How to Choose a Shower: Electric, Mixer & Thermostatic Explained
Choosing a new shower is rarely just about the model. The trick is to choose in order: pick the type that suits your water system, decide whether the valve sits on the wall or hidden inside it, match the shower to your enclosure or tray, then layer on the finish you want. Do that and you end up with a shower that works for your home, not a beautiful model that fights the plumbing it’s connected to.
This page is built to help you do exactly that. Compare the types below, check what suits your water system, sort the controls and the space, and the guides will go deeper whenever you want them to.
Compare shower types
Four types do most of the work in UK bathrooms. The differences sit in how each one heats the water and how it controls the temperature.
| Type | How it heats water | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Electric | Heats cold mains water inside the unit, on demand | Any home with a cold mains supply; runs independent of the boiler |
| Mixer | Mixes pre-heated hot and cold from your existing plumbing | Homes with a reliable hot-water supply at decent pressure |
| Thermostatic | A mixer with a built-in valve holding the temperature steady | Safety and a consistent feel; standard on most modern bathrooms |
| Digital | Mixer or electric with a digital control unit and remote panel | Tech-friendly homes wanting precise temperature and remote start |
Which shower for your water system?
This is the most important match. A shower that suits one water system can struggle on another, even when the model is excellent.
- Combi boiler: thermostatic mixer is the usual best fit. Combi boilers deliver hot water at mains pressure, which suits a mixer well. An electric shower also works as a second-bathroom option independent of the boiler.
- Unvented mains-pressure system: almost any shower works. Mixer, thermostatic, digital and electric are all comfortable here.
- Gravity-fed system: works for a mixer if the cold tank sits high above the shower; otherwise fit a pump, choose a power shower (pumped mixer), or fit an electric shower.
- Low water pressure (any system): an electric shower (heats the mains itself) or a power shower (pumps the flow) are usually the answer.
Control and valve
Once you’ve picked the type, the next decision is how it’s mounted. An exposed shower has the valve and pipework visible on the wall surface; a concealed shower hides them inside the wall, leaving only the control plate and shower head showing. Both work the same way; the choice is mostly about look and install effort.
Exposed is the easier swap on an existing finished wall, so it suits a like-for-like replacement. Concealed is the cleaner look but needs the wall opened up at install time, so it suits a renovation. There’s also a third option that overlaps: dual-outlet systems give you both a fixed head and a handset on the same valve, so you can switch between an overhead rainfall and a directional spray. Most modern thermostatic showers offer this as standard.
Weighing the format? Read exposed vs concealed shower systems.
Choose for your enclosure or tray
The shower hardware has to fit the space it’s mounted in, and the space the user stands in. Three things to think about.
First, head clearance. A rainfall shower head needs height above it to fit the ceiling-fed bracket or the wall arm and still leave room for a tall user; in a low-ceiling bathroom, a wall-mounted handset on a riser rail is usually a better fit than a fixed rainfall head. Second, tray size and outlet position.
The shower should be aimed at the tray, not at the door of the enclosure, so the controls and head sit on the wall opposite the entry rather than next to it. Third, layout. Walk-in showers, wet rooms and over-bath showers each ask slightly different things of the valve and head; a dual-outlet thermostatic suits a walk-in better than a single-head shower over a bath.
Shop by finish
Finish is where the shower stops being a piece of hardware and becomes part of the room. Three finishes do most of the work in UK bathrooms today.
- Chrome. The classic safe-modern pick. Easy to coordinate with any tap, mirror or radiator, and it looks right in almost any scheme. The widest range of products is in chrome.
- Matt black. The strongest contemporary statement, especially against pale walls. Suits modern and industrial bathrooms and pairs well with the matt black tap and accessory trend that’s been steadily growing.
- Brushed brass. The warmer alternative to chrome and matt black, with mid-century and transitional appeal. Works particularly well with pale or warm-toned walls and timber furniture.
Whichever you pick, keep the finish consistent across the room: shower, basin tap, towel rail. Mixed finishes can work in confident schemes but read as accidental when they’re not deliberate.
What’s included in a shower system?
This is the question most product pages skip. A shower system isn’t one product but a set of parts sold together, and what’s in the box varies by model. Most systems include:
- A valve: the body of the shower, with the controls (manual or thermostatic). The valve is the part that actually mixes or heats the water.
- A shower head: either a fixed overhead (often a rainfall design) or a handset on a hose, or both on a dual-outlet system.
- A riser rail or wall arm: the bracket that holds the head. A riser rail lets you slide the handset up and down; a wall or ceiling arm holds a fixed head in place.
- A hose (if a handset is included): the flexible pipe connecting the handset to the valve.
Things that often aren’t included and may need to be bought separately: a shower tray, a shower enclosure, a pump (if your system needs one), and any wall fixings beyond the standard kit. Each product page lists exactly what’s in the box, so check before you buy.
Delivery, quality and reassurance
We’ve been helping people fit out their bathrooms since 1999, with a 4.8/5 rating from over 60,000 Trustpilot reviews. Every shower order comes with free UK delivery, a price match promise and 365-day returns, so you can take your time choosing and still change your mind if you need to.
Shower FAQs
Which type of shower should I buy?
Start with your water system: thermostatic mixer for combi and unvented mains, electric for gravity-fed or any second bathroom, power shower if you need to boost a low-pressure mixer. The how-to-choose guides cover type, water system and format in full.
Do I need a special shower for low water pressure?
If your hot water arrives weakly, yes. An electric shower heats the cold mains directly so it doesn’t care about your hot pressure, and a power shower (pumped mixer) boosts the flow. A standard mixer will struggle on a low-pressure gravity-fed system.
What’s the difference between exposed and concealed shower systems?
An exposed system has the valve and pipework visible on the wall; a concealed system hides them inside the wall, leaving only the control plate and head. Both work the same; exposed is easier to retrofit, concealed needs the wall opened up at install time.
What is a thermostatic shower?
A mixer shower with a built-in valve that holds the temperature steady when your hot or cold supply changes. It prevents scalding when someone flushes a toilet or runs a tap, and it’s the safest type for households with children or older users.
What’s included in a shower system?
Usually a valve, a shower head (fixed, handset or both), a riser rail or wall arm, and a hose if a handset is included. A shower tray, an enclosure and any pump are usually separate. Always check the product spec for what’s in the box.
Can you fit a thermostatic shower yourself?
Most thermostatic showers are best fitted by a qualified plumber. Exposed valves are a fairly straightforward swap; concealed valves need wall work that benefits from professional install. Electric showers also need a qualified electrician for the wiring.
When you’ve narrowed your choice, shop electric showers, mixer showers or thermostatic showers, or read how to choose the right shower type for the full walk-through.
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