Technology is pervasive in our lives, providing added convenience and time savings not to mention a healthy dose of wow! This year, at the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, the largest showcase of new products for the home in the United States, manufacturers unveiled a bevy of new technology for the bath to bring more functionality and pleasure to homeowners.

At KBIS, we saw lighting features incorporated into tubs, mirrors, vanities, sinks and water closets to provide the right levels of light to better match natural biological processes commonly referred to as circadian rhythms. Controlling lighting levels helps prevent the jolt to your system that bright lights can create if you have to use the bathroom in the middle of the night or early morning before the sun comes up. Today’s lighting controls enable you to navigate in the bath by providing a gentle glow, or you can program lighting levels to match needs and lifestyles.

Lighting can be controlled and activated through applications, motion control sensors, voice commands or home assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home. You can also use your home assistant to fill a bathtub, turn on a shower, adjust mirror lighting, start a steam shower, play music or activate other smart devices in your home. One manufacturer has embedded Alexa in a mirror so you can utilize all of Alexa’s functionality all while preparing for the day or a night on the town.

Customization is another benefit of technological advances in the bath. You can set the water temperature, steam temperature and lighting preferences for every member of your family in the shower. Advances in showerheads enable you to change spray patterns through remote controls thereby eliminating the need to change settings physically. This is a great benefit to those who have a difficult time reaching the showerhead.

If you thought you had to take a ride on a space ship to float in a gravity-free zone, think again. Toto featured new, more cost-effective models of its tub that create a zero gravity environment. Other high-tech tubs on display combine air technology with a waterfall that massages shoulders while you soak and feature chromatherapy to enable you to relax in the tub and wash away the stresses of the day.

KBIS featured water closets that are self-cleaning and deodorizing and an expansion of bidet seats and functionality. Alexa has also been integrated into one toilet model which enables you to check the weather, order a driver service and listen to music while on the John.

How can new technology improve the quality of life for you and your family and enable you to create the in-home spa of your dreams? We can help you to answer that question. Give us a call at (401) 257-6610 or visit our showroom at 2949 Hartford Avenue Johnston RI.