Ivation Portable Camping Shower - Review 2023

Convenient and Practical Alternative

Ivation Portable Camping Shower is a compact and lightweight option that doesn’t need gravity to give you a pressured stream for a refreshing wash. This battery-powered rechargeable model has a 5’9″-long, thick and kink-free hose, a premium shower head, and a pump.

You don’t have to rely on a shower bag’s capacity. With the Ivation camp shower, you can consume as much water as you please. There’s no limit if you’re near a direct water source! 

Direct the flow to your body with handheld use, or wash up hands-free by mounting the showerhead with the hook or suction cup. Once fully charged, it’ll serve your 60 minutes of runtime. Multiple uses in one full battery.

Ivation Portable Camping Shower seems to be a robust alternative. It delivers its purpose without much problem and is actually a time- and stress-saver!

Construction and Design

This camp shower from Ivation is one of the lightest and most compact yet durable models out there. It’ll last for a long while with with proper care! Like any rechargeable, the battery cells will fade with time, but this item is not intended to be in use for more than 10 minutes at a time anyway.

Its orange color makes it easy to spot, especially when you’re in the wilderness surrounded by greens. If you opt for this plastic-made portable shower, your package includes the pump, a showerhead, an O-ring, gasket to lock the showerhead, the hose, USB cable/wall socket charger, and hanging bracket, suction cup, hook, and the user’s manual.

It only weighs 1.81 lbs. as a whole unit, lighter than the alternative battery-powered portable shower AZXJC at 1.2 kg. You can carry it camping, to the beach, or to your summer cabin without feeling an additional weight on your baggage. It might not be as packable as bag camp showers with bags like Advanced Elements 5.0 and RISEPRO 20L Solar. However, Ivation is still better for portability than bulky units like Mr. Heater F235350 BOSS-XCW20.

On the Outside

Feature-wise, the pump is where the water inlet, power button, and charging port sits. The switch and port have protective caps to keep water out. You wouldn’t want to lose these little bits of pieces, especially the one on the charging port. It’s tied to the camp shower via a thin string. Just don’t remove it to secure the cap.

Next is the 5.9 ft.-long hose. It gets the job done without any fuss. The Ivation camp shower’s hose has better coverage and a more premium feel than typical gravity-reliant portable showers like Coleman Solar Shower and Ozark Trail. Cheaper units like these two tend to have a short, thin kinky hose. On the other hand, if you’re tall, you might find NEMO Helio and its 7-foot hose more ideal.

Ivation vs. Coleman

Ivation Portable Camping Shower has a classic showerhead. There is nothing fancy about it, but this type is easier to handle and use than sized-down twist-to-open units like Sea to Summit Pocket Shower and Advanced Elements 5.0. If you like the showerhead grip you have at home, you’ll like Ivation.

You can attach a bracket at the bottom section of the showerhead and decide whether to use the suction cup or hook to mount it. You get the hands-free privilege while washing with this camp shower.

Performance

Now, let’s dig deep into how well this camp shower from Ivation performs. From water flow to battery life and everything in between, here’s what you can expect when using this product.

Flow Rate

Enjoy decent pressure while washing up, watering the garden, or doing the dishes. Although there’s only a single water flow option once you turn it on,  it doesn’t affect how the Ivation camp shower delivers a good cleaning. The only downside is that you can’t control how much water it pours out. That’s 0.66 gal/min of stream. It won’t be a problem if it’s sucking water from a direct source. But for the bucket people? It’s a tricky dilemma.

Solar bags like RISEPRO and Advanced Elements allow you to choose from drizzles to max flow through the nozzle. But if you can’t give up the premium showerhead, you might want to invest in Mr. Heater F235350 BOSS-XCW20.

Battery

The approximate run time for Ivation Portable Camping Shower on a full charge is roughly an hour. That’s 2 to 5 hours of charging time for its built-in 2200mAh lithium battery. That’s powerful enough for repeated use by the sink, post-hike rinse, or washing your fur babies.

Important note: The USB cable included in the package is not your modern-day type C or phone compatible model. It’s the oldies Type M Barrel Cable. If you lose your cable, you can’t just switch to your cell’s USB cord. You’ll need to purchase a new one. Also, ensure that you only connect it to the proper adapter no higher than 5 volts to avoid damaging your camp shower. Remember that Ivation might include a wall plug instead of a USB cord. 

If you’re off-grid with no power source to charge your Ivation camp shower, we recommend  NEMO Helio. Without relying on gravity or a battery, it still has pressure using a foot pump.

Ease of Use

The Ivation Portable Camping Shower is pretty simple to set up and use. After assembling it the first time, you can literally take and use it anywhere. Just connect every section, and it’s all set. Remember to put the O-ring gasket in the showerhead before attaching the hose to ensure a watertight seal. Otherwise, you’ll waste water on leaking.

Use it as a traditional shower, handheld, and direct the stream to your body. Or, for a hands-free experience, you can mount it to the wall using the suction cup or hang it from a branch using the hook. However, using this camp shower Ivation might not be as smooth if you’re taller than six feet since the hose is only 5’9”-long.

Whether washing your pet, watering the garden, camping, or at the beach, instantly get a proper clean-up with Ivation Portable Camping Shower. There is no need to set it up overhead as you would with shower bags to get the water flowing.

On the other hand, there was one noticeable issue while testing it out. The power button is in the pump. After turning it on, you’ll need to either pull it out of the bucket or dip your hand to reach for the switch. It could’ve been more convenient if the button was in the showerhead itself.

Other than that, the overall experience we had with this camp shower has been pleasant. It’s more efficient and time- and effort-saving than gravity-dependent portable showers.

Durability

We expected that the good enough construction on Ivation would translate to its durability, and we were not disappointed. Considering its price and functionality, it’s a steal you can’t pass on. Some customers even had their camping shower for over a couple of years of regular use!

It’s a good option if you just moved in and are still waiting for plumbing to finish. The rugged build can survive your long-term off-grid adventures. Instead of opting for bags like RISEPRO 20L Solar or Coleman Solar Shower, it’ll be a practical solution.

Conclusion

For roughly $35, Ivation Portable Camping Shower is one of the models that give you the best value within its price range. You can count that it’s robust enough to keep up with your camping or household demands.

Although far from perfect, this battery-powered camp shower is super easy to assemble and use. It also comes with a suction cup and a hook for a hands-free experience. The hose might run short for tall people (six-footers), and standing directly under would be tricky, but it’s still an excellent, portable shower. And if you’re under six feet, you’ll love how Ivation Portable Camping Shower makes washing outdoors a breeze.

Charge it to the fullest and enjoy an hour-long of power. That’s multiple showers, dealing with dishes, and more, without limiting yourself to a 5-gallon water supply. Have unlimited streams from a direct source if you’re near one.

This camp shower from Ivation doesn’t convert water into a hot shower. You’ll need to preheat it on a stove or a solar bag. That’s a fair bargain. This is a compact camp shower that will be great off-grid as much as in a backyard or on the deck of a sailboat.

Buy this portable shower if:

• Want a durable camp shower for long-term use
• Can’t deal with the stresses of gravity-based portable showers
• Willing to invest more than twenty bucks