If you need help with shower organization you are going to love this hanging shower caddy post.

I’m Steve, a remodeling contractor with SKG Renovations. I have written many posts for Redblock about shower organizers that require some remodeling, but not so much on the more “temporary” options available out there. Redblock’s expertise is shower storage, so it’s time we offer some advice to those people that can’t risk damaging their rental space.

My curated list of shower caddy ideas includes: the shower head caddy, the over the door caddy, plastic caddies, and corner shower caddies that do not require drilling. If you don’t mind drilling I suggest you read this post.

Topics Covered:

Hanging Shower Head Caddies

Over the Door Shower Caddy

Hanging Containers

Hanging Shower Caddy Warning

Shower Caddies

The shower caddy is the most efficient and elegant solution for most shower storage problems when you are not in the position to remodel your shower.

This term “shower caddy” is a fairly broad topic, covering a large array of different types of storage around the shower or bath.

The most common of these is the hanging shower caddy so this is the type that will be best represented in the shower caddy selection below. These are the types that are least likely to damage your shower wall, if you are in a rental apartment / condo. If you happen to be looking for more “permanent” shower shelf options, please feel free to read my shower shelf post.

Hanging Shower Head Caddy

Overwhelmingly the most popular shower storage solution is the hanging shower caddy or hook over shower caddy. The most economical of these are mostly made out of painted or coated steel but there are also coated or painted aluminum caddies and stainless steel shower caddies. In the next sections I will show some of my favorite Amazon offerings made of steel and even wood.

Metal Shower Head Caddies

The more economical metal shower caddies are made of powder coated or plastic coated ferrous metal so they can rust if the coating chips or cracks. The more expensive rust proof shower caddies are made of corrosion resistant metals such as aluminum and stainless steel.

The aluminum ones are often coated with chrome electroplating so they do not chip as easily. Stainless steel caddies are the highest quality because they have no coating to chip or crack. But stainless steel is also a more expensive metal making these the most pricey hanging shower caddy options.

Under $25

Between $25 and $50

Over $50

Wood Shower Head Caddies

Other slightly higher maintenance but also higher end hanging shower caddy options are made out of wood, specifically bamboo and teak which are very strong yet mold and mildew resistant.

These Caddies can sometimes be heavier than average, so keep in mind how you will keep it from sliding off the shower head. These caddies come with an anti-slip material, but it’s safer if you have a reasonable sized horizontal section on your shower arm (see two images below).

Between $25 and $50

Over $50

Useful Tip:

A disadvantage of the shower caddy that hangs on the shower head water supply pipe, is that this pipe is not really designed to carry any significant load.

If this pipe is made of a cheaper grade of steel or the caddy is too heavy, It can cause this pipe to crack when it flexes too much. This is something that you DO NOT want to happen. It means a water leak inside your shower wall and the nightmare that comes along with it.

There is however a way to reduce this risk. I will show you how at the end of this post.

Hanging Containers

These are mostly rigid plastic and wire containers made to hold small items like bar soap or razor. They have temporary suction cup attachments for the shower glass so they can be easily relocated.

Corner Shower Shelves

In this section we will show you a couple of options for hanging corner shower shelves. They can be mounted on the wall with adhesive (no screws caddy). I don’t use this type of caddy myself, preferring to go with the the more secure (but more complicated) grout-line mounted corner shelf, that is not suitable for a rental suite install. So I am not sure how long this adhesive will last.

Adhesive Caddy (no screws)

Under $25

Hanging Shower Caddy Warning

As I mentioned earlier, a hanging shower caddy can be quite heavy, especially when loaded down with bottles, brushes soaps etc. This can cause undo stress on the water pipe that supplies the shower head.

Since this pipe carries all the weight of your caddy, you want to make sure that it does not flex too much. Excessive flex could cause the pipe to crack within the wall, causing a water leak.

A great way to minimize this risk is to pull back the escutcheon on your shower head water supply arm to inspect the gap between this pipe and the shower wall (the escutcheon is the ring that rests against the wall where the shower arm pipe comes out of the wall).

If you slide this back you can usually see quite clearly if the underside of the arm is supported by tile and/or mortar beneath. If it’s not, and you can see a gap underneath it, the pipe will be carrying all the weight of the caddy when you hang it off the shower arm.

This is not ideal because the pipe (shower arm) will flex up and down and could easily fracture over time. This would cause water to leak into your shower wall.

Fixing the Problem

There is a simple way to fortify this pipe (shower arm) so it does not flex when it’s loaded down with a hanging shower caddy.

You simply glue a small piece of something solid underneath the pipe, wedging it in the pipe hole, just between the pipe and the wall tile below. This material can be a piece of wood or plastic or anything else rigid, that you can slip in this gap with some glue.

It would be best if you used a structural polyurethane construction adhesive so it will never get loose. You also want to avoid wedging the piece in too tightly and flexing the pipe upwards. You simply want it to support the weight of the arm.

When the glue dries, you can slip the escutcheon back in place over the hole.

Voila, you’ve done it!

Wrap Up

I hope you enjoyed my list of hanging shower caddy options. Hopefully it can steer you in the right direction when considering the type of shower storage that works best for you.

This post is for information purposes only and should NOT be interpreted as professional advice. You should always consult a licensed local contractor before undertaking any remodeling work in your home. Click here for my full Personal / Professional Disclosure.

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