You awake to the soft buzz of the alarm and, within seconds, realize you don’t have time for a morning news update on your phone. So, you jump out of bed and head to the bathroom, the one quiet sanctuary of the home where privacy remains king and tech advances mostly an after-thought.
Until now.
Looking for an update on news, weather and the morning commute? No problem. It’s all there from the bathroom mirror, prompted by your voice assistant. You are informed as you brush your teeth.
With technology transforming our lives – in the office and at home – the bathroom is now becoming customized, connected and more hygienic. Welcome to the future of the bathroom – today.
It’s all there in the numbers: The global smart bathroom market is a $1.4 billion industry with forecasts calling for the business to nearly double by 2023, according to Allied Market Research.
For years, many of us have used our phones to “read in the library.” The blending of phone applications and voice assistants – Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit – are bringing a new level of sophistication and intelligence to the powder room.
“Connected technology is driving innovation in the smart-home category, but connectivity alone isn’t enough. We believe in leading with design and seamlessly incorporating the right technologies so that our customers can personalize their bathroom experiences to be just right for them,” said David Kohler, President and CEO of Kohler Co.
It starts with the vanity. Kohler, well-known for kitchen and bathroom fixtures, offers the Veil Lighted suite of products, including a dimmable Verdera Voice lighted mirror (left), which embeds Alexa in the fixture. Homeowners can tell the mirror to turn on the shower, play music or report on traffic. The mirror and room can be programmed to different light intensities and colors based on your mood or the time of day – for example, a dim blue when bleary-eyed in the middle of the night.
Companies now offer personalized shower settings for every member of the home. You can set sound, water, steam and lighting preferences at the touch of a finger or with your voice. You can even start your shower with your voice while lying in bed so that the water is warm by the time you get there.
The simple bathtub is no longer simplified. A walk through this year’s Kitchen and Bath Industry Show indicates spa-like baths are trending, including Toto’s floatation tub with “zero-dimension” technology. The tub simulates zero gravity for the bather by positioning the body with torso reclined and hips, ankles and knees flexed. At about $20,000, it’s not for the budget minded.
Kohler’s programmable PerfectFill tub can calibrate water depths and temperature for any person – and settings can be controlled by voice command. Price tag: $1,500 and up.
Luxury living includes luxury bathing. There are waterfall baths, tubs that include shoulder-massage capabilities and see-through varieties with a choice of eight LED colored lights.
Even the toilet is getting a tech upgrade. The latest models feature self-cleaning/deodorizing capabilities, hands-free lid operation and improved hygiene options. American Standard now features a line of bidet seats which can be added to a standard toilet that allow users to choose the strength and temperature of the water stream.
And for about $7,500, Kohler’s new Numi 2.0 toilet allows a person to use Alexa to listen to music, check the weather or order a meal – all from your seat. Talk about Moaning Myrtle!
(This article is in not an endorsement of any product or company. It is my attempt to share details about the latest technologies in the bathroom and benefits to homeowners.)