Reviewed by our gear Geeks:
THE BEST PORTABLE SHOWER in 2021
Our experts at work
We gave our Gear lovers one job:
Test 24 Portable Showers and write reviews of the best.
The result is 10 of the best Portable Showers on the market today.
Joao Paulo Carvalho
Journalist
A journalist with a passion for gear, photography, traveling and writing.
Bradley Axmith
Editor at DIVEIN.com
Vikingship building gear enthusiast and waterworld fanatic.
Having a portable shower can certainly take your camping experience to the next level.
In addition to providing campers, sailors, and music festival-goers with an effective way to stay clean while away from home, camping showers are also helpful when it comes to washing your pets, cleaning your cooking utensils and gear.
There are some impressive solutions, including solar shower kits, to consider. Keep reading our complete guide on the best portable showers in the market to make your camping experience better.
Top 10 Best Portable Showers In 2021
See our quick top 10, or go further down and read our in-depth reviews.
- Advanced Elements Summer Shower/Solar Shower
- Ivation Portable Camping Shower
- Nemo Helio Portable Pressure Camp Shower
- Sea to Summit Pocket Shower
- Simple Shower Portable Camping Shower
- Geyser System Portable Hot Shower
- Coleman Solar Shower
- Yakima Road Shower
- Ozark Trail Instant 2-Room Shower
- Mr. Heater F235350 Boss-XCW20 Basecamp Battery Operated Shower System
At the bottom of this guide, you’ll find detailed information about all essential factors to ensure you’ll buy the best product based on your needs.
With that said, let’s jump right into our list.
Designed with a 4-layer construction for optimal heat retention and performance, the Summer Shower from Advanced Elements is a simple-to-use, solar- and gravity-powered portable shower. This is good for camping and has been a nice addition to summer cruising on a sailboat. What makes this outdoor gear a welcome addition to camping or any other off-grid activity beyond its good functionality is its size. Plus, a wide handle grip for comfortable transport, a large filling valve with a convenient twist-off cap, and a handy on/off shower nozzle to help save water. This kit comes with velcro straps to hang your towel, a convenient front pocket to store your toiletries while you shower, a built-in reflective mirror for all your grooming needs, as well as a water temperature gauge for the ideal shower session. Transform a bucket of water into an instant stream with the Ivation Portable Outdoor Shower. This battery-operated shower head and hose system only requires a bucket of water with some soap or a sink to pump water to the head. From there, you have three options, you can either use the handheld nozzle, attach it to a flat surface via a suction cup, or hang it on a tree branch with the included S-hook. From personal bathing to washing your gear to hosing down your pets, this versatile outdoor shower serves multiple purposes and you can recharge it with your laptop or a car adapter for up to one hour of continuous use. Keep yourself clean and refreshed on your next adventure with NEMO’s Helio Pressure Shower. Unlike many outdoor portable showers, Helio doesn’t require a power source or gravity to work its magic. Instead, it features a quick and easy system to pressurize a 2.9-gallon tank using a foot pump, with a 7’ neoprene hose. When pressurized, this camping shower can stay fully pressurized and provide you with 5-7 minutes of continuous spray. The black tank is made with a combination of polyurethane-coated polyester and thermoplastic urethane. Set it in the sun to warm up gradually or fill it directly with hot water for a warm shower this elementary solar shower combines rustique with comfort. Our next portable shower is so lightweight and compact it can actually fit in your pocket, which makes it highly-suitable for campers, hikers, and outdoors enthusiasts alike. The Sea to Summit Pocket Shower features a 70D nylon sack, which can double as a dry sack when not in use as a shower, an easy-to-use twist mechanism for turning on/off and for flow adjustment, a contoured shower head with graduated apertures for equal spray dispersion, and strong D-rings for hanging. The black fabric absorbs solar energy from the sun during the day, giving you up to 8 minutes of a hot shower while camping. If all you want is a simple way to wash off the dirt at the end of a long trail, get the sand off your body after a day’s surfing, or even do your dishes while at camp, the Simple Shower will get the job done! Simply screw the spout onto a water-filled bottle, turn it upside down, and let gravity take over. If you want a hot shower, you can either leave your bottle in the sun to heat up or fill it with warm water. The Simple Shower is compatible with most 1 or 2-liter bottles, including Platypus Collapsible Bottles and Bladders. Please Note: Bottle is not included. Use your own. Give yourself a hot shower anywhere you go with the Geyser System Portable Hot Shower. This 12-volt-powered off-grid shower comes with a small water reservoir, a hose, and a sponge attached to it. Because the water is delivered through the sponge, this allows you to simultaneously scrub, rinse, and save water. One gallon of water will last you for about 7 minutes. It features an internal heating system that heats water to 95°F in 15-45 minutes. The intuitive LED dashboard will let you know when the water is hot and ready to use. Another version, the little brother, works by pouring heated water into the reservoir, conserving battery banks when camping. Other useful features include a control valve for choosing your water flow rate, a water level sensor that lets you know when you’re running low on water and need to wrap up your shower, and lastly a safety feature that automatically disables the pump if it gets too hot. Coleman is known for being a reliable brand when it comes to outdoor camping gear and this solar-powered shower is no exception. This is a simple yet efficient sun-heated shower bag ideal for camping trips, music festivals, and other outdoor activities. It’s made with a heat-locking material for improved sunlight absorption, it can hold up to 5 gallons of water, which should be enough for multiple showers, and it comes with a short hose and a compact showerhead as well as a handle for convenient hanging and carrying. Portability is quite impressive. Available in 3 sizes (4 gal, 7 gal, and 10 gal), the Yakima RoadShower is a solar-heated off-grid shower that provides hot pressurized water so you can easily rinse off the mud, sand, and sweat no matter where you are. Designed with welded aluminum, brass fittings, and a black powder coat finish for better sunlight absorption, the