Delta hydrorain 2 in 1 review

Top positive review

4.0 out of 5 starsWorks well, but installation is a pain and the “chrome” is plastic

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 4, 2017

I got the chrome version, and was surprised to discover it was made from plastic. It feels cheap. Though I suppose the plastic is lighter and puts less weight-strain on the wall pipe (shower arm), but still, for the price, I expected more to the build quality.

The installation instructions say to hand tighten the showerhead to the shower arm. It specifically says not to use a wrench or pliers. Well, that doesn’t work. Not unless you want water to leak from the pipe. I even put thread seal tape on (not included) before twisting into place. As a 6’ 199lb man, I don’t consider myself weak. I torqued it pretty hard. The other thing to consider is that the head may not end up in a good position when hand tightening. I’m guessing this may void the warranty, but there was no other way to prevent leaking (and get it into a perfect position) without using a wrench. But that was also tricky. There is a depression that allows a wrench to seat, but it is very thin. In fact, the area is too small to allow a standard crescent wrench to fit. It’s really only thick enough for a combination wrench (typically used by mechanics). But it requires one that is an inch wide, and my set only goes up to 3/4". Thankfully, I have a Craftsman Beak Jaw Adjustable Wrench, which is as flat as a combination wrench, but adjustable like a crescent wrench. Using this tool, I had to hold onto the showerhead with my left arm (to keep it from spinning), while torqueing the wrench with my right. I also had to add several layers of thread seal tape onto the stem. Finally, after all that, I got the head in place and the pipe no longer leaks. Whew!

So, the chrome is plastic and the showerhead is a pain to install. Not looking good so far, is it? But how well does it work when in use?

Honestly, not too bad. You can adjust the lever to allow water to come out the raincan only or the showerhead only, or you can have it come out of both at the same time. The disadvantage of using both simultaneously is that the water pressure divides into half, so it’s less powerful. Additionally, I find that water drips out of the showerhead even when the raincan is fully turned on. It’s not bad, but definitely not perfect. The raincan swivels back and forth to a small degree, allowing some adjustability. In my case, the entire unit only comes out about 18” (a foot and a half) from the wall, so I keep it swiveled toward me as much as possible. The rain effect would be better if it came straight down, but in my setup I feel too close to the wall for it to be set in a flat position (doesn’t help that I have a shower caddy hanging from the shower arm as well). Thankfully, the raincan is about 79” (6’ 7”) from the shower floor, which allows enough room for my height. But again, that’s just basing the dimensions on my shower setup. Yours could be different.

One other thing I noticed is that the raincan stores up water so that, when I shut the shower off, it drips for several minutes afterwards. I can hear the loud “tick” when each drop hits the plastic shower floor.

If you’ve read this far, you might think that I hate the Hydro Rain showerhead. But honestly, I don’t. I just want to make sure everyone is clear as to what they are getting if they decided to buy it. At the end of the day, I like it, which is why I rated it 4-stars. It’s way better than my existing showerhead, and it does look more prestigious. Why would the latter matter beyond my own pride? Because it provides a nice touch if you are trying to sell your home. Looks more elegant and elaborate. Overall, I do think it’s a bit overpriced for the quality, but it is still an improvement for my setup.

Top positive review

5.0 out of 5 stars2.5 gallons per minute is amazing!

Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2020

I wanted something nice for our master bath. I've also always wanted a showerhead with a wand. I took a chance on this one. I got flat black to go with our other fixtures.

First, very easy to install. You screw the head to your pipe coming from the wall, then you screw the hose on and you're done. It took maybe 5 minutes to do that, which also included removing the old shower head.

This unit has three water modes - just rainshower mode, just wand mode, or both together. It also shuts off, but the shut off mode drips some. I use the shut off mode when I'm shaving my legs so as to not wash off the shaving cream.

The unit is plastic. It's a heavy plastic but still plastic. If this bothers you then don't buy it. It seems sturdy. I was worried that the wand hose - which is metal - would pull the wand from its seat. The wand seats in the head with a magnet and a bit of a lip (so it *clicks* into place). So far the wand stays put. It is not hard to get it in place, you just have to get the right angle. After a few showers you get used to how to put it back.

The wand has 4 modes. I've tried them all and there is nothing spectacular about any of them. It's not a deep massager when on that mode. But it is nice enough. The rainshower head is just rainshower. It also tilts a bit so you can adjust the angle.

Now, about the water itself. I got the 2.5 gallons per minute one. OMG the amount of water it puts out. You might be thinking "I'll just removed the restrictor" - you won't need to. I usually just use it on the wand only mode (rainshower off) in the full body spray mode and get tons of water. I suspect that even the 1.75 GPM model will put out a good amount of water.

Another thing I noticed is that the water feels warmer than my old shower head. I'm not sure why - possibly the head itself has a different hot to cold water mix ratio - or perhaps because it is plastic it doesn't suck up the heat like my old metal showerhead. Whatever the reason, I like it. My advice - don't put this in a shower that teenagers use - they will run your hot water tank down!

And lastly is just a comment for those who might have these features in their bathroom:

--- if you have an integrated bench in your shower under your showerhead you will find that the rainshower part doesn't tilt out far enough to clear the bench with a standard pipe coming from the wall. Purchase a longer pipe for clearance.

--- if you have installed an S shaped pipe to get more height from your shower this will work for you. The end angle will be similar enough for it to work well. Having said that, having the wand seated in its holder and on (running water) pushes the water pretty far out. If you have a shallow freestanding shower it will hit the far wall pretty high up. Should not be an issue for shower/tub combos.

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