If you’re renovating your bathroom, one of the best renovations is to update your existing shower. There are many different types of bathroom showers that can either improve the style of your existing bathroom, or that can function as a second stand-alone shower. It’s important to keep in mind all style elements, such as the shower head, bathroom shower door, and bathroom shower dimensions when choosing your next custom shower. Fortunately, we’ve done the work and gathered the best types of bathroom showers for any type of bathroom renovation!
Factors to Consider When Buying a Shower
Shower Size –The first factor you need to consider when buying a shower is the size and layout of your bathroom. And the first decision you’ll need to make is where the shower will go, If you intend to install a shower bath, shower enclosure or shower tray, you need to be meticulous with all the measurements.
Bathroom Layout – Measure the space available for the shower unit carefully. Since showers come in an assortment of shapes and sizes, you need to determine if the dimensions match the type of shower you intend to purchase, Ensure the shower fits seamlessly into the functionality of your bathroom.
Price – Determine how much you’d like to spend on the shower. When you consider all the above factors carefully, you’ll better understand the useful features you need for your bathroom. The price of a shower ranges from $1–$100 per square foot.
Different Types of Bathroom Showers
If you’re looking for the best types of showers, shower heads, and shower towers, read on below to see our list of the most unique and best types of body shower setups for your bathroom! Consider the style, ease of installation, and also the price when looking at these different options.
Bathtub/ Shower Combo
Because a bathroom with a bathtub already has the necessary plumbing for a shower, it makes sense that bathtub/shower combos were the first to become popular. And they still make sense today. They require no modification to the bathroom other than installing a faucet to divert water from the tub spout to the showerhead, and enclosing the tub to keep the rest of the bathroom dry. Another option installing a handheld shower to a tub-only faucet. You simply replace the spout with one that has a built-in outlet and diverter.
Advantages:
Better for households with small children
Combos really do save space
More bathroom privacy
Disadvantages:
Difficult to access
They can be high-maintenance
They might not suit your style
Body Shower
Body showers are the next-generation showers that give you an overall bathing experience. These are body sprays connected to the wall to give in addition to the main shower head, Why settle for a single overhead showerhead when you can have multiples mounted on the shower walls, immersing your entire body in massaging water spray? A body shower can actually save water by delivering it exactly where it’s needed, so you don’t have to wait for it to drip down from above.
Advantages:
Best for luxury bathrooms
Save water by more efficiently sending water to pinpointed areas
Disadvantages:
Not friendly to hunky people
Risk of water spillage
Corner Shower
A corner shower is simply a shower which is installed in the corner of the bathroom. It (generally) has two internal shower surround walls. It can be made in NEO angle, curved, square or rectangular designs. It’s often used in small bathrooms.
Advantages:
A Wide range of design options
Corner showers work well in smaller spaces
Make a small bathroom look more spacious
Disadvantages:
Framed corner showers use bulky hardware
Not friendly to hunky people
Risk of water spillage
Custom Shower
Custom showers fit in odd spaces. While shower dimensions can be as big as you want, code mandates a minimum floor space of 30 inches square — 36 inches square to be ADA compliant.
As the name implies, custom showers are built from scratch, starting with a mortar bed and waterproof cement board sheathing on the walls. Ceramic tile is the most common floor covering. You can cover the walls with tiles or waterproof wall panels (also called wet panels) made of fiberglass, acrylic, solid-surface material or stone.
Advantages:
Customization & minimalist design
Easy To clean & maintain
Make the bathroom look more spacious
Disadvantages:
Costs more
Higher chances of leaks
Risk of breaking & shattering
Neo- Angle Shower
A neo angle shower is any layout where the walls meet at 135° angles instead of standard 90° corners. The specifics about how wide the walls are, where the door is located, and every other design detail can vary from bathroom to bathroom, just like any other shower layout.
