Royal Flushh: Road Test
This clever device from Japan is for masking embarrassing noises when you’re on the toilet. So how does it work?
WHAT IS IT? “A bathroom noise canceller,” the makers of Royal Flushh say coyly.
COULD YOU BE A LITTLE LESS COY THEN, SO I UNDERSTAND? It’s a wall-mounted speaker that plays forest sounds to cover up any embarrassing noises when you’re on the loo. It’s from Japan, where people are used to living cheek by jowl.
I SEE. VERY USEFUL. Yes. I’ve always kept a French horn in the bathroom for that same purpose. I practise my arpeggios when doing a number two.
EWWW. AND WHAT IF PEOPLE HEAR A BUM NOTE? I just tell ’em it’s jazz.
NO, I MEANT… OH, NEVER MIND. HOW DOES THIS THING WORK? The speaker – 10cm across – fixes onto the wall beside the loo, and runs on two AA batteries. To activate 40 seconds of forest sounds (think birdsong, chirruping insects and the whoop-whoop of monkeys), simply wave your hand across the sensor on the front. At max volume, it puts out 80 decibels.
VERDICT: Your housemates will never know what’s going on in there!Unless, of course, your arse puts out 120 decibels.
$64, free shipping, japantoiletsound.com