"My hair finally feels like mine again."
"Three weeks in and the dry, brittle ends are gone, and I didn't change a single product. Just the water."
— Lisa
Catches what carbon filters miss.
Chloramine + chlorine · NSF/ANSI 177 · Universal fit
Your shower shouldn't damage your hair and skin.
Healthier hair and skin in four weeks.
Ilume removes the chlorine and chloramine stripping it — independently certified, and easy to verify on your own tap. What it does, and what it doesn't, in plain terms below.
Proven, not promised.
The filter is independently lab-certified to NSF/ANSI 177 for free chlorine reduction — at least 97%. Every order also includes a SimpleLab Tap Score kit, so you can see the drop on a real report for your own tap.
Removes chlorine, chloramine, and scale.
Four filter stages in one filter — KDF-55, activated carbon, calcium sulfite, and TAC media. The first three catch chlorine, chloramine, and organics. The TAC stage conditions hardness minerals so they leave less scale on glass and fixtures.
No plastic in the water path.
Solid PVD lead-free brass throughout. No plastic puck inside, no painted shell to flake into your shower.
Installs in sixty seconds.
Threads onto any standard ½″ NPT shower arm — wall, ceiling, or handheld. Unscrew. Screw on. Step in. No plumber, no tools.
1. Choose your finish
2. Pick your refill schedule
3. Free with your order
Two free add-ons. One tests your water. One tracks your hair.
Visible proof that it works
Photo prompts on Week 0, 2, 4, 8 — stored privately on your phone.
✓ 60-day money-back guarantee
·
✓ Free US shipping
Your conditioner fights frizz.
This fights the chlorine.
Conditioner fights frizz.
This fights chlorine.
The shampoo, the climate, and hormones might not be the problem.
Hey, I'm Maya.
I started Ilume because I spent years blaming the wrong thing.
My hair was dry and frizzy no matter what I used. My skin felt tight and itchy after every shower. I blamed stress. My age. The climate. After my son, I blamed my hormones. I blamed every product in my cabinet and bought a dozen more. Then I moved across the country, and within weeks my hair and skin changed — not from anything I bought, but because the water was different.
It was never my shampoo. It was never me. It was my water.
I made Ilume for the version of you who's still blaming herself.
With love,
Maya
Founder of Ilume
It's not just your hair
There are so many benefits.
Color
Color holds tone for weeks longer between salon visits.
Chlorine fades color-treated hair faster than UV does. Filter it out and your last appointment lasts longer.
Skin
Skin doesn't feel tight after toweling off.
The same chlorine that dries your hair sits on your skin too. With it gone, moisturizer absorbs faster.
Shower
Shower glass stays clear. Soap scum stops climbing the door.
Soap scum is mostly hard-water minerals binding with soap film. Ilume's TAC stage conditions those minerals so less of it builds up on your glass and tile.
Hair
Hair feels softer, with less buildup at the root.
Chlorine and hard-water minerals collect at the scalp and weigh hair down. Filter them out and the roots stay clearer, so hair feels softer and lighter.
Face
Your face feels calmer, never stripped.
The skin on your face is the most delicate, and it takes the same chlorine as the rest of you. Filter it out and it feels softer and less tight after every shower.
Why we built it this way
Built to be the last filtered shower head you ever install.
| Other Brands | Ilume | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent testing | Box claims only | NSF/ANSI 177 certified |
| Chloramine | Misses it | Catches it |
| Filter stages | 1-2 stages | 4-stage filter |
| Filter life | ~90 days | 4 months |
| Materials | Plastic | Solid brass · 6 finishes |
| Water pressure | Often drops | Full 2.5 GPM flow |
| Guarantee | 30 days | 60 days, full refund |
| First-year cost | $280$148 head + $33 × 4 filters | $285$189 head + $32 × 3 filters |
What creators are saying
Trusted by thousands.
"I stopped fighting my hair every morning."
"It used to frizz no matter what I did. Now it air-dries soft. My only regret is not switching sooner."
— Annie
"My skin doesn't feel tight after a shower."
"I blamed my moisturizer for years. Turned out it was the water the whole time. Such an easy fix."
— Sam
"The easiest upgrade I've made to my routine."
"Sixty-second install, no plumber, and my hair and skin both feel calmer. It just works."
— Nikolina
"I notice the difference every single shower."
"My skin feels calmer, and my color is holding longer between salon visits. Worth every penny."
