Good, Better, Best: Plumbing Fixtures for Your Bathroom
Carefully selecting plumbing fixtures that serve your needs is essential to crafting a truly customized bathroom remodel experience. Not sure how to choose the right ones? When it comes to finding the right plumbing fixtures for your bathroom remodel, it’s helpful to look at the options in terms of “Good, Better, & Best.”
At Lamont Bros., part of our design-build process is to work with our clients to select specific products for their remodel. While some people might be tempted to overlook the plumbing fixtures, it’s especially important to take this part seriously. Your plumbing fixtures are the primary mediums through which you’ll interact with your bathroom. The more carefully you select your fixtures, the better your bathroom will serve you in the long run.
In this article, we’ll discuss how to select plumbing fixtures for your bathroom remodel in terms of Good, Better, & Best. By the end of this page, you should have a better understanding of what options are available to you. Once you are confident in your knowledge of the different plumbing fixtures available at the good, better, & best levels, you’ll be able to make informed decisions for your bathroom remodel. Here, we’ll break down the process of selecting fixtures by describing:
Why use a “Good, Better, & Best” ranking system?
Choosing products and finishes for a remodel is a daunting task. Even when you have a basic idea of how you want each item to look, hundreds of options still exist. That’s why it’s often helpful to organize these items using a ranking system.
The “Good, Better, & Best” method of organizing products and materials breaks down your options into three categories. These categories are based on the quality of the fixtures’ construction, how customizable they are to your needs, and their cost.
It’s a common misconception that a “good” level fixture is just a euphemism for the lowest quality. This isn’t the case. Rather, a good plumbing fixture meets quality standards, will function well, and last a long time. Think of “good” as a mid-level tier, “better” as high-quality, and “best” as top-of-the-line, luxury fixtures.
What are some examples of Good, Better, & Best bathroom faucets?
The faucet is likely the fixture in your bathroom you’ll use the most, so it makes sense to start there. In terms of design features, there isn’t much difference between “good” and “best.” Rather, the biggest difference you’ll see is in material and name brand.
Good — $100-$500
This category includes some recognizable name brands, including Moen and Price Pfister. Good-level faucets feature a standard design and can have one or two handles. Some faucets in this category may be made of plastic with chrome plating, but can also be made of brass or stainless steel. Consider a good-level faucet to be the bare essentials.
Better — $800-$1,200
When it comes to faucets in the “better” category, you’ll find fixtures with more intentional design appeal. These faucets feature higher build quality and more finish metals and colors. In this category, you might find brushed nickel, brass, or even matte black options. Touchless flow faucets also become available at this level. Hansgrohe and Kohler are two better-tier faucet designers.
Best — $1,500+
Once you get into best-level faucets, you’re looking at high-end, name-brand designers like Rohl or Hydrotap. These faucets are of the highest possible build quality, with some even made individually by hand. Gold and gunmetal join the growing list of finishes in the best tier. You’ll also find high-tech faucets with touchless flow and electronically controlled temperature in this category.
What makes a Good, Better, or Best toilet?
The Charmin commercial bears said it best: “We all go. Why not enjoy the go?” Selecting the right toilet for your bathroom can help you do just that. While for many, a simple porcelain toilet gets the job done, you’ll find that higher-end options offer some impressive features.
Good — $400-$800
Most toilets you’ve used in your lifetime probably fit into the “good” category. Made mostly from porcelain, good-tier toilets feature the basic toilet shape with a bowl, tank, and plumbing curves on the bottom. Although simple, this shape is often difficult to clean because of the irregular bends in the plumbing and the creases between the bowl and the tank. As its name suggests, American Standard is one of the most popular producers of good-level toilets.
Better — $1000-$1800
Getting into the “better” level, you’ll start to find more recognizable brands, including Kohler. Better-tier toilets are usually made from the same material as the good tier but offer some upgrades in terms of usability and design.
Featuring a uniform, flat-surfaced pedestal as opposed to the obvious pipe bends in cheaper models, skirted toilets are easier to clean. They’re also more visually appealing. Tankless toilets, which have no tank on the back of the bowl, are also popular choices due to their sleek appearance. Bidet systems also become available in the better toilet category, either as a built-in unit or toilet seat attachment.
Best — $2000+
In the best tier for toilets, there are the up-and-coming smart toilets. These impressive units can do much more than the typical toilet. For example, the $4,500 Kohler Veil features an automatic motorized cover, heated toilet seat, built-in bidet, and self-cleaning capabilities. Arguably one of the most luxurious bathroom experiences available, a smart toilet will ruin every other toilet for you.
What are the features of Good, Better, & Best shower heads?
When it comes to shower systems, the higher up the ladder you go, the more control you’ll have over your water pressure and temperature. The visual and functional design also improves for showers as you move from good to best.
Good — $100-$500
An entry-level shower head may have a few different spray patterns or a detachable hand shower, but for the most part, remains relatively simple. Good-tier showers often include plastic components and are made from stainless steel or chrome. Delta and Moen offer several shower heads in the “good” category.
Better — $800-$1,200
Once into the better category, a shower head features more customizable options. You’ll have a wider range of spray patterns and more stylistic options. One key feature in the “better” category is the ability to control the water pressure independently of the water temperature using separate valves. Rainhead showers and wall-mounted body sprays are also available in this tier. As with faucets, both Hansgrohe and Kohler are two manufacturers of better-level shower heads.
Best — $1,500+
The highest-quality showers available can feature as many different sprayers as you feel necessary. These might include overhead, handheld, and wall-mounted. Also made from higher-quality materials like nickel, bronze, or gold, best-level showers are as customizable as you need. One unique feature in the best category is the opportunity to install digital thermostats. Often touchscreen controlled, this type of pressure and temperature control system is extremely precise and offers adjustments nearly instantly.
Want a designer to help you decide which plumbing fixtures are right for you?
Now that you’re a seasoned expert on Good, Better, & Best bathroom plumbing fixtures, are you ready to take the next step for your remodel? If so, read our Ultimate Bathroom Remodel Guide. It covers everything you need to know before beginning a bathroom remodel project. .
When you’re ready to start designing your bathroom, give us a call! Click the link below to schedule a free design consultation with a member of our team. We’ll guide you through the remodeling process from start to finish.