Bathroom renovations: Tech upgrades are making your bathroom smarter and safer

Intuitive gadgets and hands-free fixtures are bringing wellness technology to the bathroom.

A sleek bathroom such as the Naiko Retreat is what we all dream about.

Bathrooms are for luxuriating in and these days, that means you want them to be effortless. In fact, you’ll want “wellness technology” to make it so. While the rest of the house has been transitioned with smart tech, bathrooms have been doing it more discreetly, first with underfloor heating and heated towel rails at the push of a button.

Now intuitive fixtures are making the daily bathing experience feel like a day spa. Not that it’s just about luxury though, there’s functionality, water and energy efficient thinking, as well as germ phobias to consider.

Methven’s Kiri showerhead.

Methven’s head of design and innovation, Andy Grigor says water conservation in the bathroom is front of mind for consumers and smart showers that set preferred temperatures, water flow and follow your habits create better morning rituals, all while saving water.

“There is a movement to transition from the smart home to the thoughtful home,” explains Andy. “We are working on hidden technology that helps meet everyday demands, with products that have intuitive features that use several metrics to predict your needs.”

The Archie vanity from reece.com.au

From integrated music to adjustable lighting and heating, to smart toilets and automatic sensor taps and showers, even LED-lit mirrors with built-in bluetooth or ones that de-fog themselves when there’s too much steam.

Touchless taps, heated towel rails and LED mirrors with built-in bluetooth.

But we’re not just going wireless, Covid has seen us move towards hands free too. Home automation buyer at The Good Guys David Linehan says these trends are here to stay.

“It’s clear smart home products are here to stay and gaining huge traction in bathrooms. It’s the sacred space where we start and finish our days, and even take breaks from our busy worlds to relax,” he says.

Google Nest Mini, available at The Good Guys.

“Adding clever features like smart lighting, such as the TP-LINK Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Light Bulb, with a compatible smart speaker like the Google Nest Mini, ensures your bathroom has the right feel — keeping it functional and relaxing.”

Mizu’s Drift sensor basin mixer comes in four colours to match your decor, reece.com.au

HANDS OFF, HYGIENE FIRST
Germs are a big issue in 2022. That’s where wellness tech and sensors that enhance hygiene come in – think soap dispensers, sensor taps and shower heads, contactless bins, tissue holders, even a hand dryer so you don’t need to use a towel.

Sensor taps aren’t cheap so be prepared to pay $400-$900 but since you’ll only need one or two, they can be worth the cost. Sensors that control shower heads are more pricey with options such as Caroma’s Smart Command intelligent shower eco from $3500 (connects to bluetooth) and Rada’s Sense shower mixer at $1795. Mizu’s Drift Sensor basin mixer (pictured) from reece.com.au is one of the first sensor taps made for homes and a quick wave of your hand will trigger or stop a 10-second water flow.

The Zumi Novus Smart Suite toilet self cleans and is automated.

CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO …
Who doesn’t want a self-clean or self-flush toilet? These touchless products have been in commercial settings for years and the less surfaces you touch, the less risk of germs being shared between family and friends. Bathroom design specialist Rachel Gilding expects self-flushing toilets to be one of the biggest trends of 2022. There’s also toilets that heat the seat, have night lights, integrated deodorisers or are voice activated.

“Smart toilets such as the Novus Smart Suite (pictured) are perfect for those looking to increase cleanliness,” she says. “The self-cleaning nozzle and the automated closing and shutting of the lid drastically decrease the amount of direct hand to toilet contact and transfer of germs.”

The latest Kohler Moxie showerhead comes with a built-in speaker and access to voice assistants.

PAIR UP THE DEVICES
Connect Alexa or Google to your bathroom routine to turn down your lighting, turn on heating or play your favourite song through bluetooth speakers, via apps or integrated fixtures.

Of course, no well-rounded bathing experience can be had without music and portable tech is easy to add. Pop the bluetooth speaker on the vanity and set it to soothe, however if you want a fully integrated speaker, opt for Kohler’s sleek Moxie showerhead/wireless speaker (pictured) which is bluetooth-enabled and can last up to seven hours of shower time.

On the side of safety, Clipsal’s Wiser Smart Home automation has a water leakage sensor to alert homeowners if the bath is overflowing or if there is water on the ground.