U by Moen Smart Shower Review — Four Years of Showers That Start Themselves
"Alexa, start the shower." That's how my morning begins — and by the time I walk into the bathroom, the water is running at exactly the right temperature. It's the U by Moen smart shower. We included it when we built our house in 2022, so this is a four-year, long-term review. Here's the honest take.
How It Works: No Knobs, Just a Digital Valve
There's no knob to turn. A digital valve does the mixing, and you control it three ways: a wall controller in the shower with a five-inch screen and real buttons, the Moen app on your phone, or your voice. Mine is the two-outlet version, running our showerhead and the handheld. Moen's valve gives you precise, thermostatic temperature control — you set the exact degree, anywhere from 60 to 120 degrees — and the screen changes color as the water warms up, then turns white and beeps when your shower is ready.
Price: About $3,200 Installed
It cost us about $3,200, all in with installation, as part of our build. It's not cheap. Here's what those four years have looked like.
Presets and the Morning Routine
The presets are amazing. The app holds up to twelve of them — your temperature, your outlets, even a shower timer — and Moen works with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri, so a preset is one sentence away. But the star of the show is my morning routine. One command and the shower starts and sets the temperature perfectly. The routine also turns on the bathroom fan and reminds me to grab a towel — but the shower is the star. Moen can even warm the water up and pause it until you step in, so you're not wasting water standing around waiting.
Four Years In: No Issues — Other Than the Wi-Fi
Four years in, I've had no issues with it at all — other than the Wi-Fi, and I'll get to that. The valve, the controller, the presets, the voice control: all of it has just worked.
The One Real Downside
Now the one real downside, and you should know this going in. The shower has to live on a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network, and it can be picky on a mesh setup. It took a lot of trial and error to get it stable on my UniFi network. To be fair, most smart home gear is 2.4 GHz anyway — but this one made me work for it. One more thing worth knowing: it's fully digital, so it needs power to run. Moen sells an optional battery backup; without it, a power outage turns the shower off.
✅ Pros
- Amazing presets — the app holds up to twelve: your temperature, your outlets, even a shower timer.
- Alexa voice start — a morning routine starts the shower and sets the perfect temperature every time.
- Precise thermostatic control — set the exact degree, anywhere from 60 to 120°F.
- Warm-up and pause — the water warms, then waits for you, so you're not wasting water.
- Four years, no issues — other than the Wi-Fi, it has just worked.
❌ Cons
- The Wi-Fi fight — 2.4 GHz only and picky on mesh networks; it took real trial and error to get stable on UniFi.
- Fully digital — a power outage turns the shower off unless you add Moen's optional battery backup.
- Premium price — about $3,200 all in with installation.
The Verdict. Nine out of ten. Four years in, and it still truly feels like magic — a shower that starts itself by voice and hits the perfect temperature every single time. The one point comes off for the Wi-Fi fight. Would I put one in again? Absolutely — but next time I'd step up to the four-outlet version.
That's the U by Moen — the magic trick my bathroom does every morning.
U by Moen Smart Shower FAQ
What is the U by Moen smart shower?
The U by Moen is a smart shower system with a digital valve instead of knobs. You control it three ways: a wall controller in the shower with a five-inch screen and real buttons, the Moen app on your phone, or your voice. Ours is the two-outlet version, running our showerhead and the handheld, and it was included when we built our house in 2022.
How precise is the temperature control?
Very. The digital valve gives you precise, thermostatic temperature control — you set the exact degree, anywhere from 60 to 120 degrees. The controller screen changes color as the water warms up, then turns white and beeps when your shower is ready.
How much does the U by Moen cost installed?
It cost us about $3,200, all in with installation, as part of our house build in 2022. It's not cheap — it's a premium fixture you spec into a build or a major remodel.
Does the U by Moen work with Alexa?
Yes — it works with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri. The presets are the star: the app holds up to twelve of them — your temperature, your outlets, even a shower timer. My morning routine starts the shower with one command and sets the temperature perfectly; the routine also turns on the bathroom fan and reminds me to grab a towel, but the shower is the star of the show.
What is the downside of the U by Moen smart shower?
The Wi-Fi. The shower has to live on a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network, and it can be picky on a mesh setup — it took a lot of trial and error to get it stable on my UniFi network. To be fair, most smart home gear is 2.4 GHz anyway, but this one made me work for it. One more thing: it's fully digital, so it needs power to run — a power outage turns the shower off unless you add Moen's optional battery backup. Other than the Wi-Fi, I've had no issues with it at all in four years.
Would you install the U by Moen again?
Absolutely — but next time I'd step up to the four-outlet version. Nine out of ten, with the one point off for the Wi-Fi fight. Four years in, it still truly feels like magic: a shower that starts itself by voice and hits the perfect temperature every single time.
Note: This review is based on my own U by Moen, included in our 2022 house build and in daily service for about four years. The product photos in the video are Moen's official product imagery and the app screen is from Moen's own app listing; the narration is an AI voice.
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