— Tana
What's not inside
No leaded brass.
No plastic body.
No Vitamin-C gimmick.
No "proprietary blend."
No exceptions.
Most filtered showerheads take shortcuts. Not here.
Quick and easy
Install takes
sixty seconds.
Hand-threads onto your existing arm. The seal is a captive silicone gasket — no wrench, no plumber.
1
Unscrew your existing head
Hand-tight, counterclockwise. Towel for grip if it's stiff.
2
Thread Ilume onto the arm
Standard ½" NPT. Hand-tight until the gasket compresses.
3
Run the shower for 30 seconds
The filter flushes and primes — give it about a minute before your first real shower.
Universal fit. 60-second install. No plumber, no tools.
What our first clients are saying
Soft hair.
Real bathrooms.
★★★★★
"My Tap Score kit showed Phoenix tap at 2.3 PPM chlorine. Four weeks after installing the filter, my hair has body again for the first time since we moved. I retested and the chlorine had dropped right off. I showed my stylist the report and she made me tell my entire move-in cohort."
RC
Rachel C.
Scottsdale, AZ · ✓ Verified · Dark Bronze
★★★★★
"I bought three filtered showerheads before this. All three said '99% chlorine reduction' on the box. None of them were actually certified. This one is. I checked my own water with the included test kit before and after, and the chlorine dropped right off. The other ones, I just had to take their word."
MD
Mara D.
Dallas, TX · ✓ Verified · Warm Brass
★★★★★
"Sixty-second install, no plumber, no leak. My husband installed it on the way to the gym. Eight weeks in: the ends of my hair don't feel like straw anymore. Also it actually looks like a designer fixture. Guests have commented twice."
JL
Jess L.
Tampa, FL · ✓ Verified · Matte Black
★★★★★
"My colorist asked what changed. Nothing in my routine changed except this. She said my color is holding two weeks longer. The math on that: I save more on gloss treatments per year than the filters cost."
AH
Anna H.
Las Vegas, NV · ✓ Verified · Brushed Nickel
★★★★☆
"Four stars because the dark bronze had a subtle backorder. Worth the wait though. I tested my water before and after with the included kit. The chlorine dropped off a cliff. I set a calendar reminder for filter changes and otherwise don't think about it."
SP
Sasha P.
Austin, TX · ✓ Verified · Dark Bronze
★★★★★
"I bought the $99 puck last year. It clogged inside three months. Replacement filters were $35 every two months. Ilume is $32 every four months, it's actually certified, and my shower glass actually stays clear now. The math wasn't even close."
KW
Kayla W.
Charlotte, NC · ✓ Verified · Polished Chrome
Customer testimonials reflect individual experiences. Results vary by inlet water chemistry, household pressure, and filter age.
How it's built
Two things
most filters get wrong.
01 — The filter
Four filters.
Four jobs.
Most filtered showerheads use one filter — usually carbon — and don't address mineral scale at all. Ilume stacks four stages in a single filter:
KDF-55 removes free chlorine and heavy metals. Coconut-shell carbon catches organics and smell. Calcium sulfite neutralizes chloramine — the bound-chlorine compound carbon misses. Template-Assisted Crystallization (TAC) media conditions hardness minerals so they leave less scale on glass and fixtures. Each filter sized for 4 months at typical use.
Filter spec
Free chlorine reduction
≥ 97% (NSF/ANSI 177)
Scale prevention
≥ 95% (NSF/ANSI 372 + WQA tested)
Capacity
~3,500 gallons / 4 months
Subscription price
$32 / filter
Cost per shower
$0.13
Capacity assumes 1.8 GPM at a 7-minute shower, two showers per day; heavier use shortens the cycle, lighter use extends it. The TAC stage conditions hardness minerals so they form less scale.
02 — The materials
Made from the same materials
as a high-end faucet.
Most filtered showerheads are plastic with a painted chrome shell. Cheap to make. Easy to ship. Out of place in a bathroom that has Waterworks or Brizo on the rest of the wall.
Ilume is PVD-finished lead-free brass. Universal fit — threads onto any standard ½″ NPT arm. Six finishes color-matched to premium faucet lines.
Materials spec
Construction
Solid lead-free brass
Finish
PVD (vacuum-deposited)
Connection
Standard ½" NPT
Flow rate
1.8 GPM (pressure-compensated)
PVD is the same finish class used on premium faucet lines including Vola, Dornbracht Tara, Waterworks Henry, and Buster + Punch. Scratch- and corrosion-resistant. Not a coating that wears off.
