Mixer showers are a common sight in UK bathrooms, so ubiquitous and reliable that you won’t even think about them as you use them. They mix hot and cold water from your tanks or combi boiler and come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, from fancy dual-outlet models feeding multiple shower heads to minimalist units with all the plumbing concealed. Ideally, they provide a warm, comfy shower with enough flow to cover most of your body and rinse the shampoo from your hair, but this isn’t always the case. Poor showers or showers attached to the wrong hot water system can spoil your day by refusing to stick to one temperature or failing to produce enough pressure. Where a good shower starts off your morning in style, a bad one can leave you feeling chilly and frustrated.
That’s why we’ve compiled this rundown of the best mixer showers, based on expert guidance and extensive research. If you want a mixer shower you can rely on, we’ve got something for your system, needs and budget. Stainless Steel Shower
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First of all, a mixer shower won’t be the right choice for every bathroom. To make one work, you need either a vented water heating system, with a separate hot water tank in an airing cupboard and a cold-water tank in the loft, or a combi boiler pushing out both hot and cold. If you only have access to mains water in your shower room or bathroom, then an electric shower will be your only choice, while some gravity-fed systems might not create enough pressure to drive enough water through the shower. If that’s the case, you’ll either need to go electric, or find a power shower with a built-in pump.
Manual mixer showers are as simple as they come, with a valve mixing the feeds from the hot and cold-water tanks or combi boiler and manual controls to alter the water flow and the balance of hot and cold. The advantage of manual mixer showers is that they’re cheap and easy to fit, although you still probably want to leave it to a professional rather than try and tackle it yourself. The disadvantage is that you don’t get any safety features, making them a scalding risk, and they have no features to regulate water flow, so if your hot or cold supply drops off, the flow and temperature change with it.
Thermostatic mixer showers work in a similar way, but with a thermostatic valve that regulates both the temperature and the water flow. Here, the advantage is that you can set a temperature (or leave the shower on a setting) and it will mix the water to reach that temperature and then maintain it. What’s more, the flow is regulated to avoid sudden drops of temperature or pressure. The downside? Your shower’s going to cost more and may be slightly more challenging to fit.
Digital showers take thermostatic showers to the next level, using a digital thermostat to control the flow and temperature and ensure that both remain consistent. They can be controlled remotely by an independent control unit, which makes the fitting more flexible, and we’re even seeing some smart showers, which can be controlled through a smartphone app. You can have preset heat and power settings and get the same temperature and pressure every time. All this sounds great, but unlike thermostatic showers, they need both hot and cold-water feeds and a mains electricity supply. This means they’re not only more expensive to buy, but more difficult and expensive to fit.
There’s more than one valve technology out there, too, offering different methods of control. Single lever showers have (no surprise) a single lever, which moves up and down to regulate the flow and side to side to control the temperature. Sequential showers have a single rotary control. The flow rate remains constant, but the more you turn it, the warmer it gets. Concentric showers have one control – usually the temperature – embedded within the other – usually the flow. Bar mixer showers encase the valve within a bar, with the temperature control at one end and the flow control at the other. Finally, some concealed showers have a Dual control system, with separate controls for flow and temperature.
Mixer showers often come in concealed or exposed versions or will be described as concealed or exposed. All this means is that, for concealed mixer showers, the valve and all the plumbing is built into the wall or behind the tiles of the shower cubicle. Only the controls, the shower head and the rail it sits on will be visible, along with any shower hose emerging from the wall. On a digital shower, the controls may be on a separate panel, too.
With an exposed shower, the valve and the controls will be built into a bar or module that attaches to the wall, along with the head, the rail and the shower hose. As you might expect, this isn’t as neat, but will generally be cheaper and easier to fit.
Most mixer showers will state a minimum and maximum water pressure, which can be useful if you know yours is unusually low or exceptionally high. Some will also have safety and maintenance features, including limescale protection and a maximum temperature setting to stop older and younger family members whacking it up and taking a trip to A&E.
Beyond that, check out the quality of the hose and the head or heads. A good head with different spray settings or pressure maximising features can make a huge difference to the whole experience and could even save you from wasting water. And you won’t know the value of a well-made, flexible hose until you’ve experienced one that constantly twists your shower head out of position, or splits after a year or two of use – often while you’re in the shower.
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Price when reviewed: £100 | Check price at PlumbworldTriton’s low-cost mixer shower comes in a range of concentric, sequential and bar versions, with or without a fixed shower head on top of the standard handset. The Cool Touch Bar version is particularly good value, with the valve in a slick-looking Chrome bar that has the temperature control on the left and the flow control on the right. Your plumber can set a maximum temperature during installation, and this can only be overridden through an override button just above the control.
