Forest bathing bathtub, hands-free toilet and more showcased at CES 2021
Tired and stressed out after a long year of lockdown? It might just be time to upgrade your smallest room to the smart bathroom of your dreams, with a selection of new appliances just announced by kitchen and bathroom designer Kohler Co.
The showstopper is its new Stillness Bath, an “experiential” bathtub inspired by Japanese forest bathing. This combines water, light, fog and scent to immerse bathers in a spa-like environment.
It’s definitely at the luxury end of the market though, with prices ranging from $6,198 to a whopping $15,998. Still, it’s been a stressful year so we wouldn’t blame you for wanting to indulge.
The Stillness experience begins with water filling from the bottom of the bath and overflowing into a Hinoki wood moat, and continues with chromatherapy and aromatherapy for the full mindfulness experience.
If your takeaway from the last year has been more about the importance of handwashing – ideally without having to actually touch anything – then Kohler’s new bathroom tap might be finding its place in your smarthome.
Similar to taps found in office or public toilets – though infinitely more luxurious in style – this can be activated by hand waves rather than risking spreading or picking up germs by turning the tap itself. You can choose from a complete new tap or a “puck” that can be retrofitted to compatible Kohler bathroom taps to convert them to touchless.
Finally there’s the Innate Intelligent Toilet. While the idea of an actual intelligent loo makes us somewhat wary – surely it wouldn’t be happy about how we treat it? – this is all about convenience and cleanliness, which is definite draw.
Features include a heated seat, auto open and close, intuitive remote and bidet functionality. It also features easy installation if you’re looking to save costs by fitting it yourself.
Kohler has also partnered with water monitoring company Phyn to launch a home water monitor, in DIY and pro versions. This will monitor water flow in your home to immediately notify you of a leak and keep you informed of how all of your fittings use water throughout your home.
