There’s no question that MrSteam is a company ahead of its time when it comes to bathroom technology. So many of the innovations that have been noted as tech trends of 2018 have been standard issue for MrSteam projects for years – including ChromaTherapy, towel warmers, mobile integration, and home automation systems, including SteamLinx, Home Wizard, and, of course, digitally controlled steam showers.
But bathroom tech is growing apace, especially as millennials come to expect it, older homeowners find it useful when they want to age in place, and the generation in the middle, now raising their families, find any technological innovation to be an added bonus!
Integration with Cell Phones and Alexa
A June 2015 Verizon Wireless survey of 6,000 people showed that nearly 90% of Americans use their phones in the bathroom. Combined with the recent wave of voice-controlled intelligent personal assistant services such as Alexa, it makes sense that more and more products are being automated.
A lot of attention has been given to technologically advanced toilet features, including sensor-operated seats and lids, night lights, deodorizers, self-cleaning and self-flushing features, and heated, antimicrobial seats. Some of the newest toilets are equipped with electronic bidets that clean and dry you without ever needing to reach for the toilet paper. Others allow you to personalize your experience, including colored lighting, wireless music, foot warmers, and water efficiency.
Future innovations in toilet tech may include the ability to analyze your waste, letting you know, for instance, if you need to see a doctor or are pregnant. Critics of these features point to privacy concerns, but we may very well see this technology integrated into our bathrooms in the not-too-distant future.
We’ve spoken in the past of how much water we waste performing simple functions such as brushing our teeth or running the water until reaching the desired temperature. New technology allows us to program our faucets to reduce tap flow, control temperature digitally, turn the water on without ever touching the faucet, and turning it off when the user’s hands have moved away. We can also use electronic timers to set tasks like brushing your teeth – turning off after the toothbrush is wet and turning back on after the recommended three minutes of brushing is reached.
Integrating your mirror with Alexa means you can listen to the morning news or music and control the room’s light levels. Other new-fangled mirrors come equipped with an embedded television set that vanishes completely when not in use. Mirrors can also be integrated with security cameras, which is useful not just in the bathroom, but in other rooms in the home.
Warm bathroom floors aren’t new, but being able to control them digitally by connecting embedded mats to a digital thermostat controlled from your smartphone is. While towel warmers aren’t all that innovative – MrSteam has been producing them for decades, including those that integrate aromatherapy – they are still being heralded in the trades as yet another 2018 tech feature.
Imagine a tub that can fill a bath to exactly the right temperature and water amount, controlled through simple voice commands or an app. New soaking tubs include no shower surround, air channels that provide a stream of massaging bubbles (a remake of the jacuzzi), chromatherapy mood enhancing lighting (again, a MrSteam standard), and a variety of interesting shapes and materials, including stone and copper.
Smart showers allow you to customize your showering experience with voice commands, including adjusting water temperature and shower heads, body sprays, music, lighting, and, of course, steam.
Again, MrSteam has led the pack with many of these innovations already long established, including MusicTherapy, ChromaTherapy mood lighting, AromaTherapy, and remote control via their HomeWizard home automation integration module and SteamLinx Module and Mobile App.
There’s no question that technology is making your bathroom an even more intriguing and invigorating oasis from the world – and MrSteam is proud to be among the innovators bringing these bathroom advancements to you!