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Hair Catchers: An Affordable Investment to Save You Grief

Danielle Mcleod

You don’t have to have long hair to reap the benefits of using a hair catcher in your drain. These simple, affordable products are designed to help save you grief with your home water and sewage pipes, and influence a healthier atmosphere in your bathrooms.

Check out these various best hair catcher designs and top picks to decide which will best fit your existing drains and take care of the concerns you may have.

RankProductHighlights
#1

TubShroom BathTub Drain Protector

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  • Material: Both metal and silicon styles available
  • Size: 1.5 – 1.75 inches, with adaptations available
  • Features: Easy in drain style, multiple materials and sizes need to be addressed, dependable and long-lasting, easy to clean
#2

Uxoz 2 inch Drain Hair Catcher

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  • Material: stainless steel
  • Size: 1.75 – 2 inches, with adaptations available
  • Features: Easy in drain style, multiple materials and sizes need to be addressed, dependable and long-lasting, easy to clean
#3

OXO Good Grips Silicone Drain Protector

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  • Material: Silicone and stainless steel
  • Size: 4.5 inches across
  • Features: Durable, slip-free design; effective for both flat and pop-up drains; easy to remove and clean
#4

DrainWig Shower Drain Protectors

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  • Material: Stainless steel chain and silicone
  • Size: 11 inches long, 5 inches across
  • Features: Easy to use, stainless steel chain is durable, 2 to 4 months of use, throw away style, stays put
#5

Evriholder Drain Protector for Bathtubs

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  • Material: Plastic
  • Size: 4.25 inches across
  • Features: Hybrid design, varying hole sizes, hair catching teeth, easy to clean
#6

LEKEYE Drain Hair Catcher

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  • Material: stainless steel
  • Size: 2.75 inches across
  • Features: rust-proof, stays in place, easy to clean and remove, durable and long-lasting

What is a Hair Catcher?

A hair catcher is just that, a device that sits in or over your drain to catch loose hairs, dirt, and debris that wash free during showering or bathing. These are simple products that are very efficient and affordable, and can help save you problems with your pipes, drainage, and sewage in the long run.

Benefits of Their Use

Why not allow hair to wash down the drain, you may ask? The answer is simple: because hair doesn’t move through plumbing pipes easily, and catches in rough edges, pipe traps, drain covers, or anything else that might grab hold of the thin, small threads that make up your hair. Over time, this collects more hair, dirt, oils, and other debris that wash down – creating bacteria growths, bad odors, and can completely block up the pipe.

 If you are lucky, you may be able to snake or break loose your clog with chemical treatments, but often a professional may need to be called- which can get quite expensive. Save yourself the trouble and invest in a hair catcher to avoid problems and unexpected costs down the road.

Types of Hair Catcher to Consider

There are two basic types of hair catchers deemed effective in helping stop unwanted materials from making their way down your drain. These can be made from a few different materials, such as flexible, easy to clean silicon; rust-resistant, durable stainless steel; or plastic, an affordable and easy to replace option once it has lived out its purpose.

— Drain Screen Catcher

This is the simpler of the two designs and simply sits over the drain to capture and block debris before they make their way down into your plumbing. They are easy to install and clean, but also may not always stay in place as well as in-drain options.

— In-Drain Catcher

In-drain style catchers trap hair and larger debris as soon as it is washed down the drain. You do have to remove the drain cover for installation in some of these designs, but they are very effective and easy to clean once in place. The downside is, you may not notice when they need to be emptied or need a good cleaning.

What to Consider Before Purchase

First off, not all drain catchers are made the same- and there are quality differences between styles and material use. You need to consider not only placement, but also the size of your drain, and the amount of use your hair catcher will see over time to be effective. You also want to choose something you feel is easily accessible and also aesthetically pleasing if in view.

Top Hair Catcher Picks

These top picks highlight the diversity of the styles and details you can pick from to help keep your plumbing clog-free. Remember- be sure to check for size and design to ensure you are getting the most effective option for your drain type and location.

1. TubShroom Ultra Revolutionary BathTub Drain Protector

SPECS:

  • Material: Both metal and silicon styles available
  • Size: 1.5 – 1.75 inches, with adaptations available
  • Features: Easy in drain style, multiple materials and sizes need to be addressed, dependable and long-lasting, easy to clean

Most Popular Shower and Bathtub Hair Catcher

The TubShroom drain protector designs are popular choices and work effectively at keeping debris from making its way down your drain. There are a few different models to help fit your specific drain size, but this tub option works for drain holes from 1.5 to 1.75 inches across, and sits down inside the drain to stay put. It also offers size adaptors to ensure a good fit. 

Easy to clean, it simply pulls free from an open drain and you can remove and clear any hair or dirt buildup. It also allows water to flow freely to avoid having any sort of water backup.