The Dene Cool Touch gets a lot of praise for its flexibility. If you’ve got plenty of pressure you can have a really powerful shower, but you can still get a decent flow at lower pressures. You get high-quality fixtures and fittings, and the Cool Touch bar valve is cleverly designed never to get scalding hot to the touch. It’s also easy to use, while the bundled handset gives you three effective spray patterns. On a tight budget? You can still afford a decent mixer shower – and this is it.
Key specs – Maximum flow rate: 20l/min; Flow rate at minimum pressure: 3l/min; Minimum sustained water pressure: 0.1 bar; Maximum sustained water pressure: 5 bar; Controls: Rotary power, rotary temperature; Heads and handsets: 3 spray handset; Features: Cool-touch bar valve; Warranty: 5 years
Price when reviewed: £479 | Check price at Victoria PlumbThis wall-mounted, bar mixer shower has plenty going for it, including a large 180mm rain head and a separate three-spray handset. Like most of the company’s bathroom products, the parts feel solid and made to last, with rotary controls on each end of the compact bar that are easy to shift and give you great control.
A button on the right-hand temperature control can be used to override the 38° SafeStop temperature limiter, which should keep older users and younger children from a painful scalding. Meanwhile, the left-hand flow control doubles as a selector for switching between the rain head and the handset.
The Euphoria 180 needs a decent level of pressure to produce enough flow for an effective shower; 1 bar will get you going, but you really need more for a satisfactory clean. If that’s not a problem, this is a great shower, with some extra features, such as SpeedClean descaling, to prolong its working life.
Key specs – Maximum flow rate: 9.6l/min; Flow rate at minimum pressure: N/S; Minimum sustained water pressure: 1 bar; Maximum sustained water pressure: 5 bar; Controls: Rotary power, rotary temperature; Heads and handsets: 180mm rain head, 3 spray handset; Features: SpeedClean descaling, SafeStop safety lock; Warranty: 5 years
Price when reviewed: £189 | Check price at AmazonAqualisa’s Midas line is a popular choice among plumbers and bathroom fitters, giving you good design and a high-quality construction in an easy-fit, compact bar mixer. The 110 comes in versions with a bath filler and a fixed overhead rain shower, but this version with a 4-spray handset is fantastic value. It’s flexible enough to work at both low and high pressures, delivering a good flow and consistent temperature.
There’s a temperature lock, set at installation, which can be overridden using the button on the left-hand temperature control, while the right-hand control doubles as an on/off switch as well as a flow control. Meanwhile, the spray head has four patterns, including an eco pattern designed to save water by up to 25%, depending on the water system. Users find that this shower looks great and works a treat, making it a great option for a new bathroom or as an upgrade from an existing mixer shower.
Key specs – Maximum flow rate: 15l/min; Flow rate at minimum pressure: 8l/min; Minimum sustained water pressure: 0.1 bar; Maximum sustained water pressure: 10 bar; Controls: Rotary power, rotary temperature; Heads and handsets: 4 spray handset; Features: Adjustable max temperature lock, automatic shutdown; Warranty: 5 years
Price when reviewed: £150 | Check price at ScrewfixThe Mira Atom is another thermostatic bar shower, but this one’s speciality is low water pressure. While the flow at 0.1 bar is still a risible 3.4l per minute, the shower uses Mira’s Magni-Flo technology to make the most of whatever pressure you have, giving you up to 24l per minute at 5 bar. It’s not fussy about water systems, either, working with gravity-fed systems and combi boilers without any hassle.
This one won’t give your plumber or fitter any trouble, and it’s easy to use with just the standard flow and temperature controls. Users like the clean looks and consistently good showers. There’s a temperature lock with an override button on the temperature control, while Mira’s CoolShield tech keeps the bar and the controls from warming up too much while in use. If you’re struggling to get a decent flow from your existing mixer, the Atom EV could be just what you need.
Key specs – Maximum flow rate: 24l/min; Flow rate at minimum pressure: 3.4l/min; Minimum sustained water pressure: 0.1 bar; Maximum sustained water pressure: 5 bar; Controls: Rotary power, rotary temperature; Heads and handsets: 4 spray handset; Features: Adjustable max temperature lock, automatic shutdown, Mira CoolShield; Warranty: 5 years
Price when reviewed: £150 | Check price at ScrewfixConcealed mixer showers can be complicated to site and install, and we definitely wouldn’t recommend it for the average DIYer. However, the Triton Revere keeps things about as straightforward as possible, with just a 203mm fixed head that attaches to your tiled wall and a simple dual-control setup on a separate chrome plate. Despite appearances, it uses a concentric valve to regulate the flow and temperature.
