Best electric showers: top picks from our independent tests

We measure yearly running costs of every electric shower we test, and we look for those that are easy to install and use, consistent in terms of temperature and that are able to produce a generous jet of piping-hot water.

Anyone can have an electric shower installed, as they use cold mains water and aren’t affected by the type of water system you have in your home. They generate their own hot water, so they’re usually the shower of choice for households where hot water created by the boiler is in short supply.

Whether you're looking for a cheap shower, one with care features for independent living or want a top-of-the-range power shower with a higher kilowatt (kW) rating, we'll help you to find the most suitable for your home.

The best electric showers from our tests

Only logged-in Which? members can view the electric shower test results below. 

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The electric showers we tested

All the electric showers we tested are listed in alphabetical order below.

Only logged-in Which? members can view the best electric showers from our tests.

Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations below.

Aquas Indulge Touch Flex Smart 9.5kW

Most recently tested September 2020

Type Standard

Temperature controls Non-thermostatic

Need to know No built-in pump, three spray patterns, features digital display, phased shutdown, no soap dish, no anti-kink hose

Mira Advance 9.8kW

Most recently tested December 2019

Type Care 

Temperature controls Thermostatic

Need to know No built-in pump, three spray patterns, no digital or LCD display, phased shutdown, soap dish, anti-kink hose

Mira Advance Flex 9.8kW

Most recently tested September 2021

Type Standard

Temperature controls Thermostatic

Need to know No built-in pump, three spray patterns, no digital or LCD display, no phased shutdown, no soap dish

Mira Azora 9.8kW

Most recently tested December 2019

Type Standard

Temperature controls Thermostatic

Need to know No built-in pump, four spray patterns, no digital or LCD display, phased shutdown, no soap dish, no anti-kink hose

Mira Azora Dual 9.8kW

Most recently tested January 2023

Type Standard

Temperature controls Thermostatic

Need to know One spray pattern, no digital or LCD display, phased shutdown, no soap dish

Mira Galena 9.8kW 

Most recently tested September 2020

Type Standard

Temperature controls Thermostatic

Need to know No built-in pump, four spray patterns, no digital or LCD display, no phased shutdown, soap dish, no anti-kink hose

Mira Go 9.5kW

Available from Screwfix (£109.99)

Most recently tested December 2019

Type Standard

Temperature controls Non-thermostatic

Need to know No built-in pump, one spray pattern, no digital or LCD display, phased shutdown, no soap dish, no anti-kink hose

Mira Jump Multi-Fit Electric 9.5kW

Type Standard

Temperature controls Non-thermostatic

Need to know No built-in pump, four spray patterns, no digital or LCD display, no phased shutdown, no soap dish, anti-kink hose

Mira Sport 9.8kW

Most recently tested December 2019

Type Standard

Temperature controls Non-thermostatic

Need to know No built-in pump, four spray patterns, no digital or LCD display, phased shutdown, soap dish, no anti-kink hose

Mira Sport Max With Airboost 10.8kW

Available from Screwfix (£260.00)

Most recently tested December 2019

Type Standard

Temperature controls Non-thermostatic

Need to know No built-in pump, four spray patterns, no digital or LCD display, phased shutdown, soap dish, no anti-kink hose

Mira Sprint 10.8kW

Available from Screwfix (£149.99)

Most recently tested December 2019

Type Standard

Temperature controls Non-thermostatic

Need to know No built-in pump, four spray patterns, no digital or LCD display, phased shutdown, no soap dish, no anti-kink hose

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Redring Pure 9.5kW

Most recently tested September 2021

Type Standard

Temperature controls Non-thermostatic

Need to know No built-in pump, one spray pattern, no digital or LCD display, no phased shutdown, no soap dish

Triton Amber 3 9.5kW

Available from Amazon (£86.01)

Most recently tested September 2021

Type Standard

Temperature controls Thermostatic

Need to know One spray pattern, no digital or LCD display, no phased shutdown, no soap dish

