Best Showerhead Without Restrictor

Joined
Jan 4, 2026
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New member here looking for advice. I just bought a home and would like to switch out the showerhead for something with the best possible GPM. Taking all attachments off the shower arm, I get 4.9 GPM once I attach the Dual diverter which is an old Moen it drops to 3.5 G.P.M. I bought a Speakman S2251 which is the 8 sprayer head removed the restrictor and attached directly to the showerarm. It drops to 3.2 GPM so 2 questions. Is there a showerhead out there that will allow more than the Speakman through (possibly its the showerheads very design that can't handle more than that or possibly my water pressure isn't enough to force it through even though my water flow is good) secondly as I would like the use of the handsprayer is there a diverter that wont impede the waterflow at all. Thank you.
 
I recently drilled the main one out in my shower, and it is….glorious! I’m not sure what kind of gpm I’m seeing but I’ll get a bucket and measure.

For $9, the one @himemsys posted is worth a shot though. My house was built in 2014 and I’ve never loved th amount of flow, until now, that we got out of the shower.
 
I don't think you're gonna get 4gpm out... Honestly you probably don't want to, that's a lot of water!
I do not know the flow rate of mine on city water. However, a rainfall with built in hand wand shower head made our shower experience heavenly. Ours was not overly expensive, under $100 from Lowes and is either a Mowen or Price Fister. With its capability and setting options it completely transformed our shower.
 
Not sure about your diverters, or any of that. But, before spending money on another shower head, I’d remove the one you have, turn the water to the pressure/temp you shower at, grab a 5gal bucket and time how long it takes to fill up. Then calculate the gpm rate from there.

I removed the restrictor from my EPA shower head, and with both heads (the wand and the “ring” that stays permanently attached to the water outlet) wide open, I get about 6.5gpm. It is a pretty amazing amount of water, at what I would call medium-high pressure. Not painful. But, you know it’s there.

I’m on city water. Not sure if you’re on a well pump, or not.
 
It's not the GPMs, it's how well the aerator and nozzle are designed. I've been to countries without regulators that dump an insane amount of water on you and it's not helpful, almost like a showering under a garden hose.
 
My old Sayco three handle bath/shower valves will deliver 6.5 gpm at the tub spout on 85 psi city water. The newer single handle delta only does 4 gpm on the same. I suspect your valve will be a limit especially if modern pressure balancing, anti-scald, thermostatic, etc.

I've been happy with the pattern/showering on Delta 1.75 GPM models. Specifically Delta RP78575 in our main shower and guest shower. Some handheld delta in the girls' shower. Our main shower has had an issue with the diverter stem I replaced a year ago. I suspect the oring shifted. It's barely doing 1 gpm but with a good spray pattern on the head I've gotten used to it, wife hasn't mentioned it, etc. Reduces load on water heating so that's nice.

I know it's not the question you're asking, but our water bill breaks down to about 1.4 cents per gallon (water and sewer) but heating that water is about another 2.2 cents per gallon on resistance electric. The new HPWH will cut the cost but 3 GPH recovery rate will still get in the way.

I guess it's nice to take a 5 gpm shower if someone else is paying. Or maybe on a shallow well and oversized solar collectors, etc.

Or waste water heat exchanger to recoup some of the losses from your car wash stall...
 
When I redid my my daughter's house, the Delta shower head had an o-ring in the water pathway of an o-ring sized circle slit, I took a micro screwdriver and pulled the o-ring out and 50% more water came out of the shower head reinstalled it.
 
Thanks to all those that replied . To clarify I HAVE removed the restrictor on the brand new Speakman S2251. I stated that in my OP. I want higher pressure but can't exactly buy 100 different showerheads remove the regulators and run tests. Hence the question if anyone has a specific model to recommend. As to cost I live in Brooklyn. The effective cost per gallon is 1.75 cents so a 10 minute shower at 5 gallons a minute (which we be excessive) is still only .87 vs .46 cents at the regulated 2.5 GPM a difference of .41 (plus some heating costs) I would rather shower daily comfortably and skip going out to a restaurant a couple of times a year but each to his own. So to sum it up any specific recommendations for showerheads that with regulator removed have really good water pressure?
 
When I redid my my daughter's house, the Delta shower head had an o-ring in the water pathway of an o-ring sized circle slit, I took a micro screwdriver and pulled the o-ring out and 50% more water came out of the shower head reinstalled it.
I think the Oring is there to seal it from leaks and I would not want to remove that.
 
Not sure about your diverters, or any of that. But, before spending money on another shower head, I’d remove the one you have, turn the water to the pressure/temp you shower at, grab a 5gal bucket and time how long it takes to fill up. Then calculate the gpm rate from there.

I removed the restrictor from my EPA shower head, and with both heads (the wand and the “ring” that stays permanently attached to the water outlet) wide open, I get about 6.5gpm. It is a pretty amazing amount of water, at what I would call medium-high pressure. Not painful. But, you know it’s there.

I’m on city water. Not sure if you’re on a well pump, or not.
Please reread my OP I did all of that multiple times and gave all that info.
 
Ahhh, the Commando 450
Not sure about your diverters, or any of that. But, before spending money on another shower head, I’d remove the one you have, turn the water to the pressure/temp you shower at, grab a 5gal bucket and time how long it takes to fill up. Then calculate the gpm rate from there.

I removed the restrictor from my EPA shower head, and with both heads (the wand and the “ring” that stays permanently attached to the water outlet) wide open, I get about 6.5gpm. It is a pretty amazing amount of water, at what I would call medium-high pressure. Not painful. But, you know it’s there.

I’m on city water. Not sure if you’re on a well pump, or not.
Did that please refer back to my O.P. Want to know which specific model showerhead to use.
 
I drilled a couple 3/16?? holes in the restrictor.. now I get about 3 to 3.5gpm out of mine which is fine..
just dont like 1.8gpm.
I'll pay the (upto)10bucks extra per month for good showers. (water and heating cost)

There has to be something available as people have multi shower head setups now.
 
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I drilled a couple 3/16?? holes in the restrictor.. now I get about 3 to 3.5gpm out of mine which is fine..
just dont like 1.8gpm.
I'll pay the (upto)10bucks extra per month for good showers. (water and heating cost)

There has to be something available as people have multi shower head setups now.
Please reread the O.P. I completely removed the restrictor.
 
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