ProsCons
  • Seriously easy to clean
  • Non-slip and stays put
  • Doesn’t cause water backup
  • Must clean regularly
  • Long hair can be difficult to pull free

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2. Uxoz 2 inch Drain Hair Catcher

SPECS:

  • Material: stainless steel
  • Size: 1.75 – 2 inches, with adaptations available
  • Features: Easy in drain style, multiple materials and sizes need to be addressed, dependable and long-lasting, easy to clean

Best X-Large Hair Catcher

This drain design is an extra-large option for drains between 1.75 and 2 inches in diameter. Smaller versions do exist as well, but all offer an effective way to keep hair and dirt from washing into your pipes. Non-slip and easy to install, it also is adjustable for a snug, slip-free feel. 

It is another option that is easy to remove for quick cleaning, and the design catches a wide range of hair sizes to avoid clogged pipe problems down the road.

ProsCons
  • Seriously easy to clean
  • Non-slip and stays put
  • Doesn’t cause water backup
  • Must clean regularly
  • Long hair can be difficult to pull free

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3. OXO Good Grips Silicone Drain Protector

SPECS:

  • Material: Silicone and stainless steel
  • Size: 4.5 inches across
  • Features: Durable, slip-free design; effective for both flat and pop-up drains; easy to remove and clean

Best Hair Catcher for Pop-Up Drains

If you have a pop-up drain that is in desperate need of protection, the OXO Good Grips Silicone protector is the answer you need. Pop-up drains can be difficult to clean, and so catching hair before it can cause an issue is important. This option sits over the drain and allows room for water to flow freely, all while blocking and debris from the drain itself. 

Made from silicone, it creates a snug hold that doesn’t move easily, and lifts free for easy cleaning. It also has a stainless steel top for added weight to ensure it doesn’t go anywhere even with a strong water stream.

ProsCons
  • Universal fit
  • Stays in place well
  • Doesn’t disrupt water flow
  • Some hair might flow under the seal if not well placed

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4. DrainWig Shower Drain Protectors

SPECS:

  • Material: Stainless steel chain and silicone
  • Size: 11 inches long, 5 inches across
  • Features: Easy to use, stainless steel chain is durable, 2 to 4 months of use, throw away style, stays put

Best Disposable Drain Protectors

These revolutionary drain protectors are for in drain use, but take the issue of removing drain covers out of the equation. Instead, they feed down into the drain and are attached to a silicon ‘flower’ that holds it in place without impeding the flow of water. Once in place, any hair washes down the drain itself. 

They also are incredibly easy to deal with when you are done with their use- simply throw them away! You can clean them off as well for reuse, but they are designed for easy disposal after 2 to 4 months of use. Since they work with the existing drain cover, the two work in tandem to keep your pipes clear. 

ProsCons
  • Very efficient
  • Pulls free easily despite thinking otherwise
  • Simple hair catching solution
  • Doesn’t stop much more than hair
  • Be sure to get the stainless steel chain version or the chain will rust off (many knock-offs on the market).

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5. Evriholder Hair Stopper Plastic Drain Protector for Bathtubs

SPECS:

  • Material: Plastic
  • Size: 4.25 inches across
  • Features: Hybrid design, varying hole sizes, hair catching teeth, easy to clean

Supportive Water Flow Hybrid Drain Protector

This hybrid design combines both drain and over drain protection and a snug fit that works well with a wide array of drain sizes. With a 1.375 inch ‘plug’ and 4.25-inch cover, it allows for easy water flow all while catching anything trying to wash into your pipes. 

Varying side opening also works well to catch a wider array of hair types and lengths, as well as debris and dirt. It also has low profile ‘teeth’ along the domed top to catch even more hair before it works its way into the catch. Easy to clean, it removes with a simple lift to wipe clean.

ProsCons
  • Fit a huge array of drain sizes
  • Easy to clean and stay
  • May become brittle over time

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6. LEKEYE Drain Hair Catcher

SPECS:

  • Material: stainless steel
  • Size: 2.75 inches across
  • Features: rust-proof, stays in place, easy to clean and remove, durable and long-lasting

Best Flat Hair Catcher

When you have a drain cover that cannot be removed, this is an excellent option to work in tandem with it to keep hair from washing down into your pipes. This flat design has a slightly domed top and silicon rim to keep it snug in place when set over your existing drain. The varying holes help trap hair and debris, and allows you to easily lift it away for cleaning. 

Stainless steel and rustproof, this is a long-lasting and durable choice when other styles just won’t cut it. 2.75 x 2.75 inches in size, it fits most standard drains with ease.

ProsCons
  • Silicone edges create a suction 
  • Easy to clean
  • Fits over drains well
  • Will moved if kicked, but stays put under water pressure

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Conclusion

A hair drain is an affordable investment that can save you a lot of money in the long run if you ever have to deal with a drain clogged by hair buildup. These catch the worst of your debris and allow you to safely dispose of it without a hassle.

These various styles help cover any types of drains you may have, allowing you peace of mind in any area where you may have a concern.