At what height will the shower, bath and wash-hand basin mixer taps best fulfil their function?

While you’re refreshing your bathroom space, beyond the visual aspects of choosing and buying your dream sanitaryware, there’s also a technical side to consider. Anyone investing in new fittings to make the room work as well as possible should also think about what height the basin, bath or shower tap should be to ensure maximum comfort and convenience for every user. You’ll find helpful information on this further down the article.

Types of shower, bath and basin taps

Bathroom taps can be divided into two main categories by installation method: surface-mounted and concealed. The former have been known for many years. Their main advantages are a low price and a very simple construction, making them intuitive to assemble and fit. The downside is a somewhat dated look and the need to install them where the water outlets come out of the wall.

With the second option—concealed—the choice of location is far broader. Here, though, it’s worth focusing on another aspect: the distance from the basin. The installation height for a concealed basin tap depends on several factors, including the information on the leaflet or the manufacturer’s website and individual preferences. As a rule of thumb, it should sit about 25–35 cm above the top edge of the basin. The biggest advantage of concealed taps is how little space they take up, as the whole mechanism apart from the lever sits in the wall. Interest in this type of product also stems from the very contemporary design and the wide choice of models. The drawback is the price, which is significantly higher than for surface-mounted fittings. Even so, concealed installation for basin, shower or bath taps is being chosen more and more often.

Mounting heights for each type of tap

The main determinant of mounting height is the height of the people using the specific sanitary ware. But it’s not the only factor. Another, equally important one is the type of tap. Standard thermostatic models can be positioned at any height. With concealed taps and those with a rain shower head, however, this needs to be thought through carefully.

There are certain norms that specify the height at which particular wall-mounted taps should be located:

• basin – 25–35 cm above the top edge of the basin, i.e. about 100–120 cm above floor level,
• bath – 10–18 cm above the bath and at least 60 cm above the floor,
• shower – 110–130 cm from the surface, and around 180 cm for the handset.

The cardinal rule is that the ends of both the hot and cold pipes should always be brought to the tap’s mounting point.

Optimal height for a concealed shower mixer

The distance from the floor to the shower mixer should be matched to the height of the household so that everyone can wash comfortably day to day. An optimal solution is to position the mixer so it doesn’t restrict users’ movement and is easy to reach for both taller and shorter people. In particular, when choosing sanitary fittings, focus on users who use a wheelchair. In that case, to enable independent use of the bathroom, the best decision is to install it at a maximum of 80 cm above the floor.

Best height for a shower mixer with a rain shower head

A shower mixer with a rain shower head, as above, should first and foremost take account of users’ height and their independence. Mounting it too low puts taller people at risk of hitting it with their head, while installing it too high may mean shorter users can’t reach it. For maximum comfort, it’s worth placing the rain shower head about 20–30 cm higher than the tallest user’s height.

A happy medium: a few words on the optimal solution

The heights of bath, shower and basin taps should all be considered at the bathroom planning stage, as their placement has a major impact on where the water feeds run beneath the tiles. Chosen well, they can satisfy everyone who uses them—children, adults, older people and people with disabilities alike. So if there are significant differences in height and in independence among household members, to ensure comfort for everyone during everyday hygiene routines it’s worth opting for bathroom fittings that let you adjust the mounting height of the handset.