Would You Subscribe to a Showerhead?

Every January, technology journalists and fans alike descend on Las Vegas for CES — the Consumer Electronics Show — to check out the latest products, demos, and concepts on display. Every year brings some interesting products that I’m excited to try, but there are more that are just gimmicks, which will never reach the market and frankly never should.If you hear about a standard, pedestrian product that has been made “smart” or “AI-enabled” or “Matter compatible” — or shouldn’t need a Wi-Fi connection — then you’ve encountered this. And sure, there are exceptions — I wear an Oura smart ring every day, use AI-enabled glasses regularly, and read by a $599 Wi-Fi enabled lamp — but if it sounds idiotic and unnecessary, looks idiotic and unnecessary, and seems idiotic and unnecessary, then Occam likely has the correct answer.And yet, every three months, I send HelloKlean $45 for a new filter to install in their showerhead, which I bought for $65; and it’s one of the best purchases I’ve ever made and one that I’ve recommended to almost everyone I know.Despite the concept — a shower head you pay a subscription to use — it’s a fundamentally simple device. It’s like a standard showerhead, but with a thicker, donut-shaped body containing a ring filter; and when you turn on the tap, that filter takes out, in their words, “90% of chlorine as well as heavy metals like copper, iron and lead from tap water.” It’s like a Brita filter for your shower, and it sounds unnecessary and perhaps fraudulent, but if you live in a city with heavy mains water — like London — all of those elements are going into your hair and onto your skin, clogging it up.You’re likely not aware of it, but switching to the filter has shocked me. My hair is softer than before and feels cleaner for longer, and my skin is the best it’s ever looked. I have a good skincare routine and use premium shampoo and conditioner from Davines — their Ol’ range is worth the money — but I was using these before the showerhead change too, and it’s still been an incredible difference; for myself and my partner.It’s worth saying that the “subscription” is just a regularly scheduled delivery of filters, and you can set these at whichever interval you like. The water at London is infamously heavy, and three months of use will kill my filter, but not all mains pipes are made the same.Before buying a filtered showerhead — or even a Brita water filter — you should buy a water testing kit to see the heaviness of your water, and what you’re trying to sift out. If it’s light, you might only need to replace it every six to 12 months.And if you stop paying for replacements? Well, there are no dumb smart features, nor digital kill switches, and it will just function like a normal showerhead. It’s easy to attach, remove, and replace the filters; and with the new design, it looks better too.

Would You Subscribe to a Showerhead?

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