Advantages:
Neo Angle showers fit into any budget & can help Homeowners save money
Neo Angle showers save space and Add style to any bathroom
They come in a wide range of sizes and styles to suit your preference
Disadvantages:
Flood risk
Reduced privacy
Prefabricated Shower
Budget-conscious homeowners and those on short construction timelines often opt for prefabricated showers, A prefabricated shower is one that has been mass-produced at a factory. Typically, they are made of either plastic, Gelcoat fiberglass, or acrylic. Most prefab showers come as a kit that includes the drain pan and wall panels, and most are either white or off-white and have no texture.
Advantages:
Easy to clean because there are very fewer joints where mold and dirt will get caught
Faster to install because it is already fully assembled
If installed correctly, one-piece units are less prone to water leakage problems.
Disadvantages:
More joints than a one-piece unit, which means there is more potential for water leaks
The drawback of a one-piece prefab shower is that it is a large, heavy, unwieldy unit which often won’t fit up the staircases or through the doorways and hallways of the home. A one-piece unit is usually easier to add when constructing a new home and it is installed before all the walls and doorways are completed
Rainfall Shower
Rain showers provide a warm, rain-like water coverage when you are showering, giving you a tropical raindrop sensation when you’re rinsing like underneath a waterfall, some call them rainfall shower heads or water fall shower heads.
Advantages:
Easy to clean
Full body coverage
Rainfall encounter
Water flow is gentle and smooth
Disadvantages:
High-cost
Maintenance can be difficult
Requires a high ceiling
Water leakage
Rectangular Shower
A rectangular shower stall offers more room to move around than a square one. It allows you to get out of the shower spray while soaping up. It’s especially helpful for those in wheelchairs because it provides more room to maneuver.
Advantages:
Additional shower space
Full choice of doors
No size restrictions
Disadvantages:
They Don’t tend to hold heat
Water can escape the showers
Shower Tower
A shower tower incorporates a showerhead, faucet controls, body jets, and even a hand shower in a metal column that mounts on the surface of the wall. Requiring only hot and cold supply lines, it eliminates the need to cut into the wall to install a conventional shower faucet.
Advantages:
It also helps you save water
It has been designed to save energy
The installation process is very easy
They are easy to clean
They have high energy
You can give a classy and stylish look to your bathrooms
You can maintain them very easily
Disadvantages:
Depending on the shower panel, their limited water flow may mean that you can’t have all the shower heads on the panel running at once
Limited Coverage: Many designs have over-head or angled side sprays to try to compensate, but they’ll never quite match the coverage you get from a true shower system
one big drawback is that they can feel a little clunky. Some are more attractive than others
These classy shower panel are quite expensive
Smart Shower
The Smart Shower allows users to control their everyday showers at the sound of their voice or the tip of their fingers. By connecting pre-existing showers to sophisticated smart home technology, homeowners can enjoy a showering experience like none other.
Advantages:
Ideal customization and personalization
Smart Controls Save Energy
They offer the ultimate convenience
They use less water
Disadvantages:
Digital Showers Won’t Work In A Power Outage
Smart showers cost more than conventional showers
Smart shower installation can get complicated
There are some security risks
Stand- Up Shower
Want to put a shower in the basement or a space lacking bathroom plumbing? A stand-up shower, also known as a freestanding shower, is your best bet. It requires no framing, and you can set one anywhere you can install a drain and water supply plumbing.
Advantages:
Ease of Access
Easy to Clean
Minimalist Contemporary Design
Disadvantages:
Feels Colder
High Moisture and Humidity
Lack of Privacy
Steam Shower
A steam shower is a type of bathing where a humidifying steam generator produces water vapor that is dispersed around a person’s body. A steam shower is essentially a steam room that offers the typical features of a bathroom shower.
Advantages:
Health benefits steam can help clear up congested sinuses and improve blood circulation. If you’re a fitness enthusiast, a steam shower is an effective way of winding down after vigorous exercise. The metabolic waste that accumulated in your muscles during strenuous exercise is removed by improved blood circulation
Increased property value a steam shower is a high-end feature that can boost your property’s value. It can also be used as a key selling point that might help you clinch a property sale
Quick start time unlike saunas, steam showers work immediately upon activation. This means you don’t have to wait before enjoying a luxurious spa experience. Upon pressing the button, steam immediately starts to fill the sealed shower stall.
