Yikes - I was thinking about these. I doubt I would have ordered sight unseen - now I know I won't. Maybe the plastic wouldn't bother me but I'd want to see it to know for sure.

I have a Grohe Ladylux in my kitchen. I don't like it. It has already sprung a leak at the back. The spray nozzle does not snap back in place when I extend it, so it ends up kind of half hanging pointing sideways. I'm getting Kohler for the bath although I'm told that the Grohe is best for the handheld shower unit. IDK.

I have Delta in my kitchen and Jado in my master bath. I'm impressed with both as they're heavy, solid (metal) pieces. Delta fixtures are 7+ years old with NO problems. Jado fixtures (includes 8" spread sink, tub and handshower fixtures) is 2 years old. No problems. I'm sorry the Grohe products are not to your liking :(
Monica

I am so surprised to read this (though of course I believe you).. I did not look at Grohe because of the price- but was under the impression that it was an excellent product. I have consistently heard positive things about DELTA (which I do have and find totally fine) and MOEN. Both are reasonably priced and seem well liked by folks on here as well as plumbers.

I went to a store today and saw several fixtures that were made of plastic. A number of brands had handshowers and showerheads made of plastic. They did not have Grohe on display. The salesperson told me that many manufacturers made their trims, etc. of plastic and it did not matter because the products were popular and they did not have any complaints. Its common practice even for Hansgrohe -- some products of their expensive Axor line are also made of plastic.

I don't understand how some Kohler products that are cheaper are made of metal while the more expensive Grohe is made of plastic. I purchased Hansgrohe but after reading on these forums made sure that almost all my items were metal and not plastic. I did not read something similar about Grohe, so did not verify. No wonder my contractor (who used to be a plumber) kept telling me that Kohler is better, but I really don't like the heavy traditional look of Kohler, and did not want to spend $$$$ on Dornbracht for the guest/kids bath.

However, my conversation with the salesperson made me feel better about my Grohe fixtures. I think I will keep Grohe because its not worth returning if plastic is a common practice. But I will never buy Grohe again. I don't want plastic products in my bathroom when I can get metal for the same or less price. Regarding the look, I wasn't that taken with Grohe Movario - its not that contemporary looking, and the tub spout I got is too thick. My taste is more contemporary and minimalistic.

I am happiest with my Hansgrohe master bath fixtures. I got the Axor Starck collection and the only plastic items are the parts that attach the wallbar to the wall. Everything else is sturdy metal. I got Kohler for powder room which is so so so sturdy (especially for the price), but too thick for my taste.

I was shocked to find that plastic is used in shower fixtures! I had to return a nice looking showerhead because it was entirely plastic! 100.00 for a plastic showerhead?
I purchased slide bar online; it was plastic as well and had to be returned. I bought a shower set up at Home Depot, yet again, plastic when you opened the box! Back it went!
I think manufacturers really should specify PLASTIC in their descriptions!
I ended up with METAL Moen shower fixtures.

ITA about manufacturers specifying plastic. Grohe's website says "solid brass body" for their faucets, but nowhere do they mention "plastic" for showers. Why omit that information, if they make it a point to specify for brass?

Sorry! It is so disappointing when you do all the research and then get something that isn't as described and not to your liking. I feel the same way about plastic when I'm paying top dollar.
Have you looked at Rohl? We used those in our shower and bath and the quality is superb--they even come in felt bags. Am not sure how they compare in price. We got ours online. Hope you get something you are happy with.

Love the Hansgrohe we put in our kids bathroom. When I looked locally, I felt they had the best build for the price. I bought them online.

I have all Grohe in my master bath, including the Movario. In 4 years we've never had an issue even though we have bad water.

So glad you brought this up. I just put Delta Dryden series in my new bath and was also amazed to find that the trims were plastic. At the time I was so overwhelmed with the "major" problems on the job, and anxious to have it done with, so I didn't pursue it. But I was very surprised and disappointed. I read the specs and everything, and never noticed anywhere that it said the trims would be in plastic.

It just seems like such a rip-off, no matter how much you're paying for it. Does anyone know why exactly these trims are being done in plastic (I assume it's a $$$ issue), and does it in fact affect the performance, cleaning or wear? My plumber said no, but I don't really trust him.

Question: I have a Grohe hand held in my shower and like it but was surprised to find much of it was plastic. The good thing is the guts are brass, not plastic. The handheld part is plastic. I wondered if this is because it can easily be dropped and banged against a glass shower and if it were metal that might cause some problems? It works fine and feels nice in the hand, not too heavy, not too light. I don't know what to think.

cakequeen, I could be wrong but I thought someone posted before that the reason the handheld part is plastic is because metal would get too hot for you to hold. I don't know if that's true or not, but it *sounds* right to me.

I have a Grohe bathroom faucet and I love it. It's very solid and definitely not plastic.

Two years ago I put the Grohe fixtures, including the Movario, in three bathrooms and everyone loves them. Didn't even notice the plastic until your post.

If I remember, I do think the above points showed up when I researched the Movario. The plastic is a better insulator for keeping heat in the water and off your hand, plus if you drop it- less chance of something inadvertently getting broken (chipped tile, glass shower walls).

