Best Handheld Shower Head With Slide Bar in 2021 [Our Reviews & Comparisons]

Last updated on February 27th, 2021

Your house’s plumbing is one of those things that you don’t really think about until you need to do some work on it. After all, most houses these days come with all the water service anyone needs. Plumbing methods are always being improved, and electric pumps mean we have an endless supply of water moving from where it is not needed to where it is.

That last part probably rang a bell with many, but it doesn’t just go for the plumbing in the walls and floor of your house. The taps and faucets around your house, or ‘fixtures’ as they are known to the professionals in the field, are no less important than the pipes behind them and often face the same challenges.

There is another plumbing consideration, which is an integral part of the bathroom decor where aesthetics are just as important as its highly functional ability in providing both hot and cold water. That is the showerhead.

For comfort and convenience, one of the most popular showerheads is one that is equipped with a hose, either as a secondary attachment or as the actual showerhead itself. This allows bathers to reach all areas of their body equally without needing to contort under the spray from a fixed, wall-mounted showerhead.

Even so, most showerheads also include a wall bracket that can hold the hose at the height for a fixed head, allowing a bather to quickly convert from one to the other. This still leaves the head at a static point, though, and forces bathers to use the hose or constantly adjust to the flow.

This is hardly the end of the world, but that doesn’t mean that our home can’t be a bit more comfortable, both for you and your family and any guests that you host. A quick, simple way to achieve this comfortable feature is by switching your fixed showerhead or bracket to a showerhead with a sliding bar.

Sliding bars boost the bracket out from the wall on an axis resembling a towel bar, allowing the bracket to be raised and lowered to suit the height of the bather, making the water impact the muscles more precisely and clean or relax them more effectively. Some even have a second set of bars on a perpendicular axis, creating two planes of movement to allow bathers more complete control over their own comfort and hygiene.

Home improvement always takes some balancing between the aesthetically pleasing fixtures and the ones that will hold up for years into the future, and showerheads more so than most. Not only will they regularly get wet, but they will also often be in a steam-filled environment. You’ll need one capable of taking the high moisture and sudden temperature changes without developing mold or coming loose from the wall.

Finding the right sliding bar showerhead can be a challenge, especially if it’s your first time remodeling a bathroom. We’ve put together a lift of the ten best showerheads with sliding bars to help your renovations along.

Comparison Table

PRODUCT	FEATURES	LATEST PRICE
1. Lordear Combo Dual Combination Showerheads	Lengthy steel hose Highly adjustable water modes Diverter	Check Price
2. Polaris Handheld Shower Combo with Slide Bar	Brushed nickel exterior Space-saving overhead bar Minimal installation needed	Check Price
3. Bright Showers Stainless Steel Grab Bar	Easy to clean Resists corrosion Massage setting	Check Price
4. KES Slide Bar	Long-lasting materials Expandable hose Tangle-free inner tube in hose	Check Price
5. Egretshower	Five-year guarantee Self-cleaning nozzles Tool-free installation	Check Price
6. Sarlai Double Rain Hotel Spa Bathroom	2 full-size showerheads Money-back guarantee Extra length hose	Check Price
7. DreamSpa 3-Way Shower Combo	Three-way diverter Drill-free installation Lifetime warranty	Check Price
8. AquaDance 28″ Drill-Free Stainless Steel Slide Bar Combo Rain Showerhead	Varied nozzle patterns Tool-free installation Classy chrome finish	Check Price
9. HOMELODY Shower Systems with Rain Shower and 8″ Stainless Steel Handheld Rain Showerhead	Brass piping Soapdish included Do-it-yourself installation	Check Price
10. Spa Station	Elegant chrome finish Drill-free installation Live customer service	Check Price

Our Best Handheld Showerhead With Slide Bar Reviews and Comparisons

1. Lordear Combo Dual Combination Showerheads

Product Highlights

This showerhead includes two independently positionable rainfall pods for complete comfort while bathing.

Features

• 5 water settings per showerhead
• Stainless steel hose
• 23” slider bar
• 60” stainless steel hose

What We Like About Lordear Combo Dual Combination Showerheads

Each showerhead is independently positionable allowing you to bathe all parts of yourself simultaneously

What We Don’t Like About Lordear Combo Dual Combination Showerheads

Because the bar in this showerhead functions as the pipe, this showerhead is likely to leak at the seams.

2. Polaris Handheld Shower Combo with Slide Bar

Product Highlights

This showerhead has a low profile overhead bar that is ideal for shorter bathrooms, in addition to the adjustable hose.

Features

• 8-inch sliding bar
• Brushed nickel finish
• Three water settings
• No drilling or installation

What We Like About Polaris Handheld Shower Combo with Slide Bar

Requiring only an inch and a half between the bar and the ceiling this showerhead is ideal for those without space to spare in their bathroom

What We Don’t Like About Polaris Handheld Shower Combo with Slide Bar

The way this showerhead bar extends directly over the bath may be uncomfortable for taller users.

