A quality showerhead might not seem like a must-have, but you won't feel that way once you try one. Previously, I was using the showerhead my landlord had installed. It wasn't handheld, the flow wasn't customizable, and honestly, it was probably the cheapest showerhead they could possibly find in the state of California. However, I didn't mind it (the water pressure was fine) — that is, until I upgraded.
As someone who tries to make every area of my apartment as eco-friendly as possible, I was intrigued when I heard about the $249 Hai Smart Showerhead. According to the brand, "Hai is the only showerhead that reduces energy consumption — by using the water flow to power Bluetooth connectivity and LED lights." I was intrigued and wanted to give the product a try.
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(While I did receive the Hai Smart Showerhead for free, all of the following thoughts and opinions expressed below are my own and are not influenced by Hai in any way.)
What is the Hai Smart Showerhead?
Hai's Smart Showerhead is designed with eco-technology that allows you to use your water flow to power Bluetooth and LED lights. The former connects to the brand's app, which allows you to see how much water, energy, and time you've used up and saved per shower (more on this in a second). Overall, Hai reported that its showerhead users consumed 30% less water per shower than the national average.
The stainless steel showerhead itself is meant to be easy to install, cover more area than the average showerhead, and have no grooves for mold or limescale to hide in. The spray control slider allows you to customize your perfect flow. On the mount, there is also an LED light that can be programmed on the app to tell you when the water has reached your desired temperature and when you've reached your water limit. Plus, the showerhead is handheld, meaning that it can be removed (great for when the time comes to clean the shower).
When you go to buy the Smart Showerhead, you can choose between six colors: charcoal, moon, surf, persimmon, citron, and rose quartz. You can also select a WaterSense flow — which is more eco-friendly, improves low water pressure, meets the strictest U.S. water flow standards, and has 29 spray nozzles — or a Regular flow, which is designed for standard water pressure and has 35 spray nozzles. The Regular flow is not available in the following states: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Washington, NewYork, and Vermont.
How to use the Hai app:
The water-powered Hai app can be downloaded for free on Google Play or in the App Store. It offers instructions that allow you to connect the app to the showerhead.
The first tab on the app provides articles created by the Hai team.They contain information on different rituals you can adopt for a more intentional lifestyle. The second tab, called "Hai Flow," shows the following for your most recent shower:
- How many gallons you saved
- Time spent
- Gallons used
- Average temperature
- Kilowatt-hours used
- Kilowatt-hours saved
From this page, you can also view your water and energy history, which can be broken down into daily, weekly, monthly, and annual amounts.
The third and final tab on the app is called "My Hai," and it allows you to customize your showerhead. Here, you can set a certain LED color to alert you when you've used a certain number of gallons. For example, my LED light shines pink when I've used 15 gallons of water, so that I know I'm saving a maximum of 5 gallons at that point (with around 20 gallons being the national average). You can also disable this function.
One of my favorite features is the ability to set an alert (mine is green) for when your water reaches a temperature of 90 degrees Fahrenheit. This prevents you from getting into a cold shower. Once you complete your shower, the LED light will pulse with a shade of blue to let you know it's ready to connect to the app.
Below these tools, there is more information about the product and a section that allows you to disconnect the app from the showerhead.
Is the Hai showerhead worth it?
While the Hai Showerhead is pricey at $249, I have to say that it's the best showerhead I've ever used. It looks great (I have the moon color), was easy to install, and is perfectly customizable. I also love that it's handheld. The app is intuitive and provides all the information you could want out of an eco-friendly showerhead.
As for the flow, it ranges from lighter mist to a more powerful stream, which can easily be adjusted thanks to the showerhead's control slider. When I'm showering, I can use a light stream and then switch to a more powerful flow when I'm cleaning the tub.
Though the app only connects to the showerhead when the water is running (it is water-powered, after all), I don't mind this. Every few days, I'll turn on the water, open the app, and allow the two to connect while I hop in the shower. All the data from my prior showers is then uploaded.
Do I feel that the Hai showerhead has made me more conscious of my water and energy usage? Definitely. The LED light alert offers a subtle, but still helpful, notification that you've reached your gallon limit. At this point, if I'm not yet done with my shower, I find myself speeding things up so I'm not wasting any water. Plus, it's helpful to know how much energy I tend to use so that I can adjust my temperature accordingly.
I also appreciated how the showerhead was delivered in its product box, which is made out of 100% post-consumer, recyclable materials. It never makes sense to me when companies that claim to be eco-friendly don't focus on using less, more sustainable packaging.
Where to buy Hai:
For $249, the Hai Smart Showerhead can be purchased at gethai.com (lol) and on bedbathbeyond.com.
