Sliding bars do not have to look cluttered, look at some styles that are streamlined. The bottom one is Hans Grohe and the one we installed. Don't remember where I grabbed the first one from. Keeping them clean is only a matter of cleaning them!!

As for location, post some puctures of the current shower.

In our old ensuite we had a handheld on a rail and I never had any use for it other than at wait height. my husband insisted at keeping it at head height (he used it even less than i did which wasn’t too often) so i was constantly needing to move it down for when i wanted to use it.

in our renovation, im putting them in new ensuite and the family bathroom and have them fixed at waist height, no sliding rails. For myself they are handy for shaving and cleaning the shower. for my two small children it will be handy to rinse feet or shower them without getting too wet myself.

Like you I read a lot of people who like to use them for actual showering but i have never felt that need, and if I don’t want my hair wet I use a shower cap.

I have a regular fixed shower head, and I have a handheld one on a sliding bar that is mounted on the long wall of the shower, in between the shower head and the built in bench seat. It is convenient for me to use the handheld while seated on the bench - the handheld is closer and within easy reach. I have used the regular shower head maybe once since the shower was built. But I do have mobility issues and sit while showering most of the time. And it is nice to rinse the shower down with it. If you are staying in your home for a long time, you might consider incorporating universal design now so that you don't have to later, in case you or someone in your family becomes mobility impaired or has surgery and can't bend like they used to. I certainly did not expect to have these issues at my age, but it does happen unexpectedly.

Consider a fixture that allows selecting the temperature and the volume of water separately. I like having the option of a small stream of warm water. I agree that the handheld should be reachable from a lower possibly seated position, which is also easier to use for cleaning shower or other things.

If you and your partner are normal height, put it at the standard height (around 80"). If either of you are taller and have found standard height to be too low, raise it.

That said, I prefer the bar because my shower is used by people of rather different heights. I do not like standard shower height but my spouse does.