TubShroom Ultra Revolutionary Bath Tub Drain Protector Hair Honest Review — Is the Hype Justified?

Introduction

I've been using the TubShroom Ultra for about six months now, and I wanted to write a thorough, honest review from the perspective of someone who showers daily and shares a household with a partner who has much shorter hair. When I first heard the buzz — the “mushroom” that sits inside your drain and collects hair from the roots rather than sitting on top of the drain — I was skeptical. Could a little silicone gadget really stop the weekly ritual of fishing hair out of the bathtub drain and calling a plumber every few months?

What I found was neither pure magic nor total disappointment. In this review I’ll walk through how I installed and used the TubShroom Ultra, what worked well, what didn’t, how it compares to a few other common drain-catch solutions, and practical buying and maintenance advice so you can decide whether it’s worth the hype for your bathroom.

First Impressions and Installation

When my TubShroom Ultra arrived, I unboxed it and immediately liked its simplicity. It’s made of a flexible, rubbery material that feels durable but soft to the touch. Installation was literally a matter of pushing it into the drain. In my main bathroom the drain has a removable stopper (not a pop-up), and the TubShroom Ultra seated snugly by gravity and friction without needing tools.

In my experience the fit was important: because the Ultra sits inside the drain, it needs the drain opening to accept the cylindrical “stem.” If you have a pop-up stopper or a permanently attached drain cap, it likely won't work without removing that piece first. I tried it in a second bathroom with a pop-up drain and discovered it wouldn’t sit flush unless I removed the pop-up — not realistic for that tub — so I removed it from that location and went back to using it in the main tub only.

After the first shower I noticed hair collecting in an outer ring around the body of the TubShroom, which is precisely where the company says it will gather hair. It was pleasantly less messy than the common top-mounted strainer I’d used previously — fewer stray hairs floating in the tub and less "string" clogging the drain.

How It Performed Over Several Months

Here’s how the TubShroom Ultra actually behaved after consistent use for roughly six months.

Hair collection

In my experience, it collected a lot of hair. I have shoulder-length hair, and my partner has a short style; together we produce a moderate amount of hair each week. The TubShroom Ultra trapped most of the longer strands, particularly those that travel down the drain in clumps. After each bath or shower it was common to pull the TubShroom out and find an impressive ring of hair neatly wrapped around its exterior. That was satisfying — far less invasive than digging hair out from the drain grate.

That said, very short hairs and loose strands sometimes slipped past and stayed in the drain. Over time, a thin film of shorter hairs and soap scum accumulated below the TubShroom, so occasional deeper cleaning (a simple run with an old toothbrush and warm soapy water) was necessary to keep everything fresh. If you or someone in the house sheds extremely fine hair, expect the TubShroom to help a lot but not be 100% perfect.

Drainage and water flow

One concern I had was water pooling. With TubShroom Ultra installed, water still drained normally for me; there was no noticeable backup when both of us showered one after the other or when I rinsed shampoo out thoroughly. However, during the first week I did notice slightly slower drainage while the TubShroom had collected a lot of hair — that’s to be expected. After I removed the hair and rinsed the unit, drainage speed returned to normal.

Cleaning and maintenance

Cleaning became part of my weekly routine: I pull the TubShroom out, wrap the hair with toilet paper, throw it away, then quickly rinse the TubShroom under hot water and wipe with an old toothbrush to remove soap scum. The Ultra’s material rinses quickly and dries fast. I found that leaving it in continuously between cleanings is fine; it didn’t develop an offensive smell, but if you let it sit stuffed with hair for too long it will start to look and smell unpleasant — which is more of a user-habit issue than a product flaw.

Durability

After six months of daily use the material still feels resilient. There are no cracks or tears on mine; the color has not dramatically faded (I used a darker color), and it still flexes easily. If you’re rough with it or use abrasive cleaners, I imagine it would degrade faster, but in normal household use it appears solid.

