Today’s review is about a boring, but important household organizing item: the shower caddy. For many years, I bought inexpensive wire shower caddies. But after a year or so, they’d get rusty and gross and I’d throw them out. What a waste!
They also never stayed in place; they’d fall forward. I was always pushing them back up against the shower wall — and thump, they’d fall forward again. So I did some research and decided to spend a little more money on a higher-quality product. Here’s what I got — the simplehuman Adjustable Shower Caddy — and how it’s fared after a year.
** this post contains affiliate links **
This shower caddy is made from stainless steel, anodized aluminum, and plastic and is supposedly corrosion-resistant. It has two wire baskets that are adjustable in nearly all directions. You can slide them up and down and also left and right. You can also adjust the placement of the partitions on each shelf. I love that it’s so accommodating!
The two baskets have more than enough room for two people’s stuff (at least for the two people in my household.) It also has hooks on the side, which you can hang two razors from, as well as a notch below the soap dish to hang something. The soap dish has drainage and is removable, too. Holes on each shelf mean that you can turn bottles upside down to get that last bit of shampoo:
Best of all, this caddy stays in place. It has a rubberized clamp which requires screwing into place. This is a little awkward and time-consuming to install. (Note: if you have a thicker shower head or one that angles as soon as it comes out of the wall, it may not fit.) The caddy also has suction cups. After you’ve installed it, it doesn’t move — at all.
After a year of use my caddy looks to be in good shape. There were some rusty-looking spots on the baskets, but I cleaned most of it off with some soap, water, and a scrubby sponge. However, I noticed little bits of clear plastic being generated while I was scrubbing. Might this be a protective coating on the shelves? I’m a little nervous that the shelves will be prone to rusting now. I guess I’ll find out soon enough if this is the case.
One other problem was that the back of one shelf had broken at the corner. Doh. But it hasn’t affected its functionality. That shelf has been able to hold lots of bottles just fine.
Retailing for about $40, this shower caddy is at least three times as expensive as other caddies I’ve bought, but I suspect it will last three times as long, probably even longer. It has a 5-year warranty against defects (so I guess I could send in my caddy for the broken shelf corner). The bigger price tag has been more than worth it for the fact that the shelves are adjustable and that it stays in place. I also like to think that I’m being less wasteful by using something that will hopefully last longer. You can also purchase parts from Simple Human (like the soap dish, hooks, or a basket) instead of replacing the entire thing.
Overall I’m quite pleased with this shower caddy. The design feels thoughtful. It’s sturdy and works well. There’s also a larger version of this caddy if you need more storage. I never thought I’d feel fondly towards a shower caddy, but I do! Many retailers carry simplehuman, so you can probably find it at any number of stores. I got mine from Target. (Pssst: I think you can even use a 20% off coupon on it at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.)
UPDATE 11/14/17 – I contacted simplehuman about the broken basket corner and they are sending me a replacement basket as part of their warranty. Gotta love good customer service!
Hi, how has the caddy fared now? I ordered one after looking at reviews and I’m hoping that it’s as durable as people say. Thank you!
It’s going strong. I’m still using it. After four years, there are some slight rust spots. So it’s not entirely rust-proof. But overall it’s held up well.