Some companies come to CES to make just one big announcement. Kohler, who celebrates his 150th birthdaye anniversary in 2023 – showcasing so many new smart plumbing products and systems this year that it couldn’t wait for the show to open.
This morning, Kohler unveiled three new smart toilets, a showerhead that infuses the water it sprays with essential oils, unique new features for the smart water valve it developed in partnership with Phyn, and more.
Kohler’s awesome smart toilet
Kohler will showcase three new one-piece smart toilets at CES this year. Each includes a built-in bidet, motion sensing to open and close the lid, ultraviolet lights for self-cleaning, emergency backup flush (so you can flush during a power outage), and even a night light. The stylish Kohler Innate smart toilet is the most affordable of the three, with a list price of $3,400. In addition to the features listed above, it allows users to customize bidet water temperature, pressure and spray pattern (with front and back wash options); he uses electrolyzed water to rinse his stainless steel bidet bowl and wand; and has a heated seat and a warm air dryer.
The Eir Elevating Smart Toilet – $7,100 – includes a bidet wand with pulsing and oscillating options, a mister that wets the toilet bowl before use to make flushing more efficient during flushing, and a seat elongated with silent closing. The Eir can be upgraded to Rose Gold or Sunrise Gold finishes to coordinate with other Kohler fixtures if you are doing a complete bathroom remodel.
The angular, premium Numi 2.0 ($11,500, pictured above) goes one step further by adding ambient lighting, support for Kohler Konnect (Kohler’s smart home system that includes Alexa compatibility), customization features and even a built-in speaker system (we’re not kidding). All operations of the Numi can be managed with a portable remote control.
Kohler H2Wise Smart Water Valve Updates
Kohler is differentiating its H2Wise+ smart water valve from the Phyn product it’s based on with a feature that will turn on a Kohler smart faucet to open slightly – to relieve pressure – if the valve senses water in the main line. supply could freeze.
Kohler
Kohler announced private-label versions of the Phyn Plus smart water valves at last year’s CES. Starting Q2 2023, the $667 Kohler H2Wise+ Powered by Phyn (which connects to your home’s main water line) and the $400 Kohler H2Wise Power by Phyn (a DIY product that connects to the supply lines of a sink faucet) may react to the risk of freezing of the water lines.
If either smart valve determines that the water in your supply lines is near freezing, it can request a Kohler smart faucet to open briefly to relieve pressure on the pipes, thus minimizing the potential damage caused by a burst. This is the first time the Kohler version of the Phyn smart valve will offer significant functionality not available with the original product, but it depends on the owner who also owns at least one Kohler smart faucet.
Sprig showerhead promises to make bath time “an experience”
The Kohler Sprig showerhead infuses your shower water with essential oils and promises to be a relatively easy DIY upgrade.
Kohler
Kohler’s Spring wellness product line has so far consisted of bath bombs and body and linen mists. By the end of the first quarter, the company will also have a shower head capable of infusing essential oils into the water passing through it.
Drop a pod of these essential oils into the Sprig Shower Infusion System (hardware prices start at $119) and the water coming out of the showerhead will be infused with fragrance for several minutes. Each capsule is designed to create a bathing “experience”. “Sleep”, for example, is a blend of lavender and vanilla; “Focus” combines clary sage and patchouli; while “Relax” is a blend of chamomile and green tea. Kohler says its Sprig shower infusion system can be installed over existing plumbing and is an easy DIY project.
And that’s not all
That’s not all Kohler is showing off at CES Visitors to the Kohler booth will also be able to see the latest iteration of the Japanese-style Stillness Bath soaking tub we talked about at CES 2022, the Anthem line of valves and controls. digital water systems, and the Statement VES showerhead and handshower.