9 Must-Have Shower Upgrades for a Luxury Experience

Matt Marandola
Written by Matt Marandola
Updated March 28, 2022
A master bathroom with marble tile
Photo: Javani LLC / Adobe Stock

Make spa day your every day with these shower upgrades

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Your shower doesn’t have to be a boring place where you scrub down before or after work. Instead, upgrade your shower and enjoy it to the fullest extent. A simple recessed shower niche or a speaker that plays all of your favorite music and podcasts can elevate your routine. 

1. Recessed Shower Niche

A recessed shower niche is a perfect way to add style, dimension, and extra space to your shower. It’s the perfect spot for your shampoos and soaps or even waterproof decorations. A bathroom remodeling pro can get the job done and correctly install and grout the tile. 

2. Second Showerhead

What’s better than one showerhead? A second showerhead, so water covers more of the shower area. Or you may want to separate your handheld showerhead from your stationary one, allowing for a bigger stationary showerhead and a more compact option for the handheld one.

3. Shower Bench

A bathroom interior with Marble floor
Photo: Javani LLC / Adobe Stock

Whether you're looking to make the bathroom more accessible or simply want another way to relax in the shower, adding a shower bench provides a wide variety of benefits. You can clean your feet easier, and it might make for a comfortable sitting position when your dog needs a bath. 

4. Shower Speakers

Are you a fan of taking long showers as a way to relax? Maybe you already use your phone to play some background noise while you get clean. Regardless of how you go about it, installing or buying a waterproof shower speaker might be worth it to enhance your listening experience.

5. Steam Shower Upgrade

A steam shower is a great way to get the benefits of a sauna without making more space for one. The cost to install a steam shower is around $4,350 on average, but compared to the average cost to remodel a shower—which sits anywhere from $600 to $12,000—it could cost a little less. 

6. Ditch the Shower Curb

The curb underneath your shower door could become a tripping hazard, especially for older adults or those with mobility issues. You can opt to have the curb removed from the shower and extend the glass or acrylic down to the floor, creating a seamless entry into the shower. Now you won’t trip anymore when getting in and out, but be sure to keep a bath mat next to the shower so you don’t slip. 

Ditching the shower curb also means that you’ll need to ensure water doesn’t leak out the sides. Contact a bathroom remodeler near you to see what needs to happen with your current shower to get it to where you want it to be.

7. Heated Towel Bar

A bathroom in a luxury apartment
Photo: phototropic / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images

Image getting a nice, freshly dried towel from the dryer every time you reach for one. That’s where a heated towel bar comes into play.

This bathroom upgrade is exactly what it sounds like; heated towel bars heat the towels on the bar next to the shower. They also help speed up the drying process, which may help with reducing mildew on towels.

8. Upgrade the Lighting

Match your mood to ambient lighting throughout the bathroom and shower. Install RGB lights and set the colors to whatever you deem fit for the next 20 to 30 minutes. If you’re looking to spruce things up, you can even find light bulbs that change color and brightness with the music you play.

9. Temperature and Water Pressure Control

If you’re looking to bring your shower into the future, consider adding a control panel to adjust the temperature and water pressure. Once you’ve found your favorite settings, it’s much easier to program these panels to automatically adjust the temperature and water pressure when you turn the shower on—so no more guessing and mixing temperatures.

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