In fact, the type of material you choose, the weight, and the ease of cleanliness will drastically impact your overall shower experience. We considered all these factors and more when we purchased 14 shower curtain liners to put through our tests, rating each on design, durability, and overall value. Our top choice, the Gorilla Grip PEVA Shower Curtain Liner, is made of durable PEVA plastic that remained odorless throughout the time we tested it. It also includes weights at the bottom that successfully keep it in place while showering. Plus, out of all our top picks, it has the most sizing options. Read on for all of our picks and to learn more about what makes a great shower curtain liner. Who it isn’t for: People with narrow showers who don’t want their liners to take up a lot of space. The Gorilla Grip Shower Curtain Liner is a great option for people who want a classic clear plastic liner for an affordable price. This shower curtain liner is made of one of the best plastics that can be used to make shower curtain liners: polyethylene vinyl acetate (PEVA). This material is strong, odor-free, and a better alternative to PVC. It also features three weights at the bottom of the liner to help keep it in place while bathing. Our tester felt this liner worked beautifully and found the material to be very durable. The one downside to such a heavyweight liner is that the material is quite stiff, so it doesn’t drape very well and therefore takes up some space in the shower. The Gorilla Grip Shower Curtain Liner comes in four sizes and 12 colors, including clear, white, black, blue, and even pink. Product Details:
Material: PEVASizes: 72 x 48 inches, 72 x 65 inches, 72 x 72 inches, 72 x 78 inchesCare: Wipe down with cleaner
Who it isn’t for: People who want a variety of sizing options. If you’re looking for more than your run-of-the-mill shower curtain liner, consider this alternative from Quiet Town. The brand’s Sun Shower Curtain is more than double the cost of your average shower curtain liner, but is made with high-quality materials and comes in a variety of colors. This shower curtain liner is made from EVA plastic, and our tester found that it didn’t have an odor when unpacked from the box. It also has a great heft to it, boasting a gauge of 12 (gauges over 10 are among the heaviest liners on the market). This weight will prevent the shower curtain from sticking to you while you shower. The Quiet Town Sun Shower Curtain was also one of the most stylish liners we tested. The liner’s rounded corners, imprinted logo, brass grommets, and striking color (there are eight total, including clear) give it a level of luxury that simply isn’t present in most shower curtain liners. The only downsides are that it is non-returnable and only available in one size. Product Details:
Material: EVASize: 72 x 72 inchesCare: Wipe down with cleaner
Who it isn’t for: People who want a colorful shower curtain liner or need more sizing options. Our testing found that the BigFoot Shower Curtain Liner performed best at staying put in the shower. This is because it’s made with a thick PEVA plastic—in fact, it was heavy enough that our tester felt like the three magnetic weights at the bottom weren’t necessary for keeping the liner in place. Another perk of this heavy duty feel is that our tester found it easier to scrub clean than thinner shower curtain liners. The BigFoot Shower Curtain comes in a standard 72 x 72 inch size and three neutral colors, including classic clear, frosted clear, and white. Of the inexpensive clear plastic shower curtain liners available, this is a fantastic (and durable) option. Product Details:
Material: PEVASize: 72 x 72 inchesCare: Wipe down with cleaner
Who it isn’t for: People who want a heavy shower curtain liner. If you’re looking for an aesthetically pleasing shower curtain liner that’s not made from plastic, the Titan Shower Curtain Liner is for you. It’s made of 100 percent polyester, comes in three colors (gray, white, and ivory), and boasts an elegant, two-toned stripe pattern. Our tester found this shower curtain liner to be beautiful in-person, adding that it managed to bring sophistication to a room as ordinary as the bathroom. Plus, since it’s made of fabric, it can be cleaned in the washer and dryer. It comes with a waterproof backing and is treated to resist the growth of mildew. There are also weighted edges and stick-on clips to help keep the shower curtain liner in place. While these are nice features, especially the stick-on clips, our tester felt that it needed one more weight in the center of the liner for it to stay in place perfectly while using the shower. Product Details:
