We received the Waterpik NSP-853 Power Spray Plus massaging shower head for Christmas some years back, and we review it here. So far, this adjustable handheld bathroom accessory is great. It’s a far cry above our old, few-settings, fixed position shower head.
The Waterpic is medium to light weight. It has many different sprayer settings, is virtually self-cleaning, and saves lots of hot water. This shower head produces lots of different strengths and widths of sprays. It has many fast-pulsating focused sprays to steady-stream gentle spread-out showers. Plus you can get even more spraying variations by moving the spray type lever between the detented settings. This is versatile bathroom accessory product. It’s simple to install and operate. We like it a lot.
Waterpik NSP 853 Shower Head Review: Benefits, Features, Pros, and Advantages
Energy Saving and Water Saving
Features an eco-spray mode that significantly reduces water usage, while still providing plenty of moistening and rinsing power.
OptiFlow Technology
Provides spray force regulation through a wide range of input water pressures. Even when the water pressure is low, you still get an invigorating shower experience.
5 Foot Hose
Reach all those hard to get to places. Use to clean bathroom, pets, and small children, who often sit well away from shower heads.
Waterpik NSP 853 Shower Head Review: The Holder Pivots for Easy Spray Aiming
Re position the holder stand by loosening the pivot ball nut (the part closest to the water pipe). Next, move the whole assembly to the desired position. Then tighten the nut once again.
Standard Bathroom Fixture Threaded Inlet
Accepts other hoses than the one included. In fact, we used the Danze brass interlock shower hose our Waterpik, for more length and longer service life.
All Parts Included
The package includes the shower head itself, the connecting water host, and washers for both hose ends.
Chrome Finish
Shines with a mirror-like sheen, and resists hard water deposits due to plastic construction of the case. Also, the hose features a black and silver spiral chrome-looking ribbon thread
The Waterpik NSP 853 has a Removable Water Strainer
The filter screen reduces internal clogging. How? It catches any large particles such as stones, concrete bits, or sand, before they enter the shower head. You can remove this plastic screen filter by taking the feed hose off the shower end. Then pull out the filter with a pair of needle nose pliers.
Hand Held Shower Head
The easy-grip handle is long enough to comfortably fit into most hands.
Flexible Plastic Sprayers
The anti-clog nozzles, should they ever stop up with deposits, can be cleared. To clean them, vigorously rub them, and then rinse the head under tub faucet.
Easy to Install
Install this shower head without special tools, pipe tape, plumbers putty, or any other leak preventing sealants. We installed our with just an adjustable wrench, and we only needed THAT to removed the old shower head.
Eight Different Power Sprays
Spray adjustment level moves to eight detented spray positions. These include the following.
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- Tension relieving pulsating massage.
- Full-body slower pulse massage.
- Wide full-body spray.
- Wide-spreading power mist.
- Slightly narrower power mist.
- Mist combined with a power jet spray in the center of the total spray.
- Powerspray.
- Water-saving eco spray.
Waterpik NSP 853 Shower Head Review: The Massaging Streams Work up to Several Feet Away
With the shower in the holder, the massaging pulses still reach you. They still feel good even when standing at the far end of the tub.
Waterpik NSP 853 Warranty
Limited lifetime warranty.
Easy to Find
We’ve seen these units at Walmart for less than $35. Look for them in the clear plastic heat-sealed packaging with the blue and white label with the orange text.
Waterpik NSP 853 Shower Head Review: Disadvantages, Cons, Problems, and Limitations
Noisy Water Saving Mode
The eco-spray mode is hissy and noisy; particularly in households with high water supply pressure.
Hose Stiffens During Water-Saving Mode Operation
Hose can become notably less flexible when running this head in eco spray mode
Mostly Plastic Construction
We’re skeptical about the durability of plastic water accessories and fixtures. Even the threaded hose ends appear to be completely metal-free. However, as materials technologies advance, the heretofore true stereotype about plastics may eventually become JUST a stereotype.
Waterpik NSP 853 Shower Head Review: The Stock Hose Has Polarity
Be sure to match the so-labeled end of the hose to the shower head. Then attach the other end to the holder.
Next, the picture below shows the installed Waterpik NSP-853 Power Spray Plus. Note however that the hose is not the one that came with this shower head, but rather, it’s a Danze brass interlock shower hose. We chose this hose instead of the standard issue one for the extra length. Why? Because it is more flexible. Plus, they built the Danze hose with much more metal than the Waterpik stock hose.
Waterpik NSP 853 Shower Head Review: Our Rating
This Waterpik plastic shower head definitely embodies a sign of the times. Indeed, there’s a movement away from metal plumbing fixtures. Plastic may resist deposits and corrosion better than chrome and brass parts. But it’s also more susceptible to breakage due to over tightening, rapid temperature changes. Plastic also loses flexibility due to aging, in our experience. But we’ll keep an open mind. This Waterpik performs as advertised. Plus it’s cheap enough. So we got our money’s worth from this gift, should it last just a few years. Thus we rate this shower head, at 90 out of 100.