Disadvantages:
Higher electricity bills steam showers consume less water than conventional showers, so they shouldn’t have a significant impact on your water bill. What you need to keep an eye on is your electricity bill because steam showers rely on generators that need to be connected to a power source that provides 220 or 240 volts.
Takes up a large amount of vertical space contrary to what many think, steam showers can be installed in small bathrooms. What matters is the ceiling height. In general, a bathroom should have a height of around seven feet to fit a sealed shower stall
Walk-In Shower
A standard shower pan has a curb in the front that prevents water from spilling out. Eliminate the curb and you have a walk-in shower that’s more accessible for the disabled and senior citizens. The absence of a curb means bathroom flooring must be waterproof and meet the shower pan at the exact same level.
Advantages:
Easy Accessibility
Easy to Clean/Fewer Clogs
Walk-in showers can seamlessly blend in with your whole bathroom
walk-in showers support a minimalistic lifestyle.
Disadvantages:
Slippery
There’s a higher cost
Water can build up
Waterfall Shower
Waterfall is the cylinder shape of your typical wall-mounted shower head, waterfall showers often feature a modern, streamlined appearance with a wide and flat head. This helps it create wider, softer water steam, providing you with a relaxing showering experience.
Advantages:
Easy to clean
Full body coverage
Installation is simple
Water conservation
Disadvantages:
High-cost
Maintenance can be difficult
Requires a high ceiling
Water Leakage
Types of Shower Doors
There are a lot of different shower enclosure types. Some types of shower doors flaunt a frameless design while others have a seamless sliding operating mechanism. Similarly, there are corner shower enclosures to suit a limited space and bathtub-shower combos for a more comprehensive bathroom design. You can choose shower glass doors according to your requirements if you have adequate knowledge of different shower enclosure options. So let’s understand different types of shower doors.
Bi-Fold Shower Doors
Bi-fold shower doors are one of the great small shower door options. It helps maximize your bathroom. Bifold shower doors are essentially a hybrid of hinged and sliding doors. When pushed open, the door sides glide towards the hinged side and the center hinge returns to a V shape. The doors open entirely and fold flat against the hinges. They only open inwards and require railing support. Bi-fold shower doors are usually available as framed doors.
Advantages:
Great shower door option for small bathrooms
Highly secure
Space-savvy
Disadvantages:
Lack of threshold
Only available in framed style
Require professional installation
Bypass Shower Doors
Bypass shower doors are among the most modern shower enclosure types. They follow the sliding operation mechanism but they are different from the sliding doors in their basic design. Unlike sliding doors, the glass panels in a bypass door are moveable. All the glass panels can move past each other on a rail track to allow entrance or exit. However, in sliding doors, only one glass panel can move while the other one is stationary. This characteristic of bypass doors makes them among the viable shower door options for people with mobility issues.
Advantages:
Easy to operate
Practical option for elderly or people with mobility issues
Uber-chic design
Disadvantages:
Expensive
Only suitable for large bathrooms
Require professional installation
Require wide bathroom space for installation
Corner Shower Door
Corner shower doors are primarily known for their space-savvy design. They feature a unique design that maximizes on the unused corner space of the bathrooms. These shower doors are specifically designed to seamlessly fit in the corner space and create a visually pleasing bathing area. The space-efficient design of corner shower doors works well for any bathroom interior. However, they are best suited for small bathrooms. Corner shower doors come in a variety of styles and configurations to suit different bathroom layouts. They offer practicality, space optimization, and visual appeal. So if you are looking to upgrade your bathroom, corner shower doors surely are a design element worth considering.
Advantages:
Available in a variety of styles and configurations
Optimized space functionality
Provide a space-efficient option for small bathrooms
Space-savvy design
Streamlined and modern aesthetics
Disadvantages:
Complex Installation
Relatively expensive compared to standard shower door designs
Fixed Shower Door
Fixed shower doors feature a single stationary glass panel. The fixed shower glass panel style doesn’t take up much space and creates a clear division between the shower area and the bathroom. This is the most space-savvy style for the bathroom since the shower doors are immovable and don’t require any floor space for operation.
