Epica Waterproof Shower Curtain Liner for Bathroom, Metal Grommets (Clear)

Why it's worth it

Epica treats the material itself to resist stains and odor rather than relying on a surface coating that wears off. It's noticeably heavier than the rest, so it drapes straight down the tub wall on its own, and the nylon mesh header is the sturdiest top edge here.

The stain and odor resistance is built into the material. Spray-on treatments wash off within a few cleanings. Epica treats the compound, so the resistance lasts as long as the liner does. If your bathroom is the kind where a standard liner goes musty within a couple of months, that's the difference you're paying for, and it shows up as fewer smells between cleanings.

It's heavy enough to stay put without magnets. Thin liners billow because there's nothing holding them down. This one is thick enough that gravity does the work, and it hangs against the tub wall instead of swinging toward you. Heavier plastic also creases less, and creases are where water sits for hours after you shut the water off.

From our review of 7 shower curtain liners, by David Sinclair, Managing Editor

What we like

• +The stain and odor resistance is built into the material
• +It's heavy enough to stay put without magnets
• +The nylon mesh header is the best top edge in this group
• +Clear plastic keeps a small bathroom from feeling like a closet

What to know

• –No magnets is still a gap at this level
• –It costs the most of any liner here, and the gains are incremental
• –Clear only