Leslie, the fine proprietor over at watercheck.biz (a water mega-resource), contacted me about a month ago wondering if i’d like to review one of his products. Of course, as I do to nearly everyone, I said “yes.” Shortly after that I received the Niagara Conservation 1.5GPM Low Flow Showerhead and began the testing.
I have spent a lot of time on this site talking about water savings and particularly showerheads, so the benefits shouldn’t be a mystery. Most showerheads use 2.5GPM, Which means that you can save (with a 1.5) a full gallon for every minute you wash. Add that up over the course of a year… that’s a LOT of water… Water that you don’t have to pay for, your municipality doesn’t have to treat, and no one needs to worry about. Low flow showerheads are green due the virtue of conservation.
Most quality low flow showerheads are north of $25. The most expensive I’ve reviewed (the bricor .55 Ultramax), was nearly $80. I don’t care WHO you are, that ain’t cheap. I mean, we’re hitting on tough times… I wish there was a showerhead that didn’t cost a fortune, but also saved water, and gave me a quality shower experience…
There is… it’s this one. Inexpensive, Quality, Miserly Water usage. The Niagara is made of the familiar chrome-ish plastic and gives the user the ability to have a “massage” flow, or a “gentle” spray. I liked both, Mrs. Green Gear thought the massage could use a little umphf, but we both came away impressed with it.
We were impressed with it BEFORE we knew the price. Turns out, you can buy it… right now… for under $17.00… before shipping. This is a great showerhead for people who haven’t taken the plunge and also what I consider to be the best value, in low-flow showerheads.
Great Product. Here is the video review.
RATING: 4 out of 5 Gears for Variable Eco Benefit, Price, Quality, and Being a GO TO product.
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{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
How would you compare it to the HighSierra?
They are both fantastic showerheads. The high sierra gets additional points for using so little material, but in terms of shower quality I would defer people who want the massage / spray duality to the Niagara. Also, this one is $10 less expensive. WIth the high sierra, what you get is great, but it’s all you get. If you like variety, i’d do the Niagara.
Looks like a great product and the low price is very impressive also. One thing I wish they would incorporate to make it even better is a chlorine filter, perhaps one of the new types of vitamin C filters, or whatever is most effective. Many health practitioners are very concerned with the long term effects of skin absorption and also breathing in of chloribne during showering.
thanks for the review
It might be a while before I come out with an adjustable HighSierra Showerhead, but it is something that I have been thinking about. A hand-held unit is also a priority for me. FYI, I have found a nice niche for my existing showerhead: student housing. The good spray keeps the students from complaining, the low volume saves lots of water, and the single orifice design reduces maintenance to a minimum (a huge issue when you have 2,000 to 3,000 showerheads). Last week I shipped 2,000 to UC Santa Cruz and am now starting on a retrofit at Penn State.
Cheers for the review. $17.oo. That is a good deal!
Claire
First of all, great site!
Based on surfing the net and reading reviews on different shower heads, your blog convinced me to take a chance on this one. The price made it too easy not to pass up and at least try it out. I thought I would like it, but wondered if my wife could live with it. After a few showers, we are both happy with the performance. The only issue I had was a leak where it connects to the existing plumbing. After close inspection, I noticed the sealing ring had a crease in it. All I did was dig the seal out of the old shower head, place in the Niagra and, with hand tightening only, solved the problem.
In conclusion, I am waiting on the second one to arrive for the guest bathroom. With a little short of a week of using it, I highly recommend it.
Jim,
I’m happy you like the showerheads, I think they’re great!
I have the Niagara 1.28 gallon toilet, with the “tipping bucket” technology, which eliminates the troublesome flappers that wear out and cause leaks. I bought mine under the Glacier Bay name at Home Depot, and this is a great toilet overall. Never clogs, very reliable, only beef is that it does not “wash down” that well, needs a weekly cleaning, which is easy. Overall, I like the Niagara conservation company, and will keep an eye on their products.
Anyone tried the Niagara Conservation 1.2 gpm showerhead? I just bought it off ebay, I’ll let you know how it goes.
Just another heads up, use the coupon code 2468 for an additional 8% off at watercheck.biz (as of 10/17/09).
One thing I’m concerned with, in my search, is how much swivel the shower head has. In a couple of your reviews, it’s clear because you wiggle it around, but this one looked pretty static.
How well does it swivel? And would you consider including that in the info you give?
(My husband is tall; I’m short. And in our 2nd bathroom, the shower stall is VERY narrow, and with kids and grownups both using it, we need flexibility from the shower head, because you can’t just take another step further out so the flow will hit your torso–there’s a wall there!.)
I just moved into a new apartment with a Niagra Conservation 2.5 gpm shower head in the bathroom. Honestly, I couldn’t have been more disappointed with the waterflow. I don’t know how I’ll ever rinse the shampoo out of my hair. I’m all for conservation, but I think balance is key: the ability to adjust the flow as needed would be more helpful. To make matters worse, while taking a shower, the shower head fell right off of the joint, causing a high-pressure stream to shoot right out at me–again, balance is key. I know that it’s likely that the latter situation is due to ongoing use beyond the lifetime of the product, but it has made for a set of bad shower experiences. Maybe I can ask management to replace the shower head with one that has adjustable waterflow.