I'll let you know in two weeks :) We're installing a 12 inch - the feedback I received from friends who had them was bigger was better. It feels very warm and cozy to be surrounded by the rainshower. The rainshower doesn't supply a very pressurized shower experience regardless (think gentle rain not massage spray) Can you switch out the valve? We did a lot of research on which thermostatic controllers supplied how much water (plus how much you can get from your hot water heater) it's crazy how complicated it is! I'm not sure exactly what you mean by visually - if you're primarily interested in which one fits the scale of your bathroom, you should probably just check out a supply room and look at the different sizes -

Planningnut, if you're going to buy from a local dealer, it often pays to get a quote or two from an online site to have with you when your local dealer write up the order. I like buying from a local dealer when I can, because without the local people providing the showrooms and their time and expertise, we'd never get to see products in person. I'll eat the local sales tax I wouldn't have to pay if I order online, but not a major price difference. With the bath supply dealer I've worked with locally, I've found that if I come in with my "online research", he'll often match the price, even though it's a steeper discount than I would have otherwise gotten. (I've had this at lighting stores, too.) Many people shop locally and buy online; I like it if I can shop locally, price online, and then leverage the online price to buy locally. Anyway, it's a good idea to get a price or two online. IraWoods.com often has good or best pricing on the lines they carry; eFaucet and faucets.com are others to check -- or you can use a price comparison site like PriceGrabber.com. You may need to visit the manufacturer's web site to get the exact name or model number of the piece you're looking for; then make sure you're comparing prices for the actual finish you want (chrome, satin nickel, etc.). Happy shopping! -- Eric

Thanks Patricia. I do have both - I have the slider bar with the adjustable hand held thing and then the Rain CAn thing. I NEVER shower - always bathe - and this is for my husband not really me so I want him to enjoy it - do you think using the rain shower is ok and then if you need more force or a massage, etc. you can use the handheld thing? would you recommend it this way? I cannot see my husband taking the time to remove the adjustable thing and use it. So I am relying on the shower head for him getting clean, etc. WIll the rain shower do a good job of getting him clean in a jiffy?

Dragonflygirl girl, in my experience, water pressure in the water coming out of the pipe no longer has much influence on how ”hard” the water falls in a rainhead. My thinking is that the water ”uses up” some of the kinetic energy it gained from being under pressure in the pipe in the effort to spread out in the 12” diameter rain head. I don’t think having the water in the pipe until it is closer to your head matters much for pressure. In cold weather, though, I think that it does have a noticeable influence on the temperature of the water that hits your body. I might seriously consider a longer down pipe.