Are Shower Hoses Universal?

By Ben Victor

Updated: 14th August 2023

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Shower hoses are a very important part of your shower system. They are the link between your water supply and your shower head. If there is an issue with it it could mean you have no shower – which always happens at the worst possible time!

If you are looking to replace your shower hose you need to be sure of the size that you have otherwise you could be in trouble. In this article we take a deep dive into the question: are shower hoses universal or not?

The answer to the question: are shower hoses universal is yes. All shower hoses have a universal fit, meaning they should fit with the large majority of showers and therefore should match the same fitting as all the top brands.

What is the universal shower hose measurement?

The universal fit for a shower hose refers to the measurement or size of the ends of a shower hose – the parts that are typically screwed onto a shower head or water inlet.

This standard size for a universal fit shower hose is 1/2 inch BSP thread, and almost all shower hoses are standardised to this size on both ends of the hose.

What is BSP?

BSP is an acronym for British Standard Pipe. British Standard Pipe (BSP) is a set of standards for screw threads, connecting and sealing pipes, and in this case hoses, by attaching a male thread (shower hose) with a female thread (shower head e.g.).

In the UK, BSP is known as the standard in plumbing and piping, it is also the is the standard used throughout Europe (though they sometimes use DIN in Germany), Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and lots more places around the world.

In some other countries, however, the name is different but the sizes are relatively similar. In North America, they use National Pipe Thread (NPT) and the thread size is still 1/2 inch for shower hoses. In Japan, their pipe sizing metric is called Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS), and so on.

Can you get different shower hose thread sizes?

Yes, you can though they are not very common. As well as the universal sizing of 1/2 inch bore size or thread size, you can also get 3/4 thread size, though it is not that popular since most shower hose sizes are 1/2 inch BSP after all.

If you happen to have this size do not worry, you can always buy a shower hose adaptor. This will make your shower compatible with the shower head that you are trying to connect. With that said, it is never a good idea to add an extra connection point to your shower and it might be worth just getting a better shower hose, that is compatible.

Do shower hoses universally fit all shower heads?

Technically, yes. In general, as discussed, all shower hoses are universal and so should fit any shower head, most of the time.

The only case where one wouldn’t fit would be if your shower hose itself happens to be a 3/4 inch BSP thread and your shower head would be a 1/2 inch thread, as mentioned above.

For this reason, it is always best to buy a shower hose and shower head from the same manufacturer, where possible. This ensures that it will not only fit correctly but also in the unfortunate event that you have any issues, you can approach the manufacturer directly for support on both.

It’s also worth noting that, although shower hoses are universal, there can be extremely small variations in sizing, due to simply a bad batch or that different manufacturers have different processes in their factories that lead to ever so slight differences in sizing.

Related: Are Shower Heads Universal?

Do shower hoses universally fit all shower head attachments (e.g. shower filters)?

Once again, since shower hoses are indeed universal, shower head attachments (shower filters, ionic shower attachments, etc) should also fit with little issue.

That being said, there are lots of different types of shower filters and many shower hose manufacturers don’t actually make shower filters or other attachments for their shower hoses, aside from shower heads. For example, Grohe make shower hoses but they do not make attachable shower filters.

As mentioned above, due to the differing manufacturers, there can be extremely small variations in sizing and you won’t necessarily get the snug fit you would with the same company.