After considering standalone, decorative, fabric, plastic/vinyl, and curtain/liner sets, we determined the Quiet Town The Sun Shower to be the best model for most people. It’s made of a non-chlorinated EVA that’s free of PVC and BPA, and provides crystal clear color and subtle styling. Read on for our other top picks. Many plastic liners cloud where they get nicks or creases, but the Quiet Town didn’t crease and stayed cleared throughout use. The brass grommets resist rusting and easily fit over curtain rings. Two additional grommets, one at each of the bottom corners, add weight to the bottom, holding the liner in place while in use. This liner comes in four colors, all of which are transparent. We tested the pink. While it’s pretty, we would probably opt for the clear and would gladly use the Quiet Town liner with a fabric curtain for extra privacy. The only issue we had with the Gorilla Grip liner was that it can cloud if it gets pinched—in a few small places, you could see where it had been bumped, leaving marks on it. This isn’t the kind of liner that’s used alone. We would recommend using it with a curtain because it’s designed to be more functional than decorative. We really liked the amount of light this liner allowed into the shower, while still being opaque enough to offer privacy in a shared bathroom. The Bathage comes in several designs and colors. We tested the sea glass blue. The drape, cleaning ease, and design got 5’s from us. It’s hard to beat the quality of the fabric, classic looks, and water-repellant properties of this liner. To give it a touch of style, the Hookless Escape has four accent ribbons throughout the curtain. We loved the sheer top panel because it let more steam out and let you peek out of the curtain to check on anything going on in the bathroom. The only downside we could see was that if you need to replace the inner liner, you’ll have to order a replacement from the manufacturer. The polyester fabric offers a nice drape and weight without sticking to the shower, while a weighted bottom helps to keep the Titan in place. The only thing we didn’t love about this liner is that it hung onto the water in the washing machine. It went through a thorough spin cycle but came out dripping wet. Thankfully, it dries quickly once hung, so it still got a 4 out of 5 for cleaning ease. The liner isn’t the highest quality PEVA we tested, and it doesn’t have weights at the bottom. However, it worked well and completely protected the curtain. The only thing we didn’t like with this set was the hooks, which have sharp open ends that can scratch your shower rod. During testing, there was no way to get them on or off without leaving a mark. While we loved the set, we recommend buying hooks separately. One thing to note is that the polyurethane coating does slow down the drying process—not by too much, but you’ll have to make sure to leave the liner open after use so that it will dry. That adds some maintenance time to this liner, but it looks nice and cleans very well. The PEVA also dries quickly, helping with mildew resistance. Overall, it’s an excellent liner, though you’ll need a curtain if you want privacy. The only downside is that it easily shows water spots. They’ll go away with a gentle cleaning, but expect them to show up within a few uses. One thing to note about this liner is that there aren’t any weights at the bottom. It didn’t billow into the shower like a fabric liner, but it also didn’t drape very well—if this is a concern for you, you might want to opt for one of the other options on this list. We loved the different size pocket options: the largest ones were big enough to hold a shampoo bottle, while the smaller pockets were great for shaving supplies. The only downside comes at washing time. If you have the liner facing the water, the mesh pockets do not dry out as well as the vinyl. The pockets can also easily get overloaded. When testing the design, we considered how the material felt and if it matched the manufacturer’s description. This also included how it looked coming out of the packaging and whether it had an odor. We also noted how easy the liners were to install. Cleaning ease came down to how well the liner either washed in a washing machine or how easily it was wiped clean. We monitored durability after several uses and one cleaning. Finally, we determined if the liner’s price matched the quality and performance.
What to Look for in a Shower Liner
We talked to a couple of cleaning pros to get the lowdown on curtain liners—Alex Varela, General Manager of Dallas Maids in Frisco, TX, and Roman Peysakhovich, CEO of Onedesk, a national cleaning company.
Materials
“One of the biggest problems in the bathroom is dealing with mold and mildew,” says Varela. “I would recommend looking for something called PEVA (polyethylene vinyl acetate) which is a type of plastic that is strongly resistant to mold and mildew.” “Fabric curtains usually come in microfiber, a cotton blend, or polyester,” says Peysakhovich. “ If you’re looking for a low-cost and easy-to-maintain option, then consider buying a vinyl curtain instead of a cloth alternative. Mold and mildew are less of an issue since vinyl shower curtains act as a natural water repellant.” Fabric liners can also have coatings that help them resist water or mildew. Some may have a polyurethane coating, making their performance similar to a vinyl liner but with more drape and flexibility.
Installation
Most liners attach to a curtain rod using 12 hooks. The liner may or may not come with hooks. If you don’t like the look of hooks, some models slide onto a removable rod via grommets. You can also get a hookless model. These models look like they have grommets, but they have slits that slide over the curtain rod without taking it down. The shower liner may also snap onto an accompanying shower curtain. You can then remove the liner for washing but still leave the curtain hanging in the shower.
Size
Standard liners are 72” x 72”, though you’ll find some variation with 70” x 72” and 71” x 71” liners being fairly common too. Our tester has a slightly smaller than average shower, making a 72” x 72” liner plenty big. If you have a smaller shower, consider a model that’s an inch or two smaller than standard. That keeps the liner from pushing out into the shower space.
Why Trust The Spruce?
This article was written by Stacey L. Nash, who has been contributing to The Spruce since 2019. She personally tested all of the products on this list, hanging each liner in a bathroom for 48 to 72 hours with three to four showers per day. She monitored the liners for how well they kept water in the shower, their appearance, how they felt and held up to heavy use, and how easy they were to clean. Some liners had special features, like removable liners or included hooks that she also tested. She also read through other user reviews to look for patterns in user experiences.
