Mine has no volume control, but I'm on a well and don't have high pressure. One thing I did was put a bath spout (toe tester) in the shower, so I could fill containers or use it to warm up the shower floor, or just step in to wash my feet before bed in summer sandal season without getting sprayed. The flow seems more manageable than using the hand held for those things.

Thermostatic valves are becoming less and less popular. I have read online it is due to "safety" to keep people from scalding themselves and keeping toilet flushing, etc from increasing water temperature.

Just look for a thermostatic valve....

I remodeled my then kids' bathroom about 12 years ago, knowing nothing about shower controls and without benefit of Garden Web. I purchased shower fittings without volume control but didn't realize it for quite a long time. The kids never mentioned it. Whenever I use that shower, the lack of volume control is really annoying to me. In our current Master bath remodel, I made sure that the shower system we purchased last week had volume control. I think it's well worth the additional cost if it's for the shower you will be using most of the time.

I've never had a shower that had it, so I guess I'm just used to it, but it doesn't bother me at all. We do have a handheld shower head that has multiple settings that effectively adjust the volume, though. That's always an option, and works nicely.

no volume control here either... i would never use the shower with less than the full volume of water spraying- i like a good spray! our handheld does have different settings tho should a lesser spray be desired, but we rarely use it!

I don't like not having volume control. Usually it doesn't bother me but when it does, it really does. I am glad my kids' bath has it. It's needed more there.

Lack of volume control mostly bothers me in hotels...maybe because they have so much better water pressure than I'm used to.

Good quality thermostatic valves have built-in antiscalding technology and do not change temperatures with toilets flushing, etc.--that is, after all, the point of them: staying one temperature. I wouldn't go without mine now that I've had it. It's like the Ronco rotisserie things: set it and forget it.

You can check qualitybath .com they carry riobel . Maybe it's cheaper there.

I wouldn't consider a shower without volume control. LOTS of wasted water when you can't turn it down to a low level.

Thanks for the feedback. I really don't know why I am having so many issues/problems making decisions for this bathroom. Perhaps because we started serious DIY renovations on this 70's house 6 years ago, were going to add an addition for this BR and had hired and started to pay a design/builder who we basically fired after receiving an estimate of $70K to frame a 210sq ft addition!

I think I went through a grieving process at losing my dream bathroom (life intervened, and we ended up helping our son buy his first home), and it took me over a year to actually get this project moving.

So, good news, I just handed over my Visa, and I'm getting the Riobel system in brushed nickel with thermostatic valve and volume control! Emco also carry the Moen Iso line, so I'm getting all my BR accessories in brushed nickel too at less than the HD price in chrome, so I'm one happy camper. I went to a plumbing supply store, and asked them to give me a quote to compare apples to apples...so she knew without my saying so, that I had gone to another showroom. When I rec'd the quote this morning, it was lower for all items except the main valve, which was higher by $22. I told her it was good, except for the one valve, and she met that price. I wasn't pushy or demanding, just honest. I hope to be able to share that the Riobel system works great! Supposed to be very good, and I like the idea that it is a Canadian company, made in Canada, and I don't have to worry about shipping, duty and having to deal with a foreign company if problems occured...

Glad I didn't have to give up volume control, my Brushed Nickel finish (which in some lines was going to be exorbitant), or my thermostatic valve!

On to the next..gotta pick between two colours of my limestone lookalike porcelain tile...

Good for you raehelen , I just did the same thing today. I just used my American Express card to pay for everything online . I got an extra 10 % discount on my hansgrohe axor Montreux tub filler , shower system with thermostatic valve and volume control and diverter. Also my brass and porcelain hand held shower. My lights and my toilet are in too. Yesterday I picked up a sample for my marble floor . My cabinets door and colour are chosen . I just need some good luck to find two white marble slabs for the vanity , the tub deck ,and the shower bench. Good luck choosing your tiles.

Our master bath shower has no volume control and I HATE it!

Next house will have temp and volume control.

I made the mistake of buying without volume control and I don't like it. We have hard water so I'm just letting some of the holes naturally close up. :)

We are planning on a Grohe hand held shower with 1.5gpm. No volume control. We're here in CA where water usage is a serious concern, but we have been known to remove the little restrictors that some companies add. When I look up gpm's I find many different heads that have various gpms. Our new one will have several settings to determine the force of the spray.

It seems to me that you could just change heads if the water came out too fast or too slow (read hard or soft spray) for you. Someone please correct me it they are not all interchangeable. It took me about 6 months to get used to a Eurosmart single handle faucet, (weenie pressure!) but then I realized that I didn't need full force water in my bathroom sink.

Too many choices these days...

-Babka