figure as 1.75 gpm only after you confirm it on the live listing.

Does the cUPC wording mean the head is certified?

The title says cUPC, which is a plumbing certification mark. The IAPMO page we opened says its marks show that certification requirements were met, but it does not describe the cUPC mark or its listing rules. Check the mark on the product or the certifying body’s directory before you rely on the wording.

Which Hibbent combo has the most spray settings?

The bullets give the 10-function handheld on three of the combos, and the 10-inch combo’s bullets describe four modes. The specification field for the 10-inch combo counts seven settings, which conflicts with its bullets, so the listing does not settle the count for that model.

Do I need the 90-inch hose if I already have a combo?

Only if the combo’s hose is too short for your reach. The combos carry 71-inch hoses, and the 90-inch hose is 90 minus 71 = 19 inches longer. Check the connection on your handheld, which the bullets describe as standard 1/2 inch IPS ends.

Bottom line

Choose the head type first, a rain-and-handheld combo or a long hose on its own. Pick the combo by the rain head size and spray count the bullets describe, and check the flow figure on the live listing, because only two combos state a flow and their fields conflict with the bullets on some models. If you want the lowest stated flow, look at the 1.75 gpm combos, and check the pressure at your shower before you rely on that 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