We all love shopping from the comfort of our laptop or smartphone, but sometimes there just isn't enough information to give us that "touch and feel "in-store experience. It couldn't be any more apparent than when trying to determine if you're looking at a plastic vs metal shower head online.

Many companies avoid specifying if their shower head or shower accessory is made from plastic, and it's not always easy to find the material composition listed on their product pages. 

Luckily, there's some telltale signs that will determine if what you're looking at is a cheap plastic imitation or the real thing – and we're going to share all of our tips for how to become a pro at pinpointing plastic vs metal shower head parts (without ever needing to touch or feel the product!). 

Want to see the difference between metal vs plastic shower head durability before we get started? Check out this AWESOME video below:

Want to skip the tips and dive straight into picking out a durable, metal shower head? Check out our All Metal Shower Heads at The Shower Head Store and rest assured that you're getting 100% Metal Components.

Plastic vs Metal Shower Head Parts: Key ways to tell the difference

1. Threaded Connection Material

Whether the product page specifies it or not, this is certainly the easiest part to spot a metal vs plastic shower head fitting. This part connects your shower head or shower holder to your shower arm. As a plumber, this is a part that I simply cannot compromise on. The threaded connections get the most wear and have the highest likelihood of cross threading during installation.

By choosing a metal shower head or shower holder that has metal (typically brass) threads, you'll ensure that you will avoid installation woes and have a longer lasting, leak-free shower head with secure connections.

Plastic Threaded Connection Example

Take a close look at the shower thread connection for this plastic shower head. Can you see how there are lots of ridges on it? That's because it is made from plastic, and is designed for hand tightening only. Any time you see multiple ridges, or the threads in a different color than the body of the Shower Head, you can be sure it's a plastic shower head vs metal. 

Metal Threaded Connection Example

This HammerHead Shower 2-Inch High Pressure shower head on the other hand does not have those ridges. Instead, it has a smooth surface with a deep indent on each side of the shower thread connections. These types of fittings are designed for tightening with an adjustable wrench, which would only ever be recommended if the shower head material was durable enough to withstand such torque – that material being metal.

You can always check the product page's shower head specifications section and you should see the materials clearly stated. Here's our specs for our 2" High Pressure Shower Head: 

If you don't see the material listed at all, you can pretty much bet it's made of plastic. All metal is NOT the norm, and companies using high-quality metal will be sure to call it out. 

2. Shower Hose

Whether you're buying a full handheld shower head set or just a replacement shower hose, it's important that you find a metal shower hose. Stainless steel is not only going to last far longer than plastic, but it will be more flexible and easier to maneuver in the shower. 

Plastic Shower Hose Examples 

Let's start with the hand held shower head on the left. You can see from the image that the chrome shower head has a hose with black and chrome stripes. This striping is a dead giveaway that the shower hose is part of a plastic shower head vs metal. Metal hoses are going to be a solid color, as painting a shower hose is really not feasible – especially with 2 colors.

The shower hose on the right, however, is a little bit trickier to tell whether you're looking at a plastic vs metal shower head. What gives it away is (A) the very clean reflection and (B) the tiny but still present striping. Both of these hoses are trying to imitate the coiled look of a metal shower hose, but it's either way to over-emphasized, or too flat in texture. 

Metal Shower Hose Example

This is a clear cut, metal hose featured in the HammerHead Shower Hand Held Shower Head Set. The first identifier that it's metal vs plastic is its consistent chrome color in the indentations. These indentations allow the shower hose to coil up or stretch out, and will not have color variation if it's part of a metal hose.

Also, you'll see the small threaded nut. When you see this hexagonal nut on the shower hose, it's typically always part of a metal hose. That's not to say that a metal hose has to have this to be identified as metal, but it's just another reassurance. 

3. Shower Holder Bracket

While those first two shower head parts are easy to tell the difference between plastic vs metal shower head materials, shower holder brackets...not so much. It's fairly easy to determine if the threaded connection material on the shower holder is metal, but the remaining hook and body is much more difficult to identify.

Plastic Shower Holder Bracket Example 

1) Like we covered before, you can tell that the threaded connection is plastic by the hand-tightening ridges. Typically that also means the entire holder will be made from plastic. Quite simply, a company wouldn't make a solid metal shower holder only to negate its benefits by making the most important threaded connection out of plastic.

2) This is the pivot ball tightening ring, which helps to increase or decrease the tension in the pivot ball. If this part is made from a metal, it is usually smooth all the way around or has some defined indents for using an adjustable wrench. Anytime you see these intermittent ridges, you're dealing with plastic.

3) The third identifier is spotting any lines of division in the shower holder bracket. When a product is made from plastic, it goes through a plastic injection molding (usually in two parts). After those parts are made, they are attached together, leaving a bump where the separate parts meet. A metal shower holder bracket will have a clean, smooth and polished look.

Metal Shower Holder Bracket Example

The truth is, 99.9% of shower holders you come across are made from plastic – there are probably less than 10 shower holders made of metal available on the market! So if it's not clearly called-out in the product title, it's almost guaranteed to be plastic.

This is HammerHead Showers Solid Brass Hand Held Shower Holder Bracket. It is made from 100% solid brass (and when you're able to compare them in person, there's no mistaking the difference when you pick it up). A smooth, cohesive body without any ridges is a good indicator that the shower holder might actually be metal. 

4. Shower Head Body

And then comes the star of the show...the shower head itself! Unfortunately, whether you are looking for a fixed, handheld or rain shower head, there really isn't any visible indicator to determine if you're looking at a plastic vs metal shower head body. Again, metal is almost always called out in the title or in the specs. 

One thing we can promise: once you experience an all metal shower head, you will never go back to its cheap, plastic counterpart. Our 1-Spray Handheld Shower Head set comes with components entirely made of metal. It's the type of shower install you only have to do one time (unless of course you buy more for the other bathrooms in your house!). 

Shopping for Plastic vs Metal Shower Heads

There you have it! You can now consider yourself an expert of identifying plastic vs metal shower heads and parts! If you've been convinced that a plastic shower head is not what you want in your shower, then be sure to shop our full collection of all metal shower heads.

And if you run into any issues determining the best shower head material or design for your shower needs, don't hesitate to contact us at The ShowerHead Store – our customer service team is always ready to help.