I like the bar because you can raise and lower the shower head to whatever height you want.

Plus you can unclip it for undercarriage washing.

eta I just checked and we have Grohe. No complaints in 20 years.

If your sitting down to take a shower...the bar is good...hands free is good. A safety bar on the wall is also a good idea. Or the shower head itself can move up and down...and un-clip for using .....say....to wash the dog. I try to think ahead....ask yourself "What or who will be using this shower?"

I personally dislike handheld shower heads. But the bar holds it in place so it acts as a normal fixed shower head, so this gives you options.

I liked my bar attached shower head when I lived in Germany. My new shower has a detachable hand held shower head too but no bar. It attaches directly to the bigger shower head part. The only advantage to the bar attached one is to adjust it for different people's heights. Just me here so it doesn't matter to me. It might to the next person who owns my home.

I too dislike handheld shower heads. I lived for 3 years in an apartment that had one. I thought of it as the most negative feature of an otherwise nice place.

Wall grab bars are useful. On the side wall at a minimum, not related to the shower hardware.

Don't forget a shower floor material that is sure-footed. Small tiles with lots of grout lines work well, large pieces of even textured "stone" can be slippery when covered with soap.

PS- With last bathroom remodel, we put in valve fixtures with two handles - one for temperature, the other for on/off/adjust pressure. We like them a lot.

We have them in 3 bathrooms but as extra.

Two of my bathrooms in NY

This one is set up next to the shower.

This one is on the other side.

On the opposite wall which you can’t see is the bar and we have a bench seat there too.

For the most part, we have them for our dog. But think that it could come in handy should we need shower help way down the line.

Salonva, I don’t think you will be happy with one just clipped to the showerhead. A handheld spray on a sliding bar, with on off features and spray control is much nicer.

My husband is quite tall, me not so much, and we like the versatility of being able to adjust the height and angle of the spray.

We put them in both showers and one in a bathtub for dog washing.

eta Plus they’re great for when you are cleaning the shower.

eld, your pictures reminded me to mention the shower cleaning part.

You have such lovely, sparkly shower doors. Beautiful.

I've had the handheld on the bar for 20+ years. It's the best of both worlds. It acts like a fixed showerhead (but can be raised / lowered) for normal day to day, but I take it off to rinse the shower, and also use it to wash the dog periodically.

Having lived with various permutations, my preference is for a fixed shower head plus a handheld. With separate valves. My handheld is at a fixed height and it works for me though I could see an argument for having it on a bar so that it’s adjustable.

ps - Reading Elmer’s comment, YES to separate volume and temperatire valves as well.

A good capacity exhaust fan (running to outdoors only, through the roof or through an exterior wall) is a must have.

We put Delta products in both bathrooms ten years ago and have been very happy with them. Our plumber likes them too.

As a woman, I have to have a handheld. I don't know how you get soap out of your "undercarriage", as roxsol calls it, without one. Ours isn't on a bar but I could see how that would be useful if you need to sit when showering or if you have a dog. We don't have those needs.

If your layout is toilet next to the shower, be sure to have the controls on the side opposite the toilet, at the shower entryway. It's awkward reaching over a toilet to turn on the water.

Eileen, I often set mine to just below my shoulder height, hands are free, and hair doesn’t get wet! My husband sets it way over his head for himself.

Plus you can unhook the spray to get to the nitty gritties if needed.

That's another advantage. I wash my hair everyday though.

I’m talking about those midday showers.

Eileen, I don’t understand your comment about reaching over the toilet.🤔

Typical 5' wide bathroom has the vanity and toilet on one wall and the shower going across the back wall. Often the shower head and controls are on wall on the toilet side instead of the open side. You have to lean over the toilet to turn on the shower. Usually there are sliding doors, which makes it even more awkward.

Fixed shower head with a separate handheld that sits on a hook. It's old school, but works. I've had handheld showers since the early 70s.

I prefer a smaller head on a handheld. The one in the second bath is way too big to handle easily.

Right way.

Courtyard || Remodel || Austin, Texas || Bathroom · More Info

Wrong way.

