Matt Black Showers

Matt black showers (or matte black, depending on who is spelling it) come in two formats, and the choice decides how much work happens behind the wall. Exposed means the valve, the riser rail and the head all mount on the face of the wall, on show. Concealed means the valve is buried in the wall and tiled over, so only the trim plate, the controls and the head are visible. Exposed is the easier fit and the bolder look. Concealed is the cleaner, more minimal finish, but the valve has to go in before the wall is finished, so it is a planned job rather than a weekend swap.

Everything featured in the guide below is thermostatic, which means the valve holds the temperature you set even when the pressure changes, so nobody gets a sudden hot or cold blast when a tap runs or the loo is flushed elsewhere in the house. If you are still weighing up the format, the wider exposed shower systems and complete shower kits ranges are worth a look. The buying guide and quick answers follow.

What to look for in a matt black shower

The finish is the one real catch. A good matt black shower is coated to take daily use and limescale wipe-downs without going patchy, but it still wants a gentle touch. Skip the abrasive cream cleaners and the harsh limescale sprays, and wipe it dry after a shower so water spots do not bake on. That applies to matt black brassware generally, not to any one brand. Beyond the finish, the decisions that actually matter are exposed or concealed, one outlet or two, and whether you need a full set or just the valve.

Exposed puts the whole shower on the wall. Valve, riser rail and head all mount on the surface, fed by pipework from behind, which makes it the simpler fit and the obvious pick for a like-for-like swap. The Litchfield Select Matt Black Thermostatic Shower Mixer Set at £129 is the lower-priced of the two exposed sets here. You get a 200mm ultra-slim stainless steel overhead, an ABS handset on a 1.5m stainless steel hose and an adjustable stainless steel riser rail, all run from a brass thermostatic valve with a diverter, and the S-Union fittings are included. For £159.99, the CORE Matte Black Thermostatic Exposed Rigid Riser Rain Head Shower pairs a fixed round head with a handset on a telescopic riser rail you can set to height, which earns its keep when the people using it are not all the same height.

Concealed hides the valve behind the tiles. All you see is the trim plate, the controls and the head, which is the cleaner look, but the valve has to be plastered and tiled in before the wall is finished, so it needs planning in rather than swapping over. The Core Matt Black Thermostatic Concealed Shower Kit at £209 is the one to look at: a concealed thermostatic valve, a 200mm round rainfall head, and a round handset and hose, working as a dual outlet system in solid brass. It is WRAS approved, has anti-scald protection and carries a lifetime guarantee from the manufacturer. It also costs more than either exposed set above, and that is before anyone has opened up the wall, so go concealed because you want the look, not to save money.

Round or square is mostly a looks call. Round trim plates, heads and handsets read softer and sit well in a traditional or transitional bathroom, while square and rectangular kit reads sharper and more contemporary. The useful move is to match the shower to the shapes already in the room, your taps and your wastes, so the bathroom looks deliberate rather than thrown together. Settle the shape first, then the exposed or concealed question, then check what is in the box.

Two outlets, or just one. If you want a fixed overhead drench and a handset on a hose, you need two outlets and a diverter, the control that switches the water between them. The Core concealed kit above is a dual outlet system, and the Litchfield set does the same job with the diverter on its valve. A single-outlet shower feeds one head only, which is simpler to fit and simpler to use, but you cannot switch over to a handset for rinsing hair, the kids, the dog or the shower tray.

You do not have to buy the whole kit. If you already have a head and rail you like, or you are matching an existing black scheme, buy the valve on its own. The Core Thermostatic Barvalve in Matte Black at £129 is an exposed thermostatic bar valve in solid brass, with dual controls, one for temperature and one for flow, a bottom outlet and a lifetime guarantee from the manufacturer. It is the building block for a matched exposed setup, but it costs the same £129 as the entire Litchfield set above, so it earns its place when you already have the rest, not as a cheaper way in. If you are putting yours together piece by piece, the shower heads range is where to find the head to go with it.

Check what is actually in the box. Set, kit and system are not interchangeable words across brands. Some include the head, the handset, the rail and the valve, others are valve and head only, so read the product page for exactly what is included before you check out. Thermostatic is worth insisting on either way: it is the safe, no-surprises choice and what we would fit as standard.

Check your water pressure too. Thermostatic mixer showers want decent pressure to perform, and a wide rain head is the first thing to feel it when the pressure is poor. The Core concealed kit is rated for 0.5 to 5.0 bar, which gives it room at the low end. For anything else, and especially if you are on a gravity-fed system with a tank in the loft, check the pressure figures on the individual product page before you commit.

Quick answers

What is the difference between an exposed and a concealed matt black shower? Exposed means the valve, the riser rail and the head are all mounted on the face of the wall, on show. Concealed means the valve is buried in the wall and tiled over, so only the trim plate, the controls and the head are visible. Exposed is easier to fit and suits a straight swap. Concealed gives the cleaner, more minimal look, but it has to be planned in before the wall is finished, so it is the bigger job.

Are matt black showers hard to keep clean? Not hard, but they do ask for a gentle touch. The matt black finish is coated, so wipe it down with a soft cloth and dry it off after a shower to stop water spots and limescale baking on. Avoid abrasive cream cleaners and harsh limescale sprays, which can dull or mark the coating over time. Treated normally, it keeps its look.

What is a matte black exposed shower system? It is a complete shower in a matt black finish where the thermostatic valve, the riser rail and the head all mount on the wall surface. The Litchfield Select set at £129 and the CORE rigid riser rain head shower at £159.99 are the two examples in this guide, and each pairs a fixed head with a handset on a riser rail. It is the bolder, more visible look, and the simpler fit compared with a concealed setup.

What do you get in a matt black concealed shower kit? The Core Matt Black Thermostatic Concealed Shower Kit at £209 is a fair guide: a concealed thermostatic valve that tiles into the wall, a 200mm round rainfall head, and a round handset and hose, working together as a dual outlet system. It is solid brass, WRAS approved, has anti-scald protection and comes with a lifetime guarantee from the manufacturer. Kits vary between brands, so check the product page for what is included.

Are these matt black showers thermostatic? Everything featured in the guide above is, yes. Thermostatic means the valve holds your chosen temperature even when the pressure changes, for example when a tap runs or the loo is flushed elsewhere in the house, so you do not get a sudden hot or cold blast. It is the safer choice for a family bathroom. Check the individual product page for anything else in the range that catches your eye.

Can I buy the matt black valve on its own? Yes. If you already have a head and a rail, or you are matching an existing black scheme, the valve is sold separately. The Core Thermostatic Barvalve in Matte Black at £129 is an exposed thermostatic bar valve in solid brass, with dual controls, one for temperature and one for flow, a bottom outlet and a lifetime guarantee from the manufacturer. That is the same price as the whole Litchfield set, so buy the valve alone when you genuinely have the rest.

Will a matt black shower work on low water pressure? It depends on the valve and on your system. Thermostatic mixer showers, and wide rain heads in particular, perform best with decent pressure. The Core concealed kit lists a 0.5 to 5.0 bar range, so it has some headroom at the low end. For the others, and especially on a gravity-fed system, check the pressure figures on the product page before you buy.