Material: PolyesterSizes: 70 x 72 inches, 70 x 84 inches, 54 x 78 inchesCare: Machine wash
Who it isn’t for: People who want a liner that covers the entire shower curtain. One of the most annoying things about buying both a shower curtain and a shower curtain liner is that neither typically comes included with hooks. Not only do you not need hooks with this shower curtain (the shower curtain instead features snap-on rings), but you also don’t need a separate, full-size liner. Instead, the included liner is about half the size of a regular liner and can be attached to the curtain via buttons. Having a liner as an attachment takes up way less space and also makes it easy to remove for washing. Our tester loved the Hookless shower curtain set, calling it both unique and highly functional. This set is made of polyester that has been treated to reduce the growth of mildew. It comes in three sizes and features six colors, including ivory, gray, and navy. Plus, when you want to replace your liner, you can purchase another Hookless liner separately. Product Details:
Material: PolyesterSizes: 54 x 80 inches, 71 x 74 inches, 71 x 86 inchesCare: Machine wash
Who it isn’t for: People who want a heavier shower curtain liner. Our tester recommends this shower curtain for minimalists who are searching for something with a fun design. The Simply Essential Square Dot Shower Curtain is a six-gauge shower curtain made of what our tester found to be a “high-quality plastic”. Six gauge falls in the middle of the thickness scale, so it still offers some heft but it won’t be one of the heavier shower curtain liners on the market. In our testing, we found it to be a bit too stiff—it prevented the shower from being totally sealed off, letting a draft in at the sides. The addition of shower curtain clips or weights at the bottom of the liner (not included) should help with this problem, though. This shower curtain liner comes in three sizes, including a long option, which is perfect for people specifically searching for extra-long shower curtain liners. Product Details:
Material: PEVASizes: 54 x 80 inches, 72 x 72 inches, 72 x 86 inchesCare: Wipe down with cleaner
Who it isn’t for: People who want a colorful shower curtain. Having to purchase a shower curtain and shower curtain liner separately can be a pain, so just skip it and buy a shower curtain set instead. This linen shower curtain set from Brooklinen is both attractive and functional, able to keep water in the shower while elevating the style of any bathroom it lives in. It comes with a linen curtain (the same linen used for Brooklinen’s bedding), a plastic liner, and 12 shower hooks. A shower curtain or liner coming with hooks is rare, making this set even more of a steal. Our tester found the quality of the linen to be refreshingly light and airy and the liner thin yet durable. One complaint was that unlike many other shower curtains, there are no metal grommets (the holes in the curtain that you put hooks through). This causes the grommets to sag and not line up with the shower curtain liner. A small imperfection, but this could prove unsightly for some people. The shower curtain set comes in one size and two neutral colors that’ll please any minimalist. Product Details:
Material: Linen curtain and PEVA linerSizes: 72 x 72 inchesCare: Machine wash curtain; wipe down liner with cleaner
Who it isn’t for: People who don’t have a shower/tub combo in their bathroom. Not many shower curtain liners can also act as a shower curtain, but this one from Bathage does the job quite well. By the looks of it out of the box, our tester was hesitant that it would actually repel water or dry well, but it was able to achieve both throughout testing. It’s made of polyester and coated to be antimicrobial. Because it’s fabric, you can wash it in the washing machine and even iron it to keep the curtain looking crisp. One downside our tester noted is that it has to dry in the shower, so if you don’t have a shower/tub combo in your place, the water dripping from the curtain may make more of a mess. Product Details:
Material: Polyester with PEVA top seamSize: 71 x 71 inchesCare: Machine wash
Our Testing Process
We tested 14 different shower curtain liners, evaluating them based on design, ease of cleaning, durability, and overall value. We also took into account the material type, weight of the liner, and the number of sizes available. We gave each category a score of one to five, one meaning it performed poorly in that category and five being that it performed best. We took these scores into account and used them to come up with the best shower curtain liners.
