If you are considering getting an electric shower but are turned off by the clunky, dated designs, then we have good news for you. Nowadays, there are plenty of contemporary options that won't be an eyesore in your bathroom. In this guide, we have selected the best electric showers that are of excellent value and beautifully designed.
Do you dread hopping to that freezing cold showeron a winter morning? With newer and updated models, there are many features that will make your shower experience much more comfortable. Some models have a warm-up function, a phased shutdown to stop the water from getting too hot, and limescale control to eliminate build-ups.
Electric showers function as a self-contained units as they heat and pump the water as you are using it - so it only needs to be connected to a cold water supply, and the shower will do the rest. Plus, it can be a more energy-efficient option as it doesn't need to collect any water from a boiler, so nohot wateris wasted.
With that in mind, let's take a look at a few things to consider before making a purchase.
What to consider when choosing an electric shower
Electric showers don't vary too much from brand to brand and model to model. However, it is good to consider what aspects and features to prioritise when looking to buy. Here is everything you need to know.
Power: Most models have a wattage between 7kW and 10.5kW. Power is a vital element to consider as the more power a shower has - the more water can be heated, meaning you have a more consistent flow. However, as you can imagine, the more powerful the shower, the more costly it will be.
Temperature controls: Most electric showers have thermostatic control to guarantee a steady temperature. The more expensive the shower, the more accurate the temperature will be.
Control and displays: Some showers will have visible temperature displays or buttons and dials. If you want to be precise about your temperature, you might want to get a shower with a touch-sensitive display.
Spray patterns: If you would like different spray patterns that offer you a choice to have a smaller but more powerful spray to a mist, some showers have five settings. If you don't really care about this, there are plenty of options with just one setting.
Features: Often, you will see that electric showers have features such as limescale protection which means that the shower will run cold water at the end to stop any build-up. Additional features include a safety cut-out for when the water gets too hot or a warm-up option so you don't need to hop into a freezing shower on a winter morning.
Now, let's look at the best electric showers in the UK for every budget and preference.
The best electric showers 2022
Best value electric shower
Description
This electric shower is not only excellent value but is highly rated on Amazon with consistently good reviews. It is easy to install, doesn't look too clunky and is simple to operate. It comes with a simple dial to control the temperature and power and one spray pattern.
Key specifications:
Wattage: 7.5kW, 8.5kW, 9.5kW, 10.5kW;
Controls: Rotary temperature, rotary power
Spray patterns: 1
Colour: White/Chrome
Dimensions: 305 x 210 x 110mm
Review: "Absolutely delighted with this shower. It’s easy to install and use. The rain shower is great, and it has an attachment to rinse around your body or bath afterwards (however, I’ve not needed to use the attachment to rinse shower gel off me as the top part main shower does that). The right button turns to control temperature."
Best contemporary electric shower with high power
www.plumbworld.co.uk
Description
This sleek and contemporary electric shower has high-tech features that will make your morning shower something to look forward to. This model looks much more appealing than most competitors and has an attractive design with a frosted glass finish.
In terms of features, it has dual showerheads plus high-tech features such as Clearscale technology that provides a 50 per cent reduction of limescale build-up. It also has Sensi-Flo technology which prevents the water from getting too hot. There are two showerheads: the 200mm overhead shower and the 90mm handset, making this a great versatile choice.
Key specifications:
Wattage: 9.8kW
Controls: Two dial controls
Spray patterns: 1
Colour: Frosted glass
Dimensions: 36.7 x 23.3 x 10cm
Review: "I love this shower! I opted for an electric shower because my boiler is temperamental, so I thought it would be nice to have the constancy provided by a device such as this. This one looks really nice. It has pretty good power and heat, and I love it when you turn it on, and it waits for a few seconds before the power kicks in."
Best electric shower for multiple spray patterns
Description
The T100xr Electric Shower is an all-around easy to use shower from Triton that is simple to install and operate. The most noteworthy feature is that the showerhead has five spray patterns. It is straightforward to use and has a good flow rate and consistent temperature. Customers also highly rated it, so you know it will be a reliable choice.
Key specifications:
Wattages: 7.5kW, 8.5kW, 9.5kW, 10.5kW
Controls: Rotary temperature, rotary power
Spray patterns: 5
Colour: White/Chrome
Dimensions: 30.5 x 21 x 11cm
Review: "Working perfectly, looks very nice in the shower. No complaints. I bought it to change an existing shower, fitted in 30 minutes. Fantastic product."
