9 anti-limescale shower heads from €24.90 to €39.90
The selection brings together 9 anti-limescale shower heads, all screwed onto the end of the hose. The cheapest is the Anti-Limescale Chrome Shower Head, 3 Sprays, at €24.90. Six models are €29.90, the Anti-Limescale Shower Head, 3 Sprays is €34.90 and the High-Pressure Shower Head, 6 Sprays, the most expensive, €39.90. Seven models are in chrome, one in black, and one in white that also comes in black. All nine product pages state a 1/2 inch connection.
Every product page in the selection advertises an anti-limescale technology or coating, and all of them also describe a high-pressure jet. So these are shower heads that descale easily and keep a powerful jet, not water softeners: they do not remove limescale from the water, they limit its effect on the anti-limescale shower head itself.
Single-jet anti-limescale shower heads, at €29.90
- White Anti-Limescale Shower Head, in white or black.
- Black Anti-Limescale Shower Head, which its product page describes with a powerful jet.
- High-Pressure Anti-Limescale Chrome Handset, in dazzling chrome according to its product page.
- High-Pressure Anti-Limescale Shower Head, in chrome.
Multi-jet anti-limescale shower heads
- Anti-Limescale Chrome Shower Head, 3 Sprays, €24.90: three modes, a rain mode, an intermediate mode and a central massage jet.
- High-Pressure Stainless Steel 5-Jet Shower Head, €29.90: five jets, with built-in anti-limescale technology according to its product page.
- Filtering Shower Head with 5 Jets, €29.90: the only filtering shower head in the selection; its product page mentions an anti-limescale technology that improves water quality.
- Anti-Limescale Shower Head, 3 Sprays, €34.90: three jet modes.
- High-Pressure Shower Head, 6 Sprays, €39.90: the most jet modes, and an anti-limescale treatment advertised by its product page.
What is the best shower head for limescale?
The best anti-limescale shower head is the one whose nozzles are quick to clean and whose spray suits you. To help you choose:
- For the lowest price: the Chrome 3-Jet Anti-Limescale Shower Head at €24.90, with three modes already.
- For a simple single jet: one of the four single-jet models at €29.90.
- To filter the water: the Filtering Shower Head with 5 jets, at €29.90. For handsets with a replaceable filter cartridge, see our collection shower heads.
- For a variety of sprays: the High-Pressure 6-Jet Shower Head at €39.90.
- For a black or white bathroom: the Black Anti-Limescale Shower Head, or the White Anti-Limescale Shower Head.
The criteria to compare, jets, shape and finish, are detailed one by one in our guide how to choose a shower head.
How does an anti-limescale shower head work?
Limescale is dissolved in hard water. When the water dries on the nozzles, it is deposited and gradually blocks them: the jet becomes uneven, some holes stop running, and the pressure you feel drops. An anti-limescale shower head limits this build-up and above all makes it easy to remove: a rub of the finger or a soak is enough where a standard shower head needs a real descale.
A filtering shower head goes further: it passes the water through a filtration system before it comes out. Our product pages do not detail the composition of this filter, so we do not credit it with any specific effect on chlorine, skin or hair.
Filtering or anti-limescale shower head: what is the difference
A filtering shower head and an anti-limescale shower head do not do the same thing. The anti-limescale shower head protects its own nozzles; the filtering shower head passes the water through a filtration system before it comes out. On the market, these filtration systems often use mineral beads or cartridges to hold back some of the impurities in the water. Our Filtering Shower Head with 5 jets is described by its product page as improving water quality, with no detail on the filtration used.
In the UK, water hardness varies a great deal from one area to another. To judge the quality of the water at your home, the most reliable thing is to know its hardness: your water supplier publishes this figure. Hard water leaves white marks on the walls after a shower; soft water leaves almost none. The harder the water, the more a filtering or anti-limescale shower head makes upkeep easier.
If you want filtration with replaceable cartridges, the filtering handsets in our shower head collection offer several, with their spare cartridges.
Skin and hair: what to expect
Many people look for an anti-limescale shower head for their skin and hair, because hard water leaves marks on the walls and a dry-skin feeling for some. A shower head does not change the hardness of the water in your home: for softer water everywhere, the solution is a water softener fitted on the water supply. The anti-limescale shower head, for its part, works on upkeep and on keeping the jet even, day to day. If you are mainly after an effect on skin and hair, speak to a healthcare professional rather than trusting a shower head's promise: our product pages make none, and we do not credit them with any.
The most effective anti-limescale system
There are two solutions to tell apart. A water softener treats all the water in the house before it reaches the taps: it is the most complete solution against limescale in the water, but it needs installing by a plumber. An anti-limescale shower head only treats the water at the shower outlet: it costs far less, fits in a few minutes and is often enough to keep an even jet. The two combine very well.
Looking after your anti-limescale shower head
- Every week: run a finger over the nozzles to dislodge the first deposits.
- Every month in hard water: unscrew the shower head and leave it to soak for an hour in white vinegar, then rinse.
- To avoid: abrasive products and scouring pads, which damage the chrome, black or white finish.
The full step-by-step, with soaking, vinegar or citric acid and precautions depending on the material, is in our guide to descaling a shower head. If the jet stays weak after descaling, check the hose: a scaled-up hose restricts the flow before it even reaches the shower head.
Fitting an anti-limescale shower head
Turn off the water, unscrew the old shower head by hand, check that the washer is in place in the hose nut, screw on the new one without forcing it, then turn the water on and check the connection. No tools are needed. For a ceiling or wall-mounted rain shower, see our overhead rain shower heads.
Frequently asked questions about anti-limescale shower heads
Which shower head filter is effective against limescale?
A filter holds back particles, but it does not make the water any less hard: for that you need a water softener. In this selection, the Filtering Shower Head with 5 jets is the only filtering model; the others rely on an anti-limescale coating that makes upkeep easier.
Does magnetic limescale protection work?
We do not sell a magnetic device and cannot judge how effective it is. The shower heads in this selection rely on a coating or an anti-limescale technology described on their product pages, without a magnet.
What effects can you expect from an anti-limescale shower head on skin and hair?
No effect to promise: a shower head does not change the hardness of the water. Its effects show in nozzle upkeep and jet consistency, shower after shower. For skin and hair, water quality depends first of all on your supply; cartridge filtration or a water softener does more than a coating.
Do you need to change the filter of a filtering shower head?
On cartridge models, yes: a clogged filter lets less water through. Follow the frequency given on the model's product page; for our Filtering Shower Head with 5 jets, the product page does not specify a cartridge to change.
Is an anti-limescale shower head also economical?
The product pages in the selection present them as water-saving, without giving a figure for flow rate. For models designed above all to use less, see our Water-Saving Shower Head, and for the most powerful jet our High-Pressure Shower Heads.