3. Bright Showers Stainless Steel Grab Bar

Product Highlights

This bar is made of stainless steel to serve as durable support in addition to holding your showerhead.

Features

• 23” slide bar
• 5’ stainless steel hose
• Two settings: massage and saturation
• Adjustable bracket tilt

What We Like About Bright Showers Stainless Steel Grab Bar

Safety First for this showerhead. The solid stainless steel bar can support up to 500 pounds, making it ideal for holding onto if you feel uncomfortable with your footing in the tub.

What We Don’t Like About Bright Showers Stainless Steel Grab Bar

The showerhead is relatively narrow and has only two water settings

4. KES Slide Bar

Product Highlights

This product has won the prestigious Amazon’s Choice Award for being the most reliable showerhead in its class.

Features

• Five water functions
• Brushed metal finish
• 2-meter hose
• 64cm grab bar

What We Like About KES Slide Bar

This showerhead’s brushed metal finish resists rust and mildew and the hose is expandable to adjust for users of different sizes.

What We Don’t Like About KES Slide Bar

This showerhead requires more installation time than most as it includes gluing or drilling to affix to the wall.

5. Egretshower

Product Highlights

This showerhead has self-cleaning nozzles in both of its rain pods for additional hygiene and reduced maintenance.

Features

• 5” wide showerhead
• 27.5” sliding bar
• 5 water functions
• Brushed nickel finish

What We Like About Egretshower

Each minute nozzle on this showerhead is made of soft rubber that enables a self-cleaning function to keep the showerhead usable over long periods of time without maintenance.

What We Don’t Like About Egretshower

Two showerheads when working simultaneously provides a lower water pressure than some people would like.

6. Sarlai Double Rain Hotel Spa Bathroom

Product Highlights

This model delivers spa-quality comfort with an extra-large showerhead and longer hose to reach all parts of the body.

Features

• 60” stainless steel hose
• 5 water modes
• Ultra-thin showerhead
• 24.6” slide bar

What We Like About Sarlai Double Rain Hotel Spa Bathroom

The extra-large showerhead has a narrow profile that makes it both more efficient and more comfortable for the user.

What We Don’t Like About Sarlai Double Rain Hotel Spa Bathroom

This showerhead is specifically threaded for United States plumbing and may not be compatible with plumbing from other countries.

7. DreamSpa 3-Way Shower Combo

Product Highlights

This model features two fully adjustable showerheads with several high-tech features to guarantee users a convenient and enjoyable experience.

Features

• Three-way showerhead
• 22” slide bar
• Five-foot hose
• 4” wide showerhead

What We Like About DreamSpa 3-Way Shower Combo

This model allows users to customize water flows creating up to 37 distinct patterns for maximum comfort.

What We Don’t Like About DreamSpa 3-Way Shower Combo

The showerhead uses considerably more water than others making it a less economical choice for most.

8. AquaDance 28″ Drill-Free Stainless Steel Slide Bar Combo Rain Showerhead

Product Highlights

Each showerhead in this model has distinct designs, making each one optimized for a particular task as opposed to trying to fulfill each application with one pattern.

Features

• 28” slide bar
• 7” hose face
• 6 distinct water settings
• 3-way diverter

What We Like About AquaDance 28″ Drill-Free Stainless Steel Slide Bar Combo Rain Showerhead

By using an oversized 7” hose face this model allows for distinct nozzle patterns on the overhead and hose faces instead of trying to accomplish all tasks with one pattern, producing a more thorough and enjoyable experience for the user

What We Don’t Like About AquaDance 28″ Drill-Free Stainless Steel Slide Bar Combo Rain Showerhead

The showerhead is made of plastic as opposed to metal and suffers from a subsequent drop in durability and reliability.

9. HOMELODY Shower Systems with Rain Shower and 8″ Stainless Steel Handheld Rain Showerhead

Product Highlights

Brass piping combines durability and unique anti-scaling properties that keep this showerhead at the top of the range for water cleanliness and effective hygiene.

Features

• Solid brass fixture
• Overhead bar to accommodate larger users
• 70” hose
• 6” hose faces

What We Like About HOMELODY Shower Systems with Rain Shower and 8″ Stainless Steel Handheld Rain Showerhead

This showerhead’s convenient angle and extra length hose make it easy to reach sizable or awkwardly shaped bodies. Labeled at the optimal choice for elderly or disabled individuals or those requiring a larger shower or tub space.

What We Don’t Like About HOMELODY Shower Systems with Rain Shower and 8″ Stainless Steel Handheld Rain Showerhead

For an expensive showerhead kit, it will not be suitable if the bathroom does not provide at least 12” of space above the bathers’ heads as well as 9” from wall to wall then it will not accommodate the extra length overhead array.

The brass connectors in the showerhead kit leaks and cannot be easily repaired.