Best eclectic shower for style and controls
Description
This Bristan model is an easy replacement for many budget showers and has flexible installation, with five potential water and electric cable entry points. Like many of Bristan's products, it is designed to be subtle, long-lasting and high performance.
What sets this model apart from your classic budget options is the digital control display, three touch-sensitive buttons and rotary control for flow and temperature. It has a nice modern design and a strong flow with a temperature gauge to help you achieve your perfect warmth. It also tells you when you should clean your showerhead. This middle of the range electric shower is great if you want a few high-tech features that are not too expensive.
**Key specifications
**Wattages: 8.5kW, 9.5kW, 10.5kW
Controls: Rotary temperature, touch start and heat setting
Spray patterns: 3
Colour: White or black
Dimensions: 30.5 x 19.5 x 65cm
Review: "Had to replace an expensive Mira shower that we had for ten years. The Mira used to have to be reset regularly, so I went for the Triton. No fancy electronics in there, so I turn it on and it works. It would have been an easy install, but the pipes for the old shower needed cutting etc, so I got a friend in to do it. Had it all been installed in 30 minutes? So far really pleased with it. The hardest part is getting out of the shower as I could stay there all day."
Editor's choice
Description
With an LED display, straightforward controls, a modern design and good flow, this electric shower from Bristan ticks all the boxes. It has many great features, such as the anti-limescale feature, warm-up mode and safety modes such as the thermal cut out and pressure relief should comfort parents with children.
Plus, the shower's footprint has been designed to cover many existing installations. So if your current electric shower is from a UK brand, this model will match the water and electric inlets and cover any existing fixing holes.
Key specifications
Wattages: 8.5kW, 9.5kW, 10.5kW
Controls: Rotary temperature, on/off button
Spray patterns: 3
Colour: White, black
Dimensions: 19.5 x 7 x 30.5cm
Review: "The main feature is the LED temperature display - you get to learn your preferred temperature and can maintain it without the fiddling about. The design has no protruding buttons (just rotary temperature setting control) so easy to clean and will look nice for years."
Best stylish and high performance high-end eclectic shower
Description
If you want something sleek, high-performance and that will blend into your modern bathroom decor, then the Aqualisa would be a great pick. The model is available in three colours: chrome, graphite and white, and features five spray patterns, ranging from invigorating jets to airy bubbles.
It also has classic features such as anti-limescale protection, which will run cold water after you shower to prevent any build-up. Plus, due to Aqualisa's Over Temperature Protection, your water temperature will never get too hot.
Key specifications
Wattages: 8.5kW, 9.5kW, 10.5kW
Controls: Rotary temperature, on/off button
Spray patterns: 5
Colour: Chrome, charcoal or white
Dimensions: 305 x 240 x 65mm
Review: "Needed a new shower as the existing one stopped working, I knew that it would be easier to buy the same again as everything would fit, which it did. Temperature control is excellent with a great range of temperatures, looks very modern with a nice blue led light around the power switch when on, several modes of spray on the showerhead, all in all, what's not to like, would definitely recommend this shower."
Electric showers FAQs
Are power showers better than electric showers?
Undeniably power showers have a more powerful water flow than electric showers (hence the name). However, electric showers are arguably more efficient and more cost-effective to run.
Can I have two electric showers in my house?
Although you can have more than two electric showers in the house, you will need to consider that you can only have one in use at a time. This is due to a large amount of power needed, so using two will likely blow the main ESB fuse.
How much power does an electric shower use?
An electric shower is one of the most energy-consuming appliances in the home as it takes a lot of energy to heat the water and could use 1,460 kWh in a year.
For example, a 10 kW shower uses approximately one kWh of energy in six minutes. According to Viessmann, an average-sized UK household comprises four people and assuming that everyone has a six-minute shower per day, you could be using four kWh of energy per day, or 1,460 kWh in a year. It is a large percentage of your energy bill.
Ellen Kinsey is a Commercial Content Writer for What's The Best, and also writes for Yours, Mother&Baby, Heat, Closer and Empire. She has a passion for cooking, media, and women's health.
Subscribe to the What's The Best Newsletter to keep up to date with more of the latest reviews and recommendations from the What's The Best team.