I have to say I was a skeptic when I took it out of the box, but it's held up great.

In contrast, the Toto hardware for our main bath was all very solid brass that was well plated. Didn't get the hand shower, so not sure on that one. But Toto was definitely a fair amount more $$$ than the Grohe, even with the discounts.

I have a Grohe Eurostyle kitchen faucet that is about two years old now. The side spray nozzle is plastic and I was surprised and disappointed -- even though it looks fine. I have to say, however, that it has worked flawlessly so I have recovered a bit from the disappointment because I love the style of the faucet. I would certainly ask that question if I bought another, though, and plastic wouldn't be my choice when paying that price for a faucet.

Like shudda, I have a Grohe kitchen faucet (the Ladylux Plus in polished chrome). The fixed portion of the faucet is metal; the pull-out head looks like metal but is plastic. The only way you can tell is by its weight. It's been in constant use for 3 years now and it's the best faucet I've ever owned. I think it's made this way for functional reasons. I'm planning to use Grohe faucets in my bathroom renovation.

ok, so I get why handheld elements might be plastic, as they could get hot and could cause burns or whatever, but on my Delta tub/shower setup, almost everything that mounts on the outside of the wall is plastic. The trim plates, tub nozzle, I think even the showerhead (tho I would have to check that). All the interior "guts" are brass, tho. Is that just cheapness, or is there a good reason for it?

I tried to return and spoke to the salesperson whom I purchased the Grohe from. Even though she gets a restocking fee, she strongly advised against it. She said that she has never had any complaints and Grohe is a very good brand. The plastic is not cheap plastic, but rather something called "resin" that is very durable. Many manufacturers used to use Grohe parts due to their durability and as long as the internal stuff is not plastic it shouldn't matter. That and after visiting another place, I have decided to keep Grohe. Its just that I was not expecting it to be plastic, especially since all my other fixtures are not plastic.
Having said that, I will still not buy Grohe again unless it blows my mind :)

hmmm, i am pretty sure the danze shower & handheld we just put in are metal. well, the showerhead has a metal outside & a what looks like rubber for the holes where the water sprays out. The handheld is all metal - I better not drop it, ha! i have danze parma

that would really bother me too. i purchased mostly rohl, some porcher (american standard) and hansgrohe. everything is brass. a friend questioned my choices and was wondering why i didn't select grohe. she told me her "designer" told her "grohe makes the best fixtures on the planet."

LOL, that's why i never considered them! when someone decides to make such a ridiculous statement i run the other way. i'd pay the restocking fee and get what makes you happy. good luck. sorry you're disappointed.

I received the Grohe Concetto - the entire kitchen faucet has a brass body except for the pull-down part. Its plastic and the spray button is plastic as well. I am thinking of returning it and will just buy what I like from a store. Probably Rohl or similar. I really don't want plastic in my kitchen especially when everything else is nice. I also don't like the spout style on the faucet - it looks very different from pictures online. It seems to be wider and less sleek than it appears in pictures.

Hi all. We had put in a Ladylux Cafe 5 years ago and we have never had any problems with it. We went over to a higher end supplier recently to look for bathroom fixtures and asked them what they would put in if it was their bathroom. They said they would spend the extra money and put in Grohe...they do not even sell Grohe. They sell Kohler, Danze, and Moen. That sold me once again on sticking with Grohe. I just ordered everything yesterday...I hope I am as happy as in the past with Grohe:)

I am in the process of finalizing my bathroom fixtures so these postings are relevant and informative for me. One thing I read is that fixtures purchased at big box stores are manufactured with cheaper parts, although when I was in HD the other day I looked at a Hansgrohe shower set that was made in Germany, not China.

Top of my list is the Grohe Essence single-lever lavatory faucet. If I can get a shower set that matches somewhat, I will probably buy from Grohe as I have heard worse about Kohler.

We have Grohe and, like you have been a bit disappointed. The handheld shower head cracked and the hose came apart (this is our main bathroom, but is definitely not abused). I would be more upset, but when I took them back, I was given new ones immediately no questions asked. We haven't had any trouble since we've put in the new.

Chiming in with another 'hate' vote for my Ladylux. Can't wait for it to go south enough to justify replacement. It is the only thing in my kitchen I regret.

Sorry you feel the same way. Aren't you sick and tired of falling for hype?

I'm a ladylux Grohe owner and it beats the Kohler kitchen faucet it replaced! I replaced that Kohler faucet 3 times, with 2 different Kohler faucets before getting a Grohe. My kitchen is the only room that has something other than Kohler. I LOVE Kohler!!!! I LOVE Kohlers customer service! Sorry to the op for your Grohe issues. I agree that if you pay top dollar you expect more than resin.

I am a Grohe owner. We are looking for ideas for remodeling a bathroom. Grohe will not be in our new bathroom. The plastic parts on our Grohe hand held, hose, bar, fixture holder, etc have broken after 6-8 years. Grohe changes the models every few years so that parts for Grohe fixtures that are over 5 years old are NOT available. We want something that is more durable.