The Renter-Friendly Shower Curtain Alternative That Comes With Downsides

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One of the troubles of renting a home is that your ability to make changes is often limited. Renters usually cannot paint or make structural changes, and many landlords don't even allow renters to use nails or adhesives on walls. If these rules make you wonder how home renters can upgrade their bathrooms, you're not alone. Sure, a renter could switch shower curtains to make a difference in the room, but you're still stuck with a curtain that takes up significant space and sometimes looks a bit dated. Plus, there is the chemical reason you may want to ditch your shower curtain to consider. If you prefer the modern look of a shower screen, then the renter-friendly Squid shower screen may appeal to you. Just be sure to understand its disadvantages, such as the price, flimsiness, and cleaning challenges, before committing.

The Squid shower screen consists of a peel-and-stick frame that adheres to your shower wall and tub to hold its two clear acrylic panels in place. The contrast of the black frame creates a crisp, modern look, and switching to clear panels makes your bathroom look larger by not cutting off the line of sight, like a shower curtain does. Squid states that the product is easy to install and remove and that removal is damage-free, making it great for renters. The company's TikTok page is full of stunning bathroom transformations, but commenters and reviewers of the product on Amazon share some notable concerns. If sturdiness and easy maintenance are priorities in your life, then you may want to carefully consider whether the Squid screen is worth the price.

Although the product is currently unavailable on Amazon, commenters and reviewers mention that the product is just under $200, and on Amazon Prime Day, it was on sale for $149. This price is within the normal range of installing a shower screen, but some people believe the price and quality of the impermanent Squid screen do not match, as evidenced by the 3.3-star rating on Amazon. 

Most of the criticism is about the thin, wiggly acrylic and the inadequate sealing of the frame. One reviewer writes that one bump would ruin the screen, though another says that although it doesn't have the strength to bear weight, if you get in and out of the shower without grabbing it, it should be okay. Other negative reviews discuss the imperfect adhesion that allows water to escape, despite the company's leak-proof claims. Some say caulking is the way to actually make it leak-proof and sturdy. However, you may need your landlord's permission to apply caulk, which takes away from the renter-friendly aspect.

Finally, there is the cleaning problem. The acrylic will need to be cleaned frequently to stay looking nice, but some people have commented that the clear acrylic seems prone to scratching. If the difficulty of cleaning around the small details of the frame isn't enough, improper adhesion would allow moisture to get trapped under the frame in a perfect hiding crevice for mold to grow. Combine that with mopping up water that leaks through the screen, and perhaps it's better to just avoid these shower curtain mistakes that most people make, so you can embrace and enjoy your shower curtain, instead.