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Ours was the wrong way pre-remodel. Our plumber ran the pipe along the back wall so the controls and shower head are on the open end now. Just be aware that if that is an outside wall, you'll want extra insulation so your pipes don't freeze.

I have an overhead rain shower which is what I mostly use and a hand held on a bar in my large walk in shower plus a bench to sit on. There is a valve to switch from one source to the other. It is a kohler. Works great. I wanted a separate fill spout for buckets but could not make the plumber understand what I wanted. He was an aggravatingly purposely dimwitted guy who questioned the height of our other shower as being too high. Tall people?

Put lots of separate heavy duty grab bars in your shower.

Grohe here for the behind-the-tile valves. I wouldn't recommend the American Standard controls we have, although the shower ones haven't given any trouble for 20+ years. Other A.S. faucets with cartridges have! I bought these for 'looks'.

Separate controls for pressure and temperature. Adjustable, detachable spray on a bar. It lifts out of an up/down holder on the bar and has an adjustable-force spray.

My 'grab bar' is one of the three side body sprays we never use as intended.

Yes, you want to be able to turn on the shower from the doorway, even if you get hot water in a few seconds.

Who runs a fixed overhead spray and a 'hand-held' at the same time? I suspect that thinking dates to when 'hand-held' was new -- an addition to an already existing overhead spray.

Mine are Grohe hand held on a bar and I wouldn't ever have them any other way. There are a variety of heads available that easily change at the hose end or they come with adjustable sprays. I can't imagine rinsing me, or cleaning those tile showers without the option of handheld even if I don't use it daily. Although - I mostly do use it daily, DH will often have his shower first and when I've finished I take the hand held in my hand and spray down the shower with straight hot water. Saves on overall cleaning time later by rinsing any soap or products residue from tile and grout. It's not negotiable in my showers, there must be a handheld option.

My least favorite is a rain shower head directly overhead. If I want to stand in the rain I can go outside. My hair isn't long and it takes forever to rinse it under those.

Who runs a fixed overhead spray and a 'hand-held' at the same time? I suspect that thinking dates to when 'hand-held' was new -- an addition to an already existing overhead spray.

I do. I have no desire to deprive the rest of my body of a hot shower while detailing with the handheld..

I recently remodeled a bath and chose to forgo anything BUT the handheld on a bar. I think it’s a Moen. I chose it because it has a pause button on thehead itself so you can turn off the water to conserve while you lather up or shampoo. It is very easy to raise and lower on the bar and has 3 settings for the spray. Have very low water pressure, so didn’t bother with a control for the flow. There would be no circumstances when I would want to lower the flow. So it just has an on/off handle that also controls the temp. I can’t imagine why I would need a fixed head in addition. eta: mine also has adjustable tilt in addition to sliding up and down. So it can be placed just like a fixed shower head that points down instead of out right at you.

Mine is a Grohe on a bar so the level is adjustable. It was a godsend during my recent shoulder surgery when i had to use a shower seat and wash myself and my hair one handed.

I would never buy anything from Kohler again. The only Kohler item that hasn't failed is the sink.

I have a Grohe in my other bath and love it,, too.

Reading all the replies and have to admit I'm getting a bit more confused. We've never had a handheld and I honestly imagine using it mostly for cleaning the shower.

As we've never had it, I too figured we would not likely use both at the same time. (it's a one person shower). It would be one or the other. Most I see seem to be like that, and one control for both temp and pressure?

@eld6161 your showers look lovely. What do you mean by extra? You have a temp and a pressure control (2?)

I was envisioning a fixed shower head AND a handheld. When you are all mentioning the adjustable height with the bar, I'm confused. I thought the bar was for the handheld?

We are definitely having grab bars put it ( properly,) and grouty smaller tiles on the shower floor.

I like the handheld, but I made a mistake...the controls for it are not near where I use it. But by the control for the regular shower head. I should have piped it with the control by the bench as that's where I use the hand held. Especially in the summer when I barefoot a lot, I like to give a quick wash to my feet before going to bed so I sit on the bench. It would've also been more convenient for when I had the broken ankle and such and had to use the handheld as I couldn't stand for long. Also the handheld is perfect for cleaning...scrub the walls down and give them a quick rinse.

