I add benches in nearly all the showers I design a) yes, far more elegant to sit and shave your legs b) elder people sometimes prefer to sit and shower c) I have designed showers with a view so you can sit and admire the view d) easier to place stuff when you are shampooing and conditioning etc etc e) actually gives more body space but doesn't waste lower space - so I fill it up with a seat!

We add benches to almost every shower we do. From a guy's standpoint, we still need to prop the leg up on something to wash. Sitting and hanging out in a shower is not high on my list...

It would be a 'nice to have' for sure. I might actually sit there and soak up the steam for a few minutes, and it sure is easier for leg maintenance as opposed to bending over (or sitting on the floor which is what I usually end up doing). It's on my wish list if I ever reno that master suite.

Benches are a great addition to a shower where the room exists for all the reasons above.

I would LOVE to have a bench in any of my showers. I would put all my "stuff" there AND shave my legs there. So, I would also add that it's probably a good resell feature too. When my mom comes to visit I actually have one I pull out for her to use that looks really ugly. I like everything about your beautiful bath. :)

@kimdee: Why wait? Treat yourself to a teak bench in the shower. It won't feel cold like a tile bench would.

I'm with Carolyn. I have a bathroom with a huge shower and only one shower head and no bench. I added the teak bench and love it.

@carolyn -- I don't think I have the space! The shower is only 33" x 44" inside dimension. I think I'll have to learn to be a bath soaker now that I have a tub that isn't designed for children. I was just in there, thinking, if I had to do it over, I'd have lost the stupid art niche on the other side of the wall and made the shower deeper with a bench.

Hindsight!

In our new home which we are expecting to move into very soon, a family member has the same bench you illustrated above, same colour too. it is very wide. I would have preferred something like that in my bathroom too like the one shown by ASVInteriors above, the Master Bedroom, really nice!

I like the wooden bench too shown by Carolyn so that gives me a good idea what to do if I don't have a bench. ( not seen house results yet!)

Some people put a plastic garden chair (ones without arm rests) inside when they need it ( in smaller cubicle showers).

@kimdee: Isn't hindsight wonderful? I think it's easier to shave legs in a tub anyway.

Please do it as I am glad that I did in my recent bathroom redo.

Maybe if you weren't feeling well or had surgery you'd want to sit down and take a shower. I don't think it's un-manly to have a seat in the shower or particularly feminine, either.

As you can see in one of the photos above, you can stash stuff there. We gals sometimes have more products than there is space for in a shampoo niche.

Agree Carolin it is also a catch area while we are showering. I don't mean any disrespect but it is an adventurous spot.

kimdee and others...a wall mounted fold down teak bench is another option!

Yes, shower benches can lead to adventures...just one more reason to have one!

Nobody mentioned it, but consider water to service the bench side of the shower.

I couldn't afford to add new plumbing to service the bench but I added handheld and made it long enough to reach the bench, just another idea.