Triton Avena 8.5kW

Available from Travis Perkins (£106.60), Triton (£99.99)

Most recently tested September 2021

Type Standard

Temperature controls Non-thermostatic

Need to know One spray pattern, no digital or LCD display, no phased shutdown, soap dish

Triton Enrich 9.5kW

Available from Screwfix (£78.99)

Most recently tested September 2021

Type Standard

Temperature controls Non-thermostatic

Need to know One spray pattern, no digital or LCD display, no phased shutdown, no soap dish

Triton Martinique 9.5kW

Type Standard

Temperature controls Non-thermostatic

Need to know Five spray patterns, no digital or LCD display, no phased shutdown, soap dish

Triton Omnicare Thermostatic Design 9.5kW

Available from Plumbworld (£383.62)

Most recently tested September 2020

Type Care

Temperature controls Thermostatic

Need to know No built-in pump, five spray patterns, no digital or LCD display, no phased shutdown, soap dish, no anti-kink hose

Triton Riba 9.5kW

Type Standard

Temperature controls Non-thermostatic

Need to know One spray pattern, no digital or LCD display, no phased shutdown, no soap dish

Triton T100XR 9.5kW

Type Standard

Temperature controls Non-thermostatic

Need to know No built-in pump, five spray patterns, no digital or LCD display, no phased shutdown, soap dish, anti-kink hose

Triton T70Z 8.5kW

Most recently tested September 2021

Type Standard

Temperature controls Non-thermostatic

Need to know Three spray patterns, no digital or LCD display, no phased shutdown, soap dish

Triton T80 Pro Fit Eco 8.5kW

Most recently tested September 2021

Type Standard

Temperature controls Non-thermostatic

Need to know Five spray patterns, no digital or LCD display, phased shutdown, soap dish

Triton T80Z Fast Fit Thermostatic 9.5kW

Most recently tested September 2021

Type Standard

Temperature controls Thermostatic

Need to know Five spray patterns, no digital or LCD display, no phased shutdown, soap dish

How we test electric showers

• How much hot water will it deliver? We set each shower to its highest power setting and measure how much hot 40°C water is delivered through the shower head. Showers range from around 8.5kW to 10.8kW in power and, in general, the higher the wattage the more hot water it can put out.
• Does the temperature rise when someone runs a tap nearby? Most showers regulate the water temperature by balancing the pressure of the heated water in the shower unit with the pressure of the cold water coming in from the mains – so when someone uses mains water elsewhere in your home (by flushing the toilet or running a tap, for example), the shower can run uncomfortably hot. To see which models keep the temperature steady and which creep up to scalding hot levels, we run a nearby tap in our test lab for 30 seconds and track the temperature of the water from the shower.
• Does the temperature drop when the mains water is used? Electric showers have a safety feature that cuts power to the heating element if it gets too hot. If this kicks in because the mains water has been used at the same time and the shower temperature has risen, it will stop heating water and the temperature will drop. So we measure how far the temperature drops before the system recovers and the water starts to get hot again.
• How long does it take to return to normal following a temperature drop? For each of the two above tests, we time how long it takes for each shower to return its hot water to within 3°C of the 40°C starting point.
• How easy is it to install, use and clean? In our lab, we install each shower in our test cubicle and rate how easy it is to fit. We also rate how easy each shower is to use, from whether the display symbols are simple enough for any guests to interpret straight away, to how easy it is to turn the dials and adjust the height of the shower head, as well as keep it clean.
• Is the shower energy and water efficient? We measure the amount of energy a shower uses in 10 minutes on both the high and lower settings. At the same time, we record the amount of water provided. From this, we get an understanding of how efficient an electric shower is.

We regularly revisit the electric showers on sale to see if there are any more popular brands that need testing and when we find them we do.

Why you can trust us: at Which? we're free from manufacturer and retailer influence. Find out more about our impartiality and how your support helps us to stay editorially independent.