I like a handheld as an accessory linked to the fixed shower head. Run off the same pipe. I like a regular shower head for showering and use the handheld for rinsing nether regions and washing the dogs. Simple flip of the valve changing from one head to another. In the bathroom with a tub shower I do have a small wall bracket holding the hand held for seated bathing or washing my feet. I'm picky about showerhead and water pressure. Use heavy duty brass built fixed shower heads with adjustable spray. Found the cheaper light weight handhelds are superior to the expensive brands. HO2ME aka YOOME handhelds available on Amazon have excellent water pressure. They are super light weight. Function over form. However, you will need a friend from out of state to buy them for you if you live in California.

Salonva, by extra I meant it is not the only shower head. That is what I thought you were thinking of. Having just a hand held but on a bar.

Yes, the bar is for the handheld.

Do both, for all the reasons mentioned.

Salonva - When I use the handheld as part of my bathing (as opposed to cleaning the shower, washing the dog, washing just my feet, bringing some awkward item into the shower to clean, etc.) it’s nice to have the fixed head running on me while I’m doing whatever with the handheld. It’s one of those things that you don’t know how much you’ll use it until you have it, but while you can certainly justify not needing it, it’s easier to add during a remodel than after the fact if you regret not doing it. Worst case, you never use it and you’re out a couple hundred bucks. Far be it for me to spend your money, but the fact that you’re expanding your bathroom tells me this isn’t the cheapest remodel, and it’s something I wouldn’t skimp on if I was looking forward to a bathroom that will be “1000 times nicer.”

I have Hansgrohe (from Germany) controls and handheld shower in my bathroom plus a Fortis Siena (from Italy) overhead rain shower.

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I use both, and I start with the rain shower to wash my hair and then switch to the handheld shower. There is one control for temperature and one control for flow, and I turn it one direction for rain shower and the opposite direction for handheld. Once I have the temperature set where I like it, I don't have to change that, and I can change the flow as I like and the temperature will stay the same.

My brother chose Grohe controls for his, which has a push button,

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which looks nice, but I like mine better. I also have Hansgrohe in my bathroom in L.A.

I have had no problems with traction on my pebble floor, as it has a lot of grout. I used 24x24" tiles in both bathrooms to make them easier to clean, and I'm extremely happy with this.

My niche is tall and narrow because the contractor fitted it between existing studs. It holds all that I need.

If I were to change anything, I would have sliding doors instead of swinging doors, so that I could use the door handle to hold a towel while I am in the shower.

I'd go with a bar every time. We have a fixed overhead plus a handheld on a bar. As has been said you can adjust the height of the hand held. If you don't want to wash your hair you can just have the hand held at neck height and shut off the overhead. You can detach it for cleaning the shower or sluicing off house plants without getting yourself soaked.

Another tip when getting a new shower is to have the controls at the side, not directly below the shower heads. Thus you can turn on the shower and adjust the temperature before getting wet. Very useful if your shower takes a while to warm up.

I forgot about the advantage of lowering the handheld on the bar when you don’t want to wash your hair. Was a bit apprehensive about not installing a fixed head in addition to the handheld, but I haven’t missed it at all. Also like that in addition to being able to adjust its height, adjust the position of head to point down or out toward your face, it easily swivels to point toward the side wall if I need to push it away for some reason.

We put in what Patriciae has when we remodeled our MBR 20 years ago. We just remodeled it again and put one in. We are now doing a second bathroom, and although we won't put a rain head in, it will have a handheld sprayer. It had been converted years ago to one. I can't imagine not having one? It can be positioned to use as a stationery spray, so what's the issue?

Thanks everyone. Very helpful. I finally think I saw the light about the function of the bar.

