Honest thoughts after a year

Filtered showerheads aren’t new. Brands have been making them for years to reduce the presence of contaminants in shower water that can cause issues like dry hair and irritated skin, according to experts I spoke to. But they were never “trendy” until recently. No brand put them on the map quite like Jolie, which launched in 2021 and has since exploded on social media.

In early 2023 — and still to this day — I couldn’t open TikTok and Instagram without seeing someone installing the Jolie Filtered Showerhead in their bathroom or raving about how much it’s helped their hair and skin. I suddenly found myself thinking about my showerhead and the water coming out of it, something I’d never considered before. So when Jolie offered to send me its filtered showerhead to try, I eagerly accepted. I’ve now been using it for over a year and don’t plan on going back anytime soon.

Here’s everything I’ve learned while testing the Jolie Filtered Showerhead, including why I’d continue using it even if I didn’t see or feel tangible results.

SKIP AHEAD What is the Jolie Filtered Showerhead? | How I tested the Jolie Filtered Showerhead | My experience with the Jolie Filtered Showerhead | Who is the Jolie Filtered Showerhead best for?

The Jolie Filtered Showerhead ($165) is essentially a Brita, but for shower water instead of drinking water. There’s a filter inside it, which reduces the presence of chlorine, chloramine, heavy metals and minerals in water, according to my previous reporting. The showerhead comes with a pre-installed filter, which you have to replace every 90 days. You can buy new filters ($36) as needed or through Jolie’s filter subscription program.

Jolie’s showerhead is compatible with all standard U.S. showers, according to the brand. It’s easily adjustable, so you can point the water stream in any direction, and it has a rain spray pattern. In addition to the fixture itself, you get an instruction manual, mini wrench and plumber’s tape inside the box, which is all you need to install it.

You can purchase Jolie’s filtered showerhead in five colors: Modern Chrome, Brushed Steel, Jet Black, Brushed Gold or Vibrant Red. The brand also occasionally drops limited-edition colors. Jolie has a 60-day return policy.

Jolie sent me its filtered showerhead in July 2023, which I installed in my rental apartment’s standard shower. I’ve been using it ever since (about a year and four months in total). Because you need to change the fixture’s filter every 90 days, I pay for the brand’s $33 monthly filter subscription.

I went into testing the Jolie Filtered Showerhead knowing that I may not see or feel tangible results. The fixture removes junk from water that I wouldn’t necessarily see or feel in the first place, so I was expecting miraculous results. The brand’s website says it can help with issues like dry hair, hair loss, irritated skin and acne, and if there’s anything I’ve learned as a commerce reporter, it’s that nothing is a magic solution, and to take brands’ guarantees with a grain of salt.

That said, simply knowing that it’s removing contaminants from my water was enough of a reason to use it. I didn’t want chlorine, heavy metals and other minerals getting on my body, so using one helps me feel proactive about avoiding any potential harm. I think of a filtered showerhead like an air purifier — I set it up in my home to remove microscopic dust, pollen and pet dander from the air, and I continue using it whether or not I can see or feel it making a difference.

I’m not the most handy person in the world. I can change a lightbulb and hang a picture, but beyond that, home improvement tasks tend to intimidate me. Installing Jolie’s filtered showerhead admittedly made me nervous, especially since I live in a rental apartment — the last thing I wanted to do was call my superintendent if something went wrong.

Luckily, installing the showerhead was as easy as Jolie’s website made it seem. There’s a detailed instruction booklet included in the box, which took me through each step of the process. You also get a little wrench and plumber’s tape with your purchase, so I didn’t have to worry about having the right tools at home. I used the wrench to screw off my old showerhead, wrapped the plumber’s tape around the pipe sticking out of my wall and screwed on the Jolie filtered showerhead. The entire process took less than two minutes. Afterward, I let my shower run for about a minute to make sure there were no leaks around the pipe and that the water came out in a steady stream as usual.

Depending on what state you live in, you may have to add a flow restrictor to Jolie’s showerhead before screwing it onto your pipe (learn more about that here). The brand includes specific flow restrictor materials and instructions inside the box, as well as a guide that tells you whether you actually need one. It’s one extra step and not a time consuming one at that.