Advantages:
Budget-friendly
Simple and stylish
Space-efficient
Disadvantages:
Immovable
Water may splash out of the shower space due to inadequate enclosure
Framed Shower Doors
This shower door style has been around for the longest time. It is essentially the standard type of shower door. It is the most budget-friendly option. Framed shower doors are also the easiest to install. With the basic skill set, you can effectively install a framed shower door on your own. Framed shower doors come in sliding, hinged, pivot, and other operating mechanisms. The metal frame gives these shower enclosures the required strength and stability to operate easily. Framed style is one of the most sturdy shower door options.
Despite the fact that framed doors are the classic shower door style, we cannot say that framed shower doors are outdated or out of style. The quintessential framed doors have a thin glass panel surrounded by metal framing. But the style and aesthetics of framed shower doors are evolving with time. Now there are different design options even in the framed variant. The sleek framing material enhanced with polished glass adds a unique elegance to the shower door. So you can totally consider a framed enclosure as one of the valid and contemporary options for shower doors.
Advantages:
Budget-friendly
Easy to install
More stable and sturdy
No risks of water leakage
Various style options
Disadvantages:
Require regular cleaning and maintenance
Risk of mold and mildew growth in the frame
Frameless Shower Doors
Frameless shower doors are entirely made of glass. They lack any metal framing. The all-glass design gives a very modern appeal to shower doors. Due to the lack of supporting frames, a relatively thicker glass panel is used in frameless enclosures to ensure suitable stability and support. However, it is to be noted that the absence of framing material doesn’t mean that the frameless shower doors leak. A famous door is cut and designed with shower dimensions in consideration. A professionally installed frameless shower door is absolutely leakproof. Shower door sweep and seals are also employed to make the enclosure watertight. So you don’t have to worry about leakage issues with frameless enclosures, the frameless shower doors are the easiest to clean and maintain due to the absence of frames. There are no curves or crevices to make the cleaning process complex. The minimal aesthetics of frameless shower doors make them highly desirable for achieving an uber-chic bathroom interior. However, due to the all-glass design, the installation of frameless doors could be a bit tricky. More glass is used in the construction of frameless shower doors which makes them more expensive than other shower door options. Thick glass panels and complex installation also add to the overall cost. But the aesthetic appeal, functional worth, and durability of frameless enclosures make it all worth it. So you can totally go for frameless enclosures without any doubts.
Advantages:
Complements any bathroom interior
Easy to clean
Great option for small as well as large bathrooms
No risks of molds or mildew growth
Ultra-luxe aesthetics
Disadvantages:
Expensive
Requires professional installation
Glass Tub Shower Enclosures
The homeowners who want a more contemporary bathroom interior but aren’t ready to remove their bathtub could choose a glass tub shower enclosure. A glass tub shower enclosure is the perfect compromise between the two. Replace the curtain with a glass enclosure and enjoy the brilliance of a functional and novel bathroom interior. The bathtub shower enclosure typically has stainless steel framing at the edges of the glass panels for stability. You can conveniently get your bathtub converter into a bathtub-shower enclosure.
Advantages:
Adds a posh spa-like feel to the bathroom
Maximizes the space utility
Offers double functionality
Safer option for kids
Disadvantages:
Requires regular maintenance
Takes up more space
Hinged Shower Door
Hinged shower doors also follow a swinging operation mechanism like pivoting shower doors. However, the main difference between the two types of shower doors is that the pivot doors operate both ways while the hinged doors can either open in or out according to the user’s requirement. Whether a hinged door would swing in or out depends on the space availability and user preferences. The operation direction would be fixed during the installation. The hinges in pivot doors are also somewhat different from those of the hinged doors. Pivot doors are also more modern and expensive than their hinged counterparts.
Advantages:
Available in different style options
Great option for small as well as large bathrooms
Disadvantages:
Requires floor space for opening and closing
Neo-Angle Shower Doors
Neo-angle shower doors are small shower door options that are built into the corners. The enclosure has a total of five sides which includes two finished shower walls, two glass side walls, and one glass door. The glass walls are stationary while the door swings in or out for the operation. The neo-angle configuration works perfectly in accordance with the small bathroom space.
