Filed under: Shopping, Your Home, Bathroom, Design, etc, News & Trends
Kohler unveils its high-tech new toilet, complete with warmers, a remote control and a custom bidet. Find out how this seat earned its price and tell us: Do you want it?
The Numi, in all its glory. Photo: Kohler
Last week, I went to a party for a toilet. But not just any old John -- I was out celebrating Numi, Kohler's new top-of-the-line toilet. Between the champagne, gourmet hors d'oeurves and well-dressed crowd, Numi's release might have been just about the most glamour a toilet has ever seen. But it only makes sense: This toilet isn't just new, it's super high-tech. It's got bells and whistles you've never dreamed of having in the bathroom. Like...
- Custom Bidet: User can control pressure, temperature and angle.
- Tankless Design: Read: No chains to jiggle!
- Motion Sensor Lid: After 90 seconds of no movement, the toilet will close.
- Seat Warmer: Why should your bottom suffer from a chilly toilet seat?
- Foot Warmer: A vent beneath the bowl blows hot air to warm your feet and the cold tile beneath them.
- Automatic Seat: For male users, a motion sensor is activated by foot and causes the seat to rise and then lower when you're away.
- LED lit back panel: Frosted glass is lit in an energy-efficient way.
- MP3 Hook-up: So you never have to be without your music.
- Remote Control: This touch-screen pad lets the user control all of these features from a wireless control. Should you want to activate the foot warmer in advance.
- A flat white surface designed for easy cleaning: Though we doubt anyone who spends over $6,400 on a toilet is planning to clean it themselves!
Pretty impressive, right? Wait, it gets better. This new toilet uses the smallest amount of water. It flushes on two settings, 0.6 gallons and 1.2 gallons. And yes, the Numi knows which one to use when. The Numi knows everything.
I snagged a few minutes with Kohler President David Kohler to ask a few questions about his Numi experience. Turns out his favorite feature is the bidet. And while we're busy giggling about the toilets, he and the rest of the team at Kohler take them pretty seriously: At the headquarters in Wisconsin, they keep competitors' toilets in the offices...with comment cards in each stall!
While the toilet was designed for the luxury market, the Kohler team prides themselves on an "easy to use interface." Which means that when you put aside all the fancy add-ons, the toilet is still, like the regular old model, easy to use. The touch-screen remote won't complicate anything.
Numi will be making its first public appearance April 26th in Las Vegas at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show. As for when you'll start seeing it in homes? Well, that all depends on how the public responds. Start by telling us how you feel.
What about you?
For past Kohler features on Shelterpop, check out:
Five Beautiful Bathtubs
Space-Saving Bathroom Sinks