Choosing a shower screen usually comes down to one question first: how much metal do you want to see? That single choice affects the look of the room, how much water stays in the tray, how long cleaning takes and what you will pay.
The three main styles
Framed
A framed enclosure has a metal profile (usually aluminium) running around every edge of each glass panel. The frame holds the glass, carries the door runners and seals against the wall and tray.
- Glass: typically 4mm to 6mm toughened safety glass, because the frame does most of the structural work.
- Good for: tighter budgets, rental properties, walls that are not perfectly straight, and households that want the best possible water containment.
- Watch out for: frames and tracks collect soap scum and limescale, and they date a bathroom faster than plain glass does.
Semi-frameless
Semi-frameless designs keep a slim wall channel or profile on some edges but leave the door edges, and often the top, unframed.
- Glass: usually 6mm to 8mm.
- Good for: most standard UK bathrooms. You get much of the frameless look while the wall channel absorbs small wall irregularities.
- Watch out for: cheap semi-frameless doors can feel light and rattle. Check hinge quality and whether the door is adjustable after fitting.
Frameless
Frameless screens are heavy panels of glass held only by hinges, clamps, a discreet wall channel or a support bar. There is little or no metal around the glass.
- Glass: usually 8mm to 10mm, sometimes 12mm for very large panels.
- Good for: a clean, open look, small rooms where you want the space to feel bigger, and anyone who hates scrubbing tracks.
- Watch out for: the walls must be strong enough to take the fixings, and the fitting needs to be accurate. Small gaps at the hinges are normal on a frameless door, so they rely on good seals and a well positioned shower head to keep water in.
Side by side
| Framed | Semi-frameless | Frameless | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical glass | 4mm to 6mm | 6mm to 8mm | 8mm to 10mm |
| Look | Traditional, more metal | Lighter, modern | Minimal, open |
| Water containment | Best | Good | Good with seals and careful design |
| Cleaning | Most effort (tracks, frames) | Moderate | Easiest |
| Tolerance of uneven walls | High | Moderate | Low |
| Relative cost | Lowest | Middle | Highest |
Things that matter more than the label
Wall construction
Heavy frameless glass needs secure fixings. Solid masonry is ideal. Stud walls can work, but only with proper timber noggins or other reinforcement behind the board, ideally planned before tiling. If you are not sure what is behind your tiles, ask before you buy a heavy frameless panel.
Accurate measuring
Off-the-shelf frameless screens come in fixed sizes, and walls are rarely perfectly square. Made-to-measure glass can fill awkward spaces, sloping ceilings and out-of-true walls neatly, but it means someone has to measure carefully once the tiling is finished. Measuring before tiling is a common and expensive mistake.
Some companies sell made-to-measure frameless glass on a supply-only basis: they cut the glass to your sizes and deliver it, and your own fitter installs it. Lumelle Glass, for example, works this way and uses 10mm toughened safety glass as standard for its frameless enclosures. Whoever you buy from, confirm who is responsible for measuring before the glass is ordered.
Hardware quality
Hinges, clamps and support bars do the real work on frameless glass. Solid brass or stainless steel hardware tends to last better than plated zinc alloy. Ask what the fittings are made of and whether the hinges can be adjusted.
Easy-clean coatings
Many manufacturers offer a factory-applied coating that helps water bead and run off. It does not stop limescale completely, but it makes daily wiping much quicker, especially in hard water areas. See our cleaning guide for how to look after it.
Which should you choose?
- Choose framed if budget is the priority, your walls are uneven, or you want maximum water containment with minimal fuss.
- Choose semi-frameless if you want a modern look in a standard bathroom without the extra cost and wall requirements of full frameless.
- Choose frameless if the look matters most, your walls are solid (or can be reinforced), and you are happy to invest in accurate measuring and quality hardware.
Whichever you choose, check that the glass is toughened safety glass marked to the relevant standard (BS EN 12150 is the one to look for), and ask about the warranty on both the glass and the fittings.
Next, read our guide to shower glass thickness to see how thickness affects safety, weight and price.