Specific Things I Liked

• It actually reduces the number of times I need to disassemble the drain or call in extra help for clogs.
• The design catches hair in a way that is easier to remove cleanly — less gross, less splatter, and no fishing through the grate.
• Installation is tool-free and reversible; I can take it out in seconds if I need to.
• The silicone-like material cleans easily and doesn't retain water.

Specific Disappointments and Limitations

• It doesn't work with all drain types — notably pop-up drains and some decorative or non-standard drain covers.
• Very short hairs and fine fragments can still bypass the device, meaning it's not a full clog-proof solution.
• If you forget to clean it regularly, it becomes a little gross and less effective.
• On rare occasions the stem can be a little fiddly to remove if it settles deep in the drain — not a dealbreaker, but mildly annoying.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Effective at catching longer hair: In my experience, it captures the bulk of shed hair before it goes into the plumbing.
• Easy to clean: Hair removal and rinsing take under a minute if done weekly.
• No tools required: Installation and removal are quick and reversible.
• Durable material: After months of use the unit remained flexible and intact.

Cons

• Not universal: Incompatible with some pop-up and non-standard drains.
• Doesn't catch everything: Fine hairs and residue may still pass through.
• Requires routine maintenance: Forgetting to clean it reduces performance and can look unpleasant.
• Occasional fit issues: On a couple of drains it felt too loose or a little tight; measure if you're unsure.

Comparison Table

Buying Guide: How to Decide If TubShroom Ultra Is Right for You

Here are the practical things I considered during my purchase and what I’d recommend you check before buying.

1. Check your drain type

Measure or inspect your drain. If you have a pop-up stopper that doesn’t come out or a decorative drain cover you can’t remove, the TubShroom Ultra probably won’t fit without modifications. In my experience it worked best in tubs where the stopper can be removed quickly.

2. Think about hair type and household habits

If everyone in your home has very short hair and you rarely see long clumps of hair in the drain, a mesh strainer might be sufficient. But if you frequently find long strands and thick clumps, the TubShroom Ultra is superior in catching those long strands before they reach the pipe.

3. Consider maintenance tolerance

The TubShroom is not maintenance-free. You have to pull it out and clean the trapped hair regularly. If you hate dealing with any maintenance at all, know that nothing will be completely invisible — but the TubShroom’s job is to make that maintenance quick and cleaner than other methods.

4. Material preferences

If you prefer metal products, the silicone-like feel of the TubShroom might not appeal aesthetically, but functionally it’s more forgiving and less likely to scratch or dent a drain. If you want something decorative on top of the drain, a mesh or metal strainer is more visible but less tidy under the surface.

5. Budget and replacements

The TubShroom Ultra is inexpensive compared to plumbing bills and drain cleaning tools. I didn’t need to replace mine during my six months of use. If you want extra insurance, consider buying a spare so you can swap while cleaning the other.

Practical Tips from My Experience

• Clean weekly if you're a daily user. It keeps the device effective and prevents odors.
• If you have a tight-fit drain, gently flex the TubShroom to help seat it instead of forcing it in straight down.
• Use hot water and a soft brush to remove soap scum — abrasive cleaners can accelerate wear.
• Store a spare in the linen closet so you can swap quickly while one dries after cleaning.

Conclusion

After six months of real-world use, my verdict is that the TubShroom Ultra is worth the hype for many households. In my experience it dramatically reduced the amount of long hair that made it into the plumbing and made routine cleanup less disgusting and faster. It isn’t a miracle — it won’t capture every single fine hair and it won’t work with every drain type — but for standard tub drains and households with medium-to-long hair, it’s one of the easiest, least annoying ways to prevent clogs before they start.

One thing that bothered me a little was the occasional fit issue in non-standard drains and the need to remember weekly cleaning. Those are real trade-offs, but compared to the hassle of calling a plumber or snake once in a while, I found the trade-off worthwhile. If you have a compatible drain and you don’t mind a minute or two of maintenance each week, the TubShroom Ultra is a simple, effective tool that reduced my plumbing anxiety and kept my tub draining more reliably than the top-mounted strainers I used before.