Hansgrohe is good overall (and they always look great!), but if you ever need to replace anything, their parts can be a bit expensive compared to some other brands, though this is not as much of an issue for handhelds. Also, Hansgrohe's changed their distribution recently, so make sure that if you're ordering it online, they have it on hand, otherwise they might have difficulty getting it.

I've really not noticed much difference between water pressure without a handheld and with, but then again, all of my showerheads have that 2.5 gpm rating. If your old handheld wasn't 2.5, or had the restrictor removed, that might have been the difference. Some current showerheads/handhelds have removeable restrictors (just a little gaskety thing shoved in there somewhere) while some have it really well built in and just cannot be removed without destroying something. The sellers, unfortunately, can't encourage you to remove it, and so won't (or don't know) what kind of restrictor a given showerhead has. Best bet? Make sure you can return it if it doesn't work out...

Personally, I had a Delta/Alsons In2Ition for years and loved it. I currently have a Sprite filtered handshower and while not the prettiest thing, it does exactly what we wanted it to - filter water and be a handheld!

FYI: Some of the home-store staple brands (Moen, Kohler, Price Pfister) have been transitioning to "rust free" plastics from things that were previously brass (thanks CA low lead laws and rising metal prices)... but what that often means is that connections are plastic, and therefore easier to crack on accident. I saw one recently that came with a plastic shower arm! Plastic has it's place, I just think supporting weight in my shower is not one of them...

You'll find most handhelds to be plastic-bodied regardless of brand, which is usually fine as who really wants to wave around a huge chunk of brass? Not me - I'll do my bicep curls outside of the shower, thank you.

Where I've found the things I like to pay attention to: I want a massage function, a medium sort of spray function, and a trickle function. So that's all I look for as far as spray patterns. Different manufacturers call their spray patterns different things. You'll have to find out what Hansgrohe means by their names - there might be reviews or even images on the Hansgrohe site that shows the spray pattern to help you get a good idea.

Another biggie when I'm looking: The quality of mounting brackets varies wildly and so do the hoses. I would suggest to try to make sure the mounting bracket (the bit that screws onto the shower arm) is brass or stainless steel if at all possible, otherwise you're almost certainly looking at replacing it yearly. Vinyl hoses will have to be replaced after a few years in most homes, too. Double spiral hoses (they look like these http://www.plumbingsupply.com/images/delta-shower-hose-ultraflex-u490-494-series-lg.jpg) have a high end look and last longer. However, if you love everything else about the handheld, both the bracket and hose are easy to replace - most handhelds have 1/2" ips connections on both ends, so you can get a replacement hose or bracket pretty much anywhere you like.

Last thing - if you have hard water and no softener, definitely look for easy-clean nibs on the head, or even reviews by people with hard water to see if it'll just clog up on you after a month (another reason for the Sprite).

So, that's my 2cents, hope it helps!

Hansgrohe and Grohe are good products. My BIL is a master plumber and also likes mid-range Kohler and Moen products, but not from the big box stores.

I've spent the last week looking at handshowers online. The Hansgrohe you linked to has a plastic hose. I'm becoming more interested in the Kohler Flipside handshower. It's pretty cool and seems to have mostly positive reviews on several websites. Amazon sells it for about $62, but you have to buy a hose too. You can get a longer hose than the Hansgrohe that is metal for around $50. You also have to buy the wall-mount bracket, and the ones that aren't plastic are pricey.

Hansgrohe just sent me parts when I called.
No charge.

Thank you! I ended up ordering the Hansgrohe showerhead separately so I could order a metal hose. Fingers crossed.

I have a handsgrohle in my guest bath for 9 years now and loved it so much put one in my recent master redo. I like the plastic surface that doesn't collect water spots and is easy to maintain.