Is the average European shower different from the average American shower?

[Taki]

I've come across the claim that the typical house/apartment showerhead in the US is fixed to the wall, with no ability to detach or adjust in settings or height. You are able to move the head a little bit to adjust the direction of water spray:

American Style:

Apparently, European showerheads are different in that they have detachable heads that you can take off to more efficiently hose down your nether regions.

European Style:

Is this generally true?

And if so, why are we #1 in nuke technology but lag behind in window & shower tech?

 

[Terranigma]

It's true ( at least everywhere I lived at)

 

[Sign My Guestbook!]

Um, I think it really depends on where you go. Some shower heads are detachable "phone" dealies, some are screwed into the wall.

 

[vivftp]

Canada here, my house originally had a shower head closer to the first pic and we then installed one like the second pic.

My balls have never been cleaner.

 

[Khanimus]

Canadian here. I've seen the 'phone' shower head more than afew times. My grandma used to have one. Been to acouple friends' places that had em. Master bathtub in my parents' old place had one. It's not so common, but I certainly wouldn't say it's region-exclusive.

 

[TheMadTitan]

There's detachable ones in the US, too. Those are just aftermarket and most people in the US seem to not be able to afford others to replace the stock ones with or, like in my case, don't care enough to more than suffer with trying to angle themselves toward the water for a proper rinse.

 

[NTGYK]

It's true.

I came back to Canada wanting a phone style showerhead and a bidet like a civilized man

 

[Lilalaunebaer]

Austria here.

Never seen a fixed showerhead that you can´t take off like in the 2nd pic other than like once in a cheap motel or something.

 

[studyguy]

You can literally just screw off a shower head and replace it.
It's like $20 tops to get a cheap detachable shower head. Mine looked like the first and replaced it with the second ages ago.

Personally I've never seen a true fixed shower head outside of like a public pool or gym shower (fixed as in fitted directly to the pipe). Everything else is screwed on.

 

[nny]

That is my experience, yes.

 

[LordRuyn]

Even in the cheapest studio apartment I lived in Italy I've had the second one.

You rarely find the ones bolted to the wall, but they do exist

 

[KimiNewt]

I don't think I've seen the first type other than in places like public showers/army.

 

[Kapten]

I don't think I've seen the first type other than in places like public showers/army.

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Very much this.

Sweden here; second showerhead is basically in every flat here.

 

[PlayBee]

I don't know if the first type is ubiquitous or not but anyone in the USA who wants to replace their showerhead with one like the "European" style can find them readily available as low as $20 so I don't really see a problem.

 

[Funky Papa]

In all fairness, fixed showerheads can be found in Europe, but usually in a rain-telephone combo.

This is basically mine:

The top showerhead can still move, however.

I more weirded out by America's fondness for painted bathroom walls after an entire life of tile.

 

[uzipukki]

I live in Finland and in all but one place where I have lived we had the second type of shower. In the outlier we had a shower that had a fixed shower head + the detachable kind you see in the second photo.

In all fairness, fixed showerheads can be found in Europe, but usually in a rain-telephone combo.

This is basically mine:

The top showerhead can still move, however.

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This ^^

 

[Wackamole]

It's true for me. We have always had the detachable heads.
But there are also people who have fixed heads.

 

[Empress of ice cream]

This Europe - a strange universe series is really cute, OP.

 

[Carn]

Netherlands here, never seen a fixed one over here unless public shower. Same goes for all European countries Ive visited.

 

[RagnarokX]

No. The heads of showers screw off and can be replaced. Your first example is a cheap base model for cost savings. Anyone that has one of those can just upgrade.

 

[FaceHugger]

I was told showers in Europe shoot up from the floor.

 

[Funky Papa]

I was told showers in Europe shoot up from the floor.

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Those are the weirdos from Australia.

 

[uzipukki]

I was told showers in Europe shoot up from the floor.

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Lol.

 

[Selphie]

I don't think I've ever seen a fixed showerhead besides at a public pool or any other place like that.

 

[HadesHotgun]

The crappy first one is the kind of cheap default shower head you find in most places in America, but as others have said you can get a much nicer handset shower head anywhere including Walmart. They aren't expensive but most places just go with the cheapest thing they can.

I recently picked up a rain/hand set combo and I highly recommend it. That manufacturers grade shit that comes standard is generally awful.

 

[Anthony Hopkins]

You can probably get either or in both continents.