Electric vs mixer vs power: which shower is best for your home?

When buying a new shower, the first thing you need to consider is the type of water system you have in your house as this can affect the models you can choose.

Any water system will work with an electric shower, but mixer showers rely on readily available hot water supply, which means you’ll be more limited. 

Here are the key points to bear in mind:

• If there's no hot water supply to that bathroom, you'll need an electric shower.
• If there's hot water and you don't have a gravity-fed system, you should get a mixer shower.
• If there's hot water and you have a gravity-fed system with good water pressure, you should get a mixer shower.
• If there's hot water and you have a gravity-fed system with poor water pressure, you should get a power shower.

Key shower features to look out for

• Thermostatic protection – a thermostatic shower is designed to keep the temperature steady, which should prevent it from turning painfully hot and then numbingly cold if the mains water is used elsewhere in your home.
• Automatic shutdown – a safety feature that turns off the shower in the event that either the hot or cold water supplies fail.
• Maximum temperature – another safety feature that prevents the shower being manually turned too hot (useful for families with fairly young children).
• Limescale protection – manufacturers each offer their own solutions to limescale. Typically it’s handled through a phased shutdown in which increasingly cool water is run through the shower once you’ve finished using it. Limescale is a particular problem for electric showers as they have their own heating element that can get furred up and is hard to access.
• Multiple heads / diverters – some showers combine a main large head with a small, manoeuvrable one that can be useful if you’ve got small children or pets to wash. A diverter valve allows you to switch the water flow from one head to the other depending on your need.
• Flow and spray options – even the most basic shower will typically let you choose from a limited number of power and spray settings. Spend more and you’ll get more choice, such as eco options that reduce the amount of water used and ‘boost’ features that aerate the water stream to increase the flow rate.

As well as these standard features, some specialist showers come with options that make them especially suitable for people who find showering difficult. 

These showers – usually called care or inclusive showers – often offer users tactile controls that are easy to operate and which may even provide audio feedback (helpful for those with limited vision). 

Some versions let you set the maximum and minimum water temperature and include smart functionality to monitor use – something that carers might find very useful.

Shower installation: what you need to know

In addition to buying a new shower, you’ll usually need to pay a qualified tradesperson to install it. The cost to do this will vary in relation to the complexity of the installation and it may depend on where you live in the UK. 

That said, if you’re replacing an existing electric shower with a similar unit, then you may be able to do this yourself (as long as you’re reasonably confident at DIY tasks). Just note that trying to install an electric shower could result in serious injury, damage to your bathroom and an expensive bill if you have to get it professionally fixed.

On average, a plumber will charge around £50 per hour, and will take upwards of three hours to install a straightforward shower.  While either a plumber or electrician can install the plumbing side, you must get a Part P-certified electrician to wire, test and sign off the electrics.

You can find skilled tradespeople to fit your shower through Which? Trusted Traders. You can also use our Trusted Traders search tool below.

Eco shower heads - are they safe to use with electric showers?

An eco shower head (sometimes called a water-saving shower head) can give the feeling of higher pressure without actually using more water – meaning you can turn the dial down and save water. 

They work by controlling the flow and spray pattern of the water. To see if you need one, we suggest that you put a 2-litre container on the shower floor. If it takes less than 12 seconds to fill when the shower is running on full, that's the equivalent of it putting out 10 litres every minute. If that's the case, you could benefit from a low-flow or water-saving shower head.

It's important to note that eco shower heads are usually not recommended for use with electric showers. Eco shower heads fitted with an integrated flow regulator help you save water by restricting the water flow. However, restricting water flow can lead to water building up in the heater tank, causing the shower to overheat. For this reason, manufacturers often advise that you shouldn't use eco shower heads on an electric shower, as this could damage the shower unit – contact the manufacturer if you're unsure.

Generally, electric showers are already water efficient, so you shouldn't need to use an eco shower head with an electric shower anyway.