So just so I follow better, if, for example I want to get the fixed shower head plus the bar with handheld - plus control of course----- do I need to get all within the same line? I mean above I mentioned that I liked Moen Belfield but it does not have a bar thing.... or a full line with handheld at least what I see....do I need to not look at this line or does this work

For me, a handheld option is essential when it comes time to clean the shower or bath, or to wash the dog, if one lives with you. It is more of a utility thing to have a loose hose like that.

I put one of those large rain kind of showerheads in one shower. It is a Kohler. I absolutely hate it. It sprays water out in a large spray It creates a spray of water that is widely dispersed so that it sprays everywhere but no where in particular and the hot water cools very, very quickly in those small streams. You can get wet everywhere but nowhere in one spot. I just despise it!

If you want two heads, you need to have a diverter valve or separate on/off controls for each.

I have a thermostatic valve where you set the temp, and then an on/off valve for each showerhead (and body sprays that we used a few times as a novelty and don't anymore)

Because you would want the outlet for the handheld to be at a different height / place than the stub out for the fixed showerhead it means 2 "feeds" - that can be accomplised a variety of ways but may sure you are specific in if you want to be able to use them both at the same time or not.

Again - personally, with the functionality of the bar and handheld - I see no reason for a fixed showerhead unless you want / need both running at once. it also simplifies the plumbing.

@claudia valentine - Why are you talking about that despised shower head in the present tense? 🙂

When we bought this house it had a whirlpool tub and a tiny shower. We ripped them both out, enlarged the shower and added a closet. There are 2 shower heads on one wall - an overhead shower and a hand held shower on a bar that can slide up and down. I usually use the overhead shower but when I don't want to wash my hair I use the one on the bar. There is a handle underneath those shower heads that allows you switch from one to the other - or use both at the same time.

We had the plumber install the main on/off and temperature control on the opposite wall. That way you can turn on the shower without getting hit by a stream of cold water. I think it's my favorite feature. We also heated the tile floor outside the shower. The fixtures are Moen and we've been very pleased with them.

There are 2 grab bars - one on the side wall (part shows in this photo) and the hand held bar is the other one. The entry is zero threshold and the door is wide enough to accommodate a transfer chair if necessary. We added the teak stool from Frontgate since DH can be a little unsteady at times. This is DH's bathroom.

Hope these photos help.

Isn't it funny how much time we spend choosing showers as compared to the few minutes a day we spend using them?

Also -- Our glass shower door swings in *and* out; easy to clean. (Won't work if the door gets a lot of forceful spray.)

Maire thank you- a picture is worth a thousand words . I love that bench too.

I am learning so much. The contractor will do whatever we want-- I'm just trying to figure out what it is that we do want.

I guess the handheld on a bar could probably serve us well, but I will definitely have the fixed shower head as well.

All good pointers.

food.....I am getting too old to do so many simple things anymore and that is a far cry from my previous young self, and hiring something so simple to be done is almost impossible and expensive.. It is an expensive showerhead and I will leave it in place as we are old and will probably be selling sometime in the near future. If it is bright, shiney and not from the 1980s, I will let it be and use one of the other two showers, both of which have a simple inexpensive one from Home Depot that I actually do like. I was so disappointed when I went to use that rain head one. I can get wet all over but in no one place enough to make it an enjoyable hot shower or, even to get the soap rinsed away. I want a nice strong flow, not a misty spray of warm water from that tank where I paid to heat the water to a nice comfortable temp.

A wonderful hot shower is one thing that I am immensely grateful for and choirs of angels sing in my ears as I enjoy it!

I remembrt one time we traveled in Costa Rica where they have a lot of these suicide shower heads that give you , at best, a lukewarm trickle of water. Then, we got to a hotel that had an actual hot water heater and I must have run that tank dry over and over as over joyed as I was to find such a nice hot shower in that country. I am conservative in my use of some things, but my hot shower is one of the greatest pleasures, ever. We had to get a new water heater and we chose an electric one. I am trying to limit my time to about three minutes, but I want wonderful hot water for those minutes.

One of my favorite things about our build is the hot water recycling pump that provides that 'hotel' delight, HOT water in seconds, from every hot water faucet in the house.