TubShroom Ultra Revolutionary Bath Tub Drain Protector Hair Catcher/Strainer/Snare, Stainless Steel, Stainless Combo

Why it's worth it

The TubShroom Ultra sits down inside the drain, so hair coils around its stem instead of piling up where you can see it. The Platinum Bundle throws in three adapters and a universal stopper, which makes it the safest pick when you're not sure of your drain size.

It doesn't choke the drain the way flat covers do. A mesh cover sits across the opening, so every strand it catches blocks a little more water. Fill it halfway and you're standing in an inch of water by the time you rinse off. The TubShroom works the other way around. It drops inside the drain, and hair wraps around the stem below the surface. Water keeps moving past it. That's the whole reason this design exists.

The adapters solve the sizing problem before it becomes a return. Most U.S. shower drains measure about 2 inches across inside; tub drains usually run 1.5 to 1.75 inches. Guessing wrong is the single most common mistake buyers make here. This bundle ships with 1.25-inch, 1.5-to-1.75-inch, and 2-inch adapters, so it covers essentially every round drain you're likely to have. If you can't get a tape measure into your drain, this is the one to buy.

From our review of 6 shower drain hair catchers, by David Sinclair, Managing Editor

What we like

• +It doesn't choke the drain the way flat covers do
• +The adapters solve the sizing problem before it becomes a return
• +Cleaning takes about ten seconds and doesn't involve picking
• +Stainless steel holds up in a permanently wet room

What to know

• –It's sold as a tub product, and the naming confuses people
• –Soap scum builds on the stem in hard water