How to Shop for Shower Curtain Liners
Material
Shower curtain liners are usually made of water-repellent materials such as polyester (for fabric liners) and plastic, most often polyethylene vinyl acetate (PEVA) and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA). All of these materials are durable and water-resistant, so they will certainly get the job done at making sure water does not escape out of your shower and onto the floor. However, there are key differences consumers should be aware of. PEVA and EVA are chlorine-free and contain much lower levels of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) than PVC, another type of plastic commonly used in shower curtains. If you want a plastic shower curtain liner, it’s best to stick with PEVA or EVA varieties. If you want to avoid VOCs and plastic altogether, go for a polyester liner.
Weight
Weight is also important for shower curtain liners, due to the phenomenon of the shower curtain liner gravitating and sticking toward you while in the shower. The best way to remedy this annoyance is to buy a thicker and therefore heavier shower curtain liner, or a shower curtain liner with weights at the bottom to hold the liner down. If liners don’t have those little weights, check the gauge, which measures how thick a shower curtain liner is. Shower curtains that have a gauge that is less than four tend to be flimsy, while those with gauges higher than eight tend to be thick. Guages 10 or more are the thickest, and as such, the heaviest on the market.
Size
The standard size for a shower curtain liner is 72 x 72 inches, but there are other sizes available as well. The best thing to do before you buy is to measure your shower from the height of the bar where the curtain liner will be held to the bottom of the shower. You don’t want to get a shower curtain that is too long as you might run the risk of tripping on it while showering, and it’ll take longer to dry. If it’s too short it will not be effective at making sure the water stays within your shower or shower/tub combo.
Maintenance
One of the biggest perks of having a polyester shower curtain is that when it gets dirty, you can simply throw it in the washer and dryer. You can sometimes put your plastic shower curtain liner in the washing machine unless otherwise stated on your liner’s care label, but it’s probably best to hand wash. If you go that route, throw the liner in the washing machine with baking soda and one to two towels, which will prevent the plastic from getting wrinkled during the washing cycle. If you hand wash, you can create a DIY spray mixture using baking soda and vinegar, or, for a deeper clean, use an enzyme stain remover spray or soak it in an oxygen whitener.
More Shower Curtain Liners to Consider
Liba Shower Curtain Liner: The major downside of this shower curtain liner is its strong smell, which reminded our tester of nail polish remover. Aside from the odor, the liner did a good job at sticking to the sides of the shower and was described as “lightweight without being flimsy.” Crate & Barrel White Shower Curtain Liner with Magnets: This Crate & Barrel shower curtain liner has lots of weights at the bottom to help the liner stick to the shower. However, our tester found that it took twice as long to dry as other liners, and didn’t feel as durable as the competition. Stuffits Vinyl Shower Curtain with Mesh Pockets: The idea of adding storage pockets to a shower curtain is good in theory, but it has some flaws. The pockets are difficult to keep clean, making them ripe for mold or mildew growth. Plus, there is a chance that the shower rod may not be able to hold up the weight of all the stored items, especially if they’re heavy. Despite these concerns, the quality of the liner is very good. Maytex Norwich Textured Fabric Shower Curtain Liner: While the thinner material allows for more light to enter the shower, it does feel flimsy. Unlike most shower curtains or liners, it does include the hooks, so this is still a good budget-friendly option.
Questions You Might Ask
Can you use a shower curtain liner without a curtain?
You absolutely can. Having a shower curtain to accompany your liner is done for aesthetics and privacy, since most liners are transparent. Many modern liners, especially colorful or patterned options, are made to be used on their own. If you have a tub/shower combo, just be sure that your liner is dry before draping it outside the tub.
Is there any feature that helps prevent my shower curtain liner from blowing toward me while I shower?
Yes. This annoying phenomenon can be remedied by buying a shower curtain liner made with heavier fabric, and/or one that has little weights or magnets sewn into the bottom. Depending on the weight of the shower curtain liner, you may still get the liner moving toward you, so it’s best to buy a heavier liner to prevent this from happening.
Are shower curtain hooks included with shower curtain liners?
Generally, no. It’s important to remember to always buy shower hooks with your liner.
Take Our Word for It
This article was written by Rachel Center, lifelong aficionado of all things home and a product reviews home writer at Real Simple. After evaluating dozens of shower curtain liners on the market, we tested 14 best-sellers in our Lab and judged them on quality, ease of cleaning, durability, and overall value.
