Kohler can now run you a bath with just a voice command
Kohler’s long-touted PerfectFill technology is finally here, and frazzled parents everywhere can breathe a sigh of relief. The company announced the availability of its smart bath tech at CES 2022 this week, which lets you fill up a bathtub with a simple voice command. So, if you’re downstairs cooking dinner and want to get the kids’ bath going, you can just ask Alexa or Google to run the bath for you.
PerfectFill consists of drain kit and digital valve that work together to draw the bath to your preferred temperature and depth. So, no more worrying about flooding the bathroom because you forgot it was running or scalding junior when they jump in the bath.
Bath time can be controlled by the Kohler Konnect app, as well as via voice, and there’s the option to program up to 10 different bath times, so everyone in the house can have it their way (even Fido).
PerfectFill doesn’t just fill, however, you can also drain the tub with a voice or app command.
All this control will cost you, though. PerfectFill starts at $2,700; that doesn’t include a Kohler spout and compatible Kohler bath. It also needs to be professionally installed. PerfectFill will be available to order in 2022.
If that’s not enough tech for your bath time, Kholer’s Stillness Bath, which was teased at CES last year, will be available to purchase in 2022.
The smart bathing experience starts at $8,000 and incorporates that PerfectFill tech in a smart bathtub that combines water, light, fog, and aroma to create an “at home spa-like experience,” according to Kohler.
If an $8,000 smart spa bath still isn’t enough, you can take it up a notch with the Infinity Experience model that adds the option to have the water flow over the edges and into a hinoki wood base, adding that trickling waterfall sound to your relaxation experience.
The whole system is controlled by the Kohler Konnect app, and the lower-end $8,000 freestanding bath will be available in Q1 2022. The other models are coming in Q3, prices still to be announced.
For more hands-free water control, Kohler is also debuting a kitchen faucet that’s suspended from the ceiling and controlled by a waterproof, battery-operated Bluetooth puck. The Purist Suspend can be operated by the puck-shaped remote to turn the faucet on and off and adjust the temperature.
The main concept here — beyond being quite the statement piece — is reducing counter clutter. With Suspend, your kitchen faucet will no longer be in the way when you’re washing dishes (was it really ever?). The faucet hangs from the ceiling and has 180 degree rotation.
Also announced at CES 2021 and coming to market this year is Kohler’s smart water monitor, H2Wise powered by Phyn. The H2Wise and H2Wise Plus (a professionally installed version) will launch in January for $400 and $667, respectively.
The H2Wise Plus is installed at the main water line and can be set to shut off water through the app if a leak is detected. The H2Wise can be installed by a homeowner under a sink. Both units require a 110v / 220v power supply.
Both these gadgets monitor water use throughout every fixture in your home and can notify you of a water leak as well as help monitor water use. A pre-freeze warning uses pressure sensing to warn you before a pipe freezes.
The H2Wise monitor is controlled by the Kohler Konnect app and can be paired with Alexa or Google voice assistants.
Other smart products Kohler announced at CES 2022 include the Robern IQ Digital Lock Box — a smart lock box that fits in a bathroom vanity cabinet for storing medication and personal items. Designed for Robern cabinets, it can be adjusted to install in any vanity.
The Digital Lock Box costs $449 and has a touchpad panel as well as an app (iOS and Android) to set and protect your password, view entry logs, and receive alerts when the box is opened. Users can also set a schedule and add daily medication reminders.
Also in the bathroom space, Kohler is launching a line of Touchless Residential Bathroom Faucets starting at $199 that you turn on and off with the wave of a hand. A twist top controls temperature and an auto shut-off feature turns the flow off after two minutes. The faucet also has a vacation mode and is battery operated for an easier install.
Finally, the Kohler Power Reserve is a modular home energy storage system that pairs with solar power systems to store solar energy regardless of the weather, time of day, or status of the grid. Using the Kohler Power Reserve mobile app to monitor and control the system, users can set the storage system to backup, self supply, time of use, or custom. Pricing starts at $13,325 for a 10kWh system.
Kohler’s long-touted PerfectFill technology is finally here, and frazzled parents everywhere can breathe a sigh of relief. The company announced the availability of its smart bath tech at CES 2022 this week, which lets you fill up a bathtub with a simple voice command. So, if you’re downstairs cooking dinner…
