Looking for a sleek and modern-looking shower clock radio

January 31, 2011 6:47 PM

I'm looking for a badass shower radio + clock for my partner. I found a few with great reviews, but they're not all that aesthetically appealing. Design is an important factor for my partner.

Aside from being of good quality (minimal static, loud enough to hear over shower), it only needs to have the basic functions: FM radio and a clock feature.

The ideal product will fit in his shower, which lacks a shelf in the walls, a built-in seat in the corner, etc. It's a standard-sized shower, not the kind you'd find in a master bathroom.

He would not be okay with any drilling, but I suppose hanging would okay. The walls are tile and it has a sliding glass door, so anything with adhesive properties would be okay. The one he has now sits in the tiny corner where the upper rim of the bathtub portion of the shower meets the wall (that area where many people put bottles of shampoo, if that makes sense).

His current shower clock-radio is still in great condition after 10-15 years, but it's ugly. He's requested that I find one that looks sleeker and more modern. I'd like to stay under $200, but I have some flexibility.

These two have excellent reviews, but they're not any better looking than what he currently has:
- Sangen H201 AM/FM digital shower radio
- Sony ICF-CD73W AM/FM/Weather Shower CD Clock Radio

Is this as good as it gets?

posted by overyourhead to shopping (2 answers total)

I don't see any info on how to get this one (it might not be in production yet), but it has some nice design elements.

I'm very sorry if I've sent you something you really like but that you will never be able to get...
posted by BlooPen at 7:44 PM on January 31, 2011

My wife has the Sangean, and it's a lot better looking in person - it's big, heavy and it reeks of quality in the way most personal electronics don't. It gives off that "Expensive German Electronics" vibe, even tho it's Taiwanese. Solid unit with the small details done right... it looks and feels like you're getting your money's worth. You really won't be disappointed.

It comes with a mounting plate that attaches to a wall with included adhesive pads. Additionally, it has a swivel-out semicircular handle/antenna that locks into place, and is good for hanging from coathooks, towel bars, etc. - it's rubberized, so it doesn't slide around. The FM antenna is just a waterproof wire that dangles from the bottom of the unit, but the reception on the thing is such that you probably won't need to deploy it. It takes D-Cells, so battery life isn't much of an issue.

On the other hand, Sony radios are kind of flimsy and cheap - they're an afterthought, not a core business area like televisions or cameras. I wasn't impressed with the one I bought for listening to baseball last year, and wound up taking it back.
posted by Slap*Happy at 4:25 AM on February 1, 2011