This means you don’t get a handset for targeted rinsing and cleaning, nor any spray patterns to switch between. However, you get a good, strong flow even without a lot of pressure, and a positively boisterous flow if you’ve got a few bars to work with. If you like the thought of a great shower with no fuss, at a price you can afford, the Revere is an excellent buy.
Key specs – Maximum flow rate: 35l/min; Flow rate at minimum pressure: 4.9l/min; Minimum sustained water pressure: 0.1 bar; Maximum sustained water pressure: 5 bar; Controls: Rotary power, rotary temperature; Heads and handsets: Single spray head; Features: Adjustable max temperature lock, automatic shutdown; Warranty: 5 years
Price when reviewed: £392 | Check price at PlumbworldWhile the Element is one of Mira’s concealed thermostatic mixer showers, it has a lot in common with the exposed Atom EV. It’s flexible enough to handle most water systems where there’s heat to work with, and it’s comfortable with both low- and high-pressure supplies. It also has Magni-flo technology to maximise the flow rate, along with an eco setting in the handset that’s designed to reduce your water consumption by up to 30%.
This one uses a single lever control system, where you pull it up and away from the surface to increase the pressure and left-to-right to adjust the temperature. There’s a maximum temperature stop that can be set during installation, and the thermostatic control maintains a nice, steady temperature. It’s also easier to fit than some concealed showers, although it’s a job that’s still best left to the professionals unless you’re confident that you know what you’re doing. It’s not the cheapest concealed thermostatic mixer, but it is one of the best.
Key specs – Maximum flow rate: 13l/min at 0.5 bar; Flow rate at minimum pressure: 5.2l/min; Minimum sustained water pressure: 0.1 bar; Maximum sustained water pressure: 5 bar; Controls: Single lever for flow and temperature; Heads and handsets: 5 spray handset; Features: Mira Magni-Flo, Eco setting, adjustable max temperature, automatic shutdown; Warranty: 5 years
Price when reviewed: £549 | Check price at Victoria PlumThe Aqualisa Visage Q Smart might not look like a digital shower, but you don’t need fancy touch-sensitive panels to get the latest smart shower features. It combines the company’s SmartValve with a simple and elegant Chrome wall control. The top button is a one-touch start and stop button, while the rotary control underneath is the temperature control, with the blue LED above it flashing when the desired temperature has been reached. Meanwhile, the four-spray head gives you three water patterns plus an eco mode, which promises water savings of up to 25%,
To make the most of this shower, you can use it with Aqualisa’s app, which connects the SmartValve to your Wi-Fi network and enables you to set personalised temperature, flow and timer settings and even track your water usage. You can also use an Alexa or Google smart speaker to start your shower through voice control. You need a decent amount of pressure to get this one running smoothly, but if that’s the case then this is the futuristic shower that you’ve been waiting for.
Key specs – Maximum flow rate: 12l/min; Flow rate at minimum pressure: 8l/min; Minimum sustained water pressure: 1 bar; Maximum sustained water pressure: 7 bar; Controls: One touch start/stop control, rotary temperature, smart app controls, Wi-Fi; Heads and handsets: 4 spray handset; Features: Adjustable max temperature lock, automatic shutdown; Warranty: 5 years
Price when reviewed: £619 | Check price at ScrewfixIf you’re not blessed with high water pressure in your system, that doesn’t mean giving up on your smart digital shower dreams. The Mira Activate is another digital model with built-in wireless connectivity and smart features, but this one will cope with water pressures from 0.1bar and still deliver a 6l per minute flow. To make fitting easier, it includes an external power supply with a three-metre cable and a 3-pin plug, while it’s a simple retrofit for popular showers from Mira and Aqualisa.
This one comes with a compact, round LED temperature and flow controller-display, which you can use to control the flow and temperature just by tapping on screen buttons and rotating the chrome bezel. The controller even has presets for more active or relaxing showers, along with an Eco preset that reduces the flow. You can also control the shower through Mira’s mobile app, with custom presets and real-time temperature controls at your fingertips. Users like the consistent temperature and pressure and the range of presets, making this a great alternative to Aqualisa’s Q and Quartz smart showers, especially if you’re on a gravity-fed system rather than a combi boiler.
Key specs – Maximum flow rate: 12l/min; Flow rate at minimum pressure: 6l/min; Minimum sustained water pressure: 0.1 bar; Maximum sustained water pressure: 1 bar; Controls: Digital controller, smart app controls, Bluetooth; Heads and handsets: 4 spray handset; Features: Phased shutdown; Warranty: 5 years
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