Kohler showed their new Real Rain shower head at KBIS in Orlando. The 19″x19″ ceiling mounted panel has a silicone face with a trim ring in your choice of 7 finishes.
Unlike conventional shower heads, rain shower heads (also known as rainheads) use gravitational flow instead of a pressurized spray to shape the water. Real Rain is a unique rain shower head because it has a water reservoir that Kohler added to simulate the feeling of a growing storm that starts as a sprinkle and grows into a “summer downpour.”
The press release says the rain mode uses 2 gallons per minute which is less than the contemporary 12″ round
rainhead and 10″ water tile
currently in their line up. In Deluge mode, the shower head will dump half a gallon of water from the reservoir in a concentrated area for 6-8 seconds. This short burst of water is closer to a Florida summer rain but it’s very brief.
For those who like the feel of rain everywhere on their body except their face, the same area that produces the Deluge can be turned off to create a dry spot. I don’t know that this function would get used very much.
Pricing and availability have not been released yet but I’m sure you can expect the Real Rain head to start north of $1,000.
When planning your shower, you’ll want to consider adding an additional handheld shower that will be more practical for rinsing hair or bathing children.