For housewarmings & hard-water city moves
A housewarming gift
she'll actually use.
The most-gifted Ilume is the Dark Bronze head sent to someone who just moved to a hard-water city. The card reads "this gives you back what your old water didn't take." Arrives flat. Looks like the rest of their bathroom on day two.
"My sister moved from Portland to Tucson in March. By June her hair was a different texture. I sent her the Dark Bronze and the Tap Score kit. She texted me 'I have my hair back' on day twenty-three."
— Caroline T., verified gift buyer · Brooklyn, NY
Common questions
Answered honestly.
How is this different from other filtered showerheads? +
Three differences that actually matter. (1) Independent certification. Ilume's filter is certified to NSF/ANSI 177 for free chlorine reduction — third-party lab tested, not a percentage printed on a box. (2) The filter stack. A four-stage filter (KDF-55 + activated carbon + calcium sulfite + TAC media) versus a single carbon puck. KDF-55 and carbon catch chlorine and organics. Calcium sulfite catches chloramine, which carbon misses. The TAC stage conditions hardness minerals so they leave less scale on glass and fixtures. (3) The body. Solid lead-free brass with a PVD finish in six colorways, designed to live in a bathroom with premium fixtures — not a plastic puck.
How do I know it's actually working? +
Two ways. First, the filter is certified to NSF/ANSI 177 for free chlorine reduction — an independent lab standard, not a number we printed on a box. Second, every order includes a complimentary SimpleLab Tap Score kit: test your water before you install and again a few weeks later, and you'll see the chlorine drop on a real report for your specific tap.
Will it kill my water pressure? +
No. The cone houses a pressure-compensating silicone regulator that maintains a steady 1.8 GPM across the full range of US residential water pressure (35–80 PSI). The 96-nozzle silicone face is wider than a commodity puck (4.5″ vs ~3″), which spreads the same volume across a larger area — feels like more water, not less. If you're currently on a low-flow showerhead and the pressure already feels weak, Ilume will feel like an upgrade, not a sidegrade.
How often do I change the filter? +
Every 4 months at typical hard-water city usage — about 3,300 gallons through the filter at 1.8 GPM, two showers per day, 7-minute average. Heavy use shortens the cycle and light use extends it. On subscription, we ship the next filter automatically every 4 months, so you never run dry. On one-time, set a reminder or reorder when the chlorine smell starts to come back. The swap takes 15 seconds: unscrew the bottom of the cone, drop the old filter out, drop the new one in, screw closed.
Which finish should I pick? +
The honest answer: Dark Bronze is the canonical hero and the most-shipped SKU — it pairs with the warm-stone, travertine, and aged-brass bathrooms most hard-water city buyers actually have. Matte Black for modern minimalist spaces (Vola HV1 / Buster + Punch register). Brushed Nickel if your existing faucet is brushed nickel — the softer, satin variant. Polished Nickel for the same range one degree more reflective — pairs with Waterworks Easton. Polished Chrome for traditional or hotel-style baths. Warm Brass for the editorial-design crowd — pairs with Waterworks Henry. Color-match to your existing faucet is the simplest rule.
How does shipping work? +
The head ships in a single flat box via UPS Ground or USPS Priority depending on your zip. Free US shipping on every order. Typical delivery: 2 business days. Filter refills on subscription arrive in a flat letter-format envelope, also free. No double-walled packaging, no plastic filler. The box your head arrives in is the box the head ships in — no overpack, no theatrics.
What if I don't love it? +
One promise: a 60-day 100% money-back guarantee. If the head doesn't change your hair, doesn't match your bathroom, or doesn't feel like what you wanted for any reason at all — we refund the purchase in full. You don't ship the head back. We don't ask for a photo. We don't ask for a reason. We'd rather you be honest and return it than be unhappy and keep it. Email us and we handle the rest.
The 60-day guarantee
Healthier hair in sixty days.
Or every dollar back.
Choose your finish
Free with your order
Two free add-ons. One tests your water. One tracks your hair.
Visible proof that it works
Photo prompts on Week 0, 2, 4, 8 — stored privately on your phone.
✓ Free US shipping
✓ 60-day money-back guarantee
★ 4.9 / NSF/ANSI 177 · PVD lead-free brass