Advantages:
Contemporary design
Fits in the bathroom corner
Perfect for small bathrooms
Space efficient
Disadvantages:
Difficult installation
Quite an expensive option
Partial Tub Shower Enclosures
Installing partial tub shower enclosure is a novel yet stylish solution to enclosing the bathtub. It is an inexpensive and contemporary approach. A frameless glass panel is typically installed at the rim of the bathtub to specify a division between the shower area and the rest of the bathroom. This glass panel is immovable. It can be curved, straight, or custom-cut according to the users’ requirements.
Advantages:
Inexpensive
Gives an elegant look to the bathroom
Multiple style variations
Disadvantages:
Immovable
Reduces the entrance space for bathtub
Water can splash out due to the partial enclosure
Pivoting Shower Door
Pivoted doors are modern shower doors that take the utility of swinging doors to a next level. These doors are pivoted to the wall or another glass panel and allow for dual-directional operation. The shower door can swing in or out according to the user’s ease. Pivot doors are one of the great small shower door options as it doesn’t take up horizontal wall space. However, the pivot doors would require some floor space to operate so it’s important to take the required floor space in mind during installation
Advantages:
Available in multiple design variations
Practical option for people with mobility issues
Swing pen in both directions
Disadvantages:
Relatively expensive option
Requires floor space for operation
Semi-Frameless Shower Doors
A semi-frameless enclosure exhibits the perfect combination of framed and frameless shower door design. It features glass panels with solid hinges and minimal framing along the sides of the enclosure. It is a hybrid of framed and frameless enclosure styles and combines the best features of both styles. The semi-frameless enclosure is a great choice if you want contemporary-style shower doors on a limited budget. The main difference between frameless and semi-frameless shower doors is that the former lacks any signs of metal framing while the latter has some framing to support the glass panels.
Advantages:
Aesthetic appeal
Budget-friendly alternative for frameless doors
Customizability
Easier to install than frameless shower doors
Minimal framing makes it easy to clean
Disadvantages:
Still an expensive option as compared to framed shower doors
Water leakage potential if installed improperly
Single Shower Door
As the name suggests, single shower doors only have a single glass door in the entire enclosure. Sometimes the enclosure walls are made of glass while the concrete or brick wall serves as the shower walls in other instances. Single glass shower doors are operable and usually follow a swinging mechanism. It is one of the great shower enclosure options for small bathrooms.
Advantages:
Adds a posh feel to the bathroom
Budget-friendly
Requires lesser space
Works well for small bathrooms
Disadvantages:
Only available in hinged style
Sliding Shower Doors
Sliding glass shower doors have a practical layout. There are typically two glass panels in sliding doors. One of them is fixed while the other one moves across the stationary panel on a sliding metal track. Due to the double panel operation mechanism, sliding glass doors require a wider space for installation. They can be installed with bathtubs, corner showers, and even standalone showers.
Advantages:
Contemporary and sleek design
Easy operation mechanism
Improves the home value
Suitable for any bathroom interior
Disadvantages:
Requires wider space for installation
The metal tracks can collect soap scum and residue
Steam Shower Door
Steam doors are designed to entirely enclose the shower area. These doors extend from the floor and reach up to the ceilings. The steam shower doors are made airtight to keep the steam inside. Therefore they are properly sealed from all sides. Due to the extensive design, steam shower doors are among the most expensive shower enclosure options. They also require professional installation for proper working.
Advantages:
A posh shower enclosure
Helps you enjoy the steam shower at home
Properly sealed from all sides
Disadvantages:
Needs professional installation
Very expensive
The best thing about getting glass enclosures is that they are highly durable. Glass is a damage-resistant material. It doesn’t corrode or rust. So you don’t have to worry about frequent replacements or repairs. A well-maintained glass enclosure can serve for decades. Just follow the easy clean method and cherish the excellence of your glass enclosures for years to come!
Ask yourMurad Floors consultant about more information. We can help you transform yourshower quickly, easily, and at an amazing price. don’t hesitate to give us a call at 972-799-6009 orschedule your free design consultation online and we’ll bring your dream home to life!
