Let it rain: Kohler’s new Real Rain™ showerhead lives up to its name

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Rain falling inside a house usually means the contractor has done something very wrong. But in the case of Kohler’s new Real Rain™ showerhead, the downpour is precisely what your clients will want.

“It all started with the notion of creating a ‘rain’ showerhead,” says Rafael Rexach, Kohler’s Lead Industrial Designer Emerging Technologies, who developed the system. “What we wanted to do is emulate nature, and nature is random,” says Rexach.

The oversized 19” x 19” (48.3 cm x 48.3 cm) square head has an unprecedented 775 individual nozzles, providing complete emersion at 2 gpm while standing under it, except for a 6” diameter area in the middle to keep water off your face. Rather than a steady stream of water, Real Rain™ relies on gravity to allow three different-sized droplets to fall in a random pattern.

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Like an actual rainstorm, this showerhead features a “Deluge” function. By pressing a button on the wall-mounted keypad the user empties a 0.5-gallon (1.9-litre) reservoir in a sustained eight-second burst, for a thorough rinse at the end of the shower.

These features recently earned Real Rain™ the prestigious Red Dot Award: Product Design, with the jury panel saying,
“The sophisticated construction of the showerhead provides a unique and, at the same time, luxurious spa experience, which finds its model in nature.”

Installing the unit is a fairly straightforward, one-person job. Installation starts with mounting a diverter valve in the wall cavity. A drop ceiling is required in the shower to accommodate the overhead unit. The printed instructions include various options for framing the space to mount the support bracket.

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It’s worth noting that in addition to the installation guides that ship with all their products, Kohler has a complete library of resources online, including installation videos. To see the eight-minute installation overview, search for “Installing Real Rain” on YouTube.

The showerhead itself is available in white or grey, with seven different finishes for the trim including polished chrome, brushed nickel, matte black, and the new Vibrant Titanium. The deluge button ships with round or square faceplates.

“Seeing people’s reaction to it really gives you a sense of accomplishment that you did create something pretty special,” says Rexach. Installing a Kohler Real Rain™ shower will help you make a special splash with your clients.

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