Last month Las Vegas hosted the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES), where almost 200,000 people flocked to see the latest electronic gadgetry for homes, autos, entertainment, etc. You might be interested to know about some of the latest bathroom and kitchen products that were exhibited there.
What's The Latest in Plumbing Technology?
For instance, Kohler introduced a voice-enabled lighted mirror built-in with Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistance. Not only does it light up the mirror, it can start showers, fill a tub, adjust water temperature and the type of desired spray, and even play music with the sound of your voice. Oh, it also flushes the toilet on voice command.
One of the best features, it seems to me, would be the automated temperature adjustments, which could help prevent scalding incidents and avoid wasting water while you manually try to achieve your most comfortable water temperature. Some people might also like different water temperatures at different times, like hotter on cool days and cooler when it’s sweltering outside.
Renowned faucet-maker Moen also introduced a voice-activated shower compatible with Amazon’s Alexa. The popularity of that device seems to have set off an explosion of voice activated devices hitting the marketplace.
Another exhibitor of “smart” showers was a French company, Elmer, whose device plays surround-sound music and also ties into Alexa. Their device even sprays oils on you while you shower if that’s your desire!
Toto, the Japanese toilet manufacturer renowned for its high-tech bathroom gadgetry, also was an exhibitor at the show showing off its latest wares. So was Whirlpool, emphasizing its latest kitchen innovations.
Of course, these devices are not for everyone. They are not cheap and some of the gadgetry would be difficult if not impossible to install as a retrofit to an existing bathroom. But if you would like to incorporate some of the latest, most dazzling plumbing products in your home, give us a call and we’ll give you an honest assessment of feasibility and cost.
