Way back in 1869, brothers Allen and Joseph Speakman opened up a modest plumbing workshop in downtown Wilmington, Delaware. With a pioneering spirit and an unwavering dedication to craft, the brothers would create the world’s first adjustable shower head, as well as earn over 100 patents for design and innovation.
Speakman History
1869 - Speakman opens up shop in downtown Wilmington, Delaware. 1906 - Speakman is granted their first patent for a single-handle faucet. 1927 - Speakman introduces their first Anystream Shower Head. 1930 - Speakman places ads in national magazines promoting the benefits of taking showers. 1950 - The Icon Shower Head gets updated with its now signature design. 1960 - Speakman begins expanding its line of emergency shower and eyewash products. 1975 - Speakman partners with luxury hotels to provide the industry with the best showering experience. 2014 - Speakman develops a powerful, water-saving shower head named the Speakman Reaction. Speakman is a brand with a long and notable history in shower innovation. The company was founded in 1869 by brothers Allen and Joseph Speakman from Wilmington, Delaware. From the early days, the goal was to craft genuine timeless fixtures that deliver superior performance, never compromising on quality. That hasn’t changed until today. The brothers ended up creating the world’s first adjustable shower head, the Anystream® showerhead in the early 1920’s. Since then the company has earned over 100 patents for design and innovation and has become the premier showerhead brand in luxury hotels around the globe. Speakman popularized the shower as we know it today and continues to focus on performance, craftsmanship, and the stewardship of water as our most precious natural resource. An uncompromising focus on engineering excellence has earned the brand a reputation for superior quality and enduring design, from showerheads and designer-inspired bath collections for the home to fixtures for the hospitality industry and safety products for commercial, laboratory, and industrial environments. A lot has changed since 1869, but our passion to innovate has only grown. Over the years, our team has remained small by design to focus on what we do best. Our techniques have been inherited from past generations. From the design desk to the workbench, each and every item we create continues to be proudly engineered in Glen Mills, PA. |
Flawlessly Engineered A lot has changed since 1869, but Speakman's passion to innovate has never wavered. Over the years, their team has remained small by design to focus on what they do best. Their techniques have been inherited from past generations. From the design desk to the workbench, each and every item they create continues to be proudly engineered in Glen Mills, PA. |
The Speakman® DifferenceBeing a good steward to the environment is one of the fundamental values Speakman stands by. This is reflected in how we operate as well as in our products. Today, every plumbing manufacturer offers water-saving products. But they are not all the same. At Speakman, our team of shower experts honed in on three specific areas to create eco-friendly products that are proven to save water without sacrificing an ounce of performance: improved thermal retention, spray force, and consistent coverage.
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Thermal Retention Speakman shower heads have superior thermal retention, meaning the water sprays will retain temperature longer than competitor models as the water flows from the shower head to your body. Apart from delivering an overall better shower experience, thermal retention also helps save energy costs because you use less hot water. We measure thermal retention against the Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 3662, which states that there can be no more than a 5.4°F change in temperature over a 24” span. Currently, tests or requirements like these do not even exist in the United States. |
Spray Force Since our founding days in 1869, we’ve defined a great shower as one that delivers a powerful performance and intense experience. That’s why our engineers spend a significant amount of time developing unique engines and technology. Instead of using air-infused sprays, our technology actually enhances water pressure, resulting in a more vigorous, energizing experience. Plus, we measure spray force in accordance with WaterSense to ensure sprays shall not be less than 2.0 ounces at the inlet when water is flowing. |
Spray Coverage Our engineers meticulously examine the placement of every nozzle and jet to ensure not a single spray intersects. They do this because our goal is not just to deliver full coverage and drenching experience but for the user to distinctly feel every single water droplet. To assess this, we measure the spray radius using annual gauges to capture the distribution of water against the requirement set by WaterSense, which states that 25% or more of the total water volume needs to be in the 2-6” diameter range and no more than 75% can be in the 2-4” diameter range. |
Flow RateOverall, our goal is to make sure that Speakman shower heads deliver the maximum force at every flow rate, regardless of how strong the water pressure is. To achieve this, we adapted our specifications to provide a higher-performance version of the flow control used in our shower heads. To meet WaterSense criteria, shower head flow output cannot perform below 80% of the stated maximum flow rate. Today, all of our shower heads perform at 90% of the maximum flow rate, which optimizes your flow rate at every pressure range to deliver the most powerful yet water-saving performance possible. |