RoadShower comes with a built-in pressure relief valve that tops out pressure at 65 PSI so you can pressurize with a bike pump or an electric compressor pump. Simply fill it with water before you leave the house, mount it to the roof of your car, and leave it in the sun so it can heat up. The stick-on thermometer will let you know how hot your water is. This outdoor/camping tool adds luxury to your experience, but it costs a little more too. Enjoy some of the amenities and comforts from home without the need for plumbing with the Ozark Trail Shower and Changing Shelter. It is both shower and tent. This shower/utility tent is great for those who want a little privacy when showering outdoors. It features 2 rooms, one with a 5-gallon solar-powered portable shower bag and the other one with pouches and a rack so you can store your toiletries, hang your towel and clothes while you shower and then use it as a changing room. The walls are coated with silver aluminum, mesh room for ventilation, rainfly, and floor on both sides with the shower floor having a mesh drain. But the icing on the cake is that you can set the whole thing up in just a few seconds. Although not suitable for those who travel light, Mr. Heater is a great investment for the avid campers that love the outdoors but still appreciate a few comforts from home like a deluxe shower head. More glamping than roughing it camping. This stainless steel shower system runs on a D-cell battery pump which gives you a runtime of about 40 minutes as well as a propane cylinder that heats up the water instantly thus providing you with a warm and comfortable shower experience. The shower’s 18,000 BTUs can increase water temperatures by 42°F. And aside from the deluxe shower head, it also comes with a convenient stainless-steel faucet for washing your dishes and making hot beverages. Mr. Heater also comes with electronic ignition and a scald protection that stops it from running too hot. A smaller, more affordable version with 12,000 BTUs is also available.
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Portable Showers | Buyer’s Guide
With so many portable showers available in the market, figuring out which one will actually suit your needs best might be an overwhelming task.
Even though they only have one main function, which is to keep your hygiene up, there are many features to pay attention to before deciding on a unit.
Here are the main things to consider before buying a portable or camping shower:
Size
To find out which type of portable shower is ideal for you, you first need to think about how you will be travelling most of the time.
Off-grid showers vary significantly both in size and weight. So if you’re on foot and only carrying a backpack, you should opt for a compact and lightweight model like the Sea to Summit Pocket Shower. However, if you usually travel by car, a portable shower like Mr. Heater will be less of a concern.
Tank Capacity
Some portable showers like Mr. Heater and Ivation will not have a set water capacity since the way they work is by pumping water from a water container such as a bucket. However, other units will come with a set water reservoir or water tank, which can range from 2.6 to 5 gallons.
When deciding on the water tank capacity for your camping shower, think about how many people will be using it as well as how easy it will be to get water, fill the reservoir, and bring back to your camping site.
Keep in mind that most portable shower bags when filled entirely can be quite heavy to carry.
Types (Flow System)
Portable showers have basically three water flow methods:
Gravity: This is the most basic, compact, and cheapest type of portable showers. They’re typically a bag that you have to fill with water first, then hang it on a tree to allow gravity to do its job.
Pump: This type of camp shower uses either a hand or foot pump to pressurize a water chamber so it can spray the water out via a nozzle. When compared to gravity-fed showers, these ones offer better water pressure.
Electric: In this type of portable shower, an electric water pump is submerged in a water container so it can push water through the hose. They also offer good water pressure.
Heating Capabilities
Depending on the climate you’re in or your personal preferences having a hot shower will surely make a difference on your trip.
These are the main ways you can get that nice hot shower while outdoors:
Solar: Since it only requires sunlight to heat up the water, this is the cheapest, therefore, the most popular option for hot showers. On the downside, it takes longer to heat up (around 3 hours depending on conditions), it might not work as expected in areas with very little or no sunshine, and it can only be used during the day or within a couple of hours after dusk.
Gas: If you don’t want to depend on the sun to work its magic, you might want to invest in a gas-powered camp shower. These units typically run on propane tanks and are the fastest option for heating up water. In addition to your personal hygiene, a gas-heated shower can double as a kettle for all your cooking needs.
Battery: The battery-powered portable showers are also efficient, but they’re usually heavy and you will need a source of power to recharge the batteries.
Make your own portable shower
However, if you’re into DIY projects, you can always create your own camping shower.
Although this is going to cost you more than some products from our list, it’s a fun way to put your craft skills to good use.
Here’s a video which shows you how to to make a portable shower:
Now we’d like to hear from you. Have you ever used any of the portable showers from our list?
If so, which one? and if not, which one should we have added instead?
Let us know in the comments below!
FAQ – Frequently asked questions about snowboard bindings
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🚿 What is the best portable shower?
Every portable shower will come with some advantages as well as a few downsides.
For detailed information, check out our extensive guide on the best portable showers.
Having said that, at this very moment, these are our favorite ones:
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🧐 How much does a portable shower cost?
Portable shower prices will vary depending on their construction as well as features offered.
Prices range from $15-$20 range for the Simple Shower Portable Camping Shower and the Coleman 5-Gallon Solar Shower, and between $330-$350 for products like the Yakima RoadShower and Mr. Heater.
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🤔 How long does a 5-gallon shower last?
If you let the water run continuously, then a 5-gallon bag should last you for about 6 minutes.
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