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If your shower head hits you in the chest instead of the head, a shower arm extension solves the problem cheaply — no plumbing work required. These thread onto your existing shower arm stub-out and extend or angle the head to wherever you need it. Here’s what to buy.
| Product | Best For | Price tier |
|---|---|---|
| Moen 116651 6-Inch Shower Arm (Chrome) | Best Overall | Mid |
| High Sierra Adjustable Shower Arm | Best Adjustable | Highest |
| WASSA 11-Inch Extension Arm | Best Long Reach | Lowest |
Best Overall: Moen 116651 6-Inch Shower Arm (Chrome)Editor’s Choice
Check the Moen 116651 6-Inch Shower Arm price on Amazon →
Moen’s 116651 is a 6-inch straight arm that replaces the one already coming out of your wall, so it swaps a corroded or dated arm rather than raising the head. Metal construction with a chrome finish that matches virtually any bathroom hardware. Threads onto any standard 1/2″ NPT wall stub-out and accepts any standard shower head.
- ✅ Metal construction with a chrome finish
- ✅ Fits any standard shower head
- ✅ Standard chrome matches most bathrooms
- ✅ Simple installation
How to Install a Shower Arm Extension
- Wrap 2–3 turns of Teflon tape on the wall stub-out threads (clockwise).
- Thread the extension arm onto the stub-out — hand tight plus snug with pliers. Wrap a cloth around the arm to avoid scratching the finish.
- Wrap Teflon tape on the extension arm’s outlet threads.
- Thread your shower head onto the extension arm.
- Turn water on and check for leaks at both threaded connections.
FAQ
Will an extension arm affect water pressure?
No. A straight extension arm has no effect on pressure. An adjustable ball-joint arm with a very tight elbow angle may reduce flow very slightly, but it’s not noticeable in practice.
Do I need to turn off my water to install this?
No — all the connections are at the shower head level. No valves or supply lines are involved. The water only comes out when the shower is on.
I send an occasional note when a new guide goes up — repairs worth doing yourself, and the parts that actually last. No spam, no course funnel; written by a licensed Georgia plumber.
Bottom Line
Moen’s 116651 is a 6-inch straight replacement arm — metal construction with a standard chrome finish, and it fits standard 1/2-inch IPS connections. It swaps a tired or corroded arm rather than adding height, so if raising the head is the goal, choose a longer S-shaped arm instead. If you need to dial in the exact angle, step up to the High Sierra adjustable version.
An extender fixes height and reach. If the complaint is pressure rather than position, the arm won’t change it — that’s the head, and our high-pressure picks cover it.
Pick the Shape, Not Just the Length
- S-shaped extension gains height and pushes the head out from the wall. The usual choice for taller users in a standard shower.
- Straight extension mostly pushes outward. Useful when the head sprays the wall or you want to clear a shower curtain.
- Adjustable / articulated arm lets you aim it, which is what you want for a rain head that needs to point straight down. It also has more joints, and every joint is a future drip.
The Real Risk Is Behind the Tile
This is the part that matters and almost nobody mentions. Your shower arm threads into a drop-ear elbow fastened to a stud inside the wall. An extension arm makes that fitting a longer lever, and a heavy rain head on the end of a long arm multiplies the load again. Wall-mounted tile does not forgive a fitting that starts to work loose.
So: keep the extension as short as the job needs, be honest about the weight of the head you are hanging on it, and if the arm has any movement at the wall once tightened, stop and sort that out before you use it. A dripping joint you can see is annoying; a leak inside the wall is a different kind of problem entirely.
Sealing It, and What Won’t Fix Weak Pressure
Both ends are tapered pipe thread, so both ends get PTFE tape — three to five wraps clockwise as you face the thread — and both get hand-tightened plus a gentle nudge, not cranked. Overtightening into a drop-ear elbow is how the fitting behind the tile gets damaged in the first place.
One expectation to set: an extension arm does not increase water pressure, and raising the head slightly reduces how forceful the spray feels. If your shower is genuinely weak, the arm is not the fix — start with the flow restrictor and the other causes of low shower pressure.
Do not fit it dry: the arm threads into the drop-ear elbow behind the tile — the one joint you cannot easily reach again. Oatey 31199 PTFE tape.
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