The instructions include only metric measurements, which is not helpful to US customers. Even if you access a converter app, any partial metric measurements include decimal points which is not convertible to US feet measurements. Instructions in the manual are not clear.

10. Spa Station

Product Highlights

This sleek-looking showerhead adds a touch of modern class to your bathroom and takes advantage of the latest water-saving technologies to make it an economical choice.

Features

• Double showerhead
• 34” slide bar
• Angled overhead arm
• 4.3” hose face

What We Like About Spa Station

Both faces in this model are relatively narrow in profile and have water-saving nozzles to keep them light on the wallet while still delivering optimal water flow.

What We Don’t Like About Spa Station

This showerhead costs considerably more than other models and the canted overhead arm requires additional space in the shower or tub.

Final Verdict

Showerheads with sliding bars allow you to build a more comfortable and effective shower without needing to change your bathroom’s plumbing or call for professional installation.

The added axis of movement – often reinforced by a rotating bracket that allows you to tilt the head as well as raising and lowering it – gives you the freedom to aim the water flow to precisely impact your muscles for maximum relaxation or concentrate on areas in need of cleaning for added hygiene.

Buyer’s Guide

Although we see them frequently, showerheads are rarely foremost in our thoughts which leaves many people with serious question marks or misconceptions when it comes time to get a new one. We’ve put together some of the more common mistakes made to help you steer clear of them as you find a new showerhead to fit your home.

One feature many of these models share is a tool-free installation by means of included rubber cement or adhesive strips that hold the shower head to the wall without any grilling or plumbing needed.

While this is a more convenient and cost-effective means of a fixing your showerhead’s sliding bar, keep in mind that these connections are not intended to support the weight of a person and attempting to use them to support body weight poses a serious risk of the sliding bar and showerhead coming loose and the person holding onto them sustaining a serious injury from falling or slipping.

It is important to measure the space into which you will be placing the showerhead before making your selection. While many showerheads do not take up much space from right to left you will need to take into account the height and depth of your shower as well as the space remaining once occupied by the largest user intended for that shower.

Many of these showerheads include a canted overhead arm which requires a considerable amount of space in both of these dimensions, so be sure either to leave enough space for the arm and occupant both or select a model with two showerheads close to the wall.

As a rule, these showerheads do not require any further plumbing once purchased. Most of them come pre-plumbed and require only a few hand-tightened seals to be fully operational. Nevertheless, it may be well worth the time and added cost to invest in a rubberized sealant to place over the seams, preventing leakage and mildew that can otherwise damage your shower over the long term.

In terms of things to consider before purchasing a showerhead, your first priority should be water pressure. A showerhead that splits the water flowing into the fixture to the point where it no longer retains useful pressure is a detraction to your bathroom and should be avoided. Many showerheads will list their effect on the water pressure on the packaging, so be sure to check that you are choosing one within after installation pressure of above 45 PSI.

Depending on your individual needs you may also want to look for a specific water mode in whichever model you choose. Commonly found in multi-mode showerheads include a massage function, which uses a jet of water to loosen stiff muscles; a bubble or drip function for bathing infants, and a “ rain” function for thoroughly rinsing long hair. Be sure that your chosen showerhead has whichever functions you are looking for before purchasing.

Most showerheads are made of either plastic or metal; each material has its own advantages and there are reasons to want or avoid either one. A plastic showerhead will be lighter, easier to manipulate, and ultimately cheaper and easier to replace. Metal showerheads are almost invariably more durable and resistant to temperature changes or being dropped, and tend to prevent the buildup of mildew that occur in plastic showerheads.

If choosing a metal showerhead, make sure that it is made of corrosion-resistant metal only, such as stainless steel brass or copper. Any other materials can quickly wind up taking significant damage from corrosion, giving you far less return for your money.

Additionally, keep an eye out for the phenomenon of scaling, where sediment in the water supply bonds to the ionized metal of the water fixture and forms a thick ring within the pipe that reduces water flow and can eventually totally clog your showerhead.

If you’ve chosen plastic for your shower, you will need to exercise extra care not to drop the showerhead or knock it loose from the bracket as plastic is relatively brittle and will crack easily if banged against the tile or porcelain that is usually found in bathtubs or shower stalls. Plastic showerheads also possess larger seams than metal ones making them highly susceptible to mold or mildew and may require cleaning or replacement once or twice a year.

It is often a sound policy to invest in a water filter as well when outfitting your bathroom. Water filters can remove excess salt from the water supply and make your water more effective at cleaning – as well as more economical – when you are using soap and shampoo. Sliding bar showers do not necessarily mean you will have to give up your water filter but it is important to check that whichever model you are getting will be compatible with the water filter once installed.

The installation itself should be done in stages. Start with fixing the pipe and using low-pressure flow water to check that it isn’t leaking before applying the Teflon tape or rubber cement that most models include as a sealant. This will allow you to troubleshoot as you go and prevent having to disassemble the entire showerhead and reinstall it if a problem is uncovered later.