Smart Toilet From Kohler Gets Big Buzz at CES

The 2019 version of International CES, the world’s largest trade show, gets underway this week in Las Vegas. The event will feature the latest technological innovations from several of the world’s largest consumer technology companies, including TVs, smart home products, accessories and much more.

The show’s press day takes place Monday and the show floor itself opens on Tuesday and remains open through the end of the week. But ironically, some of the biggest buzz ahead of this year’s event is coming from a nontraditional manufacturer, with a nontraditional tech product: a smart toilet.

The Numi 2.0 Intelligent Toilet was announced ahead of the show’s launch by Kohler, an established toilet and bathroom product manufacturer whose history goes back to 1873.

According to the tech site the Verge, the Numi 2.0 is “one of those strange products that draws so heavily on buzzwords and tech trends that it’s indistinguishable from parody.”

A press release announcing the product calls it “Kohler’s most advanced intelligent toilet.” It features built-in speakers, Amazon Alexa, as well as “exceptional water efficiency, personalized cleansing and dryer functions, [and] a heated seat.”

A previous Numi Intelligent Toilet was unveiled by Kohler last year at CES and got some attention, however the 2019 version features upgrades, including improved lighting that the company describes as “dynamic and interactive multi-colored ambient and surround lighting.”

The toilet, though, is only part of a suite of smart bathroom products unveiled by Kohler. There’s a Veil Lighted Bathroom Collection and the Verdera Voice Lighted Mirror, as well as the DTV+ Shower System, the PerfectFill Technology Bath Filler, and the PureWarmth Heated Toilet Seat. The settings of all can be controlled through a special Kohler Konnect app.

Kohler has released a video, touting that the products add up to “the world’s smartest bathroom.”

The Numi 2.0 Intelligent Toilet will set you back $7,000 (or $9,000 in black), the Verge said, indicating that it is meant for the high-end home market.

“Connected technology is driving innovation in the smart home category, but connectivity alone isn’t enough. We believe in leading with design and seamlessly incorporating the right technologies so that our customers can personalize their bathroom experiences to be just right for them,” Kohler president and CEO David Kohler said in the release.

The announcement does not say when the products will arrive on the market. But for those attending CES, Kohler will be exhibiting the bathroom suite at the Sands Convention Center, at Booth #40724.