Are Shower Heads Universal? - Perfect Bathroom (2024)

Shower heads are a crucial part of your shower. They are a major key in determining how great your shower experience is. If there was an issue with your shower head it could mean you have a bad shower, which in my opinion, could affect how well your day goes!

If you are looking to replace your shower head you need to be sure of the size that you have otherwise you could be in trouble.

In this article we take a deep dive into the question: are shower heads universal or not? Let’s get into it.

So.. are all shower heads universal?

The answer to the question: are shower heads universal is yes. All shower heads have a universal fit, meaning they should fit with the large majority of showers and therefore should match the same fitting as all the top brands.

What is the universal shower head measurement?

The universal fit for a shower head refers to the measurement to the connector part of a shower head – the bit that screws onto a shower hose or shower head filter, for example.

This standard size for a universal fit shower head is 1/2 inch BSP thread, and almost all shower heads are standardised to this size.

What is BSP?

BSP is an acronym for British Standard Pipe. British Standard Pipe (BSP) is a set of standards for screw threads, connecting and sealing pipes, and in this case heads, by connecting a male thread (shower hose) with a female thread (shower head e.g.).

In the UK, BSP is known as the standard in plumbing and piping, it is also the is the standard used throughout Europe (though they sometimes use DIN in Germany), Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and lots more places around the world.

In some other countries, however, the name is different but the sizes are relatively similar. In North America, they use National Pipe Thread (NPT) and the thread size is still 1/2 inch for shower heads. In Japan, their pipe sizing metric is called Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS), and so on.

Can you get different shower head thread sizes?

Yes, you can though they are not very common. As well as the universal sizing of 1/2 inch bore size or thread size, you can also get 3/4 thread size, though it is not that popular since most shower hose sizes are 1/2 inch BSP after all.

If you happen to have this size do not worry, you can always buy a shower head adaptor. This will make your shower compatible with the shower hose that you are trying to connect. With that said, it is never a good idea to add an extra connection point to your shower and it might be worth just getting a better shower hose or head that is compatible.

Do shower heads universally fit all shower hoses?

Technically, yes. In general, as discussed, all shower heads are universal and so should fit any shower hose, most of the time and are therefore interchangeable.

The only case where one wouldn’t fit would be if your shower hose itself happens to be a 3/4 inch BSP thread and your shower head would be a 1/2 inch thread, as mentioned above.

For this reason, it is always best to buy a shower head and hose from the same manufacturer, where possible. This ensures that it will not only fit correctly but also in the unfortunate event that you have any issues, you can approach the manufacturer directly for support on both.

It’s also worth noting that, although shower heads are universal, there can be extremely small variations in sizing, due to simply a bad batch or that different manufacturers have different processes in their factories that lead to ever so slight differences in sizing.

Related: Are Shower Hoses Universal?

Do shower heads universally fit all shower head attachments (e.g. shower filters)?

Once again, since shower heads are universal, shower head attachments (shower filters, ionic shower attachments, etc) should also fit with little issue.

That being said, there are lots of different types of shower filters and many shower head manufacturers don’t actually make shower filters or other attachments for their shower heads. For example, Mira makes shower heads but they do not make attachable shower filters.

As mentioned above, due to the differing manufacturers, there can be extremely small variations in sizing and you won’t necessarily get the snug fit you would with the same company.

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