The design with flexi pipe is better because you can move it.

 

[Spenny]

American here. It just depends. The second style is aftermarket and has to be purchased and attached. It’s really easy and they don’t cost too much. My family has always had detachable heads installed as long as I can remember.

 

[big_z]

the fixed heads are standard with shower sets in north America and builders use cheapest parts possible unless requested otherwise. Therefore fixed heads is what most people have and they never invest in anything better but I greatly prefer the detachable head to power blast the pooper.

 

[Soundscream]

American here. It just depends. The second style is aftermarket and has to be purchased and attached. It’s really easy and they don’t cost too much. My family has always had detachable heads installed as long as I can remember.

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Yep

 

[Roven]

We don't live in prisons here, so most showerheads are detachable

 

[IDreamOfHime]

I've left negative reviews for hotels with that 1st style. Telephone style for life.

 

[Hydeus]

Yep we European like to wash our anus.

 

[Hypron]

The thing that surprised me the most in the US were the toilets. So much water in there haha. I also finally understood the whole 'do toilets swirl the other way down under?' meme, because European toilets (and those used in NZ and I'd guess Australia) don't have enough water to really notice the swirling.

 

[L Thammy]

I hear the real difference is that European showers are located in a separate room from the toilet because Europe actually wants you to pee in the shower and not secretly pee in the shower.

 

[Link the Hero]

Not only have I never seen a shower where you can‘t take off the showerhead. I‘ve also never seen a shower where you can‘t adjust the height of the showerhead. It‘s standard here.

 

[Kain]

I've only seen the first kind in hotels or gyms. The second one is the norm, yes. But most of the time you have both.

Detachable shower head is the best thing for washing your ass and balls, so poor americans.

 

[z0m3le]

No. The heads of showers screw off and can be replaced. Your first example is a cheap base model for cost savings. Anyone that has one of those can just upgrade.

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Yep, first thing I do when I move into a new place is screw on this shower head. They are cheap too, this one is $35 at Target:

 

[KtSlime]

Japan here. We use the superior European style.

 

[RagnarokX]

Yep, first thing I do when I move into a new place is screw on this shower head. They are cheap too, this one is $35 at Target:

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Cheapest one at Walmart is $10. Really it makes sense home builders would use the cheapest heads possible cuz people who care will just go buy their own fancy showerheads and take them with them when they move.

 

[Dio Over Heaven]

This is my shower in the house I just bought. I haven't gotten around to buying a new showerhead yet.

That being said, I've seen plenty of showers in America where people bought cheapo showerheads in the style you cite as European so they aren't uncommon.

 

[RagnarokX]

Japan here. We use the superior European style.

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But Japan takes "bathroom" too literal and the entire room is the shower.

 

[Dragon1893]

It's very rare for a showerhead to not be detachable in Europe, at least in my experience.

 

[Emergency & I]

Phew, my wife is Japanese and we went to her parents house/stayed there. That bathroom was wonderful having the bath connected.

That said rain shower + nozzle or bust.

 

[cupcakeunicorn]

Everywhere I lived in the US had a fixed showerhead. Everywhere I've lived in the UK has had a detachable showerhead.

 

[Dr. Mario]

Bath faucets too

Poor American ladies who have to drown in order to get... clean

Though here too I guess it's just a question of what you want to install yourself.

 

[Necromanti]

Everywhere I lived in the US had a fixed showerhead. Everywhere I've lived in the UK has had a detachable showerhead.

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I’m in Scotland and my apartment/flat has a fixed showerhead. (Though I haven’t gotten a look at other people’s showers.)

 

[KtSlime]

But Japan takes "bathroom" too literal and the entire room is the shower.

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Mine is about half that size and has no window, but it does take up a considerable portion of my mansion. Bathrooms are for relaxing.

 

[Traxus]

Huh? Showerheads can be easily swapped dude. It's not like it's one or the other. Everywhere I've lived in the US we've had detachable ones. Some friends have the static ones.

 

[SWoS]

But Japan takes "bathroom" too literal and the entire room is the shower.

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That's a weird looking toilet. Do you just poop through the slats and let the shower take care of the cleanup?

 

[stan423321]

The thing that I noticed about showers of US that I've seen were one-dimensional water controls. Fixed low pressure with temperature control was passable, going through full spectrum of pressure with icy water before changing the temperature on that was awful.