After about three months of using Jolie’s Filtered Showerhead, I started noticing that my usually dry skin wasn’t as irritated or itchy. Even in the thick of winter, my skin didn’t feel as raw compared to previous years. I also got a haircut around that time, and my hairdresser, who I’ve been seeing for almost three years, said my curls have never felt softer or looked shiner. I asked her if it could be my filtered showerhead, which was the only thing I changed about my hair care routine — without hesitation, she said yes. I see these benefits as a bonus to using the filtered showerhead. It hasn’t solved all my hair and skin issues — nor did I expect it to — but it’s clearly helping to some degree.

You have to replace the filter inside Jolie’s showerhead every 90 days. Over time, gunk and minerals will clog it, so at some point, it becomes ineffective. You can either buy a $36 filter on an ad-hoc basis, or subscribe to the brand’s filter subscription program, which automatically charges you $33 every 90 days and ships you a new one. I signed up for the subscription program because otherwise, I knew I’d forget to buy new filters on time.

Jolie emails me when the filter ships so I can track it, and if I’m ever curious about when my next filter is coming, or want to make changes to my subscription, I can log into my account on Jolie’s website to do so. It shows me upcoming shipment dates, and gives me the option to skip or delay a shipment, change my address, cancel my subscription entirely or view my order history. I skipped my delivery once because I was traveling a lot and not home to use the showerhead much. After that, my shipments arrived as scheduled.

If you buy the showerhead, I’d definitely recommend signing up — it’s the best way to make sure you’re changing the filter when you’re supposed to.

You wouldn’t know that Jolie’s showerhead has a filter inside it just by looking at it. The fixture’s overall appearance is no different from a standard, non-filtered showerhead, so it blends into my bathroom, which I appreciate. I got the Modern Chrome showerhead to match the pipe sticking out of my wall, but you can pick from five finishes — it’s nice to have options, which not all brands offer.

The first time I attempted to change the filter, it wouldn’t budge, and I eventually convinced myself that I must be doing it wrong. I opened TikTok and searched “how to change the filter inside Jolie’s showerhead” — many videos popped up confirming that I was doing it right, and other people seemed to have the same issue, which made me feel better. I continued trying to unscrew the top until it came loose, so I could swap out the filter and screw the fixture’s face back on, although I didn’t make it too tight so I didn’t have the same problem next time.

Now that I’ve changed the filter about five times, it’s gotten easier, so don’t panic like I did if your first time requires a lot of elbow grease. Make sure the showerhead is totally dry when you change the filter so you can get a really good grip on it. I also recommend holding the base with one hand and turning the face with the other, and standing on a sturdy step stool if needed.

You can’t change the spray setting on Jolie’s filtered showerhead. It has a rain pattern that’s wide enough to cover my whole body, so I’m happy with it. I couldn’t change the spray setting on my old showerhead either, so it’s never been something I cared about or paid attention to. If Jolie’s lack of spray settings is a dealbreaker for you, other brands make filtered showerhead with multiple options. For example, Canopy’s filtered showerhead ($150) has three spray settings.

If you don’t have a whole-home filtration system to purify all the water in your home , you can benefit from a filtered showerhead. To me, using one feels like a preventative measure — even if you don’t notice chlorine, heavy metals and other minerals negatively impacting your hair and skin, it’s nice to know that there’s a barrier between you and all that gross stuff to mitigate future potential issues.

I’ve tried filtered showerheads from a handful of brands, but I kept coming back to Jolie’s because its subscription service is so convenient, it doesn’t impact my water pressure at all and it looks like a standard fixture in my bathroom. Now that I’ve been using it for over a year, I can attest that its quality holds up over time and after hundreds of showers.

Jolie’s $165 price tag is comparable to the other models I tried from Canopy ($150), Afina ($129) and Act+Acre ($120). While there are options for under $100 — including highly rated ones from Culligan, Speakman and Aquabliss — I don’t think they look as sleek or polished. Plus, I’ve noticed real results while using Jolie’s filtered showerhead, making it even more worth it.

I’m an associate updates editor at NBC Select, where I’ve been reviewing products since 2020, including the Hatch Restore 2, On Cloudeclipse sneakers, Bala Bangles and Grace & Stella under-eye patches. To review the Jolie Filtered Showerhead (which the brand sent me), I tested it for over a year, taking note of how it impacted my hair and skin, as well as how easy it was to install and change the filter.